North Island

The northern island of New Zealand will impress with beautiful landscapes, picturesque forests, unusual lakes, a lot of glaciers, grottoes, mountains and beaches. Here you will find entertainment for everyone, regardless of preferences and tastes. Including, here are presented and varieties of extreme tourism.

A feature of New Zealand lands is the pure nature, which local authorities pay great attention to - even within megacities here they take care of greenery, create parks and protection zones.

North Island of New Zealand - general information

The northern island is the second largest of the components of New Zealand - its area exceeds 113 thousand square meters. km. and it is inferior to the South Island (and also ranked 14th in the list of the largest islands of the Earth). Moreover, it is the most populated in the country - more than 70% of New Zealanders live here. This is almost 3.5 million people.

Also in this part of the country are the largest cities of the country - the capital of Wellington and Auckland .

On the island there are mountains, peaks. The highest point is the Ruapehu volcano - it rises to the sky at 2797 meters. By the way, the volcano is active. And in general, of all six volcanic zones of New Zealand, five are located on the North Island.

Interestingly, the coastal line creates charming, incredibly beautiful bays and a lot of interesting bays.

The average temperature on the island reaches +19 degrees Celsius - the climate differs depending on the part of the island. In the southern and central part it is temperate, cool, but in the north it is subtropical.

Architecture

Naturally, in the first place among the architectural attractions are two main cities of the island - Wellington and Auckland.

Let's note some separate structures, most significant, known:

Hobbiton

A special mention deserves the village of Hobbiton , built specifically for the filming of movies by the famous J. Tolkien.

Every year, fans who grew up on the works of this writer or became fans of his fairy-tale world are directed to it thanks to the films of director P. Jackson.

In the village there are 44 hobbit houses, charming, atmospheric streets are laid, there is a small but beautiful bridge in the form of an arch.

Tongariro National Park

As already mentioned, New Zealanders pay special attention to the conservation of nature. Therefore, the North Island has a lot of natural attractions, fully preserved its pristine beauty and charm.

The Tongariro National Park is compulsory. In the center of this park are three mountains:

Mountain peaks are sacred to the Maori tribe - according to their religion, the mountains provide a full connection of the aborigines with natural forces.

The Ruapehu volcano, which is the highest point of the North Island, deserves special mention. The volcano is active. According to observations - eruptions occur virtually every half-century. The greatest activity, recorded after the beginning of observations by scientists, occurred in the period from 1945 to 1960.

Despite the activity of the volcano, on its slopes is a ski resort. You can go up to the ski centers either by car or by a special lift. Most often, the season lasts for five months - from June to October, but there may be progress. It all depends on the weather.

Tuapo Lake

Tourists and Lake Taupo will be pleased with the results - as studies have shown, it was formed about 27 thousand years ago after the explosion of the volcano. Now it is the largest freshwater lake in the entire Southern Hemisphere.

The lake also attracts local residents, as it offers a variety of leisure options: trout fishing, swimming, walking around the neighborhood, etc.

Waitaker Rangers National Park

Nature lovers will be interested in the Waitaker Rangers National Park, which covers an area of ​​16,000 hectares. In this territory there are:

In fact, every fan of green tourism will find entertainment for their liking. Alternatively, you can take a boat and fish in the Gulf of Manukau.

Do you adore horses? In the ranch Pae o Te there are horseback tours for tourists.

Do you want to plunge into the ocean? A lot of clean and beautiful beaches in the bays are equipped - they are protected from strong wind and huge waves, and therefore completely safe.

Or do you prefer leisurely walks under the branches of perennial trees? Special trails for such hikes are laid in the park.

Egmont National Park

Created in the distant 1900, Egmont National Park is known for its volcanoes, including the same name. Although the main is the volcano Taranaki. For fans of hiking is laid many routes - the shortest is designed for 15 minutes, and the longest and most difficult will take three days. The most attractive route passes next to the Dawson waterfall.

In the Gulf of Hauraki, a marine reserve has been created - whales and dolphins are found in it. You can watch with them not only from the shore. Employees of the reserve will necessarily offer you a kind of "safari" - a walk on a small boat or boat, which will make it possible to swim closer to the whales.

Thermal miracle

Wai-O-Tapu - in its own unique place and not only because of the unusual name for the European ear. In the volcanic part of the North Island of New Zealand is the Tuapan area, where there is a huge number of hot springs and geysers. The color of the sources is very different. It's no wonder that Wai-O-Tapu has a beautiful, but much talked name - Country of geothermal wonders.

Wai-O-Tapu is not a large reserve, the total area of ​​which is only slightly more than three kilometers. For visitors special routes are provided, passing through which tourists safely admire and admire the geysers.

Pleasure and the pool of champagne - of course, it does not have this alcoholic beverage. The name of the pool is due to the large amount of carbon dioxide forming bubbles corresponding to champagne. The temperature of this "champagne" only on the surface reaches 75 degrees, and in the depths and even more - more than 250 degrees.

Obligatory to inspection is a multi-colored lake with a "talking" name - Artist's Palette. Different colors are due to the high content of iron, sulfur, manganese, silicon and antimony, because of which water gets white, green, magenta and other shades.

Private volcano

Attention deserves the White Island volcano - it's a small piece of land standing 50 kilometers from the North Island of New Zealand . In appearance it looks white and absolutely safe, but it is a real volcano, which, according to scientists, has already turned more than 2 million years old.

It is noteworthy that in 1936 the volcanic island became private property of D. Butlom. In the mid-fifties of the last century, the owner declared White Island a private reserve. At the beginning of this century, a mandatory access system was introduced - to get permission to visit the volcano will help in tourist companies that will be delivered there.

Many people who have visited here compare the surface of the island with Mars - there is no vegetation on the island, then there are streams of sulphurous vapor streaming to the sky. And the whole island is abundantly covered with sulfur deposits. Though the animal world here all the same meets is a little gannets, the birds, arranged to themselves nests in coastal rocks.

For lovers of beach holidays

If you want to relax on the beach, buy in the ocean, you have a direct road to Bay of Plenty or the Bay of Plenty. Here tourists are expected: clean, ennobled beaches, pleasant climate, a lot of citrus fruit trees and much more.

In conclusion

The Northern Island of New Zealand will delight with its literally virgin, clean nature, charming landscapes and unusual sights, including volcanoes and thermal springs. Naturally, there are architectural monuments in large cities and not only in the cities. Tourists on the island are happy, and therefore create comfortable and comfortable hotels.