Auckland is a location with so much to offer that twenty-four hours would not do justice. There is something for everyone here, for nature lovers, surfers, shopaholics, adventure seekers, and mountaineers.

Auckland is a location with so much to offer that twenty-four hours would not do justice to this place. But the idea behind spending a day in the city and its neighbouring ideas is not rigid. There is something for everyone here, for nature lovers, surfers, shopaholics, adventure seekers, and mountaineers. You name the activity and Auckland can certainly give you the best.

One can take on as many activities and places to visit while here depending upon their schedule and preferences. The recommendations here are an attempt to bring together the diverse beauty and opportunities for tourists to explore in one place.

Remember that New Zealand eTA Visa is a mandatory requirement to enter New Zealand as per New Zealand Immigration, you can avail of New Zealand Visa on New Zealand eTA Visa website for stays of less than 6 months. In fact, you apply for New Zealand Tourist Visa for short stays and sight-seeing.

Places to visit in Auckland

Sensory Maze

This is a fun and quirky activity to take on in Auckland. The original sensory maze here in Auckland takes you on an exciting and challenging journey identifying and perceiving everyday objects in new ways. The lighting effects and obstacles in the maze give you a unique experience of reality. It is located in the basement of the Metro centre on Queen Street.

Waiheke Island

The islands are just a 40-minute ferry ride away from Auckland and have one of the best varieties of wines to offer in New Zealand. While on the Island you can explore the vineyards and go on a wine tasting tour and engage with the wine with all your senses . The island also has spectacular white-sand beaches where you can sit back and watch the waves. Zip-lining is a sport that is taken up here enthusiastically by adventure lovers.

Sky Tower

The most thrilling and adventurous spot to visit in Auckland and is one you cannot miss out on when you are here. You are dropped from a height of over 190m at a speed of about 90kmh to the Sky City Plaza from the top of the tower and the exhilarating experience gives you an instant adrenaline rush and is taken on by old and young alike owing to the immense safety and protections in place. In case heights are not your playground for adventure, you can walk on the wide platform set at a height of 192m to get the best views of the city and its surrounding landscape.

Beaches

The famous west coast beaches of the Northern islands are a stone’s throw away from Auckland. One of the most frequented beaches in New Zealand, Piha which is known for its black sand, surfing, and Maori rock carvings is less than an hour away from the city. The Tasman Sea meets the black sand is a sight to behold throughout the west coast and the journey of beaches in New Zealand is a magical one. The Muriwai beach impresses with the beautiful clifftop views of the sea and the beach. The Karekare beach also is loved by tourists who club the visit of the roaring and rushing Karekare falls with the beach visit.

Rangitoto Island

It is another iconic island which is a short ferry ride away from the coast of mainland Auckland. The sunsets on this beautiful island are as pretty as a picture and worth watching from every spot on the diverse landscape of this small island. The island has a dormant volcano that tourists can explore and go on walks to summit the peaks of the island. For those who prefer exploring waters, you have the option of kayaking the harbour on the Island.

Mt. Eden

The view from Mt. Eden

The peak is a short 15 minutes’ drive from the city of Auckland. The hike to summit Mount Eden is easily accessible to all age groups and does not require much effort or fitness. Once at the top you get a stunning view of the vistas of the city of Auckland. The area around the park is known to be home to many parks where people enjoy relaxing and picnicking.

Museum

This is the place to visit if you are an art buff and would like to be amazed by the artwork and carvings of the Maori are the Auckland museum. The Maori court and their Natural History Gallery are testimony to how Auckland was an important centre of culture and wealth even in the pre-British era. There is also a stunning exhibition of contemporary art and sculptures of New Zealand in the Brick Bay Sculpture Trail.

Auckland Central

The haven and the most happening place in Auckland are the Auckland Central. Here is where you find the best restaurants for going on the perfect gastronomical journey in Auckland, the place where you can splurge and go on a shopping frenzy from local to international goodies for yourself and loves ones, and get entertained by the best of what New Zealand has to offer from Bowling, New Zealand Fashion Walk Tour, Cinemas to a gamers’ paradise Thrillzone.

Recommendations for lodging

Camping

• Ambury Regional Park
• Whatipu Lodge and Campground

Affordable accommodation

• Attic Backpackers
• YHA Auckland International Backpackers

Midrange accommodation

• Auckland City Hotel
• Pullman Auckland

Luxury living

• Sofitel Auckland
• Skycity Auckland

READ MORE:
Your wait to visit the gorgeous locations of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, just becomes shorter if you plan to begin your trip with an eTA for New Zealand. NZeTA or Online Visa for New Zealand is an electronic travel authorisation which allows visitors to stay in the country for a short period of time for tourism in Auckland or other related purposes. Learn more at Visit Auckland in a Visa-Free Way with New Zealand eTA.

The sceneries, landscapes and serenity that this national park has to offer will enthral the nature lover in you.

“A cherished corner of the world where mountains and valleys compete with each other for room, where scale is almost beyond comprehension, rainfall is measured in meters and scenery encompasses the broadest width of emotions ” – Mountains of Water – The Story of Fiordland National Park

It is the largest National Park in New Zealand occupying an area of over 10,000 square kilometres. It is also a World Heritage Site and is managed by the Department of Conservation of New Zealand. The park is nicknamed as the Walking capital of the World.

The best time to visit the park is during early spring and autumn, it is best to avoid the park during summer as it gets crowded.

Locating the Park

The region is situated on the south-west coast of the Southern Island and the nearest town to the Park is Te Anau. The Southern region of the Alps covers this park and along with the crystal clear waters of the coast, the park has a diversity of flora and fauna. The park is the epitome of natural diversity with mountain peaks, rainforests, lakes, waterfalls, glaciers and valleys. You name it and you can explore it in the park.

Getting there

The park can be accessed easily through only one main road which is the State Highway 94 which passes through the town of Te Anau. But even the State highway 95 along with 2-3 other narrow gravel roads and tracking roads can be used to get to the Park. You can also take a scenic flight to the Te Anau area.

Must-have experiences

Fiords

A fiord is a glacier valley which is u-shaped that is flooded by water. The three most popular tourist sites which are a wondrous site to behold are:

Milford Sound

Rudyard Kipling identified this place as the eighth wonder of the world. The inlet is located on the northern end of the park and is accessible via road. It opens up to the Tasman Sea and the land surrounding the spot is prized for greenstone. The location has a lot to offer, you could drive to the spot and explore the fiord on a day-cruise of go kayaking to get up-close to the glaciers.

In case you are driving to Milford sound, the road traversed will not disappoint you with the most beautiful scenic views true to New Zealand which will be a sight to behold. The Mitre Peak here is a popular mountain that tourists like to climb and it is one of the most photographed mountain peak in New Zealand. The best views of this mountain are seen from the Foreshore Walk of Milford sound. The Darren Mountains are also located here that are popularly chosen to summit by mountaineers. One can also bear witness to the rich marine life of New Zealand here ranging from dolphins, seals, penguins and whales.

Pro tip – Carry Raincoats and Umbrellas without fail as Fiordland is the wettest region of New Zealand and rains are highly unpredictable there!

Doubtful Sound

This place was named the Doubtful Harbour by Captain Cook and was later changed to Doubtful Sound. It is also known as the Sound of the Silence. The location is known for the pin-drop silence where nature’s sounds echo in your ears. It is much larger in size compared to Milford Sound and is home to the deepest fiords of New Zealand. To reach here you need to cross the Lake Manapouri and from there you get in a boat and get here and then travel by coach to get to the Deep cove from where you will have to trek to the fiord.

The best ways to explore this location are by kayaking, getting on a scenic flight or on a cruise. The fiord is also home to the southernmost bottle-neck dolphins.

Dusky Sound

This fiord is geographic isolation in the southernmost part of the National Park makes it one of the most intact natural habitats of New Zealand. The natural wildlife and marine-life live here with no human intrusion and you can spot many endangered species here.

It is highly recommended to take the scenic flight to get here as the pristine environment is best viewed from the top. Once you have arrived you can go kayaking or cruise in the inlet.

You can also take on the walking treks here in the rainforests and get up-close views of the glaciers when kayaking as well.

Hiking

The first three are part of the long list of 10 Great Walks in Walking Capital of the World.

Milford Track

It is considered one of the finest walks to go on in the world in nature. The trek takes almost 4 days to traverse and it about 55kms long. While taking on the track you see the marvellous spectacle of mountains, forests, valleys and glaciers which finally lead to the picturesque Milford Sound. As the trek is quite popular, it is essential you make an advanced booking to not miss out on the opportunity at the last minute.

Routeburn Track

This route is for those who want to have the experience of being on top of the world as the track involves climbing alpine paths. It is a 32km trek taking about 2-4 days that is also chosen by a lot of people as an option to enter the Fiordland area.

Kepler Track

 Kepler Track

This trek is one of the longer tracks in the Park almost 72km longs which takes 4-6 days to overcome. The trek is a loop between the Kepler mountains and you can also see the lakes Manapouri and Te Anau on this trek. It is one of the least straining treks and is hence popular for people of all ages.

Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track

Taking on this trek you will bear witness to some of the most remote landscapes in this Park. The trek is 61km long and will take one about 2-3 days.

Glow-worm cave

The cave is located in Te Anau and where you can bear witness to the shimmering glow and hear the stream of water gushing below you while exploring the caves. The caves are quite young as per geological standards, ageing only 12,000 years. But the network and passages of tunnels, and sculpted rock and an underground waterfall will leave you awe-inspired.

Lakes

Fiordland is home to four large and brilliantly blue lakes.

Lake Manapouri

The lake is 21km in size nestled between the Fiordland Mountains and is a close-by access point to most of the famous tourist spots of Fiordland. The lake is the second deepest in New Zealand and is only a twenty-minute drive from the town of Te Anau. One can visit the lake while taking on the Milford trek or Kepler trek.

Lake Te Anau

The region is considered the gateway to Fiordland and the areas surrounding the lake is famous for mountain biking, hiking and walking. It is the second-largest lake in New Zealand. The three fiords in the North, South and Middle of this lake separate the Kepler, Murchison, Stuart and Franklin mountains. The glow-worm caves lie on the west side of this lake.

Lake Monowai

The lake is shaped like a boomerang and is famous primarily as it provides almost 5% of the electricity to the Southern Islands by generating Hydro-electricity. This caused environmentalists to go against the energy generation project as the flora and fauna of the surrounding areas began to suffer. The views of the Mt. Eldrig and Mt. Titiroa are spectacular from this lake.

Lake Hauroko

This lake is the deepest lake in New Zealand with a depth of 462m. It is predominantly visited by tourists for fishing.

Falls

Humboldt falls

It is located in the Hollyford Valley and can be accessed from the Hollyford road. The track from the road is traversed often and one can get a great close-up view of the waterfalls.

Sutherland falls

Known as one of New Zealand’s best natural attractions, take a boat ride through the glow worm grotto, marvel at thousands of magical glowworms and become part of over 130 years of cultural and natural history.

Oceania, a region spanning the Eastern and Western Hemispheres of the globe, has many tiny island nations at its helm. New Zealand is one of the largest countries in Oceania with the North Island and the South Island as its two main landmasses. Who would have thought that this secluded country would have something near to another planet?

Caves all over the world are mysterious in general where nature never ceases to surprise but a visit to New Zealand’s Glowworm Caves would still leave you awestruck.

Millions of years ago this marvellous limestone structure formed into these complex formations, called the Glowworm Caves, which is one of the most visited places in the island country from tourists all around the world. This beautiful country called New Zealand, with its name coming from a Dutch word, has as much beauty on land as below it. And just as the name sounds, it is surely a place with many surprises.

Experiencing Glowworm caves

There are different ways of exploring the Glowworm Caves. One of the unique ways include blackwater rafting in the streams flowing as underground rivers. Blackwater rafting is also one of the ways of observing the Arachnocampa luminosa, the species causing the lightning phenomenon, up from a close perspective. Although the idea of these tiny insects causing the beautiful blue radiance inside the grotto seems odd at first, but witnessing this unique phenomenon would surely be more than a thing of beauty.

Another way of observing these underground wonders is through a boat ride where the boat journeys along the cave waters while the visitors amaze at the visual wonders. Boat rides are also organised as part of Waitomo Caves tour which could give more of a feeling of getting a close look of a space studded with distant blue stars. Although limestone caves are famous around the world for their unique structure, formations and geology, but Waitomo caves are definitely one of a kind in offering their spectacular beauty.

In the darkest of the places within the grotto the little living lights at the ceiling sparkle in the prettiest of the blue. Not something worth missing right?

Waitomo Caves

Waitomo Caves, a solutional cave system, are limestone caves located in the North Island of New Zealand>. The place consists of a number of such caves which are a major tourist attraction in the region. These caverns, which were first inhabited by the Maori people, who are the indigenous people of New Zealand, have been a source of attracting tourism for many centuries.

The main attractions in the region include the Waitomo Glowworm caves and Ruakuri caves, which are active with tourists all year round. The place gets its name from traditional Maori language meaning a large hole with water. Presence of hundreds of species of insects which survive underground in seemingly uninhabitable conditions along with making the place look astonishingly beautiful is one of nature’s aesthetic wonders.

The Glowworm Caves, as they are called, illuminate the dark undergrounds in a spark of blue, with the phenomenon occurring due to the presence of the New Zealand Glowworm, a species endemic to the country. These tiny creatures decorate the ceilings of the cave in uncountable numbers hence creating a living sky of shining blue lights.

Glowing luminosity caves, looks like space from earth

A Little History Lesson

There are more than 300 limestone caves in the North Island region of New Zealand. The wonderful limestone formations are actually fossilised animals, sea creatures and corals from the sea. The stalactites, stalagmites and other types of cave structures were created by water dripping from ceilings of the cave or rivers flowing within the cave passages hence giving birth to these unique formations.

On an average, stalactite takes hundreds of years to grow just one cubic meter. The walls of the cavern are decorated with coral flowers and a variety of other structures, hence making an underground ecosystem of its own.

A Day in Waitomo

Guided tours in Waitomo are organised with a whole day’s plan, with the tour being carried through vertical shafts made of limestone which passes through three levels. All the levels show different formations of the caves with the tour ending at Waitomo river inside the Glowworm Caves.

There are several options of spending a day in this North Island region of New Zealand with many good options to stay nearby the Glowworm Caves itself.

There are several options of spending a day in this North Island region of New Zealand with many good options to stay nearby the Glowworm Caves itself. One of the oldest hotels in the area is Waitomo Caves Hotel located just minutes away from the limestone site, which is famous for its new style Victorian architecture from the 19th century.

Ruakuri Caves, also located in the Waitomo district, is one of the longer caves in the region with many attractions including its limestone formations and cave passages. The main sites of Ruakuri Caves include a Ghost Passage, something as mysterious as it sounds. This cave is famous for its underground waterfalls, rivers and stalagmites, which are complex mineral formations hanging from the ceilings of the cave, or in simple words something more like pointed candles facing the ground. With so many attractions in the vicinity, a fun filled trip to this part of New Zealand is sure to plan for.

READ MORE:

Chasing Waterfalls in New Zealand – New Zealand is home to almost 250 waterfalls, but in case you are looking to begin a quest and go water-fall hunting in New Zealand, this list could help you start!

Chasing Waterfalls in New Zealand – New Zealand is home to almost 250 waterfalls, but in case you are looking to begin a quest and go water-fall hunting in New Zealand, this list could help you start!

Bridal Veil Falls

The falls are at a height of 55m are also known as Waireinga Falls is set between banks covered with sandstones and green algae. The fall gets its name from its look which resembles the veil of a bride. The river that creates this beautiful fall is the Pakoka river.

It is one of the most visited tourist spots on the Waikato walking track and there are well-maintained and established platforms to get great views of the falls! This fall is popularly visited by people to swim during the summer season as the falls drop to form a pool surrounded by the forest!

Location – 15 minutes’ drive from Raglan, North Island

Devil’s Punchbowl Falls

The towering height of 131m of the falls makes for an amazing spectacle for tourists. The walk to the base of the falls is a great hike and it a famous trail in the National Park. The falls are surrounded by the stunning Alpine landscape of the National Park making the entire scenery picturesque. The falls drop to a height of almost 400m as there are multiple streams of it as well.

Location: Arthur’s Pass National Park (South Island)

Purakaunui Falls

The 65ft tall falls are known for their unique three-tiered shape and are a popular image on New Zealand’s postcards! The short walk from the car park of the Forest Park through the beech and podocarp forests will make the entire experience highly worthwhile! There are picnic tables and restrooms very close by for you to spend a leisurely day here relaxing and taking in the beauty of the falls!

Location –Catlins Forest Park, South Island

Huka Falls

They are the most iconic waterfall in New Zealand and certainly the most captured waterfall. At a height of 11m, they might not enthral you but the water flows at 220,000 litres per second making it one of the most powerful waterfalls, so swimming in these falls are out of the question! The mineral-rich river Waikato narrows down right before the fall and forms a river gorge. The falls are also beautiful to look at with its turquoise colour making it look like being in fairy-tale land. There are many scenic walks and mountain biking tracks close to the falls and to get an up-close look you could take a jet boat ride.

Location – 10 minutes’ drive from Lake Taupo, North Island

Remember that New Zealand eTA Visa is a mandatory requirement to enter New Zealand as per New Zealand Immigration, you can avail of New Zealand Visa on New Zealand eTA Visa website for stays of less than 6 months. In fact, you apply for New Zealand Tourist Visa for short stays and sight-seeing.

Bowen Falls

The fall is set at a height of 161m and is one of the contenders for the highest waterfall in New Zealand. It is a permanent waterfall that can be seen throughout the year. The falls are located in one of the most loved and scenic locations in New Zealand which is Milford Sound. A cruise or a scenic flight across Milford Sound is the best ways to view this fall. The famous Mitre Peak is visible from the falls as well.

Location – Fiordland, South Island

Thunder Creek Falls

The height of the falls is at 96 ft and it drops up to a height of 315ft is a must-visit location when travelling along the Haast Highway. The falls are created by glaciers over the years which make them roar and thunder especially during winter. They are high and narrow and a spectacle to watch, it is a short walk from the parking lot and the viewing decks give you a great spotting of the falls.

Location: Mount Aspiring National Park (South Island)

Kitekite Falls

The falls are also called Kitakita and are nicknamed ‘wedding cake’ falls due to the tiered shape in which they fall. The height of the falls is 40 metres which drop nearly 260ft and the scenic backdrop of the Waitakere ranges behind the falls is a beautiful sight. A small pool forms at the first tier of the fall and a very large pool forms in the end, making it an ideal location for a relaxing swim. The famous Piha beach close by is visited by tourists along with the falls and turns it into a day trip of relaxing and rejuvenating!

The beautiful island is home to the place considered to be the first inhabited land and the land to first see the rising sun. The land’s hospitality is very important to the inhabitants as you can book your accommodation with your host in advance and they will pick you up from the airport and take care of you throughout the trip until you have to be left at the airport once again.

The Islands are the best experience for those looking to get close to nature and be in touch with nature at an intimate level. The Islands are visited by tourists most in February so book in advance in case you are travelling then, else the Autumn months are extremely pleasant and a great time to visit the Islands as well.

Location

The Chatham Islands are an archipelago located around 800km off the east coast of the southern islands. They are formed by the ten islands of which two of the largest islands are Chatham and Pitt. The Islands include the easternmost point of New Zealand.

Getting there

The Tuuta airport on Chatham Island is the best and most preferred option of travel to get to the Islands. Flights are running from Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington to the airport. There is also the option of travelling by ship from Timaru to the Chatham Islands in case you are looking for a sea adventure.