Places to Visit in New Zealand

South of the beautiful Lake Taupo and more or less in the centre of New Zealand's North Island, Tongariro National Park is one of the highlights of any visit to New Zealand. Centered on the country's highest township, Whakapapa, the region is a paradise to lovers of the outdoors all year round.

Tongariro is actually the name of one of the 3 volcanoes that dominate the area, the others being Mt Ruapehu - at 2797 metres the highest point on North Island - and Mt Ngauruhoe - Mt Doom to Lord of the Rings fans. The region was made the country's first national park in 1887 after being gifted to the people of New Zealand by Maori Chief Heu Heu Tukino. Tongariro was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990.

Torrents of rain are normal in the area. This type of weather is responsible for gorgeous waterfalls and a hazy vapour that seems magical and enchanting. A feeling of peace and calmness is impressed upon an individual who views the huge mountains surrounded by the mist. The environment is breathtaking.

In addition to the awesome snow, Queenstown is host to many bars and clubs due to its tourist nature. A couple of companies organize pub crawls through various venues which is a great way to meet fellow travelers. There is even a bar made completely of ice which is quite expensive, but a cool novelty.

Christchurch is the biggest city on the South Island and if you're travelling around some thing that you should do is to take a ride on the city's gondola. It takes tourists up the the nearby hills between the city centre and the harbour of Lyttelton and from the summit there are spectacular views of the city, the harbour of Lyttelton and the island's mountains in the distance.

Mt Cook offers a huge selection of activities and tourist attractions for a full filled vacation trip. Some of the popular activities that can be undertaken in this part of the country include fishing, mountain biking, nature and eco-tourism, sightseeing, skiing and snowboarding, tramping, hiking, tourist shopping, guided walks and so on.

Melbourneis one of Australia's finest cities with a style and sophistication unlike any other on the continent. Here you can wonder down leafy streets filled with beautiful Victorian buildings before turning in to modern and contemporary squares. The city is more laid back than Sydney with life taking a more sedate pace, which creates the prefect atmosphere for touring the cities museums and galleries before sampling some of its cutting edge cuisine.

Another attraction of New Zealand is its friendly people. With its high diversified population, New Zealanders, or Kiwis as they refer to themselves, are individualistic and are happy to welcome all who visit their country. Maoris are the natives to the land, and their arts and crafts are colorful reminders of their Polynesian Heritage. Visitors can also watch a game of Rugby, the national sport. Each game begins with Haka, a Maori Dance, which is meant to inspire fear in opponents. Also travelers should enjoy some of the local cuisine which focuses on lamb and fish.

Hopefully I've now done enough to get you interested in New Zealand and you can go dig for some more information about this top notch country. And if you're not already convinced that New Zealand is the greatest country in the world then you soon will be.

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