New Zealand Is For Lovers – Of Adventure - Travel To New
Zealand
By Frank Johnson
Although often times in the gigantic shadow of its Australian
neighbor, New Zealand is worlds apart from any experience found
elsewhere and it is geographically much farther southeast than
most people imagine. New Zealand is a former British colony,
with fascinating cultural influences due to its location in
southern Polynesia. Large swaths of rolling green meadows,
churning geysers, creaking glaciers, and never-ending stretches
of magical overgrown beaches encourage travelers to make the
long haul across oceans to indulge in the disarming natural
beauty of New Zealand year after year.
New Zealand was one of the last landmasses to be inhabited,
only discovered in 800 AD by Polynesian navigator Kupe. The
discovery initiated a steady stream of migration from today’s
French Polynesia until Dutch Abel Tasman and finally James Cook
came across the islands and claimed them for the British Crown,
ruled from Australia. The native Maori people are still a
considerable minority, enriching the cultural climate of the
largely European (Pakeha) nation.
Cinematic Sanctuaries and Bungy* Jumping Buffs
New Zealand’s geography is divided into two major north-south
islands. Depending on where you travel and the time of year, the
activities and topography will change dramatically. The South
Island is famous for its unique relics of the last Ice Age, the
Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers, which plunge just below the
islands tallest peak in the Southern Alps, Mount Cook. These
glaciers are particularly spectacular because they continue to
flow through temperate rainforest strikingly close to sea level.
Winter in the Alps region is excellent for skiing,
mountaineering and filmmaking – scenes from The Chronicles of
Narnia were filmed here. For a thrilling wildlife experience, do
not miss the South Island’s Otago Peninsula where you can enjoy
a cozy bed and breakfast among sea lion, sea elephant and
penguin habitats, to name a few.
The North Island is relatively warmer during the summer and
milder all year long. Put yourself ‘on edge’ with a trip to
serene Lake Taupo, which also happens to fill the caldera of one
of the largest super-volcanoes in the world. Extreme outdoor
sports abound on both islands, as New Zealand is the original
inventor of Bungy Jumping (also found at Lake Taupo) among other
creatively dangerous activities. The west coasts are extremely
popular for black water rafting, otherwise known as cave
rafting. This exhilarating experience should not be missed, even
by the beginner. If a new heart rate is not what you are looking
for, make your leisurely way to Ninety Mile Beach at the very
north end of the island; the name is not deceiving and the
experience is absolute paradise in the summer months. The Great
Barrier Island to the east is a mind blowing underwater
experience for most scuba divers and an equally sensational
getaway for the sand-bound.
New Zealand is a destination for all seasons, with activities
spanning the elements and progressive cities to keep up with
those of faster pace. Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown are
all very youthful and spirited cities with the distinct
eclecticism of New Zealand culture to overload the senses and
invigorate the spirit. New Zealand may be far from most places
in the world, but it is certainly worth any length of travel to
reap the fruit of this nation’s existence. Travel to New Zealand
and experience it all for yourself.
