New Zealand’s most breathtaking natural wonders1

These are New Zealand’s most breathtaking natural wonders

Story by Sasha Wood  • 1w

 

 

 

New Zealand nature©MartinVlnas/Alamy

From the seismic, steaming landscapes of North Island to the uplifting vistas of the South Island, magical places abound in New Zealand. Its spellbinding scenery has starred in many a movie, famously doubling for Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings. The forces of nature are perhaps more apparent in the Land of the Long White Cloud than anywhere else on Earth, creating technicoloured geothermal lakes, smoking volcanoes, mighty glaciers and jaw-dropping fiords.

Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park©Rawpixel/Shutterstock

The awe-inspiring proportions of Milford Sound are difficult to grasp. Its sheer mountainsides, ravines and precipitous waterfalls dwarf the cruise liners that come to visit this watery wonderland at the edge of the Southern Alps. Novelist Rudyard Kipling was so struck by the fiords, he described them as the eighth wonder of the world, and no trip to New Zealand’s South Island would be complete without taking a tour here. The fiord is best seen by boat, or scenic flights offer a bird's-eye view.

Franz Josef Glacier, West Coast©Vincent Lowe/Alamy

Flowing thousands of metres down from mountain peaks all the way to the ocean, the sheer scale of Franz Josef Glacier isn’t fully apparent until you come face-to-face with its base. The temperate New Zealand climate, low altitude and proximity to the town of the same name make this frozen landscape of compacted blue ice easily accessible too – you can hike around its base and come within 2,460 feet (750m) of its terminal face, opt for a guided ice walk or sign up for some aerial sightseeing with a helicopter tour. 

Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay©NZ/MilesHolden

Abel Tasman National Park is a lush coastal paradise near the top of South Island, indented with platinum bays and turquoise waters, with quirky geologic features like Split Apple Rock – which scientists believe was split by a natural phenomenon known as ‘ice wedging’ during an ice age more than 120 million years ago – sited just offshore. The park's bounty of unspoilt beaches include Torrent Bay and Kaiteriteri beach, voted one of the top five in the world. Kayaking tours are a popular way to appreciate the area’s immense scenic beauty, or to explore on foot, follow the Abel Tasman track along the coast.

Blue Pools, Mount Aspiring National Park©Lin4pic/Shutterstock

The stunning aquamarine Blue Pools in Unesco-listed Mount Aspiring National Park are one of South Island’s scenic masterpieces. Sited at the point where the glacial Makarora River flows into Lake Wanaka, you can follow the beautiful forest trail of Blue Pools Track at Haast Pass to a suspension bridge crossing the pools, where the clear, cool water tempts swimmers, especially on sunny days. 

Orakei Korako, Waikato©FransLemmens/Alamy

To admire the seismic energy of Mother Nature without the crowds, take the ferry across Lake Ohakuri to the hidden valley of Orakei Korako geothermal park. Just as spectacular as Rotorua’s fizzing landscapes, the park’s gigantic, technicolour hot springs, geysers and mud pools are a bubbling hot soup of geothermal activity. Close to Lake Taupo, the area makes a great addition to an itinerary exploring the region’s other highlights, including Waitomo Caves and Huka Falls.

Lake Tekapo, Canterbury©DPK-Photo/Alamy

Lake Tekapo is a sight to behold. This turquoise lake in the Southern Alps, fringed by bright pink and purple lupins between November and February each year and surrounded by snow-capped peaks, is truly picturesque. The lake gets its intense colour from glacier-grounded minerals suspended in the water. Part of a Unesco Dark Sky Reserve, turn your eyes skywards as night falls for some of the best views of space from Earth.

Elephant Rocks, North Otago©DavidWall/Alamy

Part of a Unesco-listed geopark, New Zealand’s coast around North Otago is strewn with weird and wonderful geologic marvels that are well worth a stop at for a photo opp. Aptly-named for their smooth, grey humps and curves, Elephant Rocks appear like a herd of fossilised elephants grazing on the green hillsides, close to the Island Cliff-Duntroon road. The strange, weathered stones even formed the backdrop for scenes in the first The Chronicles of Narnia film.

Fox Glacier, West Coast©NZ/MilesHolden

Another of New Zealand’s most spectacular and accessible icy wonders, the 13km-long Fox Glacier slopes down from 8,530 feet (2,600m) high in the Southern Alps into the ocean, close to the Franz Josef Glacier on the country’s west coast. At Fox Glacier village, join guided tours and stay in accommodation that provides easy access to an Ice Age wilderness of frozen valleys, tunnels and caves surrounded by forest. Ambitious explorers can even arrange a heli-hike to the peak of the glacier, or take in the magnificent view from the ground at Cook Flat Road, en route to Lake Matheson.

Huka Falls, Waikato©Simon Bourne/Alamy

Natural hydro-power at its most impressive, Huka Falls funnels New Zealand’s longest river, the Waikato, into a steep and narrow ravine with more than 220,000 litres of icy-blue water per second roaring over the edge. Right at the top of the falls, a footbridge above the spray offers magnificent views, while walking tracks lead to great vantage points along the river. To feel the sheer force of the falls from the water, board a cruise or take a jet boat tour.

 

Lake Taupo, Waikato©Witold Skrypczak/Alamy

This sparkling freshwater-filled crater is New Zealand’s largest lake, measuring half the size of London and rimmed by epic scenery including stratovolcano Mount Ruapehu and Tongariro National Park. While there are boundless outdoor activities available at Taupo, kayaking to see the Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay is an absolute must. The spectacular Orakei Korako geothermal park and thundering Huka Falls are both close by too.

Kaitoke Regional Park, Greater Wellington©JamesOsmond/Alamy

The bewitching beauty of Kaitoke Regional Park’s crystalline rivers and rainforests won it a part in the Lord of the Rings films, doubling as the elvish realm of Rivendell. Its untouched verdant valleys rushing with water are a natural haven that’s easy to explore on foot via the well-worn walking tracks that snake between ancient native trees. The forest canopy is home to a number of rare birds, including endemic kaka parrots and New Zealand falcons.

Moeraki boulders, Otago coast©DmitryPichugin/Shutterstock

These huge, bulbous anomalies scattering the sand of Koekohe Beach, between the towns of Moeraki and Hampden, add a different dimension to South Island’s scenic North Otago coast. Appearing like giant cannonballs up to 6.5 feet (2m) high, the geologic wonders look as though they were carved by human hands, but in fact they are made of calcified rock concreted together 65 million years ago and slowly released from the soft seabed by coastal erosion. Similar Koutu Boulders can be found around Hokianga Harbour on North Island.

Mount Cook, Christchurch-Canterbury©GrantRooneyPremium/Alamy

No list of New Zealand’s natural wonders would be complete without mentioning the country’s tallest mountain, Mount Cook, also commonly called Aoraki. A pure alpine wilderness of snow fields, glaciers and vanishing peaks more than 9,840 feet (3,000m) high make up Mount Cook, which is surprisingly accessible to visitors. Walking trails fan out from the village, including a one-hour hike to view the spectacular Tasman Glacier. You may even encounter cheeky kea (mountain parrots) along the way.

Ninety Mile Beach, Northland©PhotoPat/Alamy

The iconic Ninety Mile Beach at the far northern tip of North Island is a wide band of seemingly endless golden sand, which, contrary to its name, is in fact 55 miles (89km) long. The beach is used as an official road at low tide, with buses offering tours along the beach. Boasting one of the best left-hand surf breaks in the world, the beach is a haven for surfers, while beach activities also include bodyboarding down the sand dunes. The beach is also renowned for its stunning sunsets.

New Zealand Christmas Trees, Northland©Adwo/Alamy

The native Pohutukawa tree, also known as New Zealand’s Christmas Tree, is a unique natural feature common in the north of North Island but found all across the country. The wide-canopied trees burst into a profusion of scarlet blossoms every December around Christmas time, and have become synonymous with the festive period. The hardy evergreen is notable for growing in inhospitable spots too, clinging to cliffsides or transforming barren lava fields into a garden of life.