New Zealand

 

 

Dunedin

Dunedin is both New Zealand’s seventh-most populous metro and urban area. For historical, cultural, and geographic reasons, the city has long been considered one of New Zealand’s four main centers. The city suburbs extend out into the surrounding valleys and hills, onto the isthmus of the Otago Peninsula, and along the shores of the Otago Harbour and the Pacific Ocean.  Archaeological evidence points to the lengthy occupation of the area by Maori before the arrival of Europeans. The province and region of Otago get its name from the Ngāi Tahu village of Otakou at the mouth of the harbor. The railway station is the most photographed building in New Zealand.

 

 

Te Anau

Te Anau is a town on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is home to endangered, flightless takahē birds and abundant trout in Lake Te Anau. Te Anau Caves feature a limestone cave of glowworms and an underground waterfall.

 

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen Falls. It often rains, and our boat trip was no exception. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins, and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life.

 

QueensTown – Fox Glacier

Queenstown, New Zealand, sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu, set against the dramatic Southern Alps. Renowned for adventure sports, it’s also a base for exploring the region’s vineyards and historic mining towns.

 

 

Arthurs Pass

Arthur’s Pass, previously called Camping Flat then Bealey Flats, and for some time officially Arthurs Pass, is a township in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, located in the Selwyn district. It is a popular base for exploring Arthur’s Pass National Park.

 

 

Picton

Picton is a town on the north coast of the South Island, in New Zealand. It’s known as a gateway to the islands and inlets of the Marlborough Sounds. The Edwin Fox Maritime Museum is a 19th-century former convict and cargo ship. EcoWorld Aquarium shelters and rehabilitates native animals such as tuatara reptiles and blue penguins.

 

 

Wellington

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses on surrounding hills.

 

 

Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is a small township located at the southern end of the lake of the same name in the inland South Island of New Zealand. It had 558 residents according to the 2018 census, being one of five settlements in the sparsely populated Mackenzie Basin.

 

 

Taupo

Lake Taupo, a volcanic caldera, drain into the Huka Falls, dramatic, crystal-blue cascades reachable by hiking and biking trails. Surrounding Taupo are hot springs like those filling the Craters of the Moon reserve.

 

 

Huka Falls

The Huka Falls are the largest falls on the Waikato River, near Taupo on New Zealand’s North Island.It is the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand! Every second up to 220,000 liters of water gushes through the narrowed chasm and shoots out over 8 meters beyond to create a beautiful blue-green aqua clear pool.

 

 

Hokitika

Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand’s South Island, 40 kilometers south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District.

 

Rotorua

Is a town set on its namesake lake on New Zealand’s North Island, is renowned for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. In Te Puia’s Whakarewarewa Valley, there are bubbling mud pools and the 30m-tall Pohutu Geyser, which erupts many times daily. It’s also home to a living Maori village and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute.

 

 

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is a New Zealand enclave encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands next to the country’s North Island. It’s known for its undeveloped beaches, big-game fishing and Maori cultural artefacts. It’s also home to the 19th-century whaling port of Russell, whose waterfront promenade is lined with remnants from its days as the country’s first colonial capital.

 

 

Auckland

Based around 2 large harbors, is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. In the center, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of super yachts and lined with bars and cafes.

 

 

Hobbiton

Hobbiton is a fictional place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” books. It’s part of what the book calls The Shire, located in a fantasy world named Middle-earth.

 

 

Group Photo