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The South Pacific
Destination Guides:
Exclusive Resorts:
Scenic Drives in New Zealand
Exploring New Zealand can seem overwhelming. After all, there’s not one island but two. Do you choose the mountains or the beaches? Should you go by guided tour or take on the challenge yourself?
Fact is that New Zealand is quite tourist-friendly and boasts an excellent tourist infrastructure. Traveling without assistance from any sort of guide is not a difficult experience and locals are usually eager to help show off their magnificent country.
Local tourism bureaus have designed special routes to keep you on-track while, at the same time, suggesting places for those who prefer to saunter off-the-beaten track a bit.
Highways and By-ways
• The Pacific Coast Highway (North Island) – If sandy, white beaches are your preference, this is the trip for you. Start in Auckland – where most tourists land – and travel south towards the Coromandel Peninsula, with its pretty beaches and stunning scenery. If you prefer, go surfing at Waihi or Mount Maunganui, or head further southeast to East Cape, where you can experience rich Maori culture and breathtaking views. Along this route, particularly in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, you’ll also find some of the country’s best wineries and most innovative restaurants.
• Forgotten World Highway (North Island) – If you prefer to explore the rugged interior of New Zealand, choose this path. Taking you from Taumarunui to Stratford, Highway 43 will guide you past mountains, along river gorges, and through a strange one-way tunnel. You’ll see the volcanoes of the central plateau and view the remnants of once-thriving mining towns. Be sure to visit the Nukunuku Museum for more information about the early 20th century history of this region.
• Scenic Southern Route (South Island) – Start this driving trail in one of the Southern Island’s prettiest cities, Dunedin, a Scottish town rich with Edwardian and Victorian architecture. While you’re there, take a tour to a nearby penguin or albatross colony. Continue south to the wilderness of the Catlins Coast, an ideal place for wildlife viewing, or visit Curio Bay’s fossilized forest. Make a side trip to pristine Stewart Island and then continue onward to Fiordland, where you can go sea kayaking or even caving.
Great Views
• Man-made – In New Zealand’s lovely cities, you can grab a number of opportunities to enjoy some of the best views in the country. In Auckland, the Sky Tower gives guests a 360 ° view from atop a 328 meter (1,000 foot) tower with a glass elevator. (You can also base-jump from the tower from a height of 192m (630 ft.)!) In Queensland, consider a ride on the Queenstown Skyline Gondola. The steepest lift in the Southern Hemisphere, with a rise of 450m (1,500 feet), this cable car provides the best views of this area.
• Natural - Some of the most breathtaking views in the country are the ones carved out by the amazing landscape of New Zealand. Head to Te Mata Peak in Hastings at Hawke’s Bay for a look at the Pacific Ocean and surrounding areas. At 399 meters (about 1,300 feet), you can drive to this peak, said to be steeped in Maori legend. Mount Iron in Wanaka, and Mount Hikurangi, located at the tip of the East Cape, also boast splendid views but are a little more difficult to reach. In the South, you can climb to the top of Stirling Point, the southernmost mainland point in New Zealand for a look at the “lower” part of the world.