About North Island
The North Island of New Zealand is
divided into 14 tourist regions, including:
The North Island of New Zealand is
well known its thermal belt in the centre which contains
many active volcanoes, geysers, boiling
mud pools, hot springs and steam vents, scenic islands
and coastline in the north. The North Island is home
Auckland, New Zealand's largest city and Wellington
the nations capital city .
The North Island has so much to offer
visitors with its clean white beaches, volcanoes,
jagged mountains,
spectacular lakes and harbours, cosmopolitan cities
and quaint country villages all with in easy reach.
The Regions
Northland
- Bay of Islands
Northland - Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand's
most beautiful regions and is known for its
coast, beaches and 144 islands, as well having
a rich
blend of both Maori and European culture. The
Bay of Islands Maritime Park and the Tutukaka
Coast are famous world wide for
their deep sea fishing, scuba diving, kayaking
and swimming with dolphins. Read
more.
Auckland
The region of Auckland is home to New Zealand's largest city. The cosmopolitan
city of Auckland is well known internationally for its vibrant culture and
stunning harbours which boast the highest boat ownership
per capita in the world. The region is also home
to 48 volcanoes and 50 offshore islands. Read
more.
Coromandel
The long peninsula that dominates the Coromandel
region is a popular holiday destination. The Coromandel
Conservation Forest Park offers visitors hiking,
short walks and mountain biking through 73,000ha
of volcanic hills, and the beautiful beaches and
exquisite coastline offer many opportunities for
fishing, swimming, surfing and scuba diving. Read
more.
Waikato
The massive subterranean caverns of the Waitomo
Caves are Waikato's main natural attraction. These
spectacular limestone caverns can be viewed on
guided tours, or try cave tubing and abseiling.
The region also has numerous
villages located in a lush green landscape. For
surfers, Waikato is home to the famous Raglan's
surf break. Read
more.
Rotorua
Rotorua is steeped in Maori culture and also is known
as one of the Pacific's most active thermal areas.
Mud pools bubble away, whilst nearby geysers spout
and fumaroles steam. Relax in a thermal
mud bath and soak away your
aches and pains after a day of vigorous activity
such as whitewater
rafting, skydiving, mountain
biking, jet boating or bungy jumping. Read
more.
Bay
of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty has fabulous harbours,
clean white surf and swimming beaches. White
Island lies just
off its coast and is home to New Zealand's
marine volcano. Fishing is popular with opportunities
for reed and deep sea fishing. In the Bay of
Plenty visitors can swim with dolphins, enjoy
the exhilaration of jet boating or relax with
a glass of local wine. Read
more.
Eastland
Wake up before the rest of the world in Eastland.
Gisborne the region's major city is famous
for being the first city in the world to see
the sunrise. Eastland is also one of the North Islands
major wine districts.
Taranaki
Mount Taranaki in the Egmont
National Park, is a huge, dramatic
volcanic cone with a snowy top and is one of the
major draw cards of the Taranki region. The region
is
also rich in rich in Maori and European history.
New Plymouth, famous for its magnificent rhododendrons,
is Taranaki's largest
city. The annual Rhododendron
Festival draws large crowds in October and
November. Read more.
Ruapehu
Ruapehu is famous
for the North Island ski fields of Whakapapa and
Turoa, an active volcano,
its
movie
role
as
Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the
80,000 hectare Tongariro National Park. In Ruapehu
region you can enjoy, skiing, snowboarding, hiking,
mountain biking, horse riding, fishing, kayaking,
and canoeing. Read
more.
Lake
Taupo
Lake Taupo is New Zealand's
largest lake. This fresh water lake is about
the size of Singapore. There are so many outdoor
activities on offer including, golf, fishing,
mountain biking, and scenic cruises all whilst
surrounded by spectacular scenery. Read
more.
Hawke's
Bay
This region is home to more than 30 vineyards
producing many varieties including cabernet sauvignon,
chardonnay, merlot, pinot noir and sauvignon
blanc. Napier, one of Hawke's Bays main centres
is well known for its amazing art deco and Spanish
mission style architecture. The city was rebuilt
in the 1930's following
a massive 7.9 earthquake and the ensuing fires
that destroyed the commercial centre of Napier. Read more.
Manawatu
- Wanganui
Commonly referred to as New Zealand's river
country, Manawatu - Wanganui offers numerous
opportunities to enjoy water sports including
kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting, jet
boating and fishing. Palmerston North and historic
Wanganuiis are ideal bases for exploring
the surrounding region, which includes galleries,
museums, gardens, lakes, Manawatu gorge and Whanganui
national park, known for its maori
culture and heritage. Read
more.
Wellington
The Wellington Region is home to the capital city
of New Zealand. The Petone
Settlers'
Museum is located on the northern
shores of Wellington Harbour and
features articles from the days of the early settlers
to the region. There are extensive opportunities
to shop or relax in a cafe, bar or local restaurant.
Wellington also offers visitors a wealth
of theatre, music and art.
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is home to
fine wine and good food with numerous vineyards
and historic towns to explore. Greytown was New
Zealand's first inland town and it has kept much
of its character through the preservation of
original Victorian buildings. Enjoy shopping,
browsing antique and craft shops or a local drop
of award winning pinot noir from Martinborough. Read more.
Environment
The North Island is the smaller
of the two main islands and is much more populated
than the South Island.
The North Island is famous of
its volcanic activity. For a truly unique
volcanic experience it is worth a visit to
White Island.
It offers
the perfect example of an active volcano. The
volcanic vent is located below sea level but
high crater walls protect from the sea. The
volcanic structure of the island is thought
to be two million years old, with the volcano
itself between 100,000 and 200,000 years old.
The North Island has
4 national parks Egmont, Te Urewera, Tongariro
and Whanganui.
They offer visitors access to thermal springs,
ski areas, native forests,
rivers
and historic Maori sites.
Lake Taupo, Australasia's largest
fresh water lake is located in the North Island.
The
lake
measures
616
square
kilometres which is about the size of Singapore.
47 rivers and streams feed into
Lake Taupo, and there is just one outlet the
Waikato River, which is New Zealand's longest
river.
Climate
Weather conditions differ depending
on which part of the island you are in.
The north of the North Island is sub-tropical with
warm humid weather, whilst parts of the centre can
present alpine conditions due to their height above
sea level.
In summer, the average maximum temperature
ranges between 20-30ºC and in winter between
10-15ºC, however, the weather in New Zealand
can change unexpectedly as cold fronts or tropical
cyclones blow in quickly.
Getting to the North Island New Zealand
By Air
The majority of visitors arrive in the North Island of New Zealand by air and
consequently there are four international airports: Auckland, Hamilton,
Palmerston North, and Wellington.
By Boat
Ferry links run
between the north and south islands.
Cruise ships visit New Zealand, but
there are no regular passenger ship services so this
is not any easy method of
travel to New Zealand.
By Air
Although New Zealand is fairly compact, flying is
a great way to get around and provides some excellent
views of the mountains and volcanoes.
By Bus
New Zealand has an extensive bus network, offering
daily services on
main bus
routes.
By Car
Car travel is an ideal way to see the scenic countryside
of New Zealand. The
roads are
good
and
well
signposted
and the distances short. Rentals of cars, motorcycles
and campervans are all popular methods of getting
around.
By Train
There are very few train routes these days, although
the trains that do run offer a reasonably fast
and
comfortable service.
By Boat
Frequent ferry services operate between the North
and South Islands.
More information
For more information about New Zealand
visit the official New Zealand Tourism
web site www.newzealand.com/
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