Auckland

Auckland is situated on a narrow isthmus, bounded by two harbours - the Waitemata and the Manukau - at the southern end of the Auckland Peninsula.

Auckland is the main gateway to New Zealand and the centre of commerce and industry. With a population of about one million, it is New Zealand's largest urban area. Known as the City of Sails, Auckland is the current home of the America's Cup, yachting's greatest trophy.

Rotarua

Geysers, bubbling mud pools and Maori hospitality are some of the many experiences to be encountered in Rotorua. It is the oldest and best-known resort in the country, where visitors enjoy its waters, marvel at its fascinating geothermal activity and experience the region's unique Maori culture.

Napier

This region is known for its sunny climate, sheltered coastal plains and long-established vineyards.

Napier, the main city of the region was razed by an earthquake and fire in 1931, and rebuilt in the art deco style fashionable at the time. What makes Napier so special is that it has one of the largest concentrations of Art Deco buildings in the world.

Wellington

Wellington, New Zealand's capital (population 346,000), is a compact city, set on the shores of a deep harbour and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of wooded hills.

Dunedin

Dunedin, with a population of 112,000, is South Island's second-largest city and the commercial centre for the Otago region. Its name is the old Gaelic one for Edinburgh - appropriate since the city was established by Scottish Presbyterians. It is a gracious city whose numerous grand nineteenth-century and Edwardian buildings are unrivalled anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

Te Anau

Te Anau is the hub of Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage Area of scenic wonders, serenity and mystery.

Doubtful Sound

The deepest of all the fiords, Doubtful Sound is one of New Zealand's most memorable highlights. This haven of nature, with its ancient rain forest and abundant wildlife, is quite simply and unquestionably breathtaking. Practically untouched by man, the physical grandeur of towering peaks, outstanding waterfalls and a lack of wind create a powerful atmosphere of solitude and serenity.

There are three distinct arms and several outstanding waterfalls. Browne Falls cascade 619m to the fiord near Hall Arm; Helena Falls are an attractive feature of Deep Cove.

Captain James Cook sighted the entrance to Doubtful Sound on his first voyage to New Zealand in 1770. He called the place Doubtful Harbour.

Today one of the most popular of all Fiordland tourist trips is the return one day excursion from Manapouri to Doubtful Sound. Modern launches leave Pearl Harbour at Manapouri and cross Lake Manapouri to West Arm.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is the most famous and accessible of the glacier carved fiords scattered along New Zealand's south western coast. Mountain peaks with sculptural, hanging valleys, send waterfalls cascading over sheer granite cliffs to the sea below.

Boat trips on the Sound are a must and provide close up views of awe inspiring scenery. These cruises are often accompanied by playful dolphins and seals basking on rocks are a common sight.

The road to Milford is one of the world's finest alpine drives. From Te Anau the road winds down the Eglington and Hollyford valleys, then through the Homer Tunnels to be met by Mitre Peak towering from the glassy waters of Milford Sound

Mount Cook

At 3,754m Mount Cook (its Maori name is Aoraki) is New Zealand's highest mountain. It towers above a splendid cast of massive snow-clad peaks that make up Mount Cook National Park. Nudging one side of Mt Cook is the mighty Tasman Glacier, a 30km giant and one of the longest outside the Himalayas.

Christchurch

South Island's largest city (population 337,000) and main international gateway is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place with exciting festivals, theatre, modern art galleries, great shopping, award-winning attractions and a host of activities.