North Island Towns

Where can you climb to the summit of a dormant volcano in the morning and surf a world-class break in the afternoon? New Plymouth. This prosperous and welcoming city sits at the foot of the sleeping giant of Mt. Taranaki (also called Mt. Egmont), the proud symbol of a diverse and exciting part of New Zealand.

Masterton is the commercial heart of the Wairarapa farming area, the archetypal ‘true blue’ Kiwi sheep country. Expansive plains and rolling grasslands curve away to the distant skyline where small, silhouetted forms stand motionless.

Arriving in Kerikeri you are suddenly aware of stately rows of towering shelterbelt trees lining the roadside. Fruit stalls appear at regular intervals and there is a profusion of signs promoting organic produce and crafts.

A limestone cathedral archway and a bubbling hot spring are just two of the surprises you will find on beaches around Whitianga. This thriving seaside town in Mercury Bay is just two hours drive from Auckland over the rugged Coromandel Range.

Kaitaia is New Zealand’s most northerly service town and the commercial heart of the Far North. The word Kaitaia means ‘abundance of food’ in Maori, chosen for the prolific bird life in the ancient Kauri forests and the plentiful supply of fish and shellfish along the 90 Mile Beach.

The view of Hokianga Harbour from Omapere Hill is both surprising and breathtaking. It takes a little while to survey the scene and appreciate the wild beauty of this timeless place.

Great Barrier is an enchanted island of perfect peace, solitude, wild beauty and warm hospitality - just the place for the holiday of your dreams. Long white sand beaches and unspoiled forest paths lie deserted, awaiting the traveller seeking a peaceful retreat completely separated from the trappings of modern life.

A lonely lighthouse and a gnarled, twisted pohutukawa tree on a windswept cliff top on the northern tip of New Zealand have a special place in the Kiwi psyche. Like Land’s End in Britain, this ultimate extremity of our dramatic landscape holds great historic and spiritual significance.

The Bay of Islands, New Zealand’s finest maritime park and the birthplace of our nation, owes its existence to the great melt that ended the last Ice Age. The rising sea drowned many river valleys leaving 144 ridge tops exposed as islands in a harbour of breathtaking beauty.