New Zealand is a dreamland for any avid traveler. It’s often said that we can’t have it all, but when it comes to New Zealand, this statement couldn’t be more wrong. Golden-sand beaches, majestic mountains, stunning geysers, jungles teeming with all sorts of animals and plants, crystal-clear lakes framed by mighty waterfalls – this is what New Zealand is all about. If you’re planning to visit this paradise on earth, don’t miss your chance to visit these iconic spots.
1. Hobbiton
Hobbiton is a village built specifically for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The main attraction of New Zealand is located near the city of Matamata. Every year tens of thousands of J. R.R. Tolkien fans flock here to see the Shire with their own eyes.
It all started in 1999 when director Peter Jackson found the perfect place to portray the hobbit village. The locals gladly joined in the scenery design project. The crew spent more than a year to construction Hobbiton. All the hobbits’ houses and household items are made of either wood or plastic – no cardboard props are used!
2. Milford Sound
It was difficult to surprise the author of The Jungle Book, John Rudyard Kipling, with the beauties of nature. The writer traveled a lot and saw pretty much everything you can imagine. But when he visited Milford Sound, he recognized it as one of the most stunning places he had ever seen. He even called it the world’s eighth wonder of the world.
The inlet is located in the southwestern part of South Island, where the Tasman Sea cuts almost ten kilometers into the land. The natural attraction wows with midnight-blue waters flanked by scenic mountains and forest-smeared cliffs. Despite the fact that it’s quite difficult to reach Milford Sound, today this place is among the most popular tourist destinations in New Zealand: every year more than half a million people visit this spot to enjoy its splendor.
3. Tongariro National Park
One of the oldest national parks in the world, Tongariro was founded in 1887 when Maori aborigines transferred these lands to the British Crown. Tongariro occupies approximately 800 square kilometers in the central part of the North Island. The park is essentially a volcanic desert shaped by eruptions and ancient glaciers. It’s spread among three active volcanoes: Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu, and Tongariro, as well as several extinct ones. The slopes of the Ngauruhoe became a backdrop for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings.
4. Waitomo Caves
Located on the North Island of New Zealand, Waitomo Caves is a place where you can reach out for the stars. No, it’s not a magic portal, just millions of glowworms of the New Zealand-native gnat fly create an impression of underground stars that you can almost touch with your hand. The hordes of these bioluminescent insects colonize the ceilings and walls of the caves and cease to emit light only if they are frightened. Therefore, tourists who are brought here by New Zealand private tours are asked to behave as quietly as possible. Otherwise, the “stars” will go out.
5. Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
Who hasn’t dreamt of taking a champagne bath? New Zealand has a whole champagne pool, but unfortunately you won’t be able to swim in it. The temperature of carbon dioxide-filled thermal waters, which resemble the sparkling drink, reaches 80o C. The Champagne pool is only a small part of geysers housed in the Taupo volcanic zone. Boiling mud pits, explosive geysers, sulfur pools, and hissing craters create a surreal landscape imbued with bizarre colors. The geyser cluster Wai-O-Tapu, which means Sacred Water in the Maori language, is the most dramatic and colorful attraction in New Zealand.
