What Is New Zealand Famous For? Top 20 Places and Things to do

New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places and a well-known tourist destination. The main attraction of this place is its surreal natural beauty. Travellers and adventure lovers can gather amazing experiences from New Zealand. Apart from picturesque natural phenomena, New Zealand is also famous for its authentic Maori culture.

The article lists some places, foods and other things that this place is famous for, so, keep scrolling to learn more.

Those of you are visiting New Zealand for the first time, you must carry adequate money in New Zealand dollars. This will save a lot of your time searching for nearest ATMs. For your convenience you should also note, as of November 2022 NZD 1 is equal to INR 50.80.

Listed below are some famous tourist attractions of New Zealand:

1. Bay of Islands

The heavenly beauty of the Bay of Islands is a special thing New Zealand is known for. The island is mostly famous for sailing in boats and yachts. Moreover, the area is a haven for aquatic animals such as dolphins, whales, penguins etc.

Besides, there are 144 beautiful islands around the Bay of Islands, which enhance the island’s scenic beauty and are famous tourist destinations. Further, you can enjoy abundant natural beauty, spend time alone or do different water sports activities here.

2. Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park is the perfect epitome of New Zealand’s natural beauty. Its vast vista is filled with hot springs, towering volcanoes, pristine lakes and lush greenery, attracting nature lovers. Therefore, the untouched natural beauty of this place will calm your body and mind and give you a refreshing vacation feeling.

3. Rotorua

Rotorua is a famous geothermal region marked by its unique topography. Therefore, the place is perfect for experiencing the variety of nature and gaining knowledge about the different features of a geothermal region.

Moreover, the place has volcanic craters, boiling mud pools, and steaming geysers, which are this region’s main attractions. However, apart from nature watching, you can also indulge in different adventure sports such as trekking, skydiving, mountain biking etc.

4. Napier in Hawke’s Bay

Napier in Hawke’s Bay is famous as an epitome of Maori culture. Here travellers can enjoy different architectural excellence. Among these, one of the major attractions is Art Deco design buildings. These buildings have unique Maori motifs, which attract people to explore the culture.

5. Auckland

Auckland is a famous city in New Zealand and a perfect tourist destination that can give you a great travelling experience. Auckland’s Manukau Harbour and Waitemata Harbour are two famous places in New Zealand. The city has dense rainforests, picturesque islands, and volcanos. Further, the city is surrounded by beautiful black and gold beaches which attract beach lovers the most. The city is also popular for different adventures.

6. Coromandel Peninsula

Coromandel Peninsula is a very attractive nature destination in Northern New Zealand. The region is marked by the tranquillity of nature that will touch your soul. Further, here you can enjoy playing on golden sand. The fun activities you can enjoy at Coromandel Peninsula are kayaking, hiking, skydiving, etc.

7. Queenstown

Queenstown is also called the adventure capital of New Zealand. Queenstown’s adventure activities, such as bungee jumping, water rafting, and rock climbing, are some famous things New Zealand is known for. However, one of the major attractions of this region is exploring gold mining towns. Apart from these, the place is blessed with nature’s abundance that will soothe your body and mind.

8. Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park is a great place for nature lovers. The place has cascading waterfalls, stretched lakes, dense forests, and picturesque offshore islands, which perfectly cater to your zeal for exploring nature. Further, you can explore the place by kayaking or enjoying the bird’s eye view by taking a flight.

9. Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers

Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are a perfect destination for you if you love frozen landscape views. This place is filled with the panoramic beauty of icy mountains and rivers. Further, this area is also filled with fascinating frozen caves. In addition, you can walk through the ice or take a helicopter ride to explore this place.

10. Abel Tasman National Park

The great wilderness of Abel Tasman National Park is one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. This whole icy region is a perfect paradise for skating lovers. Here you can also do trekking, camping, snorkelling, etc. Besides, you can also explore the snow wildlife such as penguins, wekas, oystercatchers, wood pigeons etc. So if you have a passion for photography, you can capture some memorable pictures here.

11. Mount Cook National Park

Mount Cook National Park is another famous national park that is the base of the longest glacier, Tasman glacier, and the tallest mountain peak Mount Cook. Therefore, this region is popular among mountaineers and trekkers. Apart from this, you can also enjoy different activities such as hunting, heli-skiing, ski-touring, etc., in this region.

12. Kaikoura

If you want to explore the varying marine life of New Zealand, Kaikoura is a perfect destination. Here you can watch sperm whales, humpbacks, albatross, dolphins, and many more beautiful sea creatures. Besides, this place is also very famous for lip-smacking sea foods. Further, you can taste mussels, cod, and fresh crawfish and get a different food experience.

13. Milford Sound

The place is the ‘eighth wonder of the world ’ because of its amazing beauty. Different beautiful glaciers surround this place, enhancing the beauty of this place. You can enjoy different activities here; for example, you can enjoy aquatic beauty by cruising or kayaking. Apart from that, you can enjoy underwater views by visiting Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory.

14. Waiheke Island

Waiheke Island is one of the most beautiful places to visit in New Zealand. The place is near Downtown Auckland; therefore, you can easily reach there through local transportation. However, the place is famous for great quality wine, as several vineyards are in this region. In addition, you can even taste fresh vines here from the vineyards and enjoy their unique quality. Further, the island is also popular for hiking, trekking, and cultural tours.

15. Christchurch

Christchurch is a great tourist attraction in New Zealand. Unfortunately, the city witnessed 4 massive earthquakes between 2010 to 2011 that completely ruined the city. However, the city is getting reconstructed, which is its primary attraction. You can visit different beautiful buildings and malls everywhere.

In addition, the city has several well-maintained botanical gardens where you can enjoy horticulture displays, nature walking and watching conservatories. In these botanical gardens, you can also find some tallest, oldest and largest trees in New Zealand. Another attraction of this region is the cable car ride at Mt. cavendish.

New Zealand has different sorts of activities and attractive things which will make your vacation more energised. Check out the list of such activities listed below.

16. Wines

One of the most famous things in New Zealand is its wine. The country has several vineyards that produce great quality vines used to make great quality wines. There are 10 famous wine regions throughout the country from where you can taste and purchase quality wine. Some best wines in New Zealand are Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

17. Rugby

If you visit New Zealand, you should go to watch Rugby games. This is the most popular game in New Zealand, and most citizens love playing Rugby. All Black, the national rugby team of New Zealand, is one of the top 5 Rugby teams in the world. Therefore, keep watching Rugby games in your tour itinerary to get a unique experience of this game.

18. Food

Food is one of the main attractions of a New Zealand journey. The country is famous for great quality sea foods. Apart from this, you can taste Pavlova, an authentic dessert of this country. It is a cake that originated in this country in 1927. Some popular food items in New Zealand are Hangi, Whitebait Fritters, Hokey Pokey Icecream, Paua etc.

19. Bungee Jumping

If you are an adventure lover, then New Zealand is your place. The country is the inventor of this adventure sport. There are several regions throughout New Zealand that offer bungee jumping, for example, Nevis Bunjy, Nevis Swing, and Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown. Apart from that, you can also enjoy cable car riding and pendulum swinging along with bungee jumping.

20. Maori Culture

Maori are the indigenous community of New Zealand. You can watch their culture, way of talking, unique language and most importantly, their tattoos. These tattoos are the most popular in New Zealand due to their cultural importance and grace. Apart from this, you should not miss Maori hangi, which will fill your taste buds with a different experience.

Thus, as you know, the list of what New Zealand is famous for, you can create your customised itinerary accordingly. Furthermore, the place has several arrangements for enjoying adventures in nature; therefore, if you are an adventure lover, you must visit New Zealand. However, the calm vista of soothing nature will also allow you to relax and enjoy solitude.