Wellington - 'The Windy City'
Not even half the size of Auckland, Wellington has all the amenities you would expect of a capital city – and more. Its latest showpiece is Te Papa, the new interactive and innovative National Museum. The parliament buildings, including the famous Beehive, theatres, ballet and contemporary art galleries add further spice to the cultural diversity of this fascinating and friendly city, which is also the birthplace of Katherine Mansfield’s, New Zealand’s most distinguished author. Wellington’s nightlife is legendary and its streets are packed with cafes, bars and top quality restaurants.
The Wairarapa
North of Wellington the Hutt Valley leads to the vineyards of Martinborough, the fur seal colony of Cape Palliser and Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre, focus of a key captive breeding programme to save New Zealand’s most endangered birds. These attractions are set to the backdrop of one of the North Island’s great sheep rearing regions, the Wairarapa.
Blenheim, Picton & Marlborough Sounds
Arriving by sea from the North Island, the Marlborough Sounds appear as a maze of incredibly beautiful and isolated islands, sheltered inlets and rugged headlands. The ferries make their way up scenic Queen Charlotte Sound to land at the former whaling settlement of Picton, now a convenient overnight stop and the start of the Queen Charlotte Walkway. The best way to explore this marine wonderland is by boat and visitors can choose between kayaking trips or relaxing cruises. Inland, the town of Blenheim serves the famous Marlborough Vineyards in New Zealand’s premier wine region, which produces world-class Sauvignon Blanc.
Nelson - 'The Sunshine City'
Beautifully located in the middle of the Tasman Bay, the town of Nelson holds the enviable accolade of being New Zealand’s sunniest town. It is also a very friendly and appealing town, suggesting that this tag may be as much metaphorical as literal. The town has a reputation for its arts and crafts, which is underlined by the unusual annual Wearable Arts Festival.
Numerous cafes and pubs add to Nelson’s overall charm, but its popularity is largely due to the fact that the town is gateway to Abel Tasman National Park.
The National Parks
Abel Tasman National Park is a stunningly beautiful stretch of coastline and an adventure playground for hikers and kayakers. Its jewel-like turquoise bays are studded with granite boulders and fringed by golden sand beaches and lush forests. While land access to much of the park is limited to walkers, cruise launches bring visitors to enjoy its superb scenery from the sea. Farewell Spit, at the outer limit of Golden Bay, is a bird sanctuary, attracting over 90 species of bird, from waders to keas.
The National Parks of Nelson Lakes and Kahurangi offer the full wilderness experience to self-sufficient backpackers and a taste of the bush to day walkers.
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Northland