Travel in New Zealand – Hotels, New Zealand Vacations, Lodging, Trips, Attractions and Travel Guide

Enjoy The Sites and Sounds Of New Zealand

Detail of New Zealand's World Famous Pancake Rocks at the West Coast near Punakaiki.

New Zealand is an island located in the south-west Pacific Ocean. It is comprised of two landmasses along with many smaller islands. New Zealand is home of the Maori tribe, which named New Zealand, Aotearoa, which means “Land of the Long White Clouds”. New Zealand is also known for its geographical isolation, its closest neighbors being Fiji, New Caledonia and Tonga.

New Zealand being geographically remote, plays host to extraordinary flora and fauna, which descends from Gondwanan wildlife. However, when humans arrived almost 80% of the land in New Zealand was deforested. Because of this, New Zealand has suffered high rates of extinction. Some of the animals that were once present were the moa (a flightless bird), laughing owl and flightless wren. New Zealand has since undergone island restoration and is now in the process of reintroducing endangered species back to the islands.

New Zealand derives much of its culture from British influence. There are large festivals and celebrations held on the island in honor of Diwali, a Hindu holiday, and the Chinese New Year. The music and cuisine offerings in New Zealand are similar to that in the United Kingdom and United States, although there are distinctions that have a New Zealand and Pacific influence as well.

New Zealand is also a popular tourist attraction because of its glaciers, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Fox Glacier is located off the west coast and is the worlds longest glacier. It is located 21 kilometers south of the Franz Josef Glacier and offers a full range of guided hiking tours. The Franz Josef Glacier is an icon on the west coast and is the home of the Franz Josef Hot Pools, which are naturally occurring hot springs made of glacier water.

New Zealand also has many zoos and recreational wild life parks which house a wide variety of different animals. The Auckland Zoo, is a winner of many national and international awards for environmental awareness. The zoo has over 179 different species and 1,300 animals, making it one of the most progressive and recognized in the world. The Kiwi House is located in Otorohanga, New Zealand and is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of wildlife. It is the home of nocturnal birds, reptiles, wetland and forest birds.

The Crowne Plaza in Aukland is located above the Atrium Elliott shopping complex. The great location makes it a short walk to the Queen Street & regs golden mile. The hotel has great features and amenities available to its guests. The Charlotte Jane in Christchurch was first built in 1891 as a private girls school. The school is now a historic hotel. With its great restaurant and boutique is bound to suite any guest.

The climate of New Zealand is diverse and varying, depending upon the location. It goes from warmer and subtropical in the northern areas and to cooler temperatures in the far south, with alpine-like conditions in its mountain ranges. The coldest month in New Zealand is July, with the warmest being in January and February. New Zealand can receive over 2,000 hours of sunshine per year, has relatively no air pollution and has some of the best beaches in the world. People can enjoy everything and experience, “all four seasons” in one day, because of the different weather conditions present in the many climates.