Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand. It’s an active volcanic area that is known for its desolate yet colourful terrain. It’s also famously featured in Lord of the Rings, serving as the backdrop of Mordor, with Mount Ngauruhoe, a stratovolcano with a near-perfect conical shape, as Mount Doom.
Author: WanderingCanadians
We’re a couple of Canadians who enjoy hiking, camping, diving, and spending as much time outdoors as we can. We hope our stories can help as you plan for your adventures.
https://wanderingcanadians.com
Wellington
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and is the southernmost city on the North Island. It’s a vibrant city that is known for its film and special effects industries. It also contains a lively waterfront, museums, and other opportunities to enjoy the surrounding scenery.
Nelson
Length of stay: 2 daysVisited: April 2025 Nelson is the oldest city in the South Island of New Zealand. Probably because it’s one of the sunniest places in the country and has a mild climate year-round. It also has a thriving arts scene and is close to three national parks, the most famous of which … Continue reading Nelson
The Rest of the West Coast of New Zealand
The West Coast region of New Zealand is known for its rainy weather and beautiful coastal views. It also features temperate rainforests, limestone cliffs, rugged gorges, turquoise rivers and rocky beaches. It lends itself well to a scenic road trip along the coast.
Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers
The West Coast Region is where the mountains meet the sea. It’s known for its rugged landscape, coastal scenery, majestic mountains and lush rainforests. It’s also home to two accessible glaciers, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. But it’s New Zealand’s wettest region and, in some places, receives over 6,000 millimetres of rainfall annually.
Mount Aspiring National Park
Nestled in the Southern Alps, Mount Aspiring National Park features a dramatic landscape of towering mountains, glaciers, turquoise rivers, untamed wilderness and mossy forests. It is the third largest national park in New Zealand and is reputed to contain some pretty epic mountaineering routes and adventurous trails through the mountains. But there’s also some shorter and easier hikes too, many of which are in the forest along the road towards the West Coast.
Wanaka
Wanaka is located near Mount Aspiring National Park in the Southern Alps. Situated by Lake Wanaka, New Zealand’s fourth largest lake, Wanaka is surrounded by majestic mountains in ever direction. It boasts of being a great spot to enjoy the outdoors and offers several hiking trails.
Queenstown
Queenstown is where nature meets thrilling adventure. It’s situated on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, the longest lake in New Zealand, with the Remarkables mountain range rising dramatically in the background. It’s known as the adventure capital of the world and boasts of offering a range of activities including hiking, skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, white water rafting, jet boating, mountain biking and more.
Milford Sound
Length of stay: 2 daysVisited: April 2025 Milford Sound is located in Fiordland National Park in the South Island of New Zealand. It’s referred to as the eighth wonder of the world because of its breathtaking scenery. It features majestic mountains, lush rainforests and thousands of temporary waterfalls. Why temporary you ask? Because of the … Continue reading Milford Sound
Southern Scenic Route
The Southern Scenic Route is a 600km drive along the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand, connecting Dunedin and Queenstown. This area is also known as the Catlins and it’s not called a scenic route for nothing. With plenty of beaches, overlooks, hiking trails and other points of interest, it’s a great way to enjoy the scenery and sights along the southern coastline.