Adventure
Adventure tourism is flourishing, with South Island’s Queenstown the epicentre of all extreme pursuits.
The very brave (or foolhardy) can skydive, bungee jump, canyon swing, jet-boat, hang-glide, luge or white-water raft their way to the adrenaline rush they crave.
For gentler pursuits that offer a view, try the skyline gondola to the top of Bob’s Peak or take a scenic helicopter flight.
Cities
Often bypassed on the way to New Zealand’s great outdoors, the country’s cities have a lot to offer. Auckland isn’t known as the city of sails for nothing. Visitors should take a cruise around its scenic harbour and sample the seaside nightlife in its lively bars and restaurants.
Capital Wellington is New Zealand’s cultural centre, home to the country’s ballet, opera, symphony orchestra and Papa, the national museum. It has a wide and eclectic range of exhibitions and a permanent area dedicated to Maori culture, from its history and traditions to contemporary Maori art and design.
The garden city of Christchurch is the South Island’s urban hub, though its biggest draw is hardly gritty – the 30-hectare Botanic Gardens are New Zealand’s best.
Visitors can take a look back in time by viewing the city’s many handsome historic buildings through the windows of restored heritage trams.
Beaches
Beach lovers are well catered for, too. Those who venture to Cape Reinga, the country’s most northern point, will drive alongside the spectacular Ninety Mile Beach. It only stretches 55 miles, but that’s still long enough for tourists to walk down and the native wild horses to go galloping along on.
For a DIY hot tub, send clients to the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island. A thermal spring filters up through the sand at Hot Water Beach at low tide, so crowds arrive and dig themselves pits to form their own natural spa pools. Remind clients to add some cold sea water to avoid any potential scalding incidents while wearing a bikini.
Kaiteriteri Beach near Nelson on the South Island is perfect for kids, with sheltered waters for swimming. At the other end of the scale, the breaks at Raglan Beach, near Hamilton, are world famous among surfers.
Wine-tasting
The wineries of New Zealand are famed for the friendly welcome they give visitors. And with sauvignon blancs acknowledged to be the best in the world, wine lovers have an extra reason to spend 24 hours flying to New Zealand.
Most of the sauvignon blancs come from the Wairau River Valley in the Marlborough region of the South Island, and the Central Otago region around Cromwell and Wanaka is home to the country’s highest vineyards, producing cult pinot noirs.
Hawke’s Bay on the North Island is famed for wonderful cabernet sauvignons and merlots, and together these three areas make up the classic New Zealand wine trail.
Wildlife
Kaikoura’s nutrient-rich waters make it a favourite with marine life, and there are whale-watching cruises (with the possibility of spotting sperm whales, humpbacks and orcas), snorkelling excursions to swim with fur seals, albatross encounter boat trips, and the chance to swim with dolphins.
Further south in Akaroa, visitors can swim with Hector’s Dolphin, world’s smallest and rarest species of dolphin.
See New Zealand’s most famous bird at Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs, Rotorua. This conservation project allows visitors access to the only bird in the world with its nostrils at the end of its beak.
Scenery
It is what the islands are best known for, and no wonder. The vast fjords of the Milford and Doubtful Sounds at the southern end of the South Island would be enough to make New Zealand famous, but they are just the start.
Further north, the snow-clad peak of Mount Cook sparkles as white as the icebergs floating in the Tasman Lake – the only freshwater lake with icebergs in the world. On the west coast, visitors can hike across vast glaciers; to the north, they can wander through the forests or canoe around the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park.
The North Island’s frisky geothermal nature has resulted in spurting geysers, boiling mud lakes, craters, vents and strange-hued mineral terraces at Rotorua. Venture into the Waitomo caves, and visitors will see the massive limestone formations lit by a galaxy of glowworms.
At the very north, the scenic Bay of Islands is made up of 144 islands, the vivid green slopes of which veer up and are reflected in the turquoise South Pacific seas.
Book it
Anzcro has a large programme of activities, including all sorts of adrenaline sports such as bungee jumping and skydiving, wine tours by coach and bike, whale-watching cruises, and dolphin and seal-swimming trips, as well as city tours of varying lengths. anzcro.co.uk
Qantas Holidays released an expanded programme of adventure holidays in July when it relaunched its Discover Australia and New Zealand brochure. There are options for all ages, from sailing and diving to wildlife encounters. It also offers a seven-day wine trail and a three-day trip visiting Rotorua, staying in a Maori village. qantas.com.au/agents_uk
Austravel offers jet-boating and heli-hiking, plus escorted and self-drive wine tours. Also bookable are half-day city tours and whale-watching at Kaikoura. austravel.com
Attraction World features city tours, hot-air ballooning and bungee jumping in its New Zealand programme. attractionworld.com
