© Shutterstock

North Island: Bay of Islands -

Located north of Auckland, the beautiful Bay of Islands comprises more than 150 islets set like emeralds in the blue velvet. A wealth of marine life call these glittering fertile waters home.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Tongariro National Park -

Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand. It's an ancient land of spectacular natural beauty distinguished by towering volcanic peaks, turquoise lakes, and arid plateaus.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Rotorua -

The hot, bubbling springs of Rotorua are one of North Island's great geothermal crowd pleasers. In fact, Rotorua is one of the most active geothermal regions in the world.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Napier -

Napier is renowned for its unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Auckland -

Recently named the world's most livable city for 2021 by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Auckland is New Zealand's largest city. The best way to appreciate its outlook is to nip to the top of the 328-m (1,076 ft) Sky Tower. Dominating the urban skyline, the tower affords jaw-dropping views across town and beyond, including the Coromandel Peninsula.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Coromandel Peninsula -

Steep, hilly, and cloaked in forest and bush, the Coromandel Peninsula is ideal hiking territory. Golden bands of sand hug the coast, making it a favorite destination for watersports enthusiasts too.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Cape Reinga -

Also known by the Māori as Te Rerenga Wairua, this is where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld, according to centuries-old lore. The cape marks the northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of North Island.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Waitangi Treaty Grounds -

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds region of North Island is so named for the treaty signed on February 6, 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and Māori chiefs (rangatira). A museum facility houses an exhibition that chronicles the history of the Māori in this region and the story behind the famous exchange of signatures.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Tāne Mahuta -

Tāne Mahuta is an enormous kauri tree known as the God of the Forest. It stands resplendent in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region and is estimated to be anywhere between 1,250 and 2,500 years old.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Auckland Museum -

A cultural must-see, Auckland Museum tells the story of New Zealand, its place in the Pacific, and its people. The collections include some of the most significant Māori artifacts exhibited anywhere.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Waimangu Volcanic Valley -

Hot, spluttering Frying Pan Lake is just one of the natural wonders waiting to woo visitors at Waimangu Volcanic Valley. The lake is the largest hot spring in the world.

© Shutterstock 

North island: Orakei Korako -

A steamy world of geysers, hot springs, mud pools, and amazing silica terraces constitute Orakei Korako Geothermal Park. It's reached by a short ferry trip over the tranquil Lake Ohakuri.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Wellington -

The capital city of New Zealand, Wellington deserves several days exploration. Places of interest abound, with the zoo, Te Papa ("Our Place"), the Museum of New Zealand, and the Wellington Cable Car (pictured) especially popular with visitors.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Pencarrow Head Lighthouse -

Pencarrow Head, which marks the entrance to Wellington Harbor, is known for its odd-looking lighthouse, which was constructed in 1859 and decommissioned in 1935. The Cook Strait is seen on the horizon.

© Shutterstock 

North Island: Hauraki Gulf Islands -

North Island's Hauraki Gulf Islands guard the mouth of Waitematā Harbour, one of Auckland's two harbors. The beaches that dot the gulf are well known for their excellent swimming and surfing options.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Fiordland National Park -

Fiordland National Park on South Island provides some of the most dramatic scenery in the country. Soaring snow-capped peaks loom over the famous fjords of Milford, Dusky, and Doubtful Sounds, breathtaking natural wonders carved out by glaciers over millennia.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Queenstown -

One of New Zealand's premier destinations for adventure travelers, the resort town of Queenstown offers year-round tourism options, from exciting summer watersports to adrenaline-fueled winter skiing.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Lake Waktipu -

Queenstown is built on the shores of beautiful Lake Waktipu, New Zealand's longest lake. Surrounded by rugged mountains, Waktipu and the surrounding area is a popular venue for paragliding, bungee jumping, and some serious hiking.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers -

Join a guided hike through the Westland Tai Poutini National Park and come face to face with the awesome Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Alternatively, sightseeing seaplanes and helicopters offer mesmerizing bird's-eye views of these dramatic ice fields.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Abel Tasman National Park -

One of the country's finest walks, the Abel Tasman Coast Track threads its way along sparkling Tasman Bay, where dolphins frolic and seabirds soar.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Abel Tasman Coast Track -

Along the way, look out for the Split Apple Rock, one of the park's signature landmarks.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park -

The country's highest peak rears over the Southern Alps to provide New Zealand with its most recognized natural landmark. The country's longest glacier, the Tasman Glacier, is also found within the park's boundaries.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Kaikōura -

Whale watchers should head to Kaikōura for memorable encounters with these gentle giants. Playful dolphins and seals often join in the fun. The settlement of Kaikōura, meanwhile, provides plenty of diversion, including some fabulous coastal walks.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Farewell Spit -

Make the effort to reach Farewell Spit, even if you've just arrived! This is South Island's most northerly point.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Arthur's Pass -

A township in the Southern Alps, Arthur's Pass is named after Arthur Dudley Dobson (1841–1934), a London-born pioneer surveyor and engineer who escorted the first party of Europeans over the remote mountain pass. It's open to the more adventurous hiker.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Oamaru -

Situated near Oamaru is a bird sanctuary famous for its colony of blue penguins. The diminutive birds established themselves in the early 1990s in a disused quarry on the harbor not far from the historic precinct. The penguins and the visitors center is now Oamaru's most popular visitor attraction.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Dunedin -

Dunedin is the second-largest city in South Island after Christchurch. Set on the Otago Peninsula, the destination is famed for its famous railway station, which opened in 1906 and is celebrated for its booking hall, carpeted with 750,000 Minton tiles!

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Elephant Rocks -

At Duntroon stands a collection of large weathered limestone rocks. Rounded and pockmarked, you need to employ a fair bit of imagination to recognize elephants, but the rock formations make for an interesting diversion and are themselves situated in an area known for its unique geology and preserved fossils.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Hokitika Gorge -

For a communion with Mother Nature, follow the pedestrian suspension bridge that spans Hokitika Gorge and leads through the verdant treetops of the Hokitika Gorge Scenic Reserve.

© Shutterstock 

South Island: Christchurch -

There's only one way to discover Christchurch and that's by riding one of the vintage trams that trundle through the city's historic neighborhoods.

Sources: (New Zealand History) (Waitangi) (Waimangu Volcanic Valley) (Economist Intelligence Unit)

See also: The 30 best cities to live in or visit in 2021

© Shutterstock