It’s the land of the long, white cloud and the home of the All Blacks; the setting for Middle Earth located on the far side of the world. From its breathtaking landscapes to its rugby team’s nickname, New Zealand has a flair for the dramatic.
The North Island is the fiery counterpart of the glacial South. It boasts volcanic mountains and lakes, rolling countryside, Maori culture and large, cosmopolitan, urban areas, including Auckland and the island’s capital Wellington.
Adrenaline junkies flock to Rotorua, a city that sits squarely on the Pacific Rim of Fire. Here you will have the chance to do all sorts of adventure sports, from skydiving and luging to mountain biking and zorbing – which involves rolling down a hill in a ball like a giant hamster.
Rotorua is the ancestral home of the Te Arawa people and more than a quarter of the people here are of Maori descent.
As a result, there are plenty of traditional villages and cultural experiences for visitors looking for more sedate activities.
Hobbit hunters head for the lush Hamilton and Waikato region, which doubled as The Shire in The Lord of the Rings films.
In Matamata, you can visit the Hobbiton Movie Set (www.hobbitontours.com), a hobbit-sized village created especially for the movies that is a dream come true for Tolkien fans.
The garden city of Hamilton offers a variety of accommodation options and provides the perfect base for exploring the wider region.
Fiery Lake Taupo adds to the fantasy feeling of North Island. At its Craters of the Moon you can wonder at gushing geysers, steaming craters and boiling mud pools.
Just north of the lake is New Zealand’s most visited attraction: Huka Falls, a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River where more than 220,000 litres of water thunder over the cliff face every second.
South Island is dominated by the Southern Alps, standing sentinel over rugged coastline.
Apart from diverse, dramatic ski runs within easy reach of Queenstown and the capital Christchurch, South Island has stunning glacial lakes such as Wanaka, with its laidback cafe culture and friendly locals.
New Zealand has a burgeoning reputation for producing top quality wines; visit Marlborough to discover why this reputation is more than deserved.
Kissed by sunshine and blessed with a temperate climate, Marlborough has over 40 cellar doors. Visitors to the region can book pre-arranged wine tours with local operators or map their own route and self-drive.
While you’re in this region, don’t miss the chance to go whale watching and dolphin spotting on a boat or by kayak in the tranquil setting of the Marlborough Sounds or down the northeast coast at Kaikoura.
What are you waiting for?
ROCS Travel is organising a 28-day Grand Tour of Australia and New Zealand for the 10th consecutive year. The tour will be led by ROCS Group chairman Charles Vella, who was raised in Australia and has a vast knowledge of the destination.
The itinerary will include four nights in a four-star hotel in the heart of Sydney; four nights in a four-star hotel in the centre of Melbourne City, overlooking the Yarra River, just two minutes’ walk from the famous Crown Casino; four nights in a four-star hotel in Queensland’s Surfers Paradise; and a 12-night New Zealand cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, visiting the most beautiful sights of this breathtaking destination.
Rates for the 28-day escorted Grand East Coast Tour of Australia and New Zealand, including all flights, four-star accommodation, all transfers and excursions as listed in the programme, plus a 12-day cruise on a full-board basis, start from €4,499.
Call ROCS Travel on 2015 1515, visit www.rocsholidays.com or e-mail travel@rocsgrp.com for more information.