New Zealand is overflowing with must-do experiences, spectacular countryside scenery and natural wonders, with a number of these iconic encounters infinitely free for you to discover. We take a look at our Top 5 on the North Island.
Hot Water Beach, Coromandel
Hot Water Beach
There are not many places in the world you can form your own personal beach spa in the sand and reap the benefits of mother nature’s treatment from the naturally heated mineral water bubbling up from the earth. Hot Water Beach is best visited 2 hours either side of low tide to ensure enough sand area and spades can be hired from the nearby cafes, if you don’t feel like packing one! With a view and sounds of the ocean right there, this thermal wonder is an absolute must-do.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing Mount Maunganui
Treks, Trails & Tracks
Be prepared to be inspired.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing – hiking an active volcano through
World Heritage-Listed Tongariro National Park, could it be any more bucket
list? Expect to see lava flows, steam vents, moon-like craters, incredible turquoise
lakes and some of the most awe-inspiring scenery New Zealand’s North Island has
to offer.
Mount Maunganui is an extinct volcano in the Bay of Plenty,
invitingly proposing a walk to the summit via various tracks for 360-degree
panoramic views over the Bay of Plenty and renowned Main Beach. Stay a while
longer to soak up the relaxed seaside atmosphere on the white sanded beaches,
find a spot for a lazy lunch at one of the great cafes or restaurants and get
ready for the Gourmet Night Market (held seasonally during the summer months)
for acoustic music, excellent food stalls and amazing food truck dinners.
For an easy five-kilometre scenic day walk, the Blue Lake Track in Rotorua is your answer. It circles Rotorua’s spectacularly clear Blue Lake (Tikitapu) of course, providing native bush scenery, rugged beaches and fresh Whakarewarewa Forest beauty along the way.
Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland Art Gallery
Learn of more than just landscapes on one of Auckland Art Gallery’s free guided tours. Located in the heart of the city in a French
Chateau inspired architectural building opened in 1888, it houses not only a world
class public art collection of more than 17,000 works but a visual history of
New Zealand beginning with 17th century Maori and European
explorers.
Kerosene Creek
Kerosene Creek, Rotorua
A free spa waterfall, yes thank you. Yet another New Zealand
geothermal special, Kerosene Creek is a heated freshwater stream and natural
hot spring in one surrounded by lush greenery and rugged bushland, presenting a
natural bathing experience like no other.
Piha Beach
West Coast Auckland
Immerse yourself in the wild west. Only around an hour’s
drive from Auckland the West Coast boasts secluded, rugged beaches, picturesque
waterfalls and more of that natural, untamed New Zealand beauty. Visit Piha
Beach and its famous Lion Rock, Karekare Beach for stunning scenery, walks and Karekare
Falls and Muriwai Coastline with its gannet colony, beautiful clifftop views
and intriguing black-sand beaches.
Keep an eye out for our Top 5 free things to do in New
Zealand’s South Island, coming soon.
Click here for our current New Zealand holidays or contact
one of our friendly team at Holidays of Australia & the World on 1300 854
897 or holidays@holidaysofaustralia.com.au
to create your perfect New Zealand experience.
