Milford Sound (Aka Piopiotahi), Fiord Land
The perfect masterpiece of glacier that was seen through a narrow tunnel that jutted through a lush, underrated entrance to one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in New Zealand. Milford Sound is an awe inspiring fiord whose emergence is surrounded by sheer granite mountains: Mitre Peak, which towers over 1,600m, is crowned with cliffs wrapped in rain-forest then opening to waterfalls that never seem to stop; Stirling Falls (155 m), Bowen or Lady Bowen Falls (162 m), and at each bend offer falls at every turn when rain is in season.
Although located on the remote South Island it buzzes with tourists of up to a million people who visit annually to enjoy the famous two hour cruises, kayak tours and even overnight stays in small boats underneath starlit mountains, or visit Queenstown or Te Anau where they can embark upon lengthy albeit picturesque hikes. There is the Milford Discovery Centre & Underwater Observatory, which is off the water a unique Plexiglas platform sunken to ten meters under the water and one is able to see rare sightings of the deep water black coral flourishing under fresh tannin rich layers.
It is teeming with sea lions on rocky prominences, playful inquisitive bottlenose or dusky dolphins on bow waves, and the elusive Fiordland crested penguins playing hide and seek again, all part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage landscape and marine reserve.
It is this geological convention, uncultivated nature and hushed wildlife encounter that makes Milford Sound the most striking destination to the very southern end of New Zealand.
Queenstown, The Adventure Capital of New Zealand
By the sunlit banks of Lake Wakatipu and framed by the snow capped Southern Alps, Queenstown is the adventure capital of the South Island and is home to some of the most legendary bungy sites in the world, as well as the place where bungy jumping was first commercialised in the tourist industry. The original AJ Hackett Kawarau Bridge bungy leap with the 134 m-high platform that offers an 8.5-second of free-fall is just one among the various scenarios that knit it in thrills.
Wanting to thrill on the same level? Jet boats running in the tight Shotover and Kawarau canyons, white-water rafting, river boarding, and canyon swings, as well as Oxbow jet sprint boating push visitors into hormonal overdrive across stunning territory, all under utmost care paid to the environment (kaitiakitanga). For readers hesitating to be rocked, the Skyline Gondola gets you to the top of Mount Bob, which one can ride down on the luge tracks, fly above on paraglide, or simply relax and enjoy the wine gazing at the alpine views which extend over a number of alpine lakes and valleys.
During winter (June-August), skiing and boarding are enjoyed. During summer, there are mountain biking trails that take the riders through the Ben Lomond and Cardona-Wanaka area. Adventure or comfort with culture dip; Queenstown has both — a historic steamship, the TSS Earnslaw, goes out on uncannily calm waters to quench your adventure thirst and Fergburger has cult status burgers, and Onsen Hot Pools plus refined vineyards to savour your taste buds. Where some places are reachable via the boat or bus, others on plane or train, Queenstown makes it all about the high-powered story between mountain and water.
Rotorua - The Heart of Maori Culture and Geothermal Life
Rotorua is a sensual world of hissing steam vents, bubbling pools of mud and living history — landing place in the volcano midst of the North Island. Here, steaming volcanic valleys, such as Wai-o-Tapu, with its Artist Palette and the Champagne Pool, glow in neon and copper tones, and Lady Knox Geyser churn out forth on a daily basis before dawn in a theatrical moment. The youngest geothermal ecosystem on the planet, a product of Waimangu Volcanic Valley in the eruption at Mount Tarawera in 1886, is currently hosting the Frying Pan Lakes and the roaring vents that are part of the guided walks.
Rotorua is so much more than geology — the living Mitai Maori village of Whakarewarewa is a showcase and demonstration of how the local Maori people have embraced geothermal power and used it to cook, weave and even heal. Experience traditional pohiri, participate in carvings arts, enjoy steamy hot pools, share hangi feast cooked in thermal steam all within one site where the earth and human culture come together. Te Puia takes the exploration of culture to the next level with Pohutu being the largest boiling geyser in the southern hemisphere of the planet. The institute of the New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts provides an atmosphere of the documented cultural woodcarving, weaving, and learning.
Relaxation is to be found at the Hell’s Gate where therapeutic mud baths and sulphur spring spas have been used by generations to heal aches and soften the skin, owned and operated by the indigenous locals and featuring multi-temperature pools, fish-plunking massage treatments and herbal pools. Rotorua is an indispensable destination because of the combination of its Maori culture, geothermal activity, and its self-care leisure that is uniquely restorative and spiritually awakening.