New Zealand is one of the great tourist destinations of the world. Within its small compass it has an amazing range of scenery, complete portfolio of every sport that you can think of, some sophisticated cities, superb skiing and surfing and some excellent wines. The Maori of New Zealand, who were there before the European refer to the country as Aotearoa, which can be translated as “land the Long White Cloud”. More and more people favour using the named Aotearoa to replace New Zealand.
Sightseeing in New Zealand
■ The Coromandel: Across the Hauraki Gulf from Auckland, the Coromandel is a popular weekend retreat, just a couple of hours’ drive from the city. The rugged ranges that run down the middle of the peninsula provide a scenic backdrop to the deep blye sea – and great trekking. Once heavily exploited for kauri timber and gold, the peninsula’s bush forests are now slowly regenerating and are fiercely protected by local residents.
■ South Island: Straddling the northernmost section of the island, the provimces of Marlborough on the east and Nelson on the west embrace a diversity of attractions, ranging from wine tours to whale-watching, and craft trails to country hiking. Glorious beaches and a sunny, warm climate contribute to the region’s popularity as a holiday destination.
■ Canterbury: Stretching from the heights of the Southern Alps across the wide-open expanses of the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean, the Canterbury region is a vast rectangular block encompassing voth the flattest and the steepest landforms in the country. At its heart are the extensive farmlands of the Canterbury Plains, a rolling patchwork of fertile fields where sheep and racehorses are raised alongside extensive grain crops.
Activities in New Zealand
■ Whale watching: There are about 76 species of whales and dolphins in the world, and of these 34 have been sighted in the waters around New Zealand: 15 different species have been identified off Kaikoura alone, and the regularity of their appearances has turned this small town into the main base for the coutnry’s whale-watching.
■ Jet boat: Almost anywhere in the country where these is a navigable river you will find jet-boatoperations. The beauty of the design is that jet-boats can go into much shallower waters than any other type of craft – they can navigate with ease the shallow, braided rivers of Canterbury, for instance, where conventional boats would not dare to venture.
■ National Parks: One of the most reputed national parks, Paparoa National Park, embracing one of the most scenic sections of this coastline, is best-known for the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, but there is much more there and it is well worth lingering a day or two to explore the area.
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