WELCOME TO NEW ZEALAND

Kia Ora!

This lilting greeting rolls off the tongue so easily and is a word encountered often in this hospitable land first named Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud) by Kupe, the Polynesian Navigator in 950AD. It means good health or good luck and is used not only in greeting but also as a word of thanks.

Remarkable New Zealand !!

New Zealand is truly a land of remarkable contrasts with a stunning variety of scenery and is a fantastic country for travellers. The North Island offers sub-tropical forests, thermal geysers and golden beaches while the South Island's mountainous peaks, majestic fjords, ancient glaciers and tranquil countryside complete the picture.

No other country in the world has so much to see - so much to do - all in such a small area. Everywhere there is an abundance of pure fresh air and very friendly people. Ecotourism! Adventure Tourism! New Zealand's clean, green environment is an outdoor activity.

The people, bound in a culture that melds European with Maori ancestry, are resourceful, helpful and overwhelmingly friendly. The extraordinary place names - try Te Awamutu, Whangamomona or Paekakariki for tongue-trippers - are resonant and, with a modicum of practice, easy to pronounce. Have the opportunity to learn a little of this Maori culture, by spending an evening on an authentic marae or at a meeting place. Meet New Zealanders in their own homes or on a farm and experience a real slice of New Zealand life.

Diverse Yet Beautiful !

From the towering Kauri forests in the sub-tropical North, to the bushclad flanks of Fiordland, New Zealand's coastlines range from towering cliffs to gentle beaches with shimmering sands that turn the spectrum from silver to gold to even black.

New Zealand is a country of great natural and rare seismic beauty yet along with glacial mountains, fast-flowing rivers, deep, clear lakes, hissing geysers and even boiling mud, there are also abundant forest reserves, long, deserted beaches and a variety of fauna, such as the kiwi and kea, endemic to its shores.

Any number of vigorous outdoor activities - hiking, cycle touring, heli-skiing, bush trekking, rafting and, of course, that perennial favourite, bungy jumping - await the adventurous. You can swim with dolphins, gambol with newborn lambs, whalewatch or fish for fattened trout in the many streams.

North Island

Imagine waking up to sunrise over Northland's breathtaking Bay of Islands, the birthplace of the nation and famed for its big game fishing. Discover the world-famous Waitoma Caves, hiding a subterranean world of black water rivers, glow-worms and eerie rock formations. Rotorua in the volcanic heartland of the North Island is the centre for Maori culture and geothermal activity and Lake Taupo, an Inland Sea and home to Leviathan trout.

The Tongriro National Park is a mountainous hinterland with three main peaks comprising of Mt Ngauruhoe, Mt Tongariro and Mt Ruepehu, home of New Zealand's largest ski-fields. To the south some of New Zealand's most varied rural landscapes, where rivers carve impressive ravines through forested ranges and ensconced among gentle plains and foothills is Palmerston North, epitomising a comfortable blend of rural and urban New Zealand.

South Island

Across Cook Strait to the Marlborough Sounds and a region, which is one of New Zealand's best wine producing areas and gateway to the South Island. Nelson, the sunshine capital of New Zealand and nearby Blenheim are popular holiday haunt for many New Zealanders. The West Coast is rugged New Zealand at its finest, with a raw grandeur of pounding surf, precipitous slopes, rainforests, glaciers and breathtaking fjords.

Inland nestling at the foot of The Remarkables and on the shores of deep ice-fed Lake Wakatipu, is Queenstown, an alpine resort and lake-side retreat. In the south, the friendly university town of Dunedin, is a slice of Scotland, with majestic 19th century gothic architecture. Finally, fiorland, with its granite peaks and cascading waterfalls and vibrant slops leads to the Southland and gateway to the beautiful Catlins Coast and Stewart Island, a raw, rugged area, where nature is virtually untouched.

The Cities

For a change of pace visit New Zealand's major cities. Auckland, New Zealand's largest, with the tumultuous Tasman Sea on one side and the tranquil Hauraki Gulf on the other and nicknamed the "City of Sails" offers a rich aquatic playground right at its front shore. Wellington is the nation's capital and lays claim to be the cultural capital of New Zealand, nestled on the most picturesque of harbours with a newly developed waterfront and is a maelstrom of social activity. Christchurch, is a spacious English-style garden city with its world-famous botanical gardens, set beside the gentle meandering River Avon and the largest city on the South Island.

Compact & Affordable !

Because it's such a compact place, travel within New Zealand - whether by aircraft, bus, railway, car or campervan - is affordable and efficient. Accommodation too is varied and often cheap, and the culinary promise of venison, fresh seafood, sublime ice cream and award-winning wines should more than whet the appetite. With a mild, temperate climate, New Zealand, like Australia, a year-round destination, with lots of sunshine for water based activities during summer (December to March) and snow on the mountains during winter (June to August) providing world class skiing.

It is impossible, of course to give you anything but a small taste of New Zealand right here, but this country is truly a magical place and right from the time you arrive, you will feel revived with its pure air and crystal waters, all warmed by the "Kiwi's" genuine friendliness and already be planning your next trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud!

Kia Ora !

CONSUMER PROTECTION

The air holidays and flights shown are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority under the ATOL licence of 1st Class Holidays plc. The ATOL number is ATOL 5421. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Click on the ATOL logo if you want to know more.