5 Must-Do Experiences In North Island, New Zealand

New Zealand’s North Island offers a diverse expanse of landscapes revealing a never-ending backdrop to a huge line-up of experiences.

New Zealand’s North Island offers a diverse expanse of landscapes. The north-south journey travels from towering sub-tropical rainforests and endless picturesque beaches to Auckland’s populous cityscape, then southwards through rolling green pastures, across lakes, rivers and epic volcanic marvels, into the rural towns of heartland New Zealand and on to a capital city that’s renowned for arts, culture and coffee.

In New Zealand, every day is a different journey.

Film Tourism:  Hobbiton

 

It's no secret that New Zealand is the home of Middle-earth and its stunning landscapes are at centre stage for movie lovers worldwide. Filmed entirely in New Zealand, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies film locations can be discovered in many parts. The most famous, and most visited, is Hobbiton – the village home of the hobbits – near Matamata, in the Hamilton Waikato region of the North Island. The Hobbiton film set occupies a sizeable slice of a New Zealand farm, and is one of the largest outdoor film sets in the world. Visitors to Hobbiton experience a two-hour fully-guided tour of the village hearing about the books and behind-the-scenes stories of film-making.

Maori Culture:  Rotorua

 

Rotorua has been visited by tourists since the early 19th century making it New Zealand’s oldest tourism destination – renowned for Māori cultural experiences and spectacular geothermal attractions.

Māori culture and history infuse Rotorua life. The town of Rotorua, on the shores of Lake Rotorua, is home to the Te Arawa iwi - one of New Zealand’s larger Māori tribes. A third of Rotorua's population is Māori. Te Puia, an important Māori culture centre, has visitor experiences covering traditional art forms, carving and weaving, story-telling, and authentic cultural performances.

Food & Wine

 

New Zealand has some of the best quality food and wine in the world. North Island’s Hawke’s Bay region produces beautiful syrah while nearby Martinborough has a reputation for fine reds. Waiheke Island, in Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, was named on Lonely Planet’s top regions to visit in 2016. The island is a 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland city and produces some of New Zealand’s best wine.

Throughout New Zealand fresh seafood, artisan products and incredible farmer’s markets are always nearby. Whether it is manuka honey or oysters, the food in New Zealand is an incredible experience in itself and goes exceptionally well with the aforementioned wine.

Recreational sports: Golf & sailing

 

New Zealand is a hub for many popular recreational activities and offers some world class experiences and facilities.

Golf courses can be seen everywhere in New Zealand. World-class courses like Cape Kidnappers (Hawke’s Bay) and Kauri Cliffs (Northland) provide unique, unforgettable golf in stunning environments.

Auckland is known as the ‘city of sails’ and the sheltered waters of the Waitemata Harbour make it an ideal location for sailing. Visit one of the many islands around Auckland including Waiheke. Four hours’ drive north of Auckland is the Bay of Islands, a beautiful sub- tropical destination with more than 140 islands waiting to be discovered.

Flight seeing in New Zealand

 

One of the best ways to see New Zealand is from the sky and there are plenty of opportunities for a bit of ‘flight seeing’. Auckland Seaplanes offer an exciting trip to Waiheke Island, taking off from Wynyard Wharf in downtown Auckland and landing in gorgeous Man O’ War Bay after a flight over the Waitemata Harbour. The Man O’ War vineyard awaits offering a first-class wine-tasting experience and a spot of lunch before returning to Auckland.

How to get there?

 

Travelling to New Zealand is very convenient. Air New Zealand's alliance with Singapore Airlines provides access up to four flights a day between Singapore and New Zealand, seven days a week. Three non-stop flights a day depart Singapore to Auckland and Christchurch, and four times a week to Wellington, connecting to over 20 domestic destinations in New Zealand.
Credit: Tourism New Zealand

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