Exploring North Island, New Zealand

Few visitors to North Island, New Zealand come away without stars in their eyes. This is a land of incredible scenic beauty, a marvellous diversity of things to see and do, and the people are always friendly. This country’s three-million-plus citizens must be some of the friendliest, most naturally-hospitable people on earth.

Auckland, the first stop for today’s international visitors, is a beautiful harbourside city of one million people. On sunny weekends the harbour is dotted with myriads of colourful sails and it is no coincidence that New Zealanders are some of the world’s best sailors. It is as natural for young people here to learn to sail as it is to drive.

Positioned on a narrow isthmus, the city has the shallow sandy waters of Manukau Harbour on one side and the deep Waitemata Harbour (’Sea of Sparkling Water’) on the other. Extinct volcanoes, some once used as Maori fortifications, dot Auckland. Most, like One Tree Hill, have been made into public parks and gardens.

Buildings in Auckland are a mix of old and new, with modern structures alongside turn-of-the-century colonial architecture. When you are tired of strolling the streets, looking at buildings like the 1868 Supreme Court, the Renaissance-style Customs House and the Auckland City Art Gallery, head for the Auckland War Memorial Museum, with its enormous collection of Maori artifacts, including a 25 metre long war canoe.

Don’t miss seeing the suburb of Parnell. Turn-of-the-century shops here have been tastefully restored or replicated and now house elegant restaurants and boutiques offering a range of made-in-New-Zealand handicrafts, woollens and souvenirs. You’ll also want to visit the Zoological Gardens to see the flightless Kiwi bird that is New Zealand’s national symbol. Almost extinct at one stage, numbers are now increasing, but the visitors’ only sure way to see a Kiwi is right here.

A great day-trip from Auckland is the Coromandel Peninsula, where one can still see some giant Kauri trees that escaped the zealous axes of early woodcutters. Sadly, you will also notice a large number of other native tree skeletons, killed by having all their foliage stripped and eaten by possums. These were introduced from Australia for their fur, and now that fur coats are no longer popular, have run rampant and are now a noxious pest in New Zealand.

Don’t miss Rotorua, the North Island’s most popular destination. You are likely to smell it long before you get there. Many New Zealanders call it ‘Sulphur City’, and for good reason. The bubbling sulphuric mud and hot springs take quite a toll of your sense of smell, but it’s worth it! In fact, water from the sulphur springs has therapeutic properties for alleviating arthritis, circulatory problems and other ailments.

Most people come to Rotorua for the sightseeing. Here one can visit Ohinemuti Maori Village, rub noses (the customary Maori greeting) with the villagers, and watch Maori women dance the graceful Poi dance. Meanwhile the men, some with traditionally tattooed faces, perform the fierce Haka war dance, stamping feet and poking out their tongues in frightening fashion.

Brave the particularly-sulphurous smell of the naturally-heated ponds and lakes of Whakarewarewa (Whaka for short). If your nostrils can stand that one, you’re immune to all the others! Watch geysers suddenly erupt into life at the Pohutu, spraying hot water onto any careless tourists straying within range.

At the Rainbow Springs trout farm these magnificent fish can be observed in the crystal-clear spring water. You can even watch them underwater via a strategically-placed glass wall. Trout here grow to unbelievably large sizes, perhaps because visitors can enthusiastically feed them by hand.

You won’t run out of things to see or do. The Agrodome at Ngongotaha holds regular sheep shearing demonstrations leaving visitors enthralled and sheep looking semi-naked. New Zealand’s sheep population far outnumbers its people and are the centre of all kinds of New Zealand jokes. But sheep are not to be taken lightly. Wool, along with mutton and lamb, is a very major New Zealand export and keeps the country’s economy going.

Continuing south from Rotorua one comes to Lake Taupo with some of the best watersports, trout fishing, and great scenery.

A little further south still is the Tongariro National Park with Mount Tongariro, Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe. In winter this is the North Island’s premier snowfield and skiing area. Yet Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe both still have some volcanic activity, and you will frequently see the summits giving off steam or smoke. If golf or hunting are more to your liking, you won’t be disappointed either. The area offers some of New Zealand’s best golf, and if you want to go hunting, this can usually be arranged through the hotel or lodge at which you are staying.

South again, and you reach Wellington at the bottom of the North Island. With a population of 350,000, this is New Zealand’s administrative capital, and is known to locals as ‘Windy Wellington’ . And for good reason! The city is in a natural wind tunnel and it is a rare day that Wellington experiences less than a stiff breeze. On really blowy days one literally has to lean into the wind to make any headway.

One of Wellington’s major characteristics is the number of beautifully maintained wooden buildings from the turn-of-the-century, giving the city a charming olde-worlde atmosphere. Before leaving Wellington, visit the biggest of these - the old Government Buildings. Constructed in 1867, this 4-storey giant is the second largest wooden building in the world (the largest being the TodjaJi Temple in Nara, Japan). Then look at the Beehive Building which is the current Parliament House and is interesting for its architecture and, occasionally, even for its politicians.

One other ‘must do’ in Wellington. Go to the cable car terminal on Lampton Quay. But don’t be tempted by the many shops here till after you come back from the cable car ride. This takes you for a ten minute climb in a pre-war cog-wheel tramway, up to the hilltop Botanic Gardens. The panorama of Wellington spread out below is well worth the trip.

When to go:

New Zealand’s weather is relatively mild the whole year round, but the best times to go are from September (Spring) through Xmas (Summer) to around May (Fall). Remember that in the Southern Hemisphere seasons exactly opposite to those of North America, Europe and most of Asia).

Recommended Airline:

If you have never travelled on Air New Zealand before, you’re in for a treat. It’s an outstanding airline with modern Boeings, memorable in-flight service, excellent cuisine and a little touch of New Zealand friendliness that will delight you. And Air New Zealand offices can give you helpful, friendly advice wherever you travel in that country. They also offer frequent connecting services to Australia and/or Bali.