23 Unmissable Things To Do On New Zealand’s North Island

New Zealand’s North Island, besides known arsenic Te Ika-a-Māui and Te Waipounamu, is wherever you’ll find the country’s superior city, Wellington, arsenic good arsenic immoderate of the country’s astir beauteous quality sites.

It’s the largest of the 2 islands, and truthful you tin expect to find an unthinkable of magnitude of things to bash connected New Zealand’s North Island.

We person visited the North Island of New Zealand respective times, some connected a abbreviated household getaways and connected a longer roadworthy travel experience.

The North Island is afloat of adventure, stunning coastal beauty, affluent Māori culture, and smelly geothermal wonders.

But if you’re not definite what to bash successful North Island New Zealand, past beneath are immoderate of the apical attractions you cannot miss!

Things to Do connected New Zealand’s North Island

Whether you’re readying a roadworthy trip, a speedy getaway from Wellington, oregon a period agelong backpacking expedition – don’t miss these apical attractions successful North Island New Zealand!

1. Go Sailing successful the Bay of Islands

Sailing successful the Bay of Islands

For a precise scenic and relaxing experience, spell sailing successful the Bay of Islands. Located successful the Northland Region, the Bay of Islands is adjacent to the bluish extremity of the country.

This country is simply a satellite people portion for sailing and a postulation of implicit 140 islands with a coastline sporting 4 villages, including the charming municipality of Russell.

For time sails oregon a precocious day cruise sojourn Tucker.co.nz.

2. Enjoy the Hot Thermal Springs successful Rotorua

“In Rotorua each you tin bash present is eat, sleep, and spa,” our waiter told america 1 evening.

Indeed, erstwhile you sojourn Rotorua, the thermal acquisition is everywhere. It steams up from the pavements; determination are geysers fields,  mud pools, fumaroles and blistery springs.

This thermal enactment makes itself known successful each country of the city, and is the crushed for the area’s famed sulphur scent.

And 1 of the champion thermal experiences you tin person is astatine the satellite renowned Polynesian Spa, voted arsenic a satellite apical 10 spa.

Nearby is besides the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland with erupting geysers and the Te Puia Maroi colony has the Pohutu Geyser, jumping mud pools, and unrecorded kiwi birds.

3. Go White Water Raft the Tongariro River

White h2o rafting successful New Zealand

If you’re aft a existent wilderness experience, past spell White Water Rafting connected The Tongariro River. It’s 1 of New Zealand’s astir celebrated rivers.

In betwixt conquering each rapid, you volition witnesser past beech forests, rainbow trout swimming upstream, breathtaking gorges, limestone and volcanic cliffs, and h2o truthful cleanable and caller you could portion it.

This stream is known arsenic the cleanable stream for your archetypal rafting experience.

4. Go Beer Tasting astatine Hallertau Brewery successful Auckland

Hallertau Brewery

Did you cognize that New Zealand has immoderate beauteous bully section beer? We didn’t either.

The Hallertau Brewbar and Restaurant, a New Zealand first, is nestled successful the greenery of Riverhead, lone a 20 infinitesimal thrust from the city.

Hallertau, with it’s operation of brewing and epicurean lifestyle, volition let you to beryllium backmost and bask for a mates of hours. And the nutrient is damn bully too. Order the pumpkin risotto.

5. Sky Dive

When I went Sky diving successful New Zealand it was the archetypal clip that I person ever jumped. I faced my fears successful the Northland’s region, adjacent Whangarei, and it was awesome.

I jumped with Dave, 1 of the regions astir experienced tandem jumpers, and the scenery was spectacular.

6. Visit The Buried Village of Te Wairoa successful Rotorua

The detonation of Mt Terewaka implicit a period agone burried the full village, including what was considered a earthy wonderment of the world, the pinkish and achromatic terraces.

And earlier the caller earthquake successful Christchurch earlier this year, it was New Zealand’s biggest natural disaster.

A visit to the buried village of Te Wairoa is fascinating and the communicative is told to you by a knowledgeable and passionate usher arsenic she walks you done the colony sharing with you stories from that time.

7. Go Sea Kayaking

Sea kayaking

The Northland portion offers divers oversea kayaking opportunities to research coves, achromatic soil beaches, and spectacular coastal formations successful wide subtropical waters successful what is the countries warmest region.

Experiencing the scenery archetypal manus is what New Zealand is each about, and oversea kayaking is simply a large mode to get retired connected the h2o and adjacent to nature.

See the antithetic oversea kayaking tours disposable to suit each level of quality and age.

8. See The Picturesque Whangarei Falls

Whangarei Falls

The 24 metre precocious Whangarei Falls is known arsenic the astir photogenic waterfall successful each of New Zealand. 

Because of its easiness of access, picturesque bush setting, and guaranteed 365 days per twelvemonth flow, it is simply a indispensable spot if you are successful the Whangarei country of the North Island successful New Zealand.

The falls is simply a pleasant spot to bask a picnic oregon a time hike amidst the autochthonal bush.

9. Bungy Jump successful Taupo

Would you?

The bungy jump is simply a New Zealand invention.

Well, not entirely, for centuries the radical of Vanuatu person been leaping from gangly towers with vine ropes attached to their ankles, but successful the 1980′s commercialized bungy jumping was developed by a radical of Kiwi’s and the remainder is history.

At 47 meters precocious and the inviting waters of the Waikato River below, Taupo Bungy is the highest h2o interaction bungy successful New Zealand.

10. Cycling Winery Tour Around Hawke’s Bay

Located connected the idyllic Te Awanga coast, the Hawke’s Bay country is 1 of New Zealand’s premier vino regions.

And 1 of the champion ways to sojourn the vineyards and wineries successful the Hawke’s Bay country is by bicycle arsenic the onshore is level and astir of the wineries are wrong casual cycling distance.

The motorcycle way is via the coastal cycleway which is simply a dedicated rhythm way that’s level and casual to navigate.

11. Discover Maori Culture astatine the Tamaki Maori Village

Tamakai Cultural Experience

“We are a arrogant civilization who has had melodramatic changes implicit the past 150 years.”  ~ Maori elder arsenic helium spoke successful farewell to america astir his culture.

There are immoderate taste experiences astir the satellite that are excessively touristy successful the information that they are done for the tourists and to marque money.

But what I loved astir the Tamaki colony acquisition is that it was much astir sharing. Sharing a culture, knowing that they had thing of worth to connection the world.

The Tamaki Village acquisition is the BEST ”touristy” taste acquisition I person had.

12. Freak Yourself Out connected Auckland’s Sky Walk

Look, nary hands

Consider this; utilizing lone a information harness portion walking connected a one metre wide platform with nary handrails, locomotion 360 degrees astir the outer circumference of the operation suspended 192 meters supra the ground, with thing but aerial connected either broadside of you!

That’s what awaits you connected Auckland’s Sky Walk.

Whilst connected the level you’ll halt astatine assorted points to person your photograph taken, learn immoderate Auckland history, and have a spell astatine leaning implicit the edge. Just bash it…

13. Check Out Cuba Street successful Wellington

Lambton Harbour

One of the much bohemian areas of Wellington is Cuba Street, the location to an eclectic postulation of cafes, op-shops, boutique, tiny manner stores, creation galleries, and euphony shops.

It is the centre of 1 of the 4 ‘quarters’ of downtown Wellington, the Cuba Quarter. And it’s 1 of the champion locations to drawback a coffee. Check retired Fidel’s Cafe for a delicious cupful of coffee!

Wondering astir Cuba Street is 1 of the apical attractions successful Wellington and is simply a large spot to spot New Zealand’s divers cultures.

14. Visit The Town of Russell

Bay of Islands

This tranquil seaside municipality is good worthy a visit.

The elegant township was erstwhile known arsenic “the hellhole spread of the Pacific” erstwhile it was the enactment permission destination for sailors, whalers and traders during the 19th century.

Russell is the archetypal imperishable European colony and oversea larboard successful New Zealand. But contiguous Russell is simply a fashionable vacation destination with historical buildings and a large starting disconnected constituent to spell sailing successful the Bay of Islands.

15. Experience a Rugby Game astatine Eden Park

New Zealand is rugby huffy and they person an obsession with the crippled and their beloved All Blacks to rival immoderate different countries emotion of their nationalist team.

Their players are treated similar god, and they look perpetually successful each forms of media and advertising. The temper of the full state rides connected the backmost of the results of their nationalist team.

And determination is nary amended spot to ticker an All Blacks rugby crippled than astatine their location ground, Eden Park successful Auckland.

16. Pay a Visit to Hobbiton

Lord of the Rings fans should not miss a accidental to locomotion astir the Hobbiton movie acceptable of the movie franchise.

The real-life Hobbiton, located successful Matamata, allows visitors to locomotion astir the hobit houses, beryllium connected the seat extracurricular Bilbo Baggin’s house, and unreal to beryllium a hobbit successful the movies.

If you emotion Lord of the Rings, don’t miss a implicit LOTR guided tour, which combines a sojourn to the Waitomo Caves to spot the glowworms.

17. Trek the Tongariro Alpine Crossing successful Tongariro National Park

Hiking fans volition privation to lace up their boots and deed Tongariro National Park for an unforgetable adventure.

The parkland is astir celebrated for its Tongariro Alpine Crossing, 1 of the Great Walks of New Zealand, treversing crossed volcanic terrain, past Mt Tongariro.

The hike is imaginable to implicit successful 6-10 hours, depending connected your fittingness level, and offers unthinkable views of the park’s landscapes, including the Red Crater and Emerald Lakes.

18. Visit Cathedral Cove connected Coromandel Peninsula & Hot Water Beach

Want a spa acquisition without paying for it? Head to Hot Water Beach, wherever you’ll find the people heated mineral h2o emerges from the soil successful streams of bubbles.

The h2o has formed a excavation successful the rocks astatine the confederate extremity of the beach, oregon you tin excavation your ain small thermal excavation successful the soil astatine debased tide.

Just a 5-minute thrust from Hot Water Beach is Cathedral Cove, a gorgeous formation known for its stone formations and earthy beauty.

19. Get Cultured astatine Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Another taste landmark not to beryllium missed is Waitangi Treaty Grounds, which is the celebrated spot wherever the Treaty of Waitangi was signed backmost successful 1840. It was present that 43 Northland Chiefs came unneurotic and signed the treaty.

After that, much than 500 Māori Chiefs signed wrong 8 months.

Today, the grounds is simply a depository to Maori civilization and hosts taste performances and guided tours.

20. Admire the Landscapes of the Outlying Islands

Waiheke island

New Zeland isn’t conscionable made up of North Island and South Island, determination are respective smaller, outlying islands that are worthy a sojourn too.

Take a ferry to Waiheke Island, the 2nd largest successful the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand and tin beryllium reached from the central-city terminal successful Auckland. It’s celebrated for its vino and earthy beauty.

Nature lovers should not miss Poor Knights Islands, a postulation of islands to the northbound of North Island. The islands are a marine reserve and a large spot to spell scuba diving, snorkeling oregon kayaking.

21. Look for Whales

Whale watching is 1 of the apical things to bash successful North Island New Zealand, since the land hosts respective migrating taxon connected their mode from the Pacific Ocean to Antartica passim the year.

From May to October, you tin spot humpback, confederate close whales and aviator whales connected their yearly migration. Whereas from November to March, it’s a large clip to spot migrating orca and bluish whales.

As good arsenic whales, you tin besides spot pods of dolphins, seals, and sometimes adjacent penguins.

22. Admire Lake Taupo

Another geological improvement worthy seeing is Lake Taupō, a ample crater water known for its vibrant shades of turquoise and jade green.

Although natural, it’s home to a trout fishery, arsenic good arsenic autochthonal crayfish. It’s besides a large spot to look retired for autochthonal h2o vertebrate species.

What brings radical to Lake Taupo though is the past Maori Rock Carvings, which is seen lone by vessel from the lake.

23. Drive Along Ninety Mile Beach

If you request much escapade connected your New Zealand trip, past drawback yourself a 4WD conveyance and thrust on 90-mile beach, besides known arsenic Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē, connected the occidental seashore the North Island, overlooking the Tasman Sea.

While it’s really lone 88 kilometres (55 miles) long, the formation is celebrated for being a nationalist highway, and an alternate to State Highway 1.

The formation leads straight to Te Paki dunes, which are large for soil boarding on.

Some of the apical attractions connected the thrust are Tauroa Point, the Aupōuri Peninsula and Cape Reinga, known arsenic the astir bluish constituent of New Zealand. You volition request to propulsion implicit to locomotion up the headland to the lighthouse.

Final Thoughts

New Zealand’s North Island is packed afloat of breathtaking attractions and unforgettable experiences, and by present you’ve astir apt got a enactment of things to bash to adhd to your itinerary.

We anticipation this usher helped you program your travel and gave you inspiration for what to see! Check present for car rental availability and prices. And click present for our favorite question booking sites thatt volition prevention you clip and wealth for immoderate benignant of trip.

Group Tours of New Zealand

If you did not privation to question to New Zealand independently, we tin urge the Globus Family of Brands arsenic a trustworthy circuit company. Use our peculiar discount codification successful the bluish below!

• Highlights of New Zealand circuit with Cosmos
• Various Globus Tours of New Zealand

More New Zealand Travel Tips

Need much inspiration for your travel to New Zealand? Here are immoderate different adjuvant resources!

• Don’ tmiss tehse things to bash successful Queenstown connected the South Island
• The Best Places to sojourn successful New Zealand
• Things to Do successful Christchurch, New Zealand
• What to bash successful Wellington, New Zealand

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