New Zealand, of course, is too far from us to call it the most popular destination for our tourists. However, this country is so beautiful and interesting that it is worth traveling several thousand kilometers and paying for a flight to visit it!
Today, in light of the growing popularity of “green” tourism, New Zealand is actively developing this area of activity, as it has surprisingly wide opportunities for this type of vacation.
This state, which is distinguished by its special atmosphere and color, is located on two large (and almost 700 small) islands located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. What are the must-dos in New Zealand? Visit local beaches, which are distinguished by clear water and beautiful scenery.
See New Zealand's geysers, waterfalls, hills, glaciers, bays and capes to appreciate all the natural beauty of the country. Engage in active recreation, which does not involve lounging on the beach, but getting to know new activities, hiking and having an interesting pastime. Extreme lovers will also enjoy it in New Zealand, so welcome!
Popular hotels and inns at affordable prices.
from 500 rubles/day
What to see in New Zealand?
The most interesting and beautiful places, photographs and brief descriptions.
This is one of the most beautiful places on our planet - a bay with amazingly clear water, which is surrounded by green mountains up to 1.2 thousand meters high. The fjord is located in Fiordland National Park, on the South Island. Every year thousands of tourists come here to admire the picturesque creation of nature.
If you have seen at least one film from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then there is no need to describe this attraction where filming took place. You will be familiar with every corner of this village where the hobbits lived. But even if you are not a fan of fantasy, it’s still worth visiting Hobbiton, because the village was built with great love.
This glacier is located in the west of the South Island, in Westland National Park. This unique natural wonder is visited every year by more than 250 thousand people who try to conquer the Franz Josef Glacier accompanied by a guide. This will require special shoes and equipment, but the ice tunnels themselves will leave an unforgettable impression.
This is the tallest building in the entire Southern Hemisphere. The height of the Sky Tower in Auckland is 328 meters; you can climb to the top using a unique high-speed elevator. There are three observation decks on the upper floors, and the amazing view is simply breathtaking. In addition, the Sky Tower houses several restaurants, hotels and a casino.
Nature worked on the creation of this masterpiece for millions of years, so that now tourists can descend into an interweaving of tunnels and about 150 caves! There are unique fireflies here, which illuminate the caves with an amazing blue-green light. Extreme sports enthusiasts can go down the water, and lovers of choral singing can listen to a cappello in the Cathedral Hall on the night before Christmas.
This hydrothermal system was formed in 1886 and since then has attracted tourists with the opportunity to see two of New Zealand's largest geysers - Prince of Wales's Feathers and Pouhta. They erupt every twenty minutes, so you won’t have to wait long for a stunning spectacle. The height of these geysers reaches 30 meters.
One of the most popular tourist routes in the North Island. The main port is Paihia, where you can sail on a cruise from Auckland. Numerous islands and islets are scattered throughout the waters of the bay. Here you can go diving, relax on the local beaches and wander around the surrounding area and historical places.
The oldest National Park in the country, often called the “three smoking mountains” because of the volcanoes located here. It was in Tongariro that certain scenes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were filmed, so the area here is truly fabulously beautiful and fantastic. Subtropical forests, untouched by humans, look completely different from the usual European groves.
This city, a three-hour drive from Auckland, is a unique geothermal area with numerous mud baths. Rotorua is very popular among tourists who come here not only to improve their health, but also to get acquainted with the life of the Maori in the village of Tamaki, see the twice-daily performance and try the original cuisine.
This “amazing volcano,” as the Maori themselves call it, seems to have been transported to our planet from a fairy tale or outer space. Now White Island has become a landscape reserve; no one lives here permanently. The volcano is visited only by tourists attracted by the unusual landscape, and by scientists who are interested in this object.
The largest lake in the country with a depth of up to 160 meters. Tourists come here to ride a boat, visit a shrimp farm and observatory, and go rafting down a mountain river. Taupo is also famous for its fishing - trout is found here in abundance. Near the lake there are resort complexes with hot mineral springs.
A number of waterfalls have become one of the main natural attractions of New Zealand. Huka Falls are located near Lake Taupo, so you can combine a visit to them with a vacation at local resorts. Every second, Huka Falls throw down up to 220 thousand liters of water! The spectacle is amazing, especially if you get closer by boat.
This is a theme park located near the city of Rotorua. A wide variety of animals live here, but Agrod became famous for its “Sheep Show”, in which tourists can also take part. Off-road tours are offered around the vast territory of the Agrodom; here you can try kiwi juice and local honey.
This beach stretches along the northern tip of the North Island and features amazing sand dunes that change with the slightest breath of wind. Ninety Mile Beach provides excellent conditions for windsurfing, boating and other outdoor activities. The area is sparsely populated and retains its natural charm.
The highest waterfall in Oceania, falling from 580 meters. Sutherland Falls is located on the South Island, on the Arthur River, within the Fiordland National Park, and is simply stunning with its power and strength. The roar of the waterfall can be heard several kilometers away, and many colorful rainbows make the spectacle even more unique.
In the heart of Auckland is the Art Gallery, established back in 1888. This is the first and most extensive art gallery in the country, located in the building of the former city telephone exchange. Today, both classical examples of painting and works of contemporary artists are presented here, and lectures are held.
17. City of Napier. Art Deco architecture
On the coast of the North Island is the city of Napier, which was seriously damaged by an earthquake in the first half of the last century and was almost completely rebuilt in a surprisingly attractive art deco style. The city, due to its architecture, is one big attraction with many hotels and tourist sites.
This sparsely populated area can only be visited by off-road vehicle. Despite this, Cape Reinga is a popular tourist destination, visited by up to 120 thousand people a year. This place plays a big role in the religious views of the Maori and is a sacred place for them. There is a modern, automatic lighthouse on the cape.
This is both a museum and an aquarium, which is located in the suburbs of Auckland. "The Underwater World of Kelly Tarleton" is a complex of exhibitions of the most amazing marine life, divided into five parts by theme. Here you can see the longest underwater tunnel on the planet, swim with sharks and watch stingrays.
This is a volcanic zone, one of those thanks to which, in fact, the islands of New Zealand arose. Wai-O-Tapu means "Sacred Waters". The Maoris named this place so for a reason - there are numerous hot springs here. Now in Wai-O-Tapu there is an amusement park “Thermal Wonderland”, which is very popular among tourists.
This is the very first place on the planet where bunge jumping was organized. You can jump off the Kawaru Bridge to experience the thrill. This is exactly what extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world come here for. If you are afraid, you can simply stand on the platform and watch the jump with video and sound. The Kawaru Bridge is the only place from which you can jump together, in tandem.
In the middle of the South Island there is a corner of nature with snow-capped peaks, including Mount Cook at 3,754 meters high, glaciers, including the Tasman - the largest in New Zealand, forests and fast mountain rivers. In Mount Cook you can go mountaineering, fishing, or just take a family walk to the nearest lake.
People come to this beach not with towels and umbrellas, but with shovels! There are two hot springs hidden under the sand of Hot Water Beach, so you can dig yourself a real bath that will quickly fill with warm water. The deeper such a “sand bath”, the hotter the water will be, so in some cases, vacationers dig entire canals to connect it to the sea.
Huge blue whales, minke whales and humpback whales constantly swim to the east coast of the South Island, where this pretty New Zealand town is located. There are also a lot of dolphins here. There are excursions to Kaikoura all year round where you can see giant sea creatures in their natural environment.
This is an unofficial but very popular symbol of the country. It was in honor of the kiwi bird that a local fruit known throughout the world was named. In addition, New Zealanders themselves often call themselves “Kiwis”. It has become a real international nickname. Images of the kiwi bird can be found literally everywhere here; you simply cannot find a better souvenir.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 200, F7.1, 1/1000 s, 262.0 mm equiv.
Aotearoa, which means "Land of the Long White Cloud" in Maori, is known throughout the world as New Zealand. This is a country of stunning volcanic and mountain landscapes, geysers and glaciers, magnificent mountain lakes.
They say that living in New Zealand is like sitting on a powder keg: earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common occurrences here. But, thanks to the developed infrastructure and excellent roads, this is a real paradise for tourists. Along the most beautiful mountain paths, travelers can climb up to the clouds, see volcanic craters and peaks covered with eternal snow.
To shoot in such conditions, you need a waterproof camera and lens, for example, Nikon D7200. The images shown here were taken with a Nikon D7100 camera and an AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens. A large lens hood prevents drops and snowflakes from falling on the glass; however, changing lenses near a geyser or in rainy mountains is very difficult. The best way out in this situation is to have two cameras: one with a wide-angle lens and the other with a long-angle lens. As a last resort, you should change the lens in a closed space, for example, in a car.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F9, 1/200 sec, 22.0 mm equiv.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a trail that passes through the huge Tongariro volcano. Here you can literally walk through the crater and look into the very heart of the volcano. The almost perfect cone of the Ngauruhoe crater “played the role” of Mount Orodruin in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy: Frodo and Sam climbed it to destroy the Ring. In “ordinary life” Tongariro is one of the most studied volcanoes in the world. On its slopes there are many sensors measuring volcanic activity.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F9, 1/250 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.
Every day tourists pass through Tongariro, and I take the opportunity to photograph them with the volcano in the background to convey its enormous size. When photographing people in a landscape, it's best to place them against a light background - like in these volcanic landscape shots. If the people in the frame blend into the background, or there are a lot of contrasting objects around, then the viewer will hardly be able to feel the scale of the photo.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F8, 1/200 sec, 105.0 mm equiv.
Tongariro last erupted in 2012 when the Te Mari crater exploded. We walked along the path and saw enormous clouds of steam escaping from the crater. They rose into the sky and joined the long white clouds gliding over Aotearoa.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F7.1, 1/250 sec, 28.0 mm equiv.
Not far from Tongariro is the town of Rotorua, famous for its huge geyser fields. The largest geyser, Pohutu, reaches 30 meters in height and erupts once an hour. There are several excellent viewing platforms around it where tourists can watch the eruptions. This provides a great opportunity for the photographer to convey the grandeur of Pohutu while demonstrating its scale. Shooting bright figures of people among swirling steam and erupting geysers is the most affordable way to achieve the desired effect.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 125, F8, 1/800 sec, 147.0 mm equiv.
The relief of New Zealand is not only volcanoes, but also huge mountains. The Southern Alps rise almost four kilometers high above the Tasman Sea. The majestic Franz Josef and Tasman glaciers rise from Mount Cook, the highest point of the Southern Alps. You can get close to their base: there are also several observation platforms here, offering stunning views. With the help of mountain guides who provide climbing equipment, you can hike on the glacier and photograph people in front of huge blocks of ice.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F8, 1/800 sec, 217.0 mm equiv.
To the south lies Fiordland National Park, one of the rainiest places on the planet. In clear weather, Fiordland is stunningly beautiful, but in rainy weather it completely turns into a mysterious area with magical landscapes. After prolonged rains, thousands of water streams run along the mountain slopes and waterfalls fall, and the peaks are hidden in the clouds.
The main thing in such shooting is patience. If the clouds completely hide the mountains, the photo will come out boring and uninteresting. Look for breaks in the clouds through which mountain slopes and peaks can be seen. This approach will help create volume and, as a result, show the scale of the landscape.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F7.1, 1/800 s, 165.0 mm equiv.
In addition to people in the frame, other objects with dimensions that are understandable to the viewer can be used to convey scale. For example, a car driving along the road or cows grazing. I took a photo of a helicopter flying over a mountain pass, and in the photo it looks like a small fly compared to a huge mountain.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F8, 1/400 sec, 300.0 mm eq.
Having shot in this genre for many years, I realized that the main secret of large-scale landscapes lies in the juxtaposition of man and nature: small human creations and giant natural landscapes. This is the main feature of large-scale, impressively sized landscapes: they are built not so much on the grandeur of objects, but on the contrast between the human world and the forces of nature.
NIKON D7100 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F7.1, 1/250 sec, 123.0 mm equiv.
Photos of New Zealand make it clear that it is not for nothing that this country constantly ranks first in the rankings of the most beautiful countries in the world, as well as in the rankings of the most beautiful nature. Undoubtedly, the local residents are very lucky. Their cozy cities are often located on the sea or ocean coast, surrounded by picturesque cliffs or natural parks.
This is what the capital of New Zealand, Wellington, looks like from above.
The largest city in this country is Auckland. It is more reminiscent of a large metropolis in its appearance, although here, too, more attention is paid to ecology. The city has a lot of landscaping, parks and large green areas.
Auckland has beautifully preserved historical buildings that testify to the country's past - English colonization.
The great influence of English architecture can be fully felt on the streets of Christchurch.
There are no less beautiful architectural examples of the Victorian era in the city of Dunedin on Octagon Square.
Dunedin is home to the steepest street in the world, Baldwin Street, listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Photo of Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand
During the performance of national dances, the faces of human warriors acquire a variety of expressions, which are distributed on the Internet with cheerful photographs of tourists.
Maori girls stand out from others with characteristic tattoos on their faces. Many of them never get a job like Europeans, preferring to participate in numerous Maori shows for tourists.
The nature here is fantastic. The views and landscapes of New Zealand are known all over the world, including thanks to cinema and the love of directors for local landscapes and natural parks.
There are simply no alternatives to analogues of some landscapes on Earth. Pictures of New Zealand views instantly spread across computers and social networks.
This is a waterfall in Tongariro National Park.
The snow-capped mountains of New Zealand adorn all national parks.
Another natural attraction of the country is Lake Taupo, formed as a result of the eruption of the ancient volcano of the same name. This place is extremely popular with both tourists and native New Zealanders. The story of the history of Lake Taupo ended up on the pages of Jules Verne’s legendary book “The Children of Captain Grant”.
Due to its isolation and distance from the rest of the world, a special natural world has formed here. There are unique animals here that cannot be found in any other country in the world. In the photo, the symbol of New Zealand is the kiwi bird.
In winter, the country transforms. In natural parks you can find such beautiful views and landscapes.
Cities are also becoming even more comfortable and calm.
The New Year is celebrated on an exceptional scale. The passion for fireworks and salutes is fully shared here.
If you wanted to see photographs of New Zealand nature and landscapes, we have made a separate photo review, which you can choose to view at the bottom of this page.
New Zealand consists of two main islands - North and South. This is one of the most unusual travel destinations, with unforgettable landscapes, beautiful natural scenery, and an amazing combination of lakes, mountains and forests. You need to see New Zealand with your own eyes to understand the depth of its beauty. During your trip, try to pay due attention not only to New Zealand cities, but also to numerous natural attractions. In this collection, I invite you to admire the landscapes of New Zealand in photographs.
Stewart Island
Stewart Island is New Zealand's third largest island, located further south of the South Island. Much of the island is forested and undeveloped - over 80% of the area is part of Rakiura National Park, where you'll have an excellent opportunity to explore the country's wildlife. The most popular activities on Stewart Island include hiking, cycling, camping and rare bird watching. The most popular tourist route is the North-East Ring, which will take you at least several days to overcome. This is the best way to immerse yourself in untouched wilderness and stunning views.
Nelson
At the top of the South Island is the city of Nelson - the place with the most sunny days in all of New Zealand. With its superb climate and surroundings of three National Parks, Nelson is truly the perfect place to enjoy nature. It is not surprising that the best vineyards and wineries are concentrated here. Vegetables and fruits grown in these areas are also considered to be among the best in the country. Founders Park is a great place to dine on a local farm in the heart of Nelson. You can also book a day trip to Abel Tasman National Park, where a bus departs every morning from Nelson.
Glacier Country
Glacier Country is located on the west coast of the South Island, being a true gem of the Westland National Park. Here you'll have the chance to see two of New Zealand's most spectacular glaciers: the Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers. The Franz Josef Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers on the planet, where even the most unprepared tourist can easily reach it. Special organized tours will allow you to take a closer look at the most interesting places in the park, after which you can relax in a local restaurant, or swim in a warm glacial pool.
City of Napier
The coastal resort of Napier on the North Island is also known as the Art Deco capital of New Zealand. Such fame spread thanks to the architecture of the 1930s, when the city was rebuilt after a major fire. After a walking tour of the city and exploring the architecture, don't forget to visit the city's popular attraction - the National Aquarium of New Zealand. The huge aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world, home to a variety of marine animals, from turtles to crocodiles. World-class modern exhibitions are often held here.
Rotorua
Rotorua is known as New Zealand's thermal wonderland. Numerous geysers and hot springs await you here both within and around the city. Many springs are found in Rotorua city parks. Natural eruptions of steam, hot water and mud periodically occur in new places throughout the city. Near Wai-o-Tapu is Rotorua's most popular attraction - many colorful bright springs and the Lady Knox geyser.
Paihia
If you're looking to explore the Bay of Islands, Paihia is one of the best places to visit in New Zealand. Paihia may seem like a small town, but there are plenty of hostels and recreational options. If you love adventure and lead an active lifestyle, you can swim with dolphins or go diving. Shipwrecks are popular among divers, and the most interesting is the wreck of the Rainbow Warrior. Once back on land, head straight to Marsden Road, home to some of the best fresh-caught seafood restaurants.
Auckland
Known as the City of Sails, Auckland is the largest and most populous in New Zealand. It is located on the North Island and is famous for its unusual culture and cuisine. The most picturesque views of the city can be seen from the Auckland Harbor Bridge. If you would like to learn more about New Zealand's history and cultural heritage, visit the city's oldest neighbourhood, Auckland Domain. The Auckland Museum is home to excellent exhibitions of island artefacts.
Queenstown
Queenstown is located on New Zealand's South Island, a destination that attracts adrenaline junkies and adventure seekers from all over the world. Set on the shores of the deep blue Lake Wakatipu, the hill is surrounded by the picturesque peaks of the Southern Alps. There are jogging and cycling paths around the lake, along with numerous mountain hiking trails. You can also rent a boat and go on a tour of Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown's city center is home to bars and restaurants, with a vibrant nightlife scene.
Tongariro National Park
As New Zealand's first National Park, Tongariro is renowned for its surprises and adventure. The park's diverse chain of ecosystems includes quiet lakes, active volcanoes, grass fields, pristine forests and desert plateaus. The best place to start your journey is in the Whakapapa Visitor Centre, where you can walk to the breathtaking Taranaki Falls in three hours. The tour takes you through forested areas along lava fields formed by eruptions hundreds of years ago.
Fiordland
One of the most picturesque places in New Zealand is Fiordland National Park. Here you can book incredible excursions, fish for trout in a wild river, or travel through the spectacular fjords in the southwestern part of the South Island. Milford Sound is Fiordland's biggest attraction. This is a true fjord formed by a glacier. During a tour of Milford Sound, you can explore waterfalls, admire cliffs towering above the water, and watch wildlife, dolphins and penguins.
