Introduction

New Zealand is a fantastic holiday destination for every type of traveller – from  the nature loving to the thrill seeking.

The three main cities have utterly different atmospheres and characters; don’t assume that if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. Christchurch is cultured and retains its colonial charm whereas Wellington has all the attractions of a capital and is packed with parks, theatres and restaurants. Finally Auckland is the lively “big city” of New Zealand (although visitors will find it a lot more laid back than its reputation implies).

The same goes for the abundant rural areas: there’s more variety than you’ll first expect, and sometimes you have to look a little closer to see what’s really happening.

What might at first appear to be a typical European wooded hillside may turn out to be unique temperate rain forest, all ferns, evergreens and flightless birds, clinging to the side of an active volcano!