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Guide

Travel & Exploration

A general look at New Zealand's nature and places worth visiting.

New Zealand isn't just about visas and work, it's also home to some of the most striking natural landscapes in the world. Below is a short list of well-known, real places for a first visit. It can be a good starting point for weekend trips once you've settled in.

Everyday Life Realities
ATATÜRK MEMORIAL — WELLINGTON

Located on the ridge above Tarakena Bay on Wellington's south coast (Breaker Bay area). Unveiled in 1990, the memorial features a bust of Atatürk, a marble crescent, and soil brought from Anzac Cove. The site was chosen for its resemblance to the Anzac Cove landscape and because it was where the Wellington Infantry Battalion trained before departing in 1914.

LORD OF THE RINGS & HOBBIT FILMING LOCATIONS

New Zealand's most globally recognised side is cinema — most of the trilogy was filmed here, on real natural locations. The 5 best-known spots:

  • Hobbiton (Matamata) — the Hobbit village built for the films still stands on a working farm, open for guided tours, including the Green Dragon Inn
  • Tongariro National Park — Mount Ngauruhoe (still an active volcano) was used for the Mount Doom scenes, visible from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike
  • Kaitoke Regional Park (near Wellington) — the elven realm of Rivendell was filmed here; no set remains, but the forest is still open for walking
  • Glenorchy / Paradise (near Queenstown) — where the Isengard and Lothlórien scenes were shot, now known for horse riding and nature walks
  • Mount Sunday (Canterbury) — the standalone hill where Edoras, capital of Rohan, was filmed; the set took 9 months to build and nothing remains today, but you can walk to the summit in about 90 minutes return
North Island⌄
Auckland (City of Sails)
Waiheke Island (vineyards and beaches)
Waitomo Glowworm Caves (glowing worm caves)
Rotorua (sulphur pools, geysers and Maori culture)
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland (colourful geothermal park)
Lake Taupo (the country's largest lake)
Huka Falls (roaring turquoise waterfall)
Tongariro Alpine Crossing (the famous hike in Tongariro National Park)
Bay of Islands (the historic coastal towns of Paihia and Russell)
Cape Reinga (the northernmost tip, where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean)
Coromandel Peninsula (Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach)
Wellington (capital of culture, art and coffee)
Te Papa Tongarewa Museum (Wellington)
Mount Taranaki / Egmont National Park (a near-perfectly symmetrical volcano)
Napier (a city famous for its Art Deco architecture)
Hawke's Bay (wine and food trail)
Piha Beach (black-sand surf beach)
Rangitoto Island (a volcanic island off Auckland)
South Island⌄
Queenstown (the world's adventure and extreme sports capital)
Milford Sound / Piopiotahi (a fiord often called the eighth wonder of the world)
Doubtful Sound (a more untouched, quiet, and vast fiord)
Fiordland National Park (dramatic mountains and hiking trails)
Lake Tekapo (turquoise lake and the Church of the Good Shepherd)
Lake Pukaki (a bright blue lake with Mount Cook views)
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park (New Zealand's highest peak and the Hooker Valley track)
Wanaka (the famous "That Wanaka Tree" in the lake and Roys Peak)
Abel Tasman National Park (golden beaches and kayaking routes)
Franz Josef Glacier (a glacier you can hike via helicopter)
Fox Glacier (an iconic glacier on the West Coast)
Christchurch (the Garden City and a reborn modern centre)
Akaroa (a historic coastal town with French influence)
Kaikoura (year-round whale, dolphin and seal watching)
Marlborough Sounds (fiord-like bays and world-famous Sauvignon Blanc vineyards)
Nelson (artist communities and sunny beaches)
Punakaiki Pancake Rocks (layered limestone rock formations)
Hokitika Gorge (a vivid blue riverbed fed by glacial water)
Moeraki Boulders (giant, mysterious spherical boulders on the beach)
Dunedin (Victorian-era architecture and Otago Peninsula wildlife)
Larnach Castle (New Zealand's only castle)
Catlins Coast (Nugget Point Lighthouse and penguin watching areas)
Stewart Island / Rakiura (the southernmost island, home to wild kiwi birds)

Related Topics

Everyday Life Realities How to Come to New Zealand Visa Types & Official Processes

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