Nature takes pride of place in New Zealand, and we list only nine of the most prominent settlements. Here they are from north to south:
Auckland - "The City of Sails" - largest and most populated conurbation, with over a million in the metropolitan area, making it the largest in New Zealand by far
Hamilton - 128 km (80 mi) south of Auckland, capital of the Waikato, home to the Chiefs (super 14 rugby) and the Magic (ANZ cup netball). On the banks of the mighty Waikato River. Leafy.
Rotorua - famous for Maori culture, geysers and beautiful hot pools.
Napier - "Art Deco capital of NZ" The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931. Rebuilt in the style of art deco. Also famous as a wine region especially Bordeaux style reds and Cape Kidnappers. Home to a renowned golf course and the gannet breeding grounds and wildlife sanctuary.
Wellington - the national capital, also known as "The Windy City" - Parliament and the Beehive and the wonderful, free Te Papa museum.
Nelson - Safe and friendly, with New Zealand's highest sunshine hours. Nelson is the geographic centre of the country and surrounded by incredible coastal and mountain scenary, three stunning national parks, vineyards and orchards. Nelson is also well known for its strong art culture and excellent cuisine.
Christchurch - The Garden City and the Air Gateway to Antarctica as well as Gateway to the South Islands famous motorcycle rides.
Queenstown - adrenalin and adventure capital of the world, where you can skydive, bungy jump, jet-boat, thrill yourself to your hearts content
Dunedin - the Edinburgh of the South, proud of its Scots heritage, chocolate factory, Southern Albatross colony and its wonderful tramping tracks within a short drive from the CBD
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about New Zealand
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in New Zealand - updated Oct 2023
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New Zealand Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
