New Zealand travel

New Zealand, Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud. Whatever you call it, travelling New Zealand is an adventurous, nature-loving, cultural tour de force through some of the finest countryside you’ll find in the world. Be a beach bum during the long summer evenings or ski your heart out during the northern hemisphere summer — it’s all here waiting for you.

New Zealand is a country located in the South Pacific Ocean, making it part of Oceania. Its nearest neighbours, Australia and the Pacific Islands of Fiji, New Caledonia and Tonga (among others) aren’t actually that close – you need to fly for around three hours to reach another country.

New Zealand is made up of two principal islands – the North Island and the South Island (very inventive names, I know), as well as hundreds of smaller islands. New Zealand’s geography is diverse – you’ll find mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, forests, beaches and glaciers – well, just about whatever you want to find, you’ll discover it in New Zealand.

Adventure sports are a popular pastime in New Zealand – bungee jumping as a commercial enterprise was started there by AJ Hackett, and the country enjoys a good safety record for bungee jumping. You can also try skydiving, luging or zorbing, as well as the more traditional winter sports of skiing and snowboarding.

Since the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy was released on film, tens-of-thousands of people have flocked to New Zealand to spot their favourite backdrops. While Lord of the Rings tours exist, the best way to see the sights is to hire or buy your own vehicle and grab a copy of the The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook to guide you.

Getting to and from New Zealand

Flying and cruising are the only two options for arrival in New Zealand. Most international flights arrive into Auckland Airport, with a smaller number flying into Christchurch. If arriving from Australia, there are several more options to popular holiday spots.

To and From the Airport has the rundown on getting you from the airport to the city. Frequent Flyer Masters learn to earn their miles fast, and get free flights around the world.

New Zealand’s national flag-carrier, Air New Zealand, is part of the Star Alliance network and has the best wine-list in the sky — including in economy class. They have interesting budget options for trans-Tasman flights, but have an innovative line of customer service on the long-haul, ensuring that you’re well served on longer flights.

The airlines servicing NZ have some great cheap flight deals for both domestic and internationals mainly to Australia and the Pacific Islands, which can be found in one place at SeeYa. They also have a free destination-based email alert system.

There are several cruise-ship harbours in New Zealand, with Auckland’s being the most modern and closest to the city centre.