The ABCs of traveling in New Zealand | BootsnAll Travel boston hotel deals including parking Articles Home Articles The ABCs of traveling in New Zealand The ABCs of traveling in New Zealand By Arundhati Sampath | April 27th, 2012 | Comments (1) Do you Like BootsnAll? Get daily travel inspiration Feature Article Like this article? Please share!
New Zealand, which placed second in our inaugural Indie Travel Take Down Tournament , is one of the top indie travel destinations in the world. I recently undertook a road and rail trip across New Zealand's boston hotel deals including parking North and South Islands in December 2011 with my husband and then 17-month old daughter.
What follows boston hotel deals including parking is an alphabetically arranged account of New Zealand's many attractions and experiences. Some letters (such as M) demand the inclusion of more than one topic. On the other hand, New Zealand may have some awesome things starting with U, X, Y or Z, but I did not encounter these. Auckland
If you were perched somewhere in outer space peering down into New Zealand, you would see a sparsely populated land with a single dense cluster of people. That cluster boston hotel deals including parking is Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, which single-handedly accounts for about one-third of New Zealand's 4 million people. Auckland's human melting pot includes not only native boston hotel deals including parking New Zealanders (European and Maori) but also significant populations of Asian and Fijian immigrants. From your vantage point in space, you might see the Inner Outer Loop buses circling the city, much favored by students and backpackers. That really tall building rising up into the sky is the Sky Tower, and adjacent to it is a bustling downtown. Across town, the suburbs are quieter and more spacious. Parnell, the suburb I stayed in, has homes built on cliffs overlooking the sea, upscale shopping malls, and children walking to school on their own. For the indie traveler boston hotel deals including parking (as our space traveler boston hotel deals including parking no doubt is), Auckland is an excellent place to start a road, rail, or bus trip across New Zealand.
For those foolhardy enough to enjoy being thrown from great heights with only a rope anchoring their feet, New Zealand offers excellent opportunities for bungee jumping. One of the most popular spots to bungee jump is the Skyline Gondola at Queenstown. The scenery is pretty spectacular, but I seriously doubt that anyone watches the view while being thrown down from 1000 feet. To keep things interesting, there is also the option boston hotel deals including parking to be suspended on a swing over Queenstown. Given that I have convinced myself that I am afflicted with vertigo, I watched other people bungee jump while congratulating myself on my good sense. No, this isn't one of those stories where the intrepid boston hotel deals including parking traveler conquers her fears and attains nirvana. I was perfectly content nursing my fears and watching other people overcome theirs.
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island. Surrounded by the farms of Canterbury province, it is considered a genteel 'garden city'. However, recently, it has been in the news for rather unfortunate reasons. A series of earthquakes has hit this city, causing residents serious hardship. On my brief stopover at Christchurch, I saw many earthquake damaged buildings in various states of rehabilitation and was impressed boston hotel deals including parking by the people determined to rebuild their city and move on with their lives.
As you drive south from Greymouth or Fox Glacier down to Queenstown, you will pass Lake Wanaka and then arrive at an important crossroads. One picturesque road will take you to Queenstown boston hotel deals including parking via Cromwell and the State Highway 6. Another road will take you to Queenstown, but it zig-zags boston hotel deals including parking its way through the Crown Range, which also happens to be the highest road in New Zealand. The decision is not hard. Pick the road through the Crown Range. If there are two of you driving, make sure to be in the passenger seat at this time, because the driver is going to have to concentrate very hard on the zig-zags, but the passenger can sit back and appreciate the green rolling valleys beneath and the wild purple flowers on the sides of the road. If any view deserves the overused adjective 'panoramic', it is the one from the Crown Range. Doubtful Sound
This the lesser known of the South Island fjords and generally tends to be overshadowed by its high profile sibling Milford. But Doubtful is less crowded and offers the possibility of watching boston hotel deals including parking dolphins, seals, and penguins. There are just a couple of companies offering cruises on Doubtful Sound, so it does cost a bit more than it would to cruise Milford, but if you re doing it as a day trip from Te Anau, Doubtful Sounds is much closer and thus, a faster trip.
New Zealand has some very unique biodiversity on account of its being isolated for very long periods of time. I was astonished to learn that about 80% of its flora and fauna are not found anywhere else on the planet. Which is why when the Maori arrived 800 years ago, followed by Europeans several centuries later, several species that had evolved in an environment without humans, such as the giant Moa and the Haast eagle became extinct. In response, there are now massive conservation boston hotel deals including parking efforts underway to protect vulnerable species such as the kiwi. Fox Franz Josef glaciers
Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are amongst the South Island's must-see destinations. Originating in the Southern Alps, they wind their way down to the Tasman Sea amongst rainforests. There are excellent activities boston hotel deals including parking available to do on the glaciers, such as half or full day hikes, ice-climbing, helicopter rides, and sky-diving. Glowworm caves
Imagine pitch dark caves into which visitors are being rowed quietly on a boat with strict instructions to maintain absolute silence. As their eyes adjust to the darkness, they see hundreds of bluish yellow boston hotel deals including parking lights on the walls of the cave. These are the glowworms, main act in New Zealand's celebrated glowworm caves. The most well-known of New Zealand's glowworm caves are in Waitomo in the North Island and Te Anau in the South Island. Greymouth
If you were suddenly dropped off at Greymouth from the sky, you would be thoroughly disappointed. It is a nondescript, boring-looking town with seemingly nothing boston hotel deals including parking to commend it. But most travelers know to look beyond appearances. Greymouth is a strategic point for those traveling in the South Island. Not only is it the final destination for the Tranzalpine train from Christchurch but it is also a good place from which to drive down to the glaciers and further boston hotel deals including parking on to Queenstown. Greymouth is within a stone's throw (or an afternoon's drive) to the Pancake rocks of Punakaiki or the mining town of Hokitika.
As you drive down on the West Coast to Queenstown (or up the coast from Queenstown), you drive through the Haast Pass and the township boston hotel deals including parking of Haast. For travelers in a hurry, it is a convenient stop for lunch and refueling. For those with more time, it is an excellent base for exploring New Zealand's wilderness and fauna. i
The ubiquitous information booths boston hotel deals including parking ( 'i') available in every New Zealand township or location are a lifesaver for independent travelers. As soon as you arrive someplace, the sensible thing to do is to make a beeline to one of these to ask for advice, find places to stay, or check your itinerary. Jet boating
An excellent option for those who like to derive their adrenaline boston hotel deals including parking rush from aquatic activities. Of course, boston hotel deals including parking like for most adventure sports, Queenstown is a pretty phenomenal place for this sport, with jet boating experiences available on the Shotover, Kawarau, or Dart rivers. Kiwi
Kiwis are uniquely a New Zealand phenomenon, boston hotel deals including parking one of the many species of animals and plants that are found only in this country and could only have survived here. They are small, about the size of a hen, flightless, and almost blind. Despite their diminutive size and retiring disposition, they have become an icon for all things New Zealand. Kia Ora
It is impossible to overlook New Zealand's lakes while driving, not that anyone would want to. Lakes are abundant in both the North and South Islands, though for different reasons. The North Island's lakes are the result of volcanic activity, while in the South Island they happen to be the legacy of glaciers burrowing boston hotel deals including parking through land masses and leaving holes and basins that ended up becoming lakes. Of the thousands of lakes in New Zealand, I had the opportunity to visit Lakes Rotorua and Taupo in the North and Lakes Matheson, Wanaka, Te Anau, and Wakatipu in the South. Milford Sound
The most popular of all the Sound siblings, boston hotel deals including parking Milford Sound is a compulsory destination on every traveler's South Island itinerary (I believe the authorities do not let you board a plane out of the country unless you can prove that you've been to Milford). You can drive down on your own from Queenstown (this drive is simply the most beautiful I have ever seen) or you can stay the night in nearby Te Anau and use that as your base. Alternatively, there are buses and even flights to get you there. Most people take a cruise out on the fjord and some kayak on it. A cruise into Milford involves boston hotel deals including parking views of white clouds rising out of green hills, a ride past the Tasman Sea, waterfalls, and seal sightings. Manuka honey
Manuka honey is a distinctly New Zealand phenomenon. This honey is taken from a plant called (you guessed it) manuka. Not only does it make for delicious breakfast spread on one's toast, but is also said to have antiseptic properties that can heal bruises and cuts. Tip: Do your wallet a favor and buy manuka honey from the local supermarkets instead of the souvenir boston hotel deals including parking shops. North Island
The North Island accounts for the majority of New Zealand's population and its GDP, as well as two of its largest cities and a lot of sheep. It is home to unique landscapes such as the thermal region of Rotorua, Tongariro National Park, and many volcanic mountains, craters, and lakes. Independent travelers can travel across North Island via train, car, or camper van. Overlander
The Overlander train bisects the North Island length-wise and is a great way for the independent traveler t
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