As scenic places go, New Zealand’s has epic scenery in abundance! Lord of the Rings was filmed here and The Hobbit for this very reason. New Zealand has spectacularly diverse and beautiful landscape with vast mountain ranges, steaming volcanoes, stunning coastlines, deeply indented fiords and lush rainforests. Comparable in size or shape to Great Britain, Colorado or Japan, New Zealand has a population of only 4 million – making it one of the world’s least crowded countries. New Zealand is a haven for those seeking peace and relaxation and also its a well known playground for thrill seekers and adventurers. A temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation makes it an ideal year-round holiday destination.
So here’s travelphant’s top 10 cool places to visit in New Zealand…

FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK

Here in the Fiordlands you will find a place where glaciers have carved many deep fiords the most famous of which is Milford Sound. Other notable fiords located in this region include Doubtful and Dusky Sound.

ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK

Another place in New Zealand you must see is the Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand’s smallest National Park.

QUEENSTOWN

Queenstown is New Zealand’s most popular destination and regarded as New Zealand’s adventure capital. Queenstown hosts most of the countries bungy jump sites and many other outdoor activities such as shot-over jet and white water rafting.

ROTORUA

Rotorua is famous for its volcanic activity which includes geysers, steaming hot pools, mud pools and lakes. It is the spiritual home to the Maori.

BAY OF ISLANDS

The Bay of Islands is a “must see” if you are visiting New Zealand. It’s one of the places renowned for having 144 islands, with many superb beaches and secluded bays and an abundance of marine life.

MOUNT COOK

The highest Mountain in New Zealand and its most popular tourist destination. Mt Cook National Park located in the Canterbury region is another National Park that you must see.

WESTLAND NATIONAL PARK

Located in the South of New Zealand West Coast, famous for its diverse landscape, glaciers, Franz Joseph Glacier and Fox Glacier, it spectacular scenery and pristine nature.

 

TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

The Tongariro National Park, located in the Taupo region, is a World Heritage Park and one of the oldest National Parks in the world. The park contains three superb volcanoes – Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe.

 

COROMANDEL

The Coromandel is where the kiwi’s go on holiday. Renowned worldwide for its natural beauty – misty rainforests and pristine golden beaches, the Coromandel is blessed with hundreds of natural hideaways, making it an ideal place to slow down, relax and unwind. Dig your own hot spa pool in the sand at Hot Water Beach, explore the Coromandel Forest Park, or cruise the islands by boat.

 

KAIKOURA

Another must see destination is Kaikoura situated in the middle between Christchurch and Picton on the East Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Here you can swim with dolphins in their natural habitat and see some amazing marine life.