Auckland
The largest city in New Zealand, known as the City of Sails, Auckland is a city surrounded by water. Many of New Zealand’s larger companies have their head offices in Auckland. Auckland
is a melting pot of different cultures. More than one million New Zealanders live here, enjoying the mix of city life with great cafes, shopping and of course the beach.
Wellington
New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, is a city of power and passion. Our Parliament’s buildings
are housed here and politician spotting is an easy won sport. Te Papa, the national museum, takes pride of place on the harbour, and the cafe culture here is brimming with life.
Home to ‘Lord of the Rings’ and the award winning Weta Studios, Wellington is a place where culture and art is cherished. Wellington is surrounded by lush bush and plenty of hills to discover.
A Bay of Plenty/Coromandel
A preferred holiday region for North Islanders, this area abounds with the New Zealand holiday home – called a bach – as well as a plethora of yachts and boats.
On a clear day you may be able to spot New Zealand’s only active volcano, White Island,
shooting plumes of steam into the air. The natural thermal activity has given the region unique hot springs, which coupled with the beautiful beaches makes this place a water lover’s paradise.
Waikato
Hamilton, the fourth largest city in New Zealand, is the largest centre in this region. There are many vibrant small towns in this area too, supported by a flourishing farming community. The Waikato region is the dairy farm centre of New Zealand with its lush green paddocks.
Plenty of scenic attractions make this a popular area for newcomers to New Zealand. Experience the excellent surf beach, Raglan, or the wonders of Waitomo Caves. The region offers world-class education from its primary schools to its popular university.
Hawke’s Bay
This region features the two small cities of Napier and Hastings, which are only 20km apart.
Napier is well loved for its Art Deco buildings, as the city was rebuilt in 1931 after an earthquake and fire destroyed much of the original city.
Export-quality apples and pears are grown in this region, which also holds more than 30 vineyards. This region offers an abundance of local farmers markets, and rural activities such as hunting and horse trekking.
Taranaki
Mt Taranaki dominates the background in this region and, with its similarity to Mt Fuji in Japan, is a popular region for movie making (The Last Samurai was filmed here). New Plymouth, Taranaki’s main city is home to the acclaimed modern art gallery Govett-Brewster. This area is bordered with tiny seaside towns next to pristine beaches, and abounds with public gardens ready for you to explore.