Top 10 places to Visit in South Island new Zealand

The 10 best places to visit in New Zealand.

There are many New Zealand attractions and vacation spots that are well worth discovering, which can make it a little bit hard to plan your outing. Coming from the top of Cape Reinga to the coast of Stewart Island, how do you choose where to spend your first New Zealand experience on Middle-earth?

To help you make your decision, I have outlined below what I think are the best places to visit in New Zealand. If you are looking for more in-depth information, please do not hesistate to read my schedules, which will give you one-of-a-kind insight into how to plan the ultimate car journey.

If you really want to appreciate what the Bay of Islands has to say, the only way is to rent a seakayak, take part in a day trip or charter a boat and set sails in this exciting seaside theme park. Bay of Islands is a sub-tropical area known for its breathtaking natural beauties and rich seafood (including cetaceans, porpoises, monkeys, dolphins, pinguins, boobies and more...).

Featuring over 100 islets, coves, and creeks to discover (each with its own distinct character...), you'll be enchanted and it's not unusual to have the coast and beaches to yourself. New Zealand Tunisia boasts a pulsating, contemporary metropolis and a crucible of cultural diversity, especially from the South Pacific countries.

Situated between the ports of Waitemata and Manukau, which means that never more than 30 driving miles from the shore is anything like a water park, making it a perfect place to celebrate "The Town of Sails". Take in 360-degree vistas directly over Auckland from Sky Tower, which is 328 meters high, or perhaps from Sky Jump and crash 192 meters at 85 km/h, with New Zealand's highest dive and only basic rope dive.

There is no way to visit the North Island of New Zealand without visiting Rotorua. Hear locals tell tales, see an exhilarating Maori show and enjoy exquisite Maori food. The Waitomo Glowworm Caves, discovered in 1887 by the Maori Chief Tane Tinorau in 1887 in the company of the British surveying expert Fred Mace, were opened in 1889 as a popular touristic area.

Waitomo has since become famous all over the globe and attracts both domestic and foreign tourists who are fascinated by the brilliant remote fireflies, atmospherical caves, limestone pits and elaborate decoration in and almost around the cavern complex. Just a quick trip from Blenheim (28 km or 23 minutes) away is the lovely coastal city of Picton, the ideal starting point for discovering Queen Charlotte Sound and the nearby islets.

Picton has planned the Cook Strait in Wellington, New Zealand's main city, as the gate to the North Island. If you descend the west coast of New Zealand, you will pass through a small municipality named Punakaiki, about half way between Westport and Greymouth. Situated on the outskirts of Paparoa National Park - 30,000 ha of jagged coast, luxuriant indigenous forest, rocks and coves.

In Punakaiki it is not hard to stay energetic with adventure trails, horsetrekking, rafting, kayaking, mountaineering and traditional handicrafts such as knifemaking and glassblowing. The Punakaiki is ideal for remote excursions or short stops as part of your South Island outing. Fox Glacier, at 13 kilometres, is the longest of the impressive West Coast and one of the most visited destinations on the tourism card.

When you' re not looking for thrills but still want to experience Westland National Park, take a quick stroll around Lake Matheson, along with a nice coffee or tee at the nearby Matheson Cafe. Queenstown is one of New Zealand's best resorts and its fjords, seas and streams are perfect for almost all kinds of adventures and attract people from all over the globe.

Situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, the Heartland of Queenstown is famous for its pubs, coffee shops and dining across from the Southern Alps. Between mid-June and the end of August, queenstown and the Central Otago are transformed into a wonderful wintry land ideal for ski ers, snowboarders and expert heliskiers.

Fiordland Nationalpark, founded in 1952, is the biggest of all New Zealand nature reserves with 1.2 million ha of pristine wildlife. The Milford Sound is the best known and most easily reachable fjord in the Nationalpark, but still takes 1 hour 50 minutes from the next city Te Anau. Most of the visitors chose to experience Milford Sound in the comfort of a cruiser, but those with an adventure mind choose to kayak or hike the Milford Track.

As you cruise the Milford Sound, you have the chance to take pictures of Lady Bowen Falls, the woman of one of New Zealand's early Governors. Pelzrobben (Arctocephalus Forsteri) can be observed in the sun on light sunny weather at the ocean entry to Milford Sound. The Fiordland National Park is an integrated part of the World Heritage-listed Te Wahipounamu and it is not difficult to understand why it should be conserved for coming ages.