Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley is the hydrothermal system created on 10 June 1886 by the volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera, on the North Island of New Zealand. It encompasses Lake Rotomahana, the former site of the Pink and White Terraces. It was the location of the Waimangu Geyser, which was active from 1901 to 1904. Waimangu means 'black water' in Māori, the indige...

Paparoa National Park is on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It was established in 1987 and encompasses 306 km². The park ranges from on or near the coastline to the peak of the Paparoa Ranges. A separate section of the park is to the north and is centered at Ananui Creek. The park protects a limestone karst area. The park contains several caves...

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand near the town of Twizel. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain and Aoraki/Mount Cook village lie within the park. The area was gazetted as a national park in October 1953 and consists of reserves that were established as early as 1887 to protect the area's significant vegetation and land...

The island countries of Australia and New Zealand make perfect destinations for cruise ships whether as part of an extended cruise covering vast portions of the world or localized cruises with their beginning and end in either country. Because Australia and New Zealand are located a good distance from most major population centers, the countries maintain an air of mys...

Wellington is the 3rd most populous city and the capital of New Zealand. The city is relatively young to be a national capital reflecting that the first Europeans to settle in Wellington didn’t arrive until 1840. Wellington developed quickly and wrested the title as the capital of New Zealand from Auckland in 1841. The city is surrounded by a scenic harbor, verd...

The Poor Knights Islands are a group of islands off the east coast of the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. They are located 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the northeast of Whangarei, and lie 22 kilometres (14 mi) offshore half way between Bream Head and Cape Brett. Uninhabited since the 1820s, they are a nature reserve and popular underwater diving spot....

The Franz Josef is a 12 km (7.5 mi) longglacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Together with the Fox Glacier 20 km (12 mi) to the south, it is unique in descending from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level, amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest. Note...

Hot Water Beach is a beach on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, approximately 12 kilometres south east of Whitianga, and approximately 175 kilometres from Auckland by car. Its name comes from underground hot springs which filter up through the sand between the high and low water tidal reaches. The beach is a popular destination both for locals a...

The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is an area of 4,367 km2 (1,686 sq mi) that was designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association in June 2012. The reserve is located in the Mackenzie District in the South Island of New Zealand. At the time of the designation in 2012, the reserve was the largest in the world, ...

Craters of the Moon Thermal Area is a region with geothermal activity north of Taupo, New Zealand. It is a part of Wairakei, the largest geothermal field in New Zealand, with a surface area of about 25 km2, which lies in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The name springs from the many hydrothermal eruption craters, which are in part barren and which have bright colours. Combin...

The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, often called the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in international rugby union competitions. Rugby union is regarded as New Zealand's national sport. Winners of the inaugural Rugby World Cup, New Zealand are the leading points scorers of all time and the only international rugby team with a winning record against every...

The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake Taupo in New Zealand. A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from roughly 100 metres across into a narrow canyon only 15 metres across. The canyon is carved into lake floor sediments laid down before Taupo's Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago. The volume o...

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was bombed by French government agents in Auckland harbor in July 1985 to prevent her from interfering in a nuclear test in Moruroa. The Rainbow Warrior was refloated for forensic examination. She was deemed irreparable and scuttled in beautiful Matauri Bay, near the Cavalli Islands, on December 2, 1987, to serve as a dive wreck and...

With an expert tandem skydive instructors; jump out of our aircraft from up to 15,000ft and into an incredible free-fall over the worlds most stunning drop zone, surrounded by snow tipped peaks and the clean, fresh blue of lake Taupo, you’ll slow from a 200KM/H descent to a safe, controlled canopy landing.

Cape Palliser Lighthouse is a Lighthouse at Cape Palliser in the Wellington region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand. The light was built in 1897 and was originally fueled by oil. In 1954 the oil lamp was replaced with an electric one powered by a local diesel generator. This was subsequently replaced by a connection ...