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Landscape and Climate

You might think that the North Island and South Island are identical in terms of landscape and climate, but things aren’t quite that simple. While both islands have a significant amount of coastline, farmland, and high terrain, the North and South Island are not identical. However, both islands are breathtaking – which if you know anything about New Zealand, shouldn’t come as a surprise.

In terms of landscape, the North Island is known for its gorgeous coastline and geothermal hotspots. You’ll find incredible beaches in Northland, the Bay of Islands, and around the Coromandel Peninsula, while the central region of the island around Rotorua is known for the hot springs and bubbling mud pools that come with intense geothermal activity. In the island’s south, you’ll find volcanoes around Tongariro National Park. While both islands have beaches, the North Island has more of the traditional white-sand beaches that are perfect for swimming.

Landmarks

New Zealand is blessed with an incredible number of landmarks. No matter which island you head to on New Zealand tours, you’ll find plenty of world-class attractions and natural wonders that’ll prove the highlight of your vacation.

The North Island has some incredible bays and harbours, including the twin harbours of Auckland, the Hauraki Gulf, the Bay of Plenty, and the Bay of Islands. In the Bay of Islands, you’ll also find important Maori centres like the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. In terms of coastline, there are few spots in the world as gorgeous and pristine as the Coromandel Peninsula. Inland, you’ll find Rotorua, which is home to the geothermal wonders of Te Puia, including bubbling mud pools, boiling hot springs, and geysers, like Pohutu Geyser. A little further to the north, you’ll find Matamata and film locations from The Lord of the Rings at the Hobbiton Movie Set. To the northwest, there is Waitomo with the famous glowworm caves and the Glowworm Grotto. And let’s not forget about Auckland and Wellington, the two largest and most popular cities in the country.

Food and Wine

Interestingly, the food and wine of New Zealand does not line up exactly with the city life and culture. Typically, you’d assume that cities have the lion’s share of good food and wine, but all regions of New Zealand have something to boast about in this department.

As one of the world’s significant wine-making nations (even if it produces a very small amount of the world’s wine), New Zealand has a lot of winelands that are worth exploring. On the North Island, you’ll find the best wine in the second and third largest wine regions in the country and Gisborne. Hawke’s Bay is known for its red wines like Merlot and Cabernet Franc, while the Maori area of Gisborne is known for whites like Chardonnay. If you are more a beer or coffee drinker than a wine drinker, head to Wellington. In addition to being the political capital, it’s also the craft beer and coffee capital, so you’ll find a lot of local brews to enjoy.