Cities in New Zealand:
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Auckland
Auckland is the main gateway to New Zealand and has something to offer for everyone - great beaches, a beautiful harbour, fantastic shopping and a vibrant nightlife. The Auckland Town Hall and Aotea Centre host conferences and cultural events such as theatre, kapa haka, and opera. The Auckland Art Gallery displayes many national treasures. Other significant cultural artefacts reside at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the National Maritime Museum. Exotic creatures can be observed at the Auckland Zoo and Kelly Tarlton`s Underwater World. Movies and rock concerts (notably, the "Big Day Out") are also well patronised. For shopping head to Parnell, Newmarket or the City Centre.
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Queenstown
Queenstown is the centre for adventure tourism in New Zealand. The town is built around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu and has spectactular views of nearby mountains. Queenstown provides a wide variety of sports including skiing, jet boating, bungy jumping, mountain biking and tramping. In winter, along with Mount Ruapehu, Queenstown is a major centre for snow sports in New Zealand, with people from all over the country or of the world travelling to ski here. Locally, Queenstown has a reputation as one of New Zealand's wine and cuisine centres and also has a vibrant nightlife.
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Rotorua
Known as a spa town and major tourist resort since the 1800's, Rotorua is a geothermal wonderland. There are a number of geysers, notably the Pohutu geyser at Whakarewarewa, and hot mud pools located in the city, which owe their presence to the Rotorua caldera. Don't miss the opportunity to visit a traditional Maori Marae. Rotorua is also home to botanical gardens and some interesting historic buildings. Government Gardens, close to the lakeshore are also well worth visiting. Another of Rotorua's attractions is the mountain biking. Whakarewarewa (also known as the "Redwoods") Forest has been described as 'the Disneyland of mountain biking' and has some of the best mountain bike trails in New Zealand. Rotorua hosted the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships, in August 2006.
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Wellington
Surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of wooded hills, Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area. Wellington features a variety of architectural styles ranging from 19th century wooden cottages, such as Katherine Mansfield Birthplace in Thorndon, some streamlined Art Deco structures such as the old Wellington Free Ambulance headquarters, to the curves and vibrant colours of post-modern architecture in the CBD. Both the National Library of New Zealand, located on Molesworth Street, and the Te Puni Kôkiri building on Lambton Quay are aesthetically unique. Wellington is home to Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the Colonial Cottage, Old Saint Paul's, and the Law School (largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere) and the Wellington City Art Gallery.
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Christchurch
Christchurch City is a cosmopolitan place with exciting festivals, theatre, modern art galleries and great shopping. This city is full of delights, from the beautiful neo-gothic Arts Centre, to the historic tram which loops the city centre, to the Christchurch Gondola and unique attractions like the International Antarctic Centre. Known internationally for its award winning gardens, Christchurch is also a place for events and festivals. Whatever the season, you'll find a non-stop programme of entertainment with events like the Festival of Romance, the International Buskers Festival, winter Arts Festival, and Showtime Canterbury in November.
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Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is a natural wonder consisting of 144 islands surrounded by some of the warmest waters in New Zealand where you can encounter bottlenose dolphins, whales, seals, penguins and a diversity of birdlife. This is the place for bird lovers to see the Blue Penguins as well as Grey Warblers, Tui, Pukeko, and the endangered New Zealand Dotterel. You can begin your vacation with a visit to the awe-inspiring Hole in the Rock, or a boat adventure ride on the Excitor or go to the culturally and historically rich Hokianga. Travel further north and experience the thrill of driving along Ninety Mile Beach, sand boarding down the giant sand dunes and standing on the windswept tip of New Zealand, while watching the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean collide. Don't miss the ancient Giant Kauri Trees of the Waipou Forest, especially the extraordinary 2,000 year-old, 167 ft high Tane Mahuta, with its amazing 45ft trunk circumference!
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Hamilton
New Zealand's largest inland city, situated on the banks of the Waikato River, Hamilton is the centre of the Waikato Region, one of New Zealand's richest agricultural region. Being in the hub of central North Island, visitors have easy access to iconic attractions such as Waitomo Caves, the Hobbiton film set, Raglan's surf coast and the historic Te Aroha Mineral Pools and much more. Hamilton offers plenty of opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy themselves including indoor and outdoor attractions and tours. Admire the raw natural beauty, an underground wonderland of limestone caves and rolling farmland. You go on a kayak trip to Raglan or Karapiro, with Kayak Paradise and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the waterways.
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Waitomo
Dating back more than 30 million years ago, the Waitomo Caves are a village and cave system forming a major tourist attraction in the southern Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Its unique underground limestone formations stand as one of New Zealand's most unforgettable natural wonders including: Ruakuri Cave, Aranui Cave and the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Experience this mysterious, magical underground world of ancient caves, rivers and waterfalls, limestone formations and breathtaking glowworms. The centrepiece of Waitomo attractions is the Glow-Worm Cave, with an underground river running through it.
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Taupo
Situated in the volcanic heart of the North Island and surrounded by bush clad mountains and a breathtaking landscape lay the largest freshwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere - Lake Taupo, fascinating geothermal areas and the famous Huka Falls. Lake Taupo's geothermal attractions include geysers, steaming craters, boiling mud pools and some of the largest silica terraces in the world. Other special experiences include the walk to Huka Falls and a game of golf at Wairakei. With 47 rivers and streams flowing into the lake, this area is renowned for trout fishing and kayaking. The water is stunningly blue, the air fresh and unpolluted, the towns are bustling with cafes and exclusive shopping - scenic delights greet visitors at every turn.
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Tongariro National Park
The Tongariro National Park encircles the volcanoes of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. Giving you the opportunity to discover the secrets of the volcanic wilderness and to experience where adventure happens, National Park Village is an ideal base for your summer and winter explorers. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, completed by about 70,000 hikers every summer, features breathtaking volcanic scenery and fine views of Lake Taupo and Mt Taranaki. Overnight challenges include the four-day Northern Circuit and the six-day Round the Mountain track - one of New Zealand's Great Walks. The park also offers many shorter walks to waterfalls and fascinating volcanic features - including the crater of Ruapehu. In the winter National Park Village is the ideal base to Ski Whakapapa and Turoa Ski fields on Mt Ruapehu, you can hire your ski gear, purchase your mountain pass, and have a selection of accommodation options.
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Franz Josef
Franz Josef is a small town in the West Coast region of the South Island of New Zealand. The glacier's terminal face is 5km from the town and its accessibility makes it a major tourist attraction and the main reason to visit Franz Josef. This is one of the few glaciers in the world not receding because of global warming. The scenery changes every day on the glacier because it is constantly moving and new routes are always being made. If you budget permits you, try the scenic helicopter flight with the glacier landing, it will be unforgettable. If you're into hiking, there are full day and half day options and easy/ beginner climbs to difficult/more competent climber routes. If you're lucky you'll spot a 'kea' or alpine parrot.
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Fox Glacier
The Fox Glacier is a 13 km long glacier located in Westland National Park, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. This is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with its terminal face an easy walk from Fox Glacier village/Weheka. Fox Glacier is an exciting land of discovery, and a major tourist attraction, about 1000 people daily visit it during high tourist season. Here you can put your footprints onto a high alpine snow field, walk deep into the towering rainforests, explore the blue ice caves of the glaciers, admire the mirror views from Lake Matheson and visit the Seals at Gillespies Beach. Enjoy what this magnificent untouched landscape has to offer.
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Mount Cook
Located in the heart of New Zealand's Alpine country, at 3754 meters, New Zealand's highest peak was named Mt Cook after the British explorer Captain James Cook. Although it encompasses 23 peaks over 3000 meters high Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is very accessible. State Highway 80 leads to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village which is situated beside scenic Lake Pukaki and provides a comfortable base for alpine activities. At Mt Cook Village you can experience life at its best: enjoy safaris, boating on the glacier lakes, horse treks, fishing, scenic flights with snow landings and numerous walks and hikes. During the winter guided ski experiences onto New Zealand's longest glacier, the Tasman, is a popular activity and a unique Mount Cook wedding location! Mountaineers regard the area to be the best climbing region in Australasia.
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Dunedin
Located the region of Otago in the South Island of New Zealand, Dunedin is considered one of the country's four main centres for historical and cultural reasons. There are former private residences worth visiting like Olveston, a Jacobean-style family home and Glenfalloch, surrounded by 12 hectares of woodland garden. Neo-Gothic Larnach Castle represents the finest of 19th century craftsmanship. A natural attraction on the Otago Peninsula is the abundant wildlife including: fur seals, endangered yellow-eyed penguin, cormorants and albatross. The Peninsula is also home to Otakou marae, one of the original sites of the local Kai Tahu Maori. As well as Otakou, the Kai Tahu, had major bases in the South Island at Kaikoura, Kaiapoi, Lake Ellesmere, Akaroa and Ruapuke Island.
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