5 Top Spots to Visit on New Zealand’s North Island

[Jason Stephens]

When touring New Zealand, the North Island has plenty to offer holiday travellers. With so much to see and do, hiring your own car allows you to travel around at your leisure on your own schedule and see the sights you want to see. If you fly into Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, then you can hire a vehicle from the Auckland Airport  and start your New Zealand holiday journey from there. Auckland is the first place on our list of North Island adventures; from there we take you to Hamilton - Waikato, then onto Rotorua in the Pacific Rim of Fire, Huka Falls on Lake Taupo, and ending in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington.

Auckland

Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city. As such, it has so much to offer holiday goers. If action and adventure is on your holiday “to do” list, then Auckland offers up boating, volcano hikes, caving, thrill seeking activities, and scenic getaways. There are plenty of beaches if you love the sand and surf. Auckland has white sand beaches on the East Coast, black sand beaches on the West Coast, city beaches, and islands too. All in all, Auckland makes for a great place to experience something for everyone.

Hunua Falls Hiking Photo Credit: AucklandNZ.com

 

Hamilton - Waikato

Now famous and especially hot as being home to the movie set from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies (where you can visit the set, Hobbiton) this lush countryside was popular for its glowworm caves (below). A trip into the fascinating caves should not be missed and is often the highlight of a New Zealand holiday since it is one of the few places in the entire world this phenomenon exists. In addition to glowworm caves, there are plenty of other exciting cave adventures to be had including abseiling, ziplining, and black-water rafting through the caves. Just west of Hamilton, Raglan is a surf mecca, with the longest right-hand break in the world. Explore more of the region top side on the walking and cycling trails.

Rotorua

Rotorua is known for being a hub of Maori culture and also for its geothermal activity. Since it is located in the Pacific Rim of Fire, visitors come from all over to experience the bubbling mud pools, clouds of steam, and natural hot springs. At Haumurana Springs, you will find the deepest natural spring in the North Island. These natural elements are used in the many spas located here. You can also experience them in nature at Hot Water Beach and Kuirau Park. As with much of New Zealand, there is plenty of action here too, so you don’t have to spend all your time in Rotorua at the spas relaxing. Mix in some adventuring, hiking, biking, paddle boarding and more.

 

 

Lake Taupo

Lake Taupo is where you will find New Zealand’s most visited attraction, Huka Falls. Here, 220,000 litres of water fall over the cliff face per second. You can experience the thundering falls first hand on one of the jet boat rides. You can also see Lake Taupo at a slightly slower pace swimming, sailing, or kayaking in the calmer sections of the lake. Don’t miss getting a close up view of the Maori rock carvings in Mine Bay. In addition, fly fishing and cruising are other popular activities while on Lake Taupo. Like Rotorua, there are bubbling mud pools to relax and enjoy. For even more sightseeing, take the Volcanic Loop scenic drive to see Mt Ruapehu, Mt. Tongariro, and Mt. Ngauruhoe.

 

Wellington

On the southern tip of the North Island, the country’s capital city is situated between the harbour and rolling green hills, so there is a variety of sights and things to do. Riding in the city’s famous cable car is one of the most popular attractions. There are plenty of beaches to explore and then there are the rolling hills, shopping, cultural attractions, and more. It is a big city with small-town charm. There are more restaurants and bars here, per capita than New York City. It is also the filming capital of New Zealand, movie tours are available to go behind the scenes. A hiking tour to Mount Victoria affords you 360 panoramic views of the city.

photos: AucklandNZ.com, NewZealand.com