This stunning natural attraction at Dolomite Point near the village of Punakaiki on the South Island’s West Coast offers elemental entertainment at its best. Part of Paparoa National Park, named for its flat-packed layers of rock that look like stacks of giant pancakes teetering over the frothing ocean, the geology itself is awe-inspiring. But the power of its air and water vents, exploding suddenly into the sky, offers all the thrill of a fireworks display.
The Rotorua area is jam-packed with geologic marvels, but Pohutu Geyser towers above the rest – suddenly erupting boiling water 98 feet (30m) into the air at least once every hour to the delight of onlookers. The largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere, Pohutu is part of Te Puia’s Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, full of bubbling pools and coursing elemental energy. Look out for the nearby Prince of Wales Feathers geyser, which always shoots water just before its bigger neighbour erupts.
In Lake Matheson, nature has created a perfect mirror of South Island’s immense ancient forests and towering Southern Alps that form the island’s backbone. Also known as Reflection Lake, its serene, dark waters are a looking glass for two of New Zealand’s mightiest peaks – Mount Cook (Aoraki) and Mount Tasman – positioned just to the east. The lake was made when nearby Fox Glacier retreated and makes for an ideal stop on an itinerary mapping southern New Zealand’s natural wonders.
A lost world flanked by mountains and carved out by glaciers in Fiordland National Park, Sinbad Gully’s rivers and forests lay hidden for centuries. Hemmed in by the famous Mitre Peak on one side and Llawrenny Peaks on the other, the gully opens out into the jaw-dropping fiords of Milford Sound. Cut off from the world, nature has gone her own way here, creating strange species found nowhere else. The gully was the last mainland stronghold for the critically endangered Kakapo (pictured), a huge, cuddly, flightless parrot now only found on Codfish Island.
The South’s answer to the Northern Lights, the Aurora Australis is less well-known but its lime green and rosy light show is just as spectacular. One of the top places to view the curtain of electro-charged lights is around Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island, but the closer you can get to the South Pole, the better. Most Southern Lights shows occur during the Southern Hemisphere’s autumn and winter months, from March to September.
Fiordland National Park is one of the world’s largest protected areas, covering more than 5,000 square miles of pristine wilderness and harbouring more than just a few spectacular sights. They include Sutherland Falls – the country’s highest waterfall – overflowing down steep cliffs from a lake more than half a kilometre above the valley floor. There are two ways to see the falls up-close – hiking the renowned Milford Track or taking a scenic flight from nearby hubs such as Milford and Te Anau.
Penguins are the chief inhabitants of the wild and untamed sub-Antarctic Snares, part of a protected World Heritage area that’s the last frontier between South Island and Antarctica. Here, yellow-eyed penguins run tracks through pristine forests and line the steep seaside cliffs alongside seals and seabirds. The remote, uninhabited islands are reachable by expedition cruises that take in the other islands and wildlife.
This primordial world of towering ancient trees on the northern tip of New Zealand is the largest remaining tract of native forest in Northland. It's home to Tane Mahuta – the Lord of the Forest – a 2,000-year-old sacred kauri tree that measures 14 feet (4.4m) around its trunk and almost 59 feet (18m) up to its first branch. That's young compared to another giant kauri tree found here: Te Matua Ngahere, meaning Father of the Forest, is estimated to be between 2,500 and 3,000 years old.
Te Waikoropupu Springs contain some of the clearest water ever measured and they are the largest cold freshwater springs in the southern hemisphere, releasing a staggering 14,000 litres of water per second. Close to the town of Tanaka, a 1km-loop trail threads through forest and across streams to a platform suspended above the still, crystalline water, where you gaze down into a blue-tinged underwater forest. Please note that swimming is forbidden here due to the springs’ spiritual significance to the Maori people.
The epicentre of New Zealand’s volcanic wonders, Tongariro was the country’s first national park and won Unesco World Heritage status several decades ago. Crowned by three mighty volcanoes – Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, which are part of the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire – the park encompasses a phenomenal landscape of craters, old lava flows, strange emerald lakes and steaming vents. New Zealand’s best day hike – the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – takes travellers to the highlights.
Hidden among bucolic country gardens in the little hamlet of Ohaupo on New Zealand's North Island is a natural chapel formed from entwined trees guided by human hands. This living, breathing church is a monument to nature surrounded by mature oak and maple trees. It is open to visitors and can even host weddings of up to 100 people. The surrounding gardens include a hedge labyrinth and Monet-inspired pond.
A network of subterranean caves and rivers snakes beneath Waitomo’s verdant hills in New Zealand’s north-east, harbouring magical, glowing caverns. Tours by boat and on foot take visitors deep underground to witness the phenomena, with thousands of glow worms lighting the cave ceiling like a sea of white-blue stars. Above ground, the area has more not-to-be-missed natural marvels, including the beautiful Marokopa Falls and limestone Mangapohue Natural Bridge.
New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, the imposing White Island (also known as Whakaari) forms part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and sits 30 miles (48km) offshore from North Island’s east coast. A sudden, explosive eruption in 2019 effectively ended guided tours to the island, but scenic flights over its steaming crater, sulphurous vents and acid lakes are still available, taking off from nearby Whakatane, Rotorua or Tauranga.
Picture-perfect Bridal Veil Falls is ensconced in a region of the North Island known for its natural attractions, including the must-see Waitomo Caves. A classic beauty dropping 180 feet (55m) over a hard volcanic lip into a deep pool framed by lush greenery, the falls are the perfect place to immerse in nature, with walkways leading through the forest and along the Pakoka River to viewing points at its top and base.
This geothermal wonderland powered by Earth’s core was dubbed ‘Hellsgate’ by famous playwright George Bernard Shaw, due to its steaming landscape of colourful sulphurous springs. The highlight – Champagne Pool – appears like a giant artist’s palette of electric-blue, orange and yellow. Surrounded by bubbling mud cauldrons, neon-green ponds and spraying pools, visitors can lose themselves in the surreal scene by following the secure tracks around the site. Arrive before 10:15am to catch Lady Knox Geyser’s dramatic daily eruption.
