That said, the West Coast and Southland are the areas with the most rain in New Zealand, Nelson one of the sunniest. The South Island equivalent to Waitomo would be the Te Anau glowworm caves, about two hours from Queenstown. There are so many restaurants to choose from it’s not even funny, an abundance of them are lined up at Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter. With some luck, you might be able to see the Aurora Australis in New Zealand. In Spring, this picture is rounded out by the pretty Lupin flowers, which, in reality, are a weed (that doesn’t make the flowers any less lovely, though). Aptly named artist’s palette and champagne pools in the back, wai-o-tapu thermal wonderland in rotorua. How Long You Intend to Spend in New Zealand, Where You Will Arrive and Depart From in New Zealand, What Time of Year You Will be in New Zealand, What Sorts of Things You Want to do in New Zealand, Explore the Diverse Ways to Travel Across New Zealand. But the best time to see the Southern Lights is on a clear Winter’s night. Sign up to our newsletter and get inspiration for your next New Zealand trip! In “Maori villages” like Tamaki or Te Puia, you can learn how the Maori used to live, see and learn how to carve wood and get to eat a hangi (a meal cooked in an earth oven. A long time ago, ancient glaciers carved deep, steep valleys into Southland’s landscape as they reclined, leaving behind the breathtaking landscape of Fjordland we know today. You see, if you’d like to taste New Zealand wine, you won’t have to choose between the North or the South Island. By far the better option, if you arrive in Auckland and want to explore the South Island, is … By far the better option, if you arrive in Auckland and want to explore the South Island, is to take an ​internal flight to Christchurch. It’s the biggest city in New Zealand and very multi-cultural. From Nelson and Abel Tasman National Park to Franz & Fox Glacier. I admit, the word “wildlife” sounds like we have some big, dangerous animals in New Zealand. New Zealand is one of those places, split by a strip of water, whose north-south divide makes it easy to play favourites with. Just ask at the i-sites (local tourist information), they will tell you where to find them. Today there’s a museum in its place. If you’re interested in volcanic activity, your choice in the dilemma between choosing the North Island or South Island is clear. Many of them are superb for surfing, although it might be a little cold on the South Island. This, of course, makes sense, as the South Island landscapes are incredibly dramatic and picturesque. get a tan at the gate to narnia: cathedral cove, coromandel. Before my first visit, some people were like, “Go straight to the South Island, it’s way more beautiful.” Others said the north has … Northland, being the closest to the equator, is the warmest. There are hundreds of volcanoes in New Zealand, the majority are scattered over the North Island. If you're coming to New Zealand on a ski holiday, the South Island has more ski fields to choose from. Most of New Zealand’s beaches are beautifully wild, no matter if you find them on the North or South Island. 5-14 day, all-inclusive, guided adventure tours. ...want to see the Lupin flowers in spring. As the larger landmass of the two major islands in New Zealand, the South Island (Te Waipounamu) is highly renowned for its majestic natural landscapes given its number of breathtaking glaciers, mountains and lakes. Most international visitors arrive in Auckland in the North Island. Moving to North or South Island, New Zealand from the UK. Tall mountains capped with snow, deep green fjords and emerald-blue lakes. Aurora Australis by shellie evans via flickr. If you are going to be in New Zealand in the spring, summer, or autumn (fall) months (from September to May), both islands offer good weather and you will enjoy time in the outdoors. The South Island, also officially named Te Waipounamu, is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. Once you’ve made the hard decision of which island to move to, give us a call. If you fly between the North and South Island, it’s pretty easy to spot: The South Island has impressive mountain ranges while the North Island is relatively flat. Our wildlife consists mainly of the Kiwi bird, Kea and other birds, cute little Blue Penguins, dolphins and seals. Mountain Biking Taupo: Great Lake Trail - Should you do it? The most famous of them is Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel Peninsula, where during low tide you get to dig your own hot pool in the sand. Choose to explore just one region, or road trip from Picton all the way down to Bluff. It's not easy to decide which island to spend most of your time on. New Zealand North Island must do – read on. Discover Aotearoa - New Zealand from N to Z. But you probably have somewhere between two and four weeks to discover Aotearoa New Zealand. Perfect! Understanding the weather patterns plays a large part in deciding between traveling to North or South Island. Time is everything. And this is awesome. Auckland alone sits on about 50 of them. The South Island is generally colder and drier in the winter, with lots of snow about in the deep south. If you are going to be here for only one or two weeks and want to see both islands you are going to be spending a lot of your time traveling and what you get to see will be quite limited. However, both islands are breathtaking – which if you know anything about New Zealand, shouldn’t come as a surprise.In terms of landscape, the North Island is known … There are three more hot water beaches around the North Island, plus hot water rivers with their own hot waterfall, like Kerosene Creek in Rotorua or Spa Park in Taupo. Walk around Miramar Peninsula to find a giant green screen and the Weta Cave, a souvenir shop where you get to pose with Gollum and marvel at original movie props. Length of the Ski Season in the North Island and South Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean. It’s subtropical in Summer and still has reasonably mild temperature in Winter. And let me know how you like it! Because I know my way around the country and have decades of experience creating bespoke itineraries! You won’t be disappointed either way. It has a population of 3,896,200 (June 2020), accounting for approximately 77% of the total residents of New Zealand. To cross from the North Island to the South Island, you will take a ferry across the Cook Strait. All New Zealand glaciers are located on the South Island. We are living and working in Auckland but in our spare time you can often find us discovering beautiful New Zealand (also known by its Maori name Aotearoa). As a result, boiling water, sulphur and mud bubble to the surface, while chemical reactions create silica formations and colourful pools. The far north of the North Island can even be quite mild. Still not sure which island is better, North Island or South Island New Zealand? Winner of the most famous town in the South Island and maybe in New Zealand goes to Queenstown. New Zealand truly is a sight for sore eyes and in either the north or the south you will feel as though you have stumbled upon the Garden of Eden. While it’s not a problem to arrive at a destination without a booking during low season, you will need to pre-book your hotels from approximately November to April. After all, hopefully, you will come back another time! Northern North Island and Northern South Island Director elections in 2021 Director elections will be held for Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) Northern North Island and Northern South Island electoral districts after two nominations were received in each district. 1 Week North Island. Green for the rolling hills with lush grass, and blue for the ocean and sky. Don’t forget to book your accommodation in New Zealand. Next to Stuart Island, located south of the South Island, the best chance to see the Aurora is the Dark Sky Reserve at Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook. The South Island experiences four seasons in the classical way: It can get very hot in Summer (especially in the Otago region) and very cold in Winter, with your typical Spring and Autumn colours. Mount Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park (and part of the Tongariro Crossing) for example, was used to double as Mount Doom. Have a look at our New Zealand itineraries for an idea on how long you could spend in each destination. From wildlife to wineries, glacial valleys to star-filled skies, the South Island offers adventure in all its forms. There are many, but the ones you’ll hear of will be Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier on the West Coast, Hooker Glacier and Tasman Glacier in the Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park, as those are the ones you’re likely to visit. Many other locations are in and around Wellington and around Queenstown and Mt Cook. As New Zealand is not so big, weekend trips to either island are very easy so you can enjoy the best of both islands where ever you live. There’s no bad weather in New zealand, just bad equipment ;-). The island's area is 113,729 square kilometres (43,911 sq mi), making it the world's 14th-largest island. There’s rich wildlife in Fjordland and the chances are high you’ll see dolphins playing in the water and seals sitting on the rocks. North Island The area gets the most rain of all of New Zealand and as a result, countless waterfalls tumble down the steep walls of the fjords. At PSS we help thousands of families move to both islands every year. Beaches, mountains and volcanoes, hike and bike trails, real life Hobbits... Travelling in New Zealand is incredibly versatile. Let us begin the South Island travel in the North Island. North & South Island Self Drive; Motels; Explore the cities and scenery of both the North and South Islands on this extensive 21 day tour. If you are a LOTR fan, you can buy a book about the filming locations and visit them. The North Island is milder over all. Obviously, the most famous place to see them is in the Waitomo Caves, and I have to admit that after some hesitation (we were afraid of the tourist masses), we went to the Waitomo Caves and were blown away by the sheer galaxies of glowworms! Auckland, in New Zealand's North Island, is a multi-cultural hub of food and wine, music, art and culture. It has a temperate climate. It's home to glaciers, New Zealand's highest mountain, fiords, waterfalls, and interesting bird and marine life. The highest mountains of the country all lie in the South Island with the majestic Mt Cook being the king. After some fun facts about New Zealand? Wine, glorious New Zealand wine. If you google images for the term “New Zealand”, most pictures you’ll see are mountain and lake pictures from the South Island. The flight time is only one hour and twenty minutes.​. North island is smaller than South island but I find it easier to cover a lot of places and organize the trip on South island. It's actually not an easy question to answer as each has so much to offer. That said, there are some things that you can only do in one and not the other. The lights happen all year round, as long as the sun winds are strong. Activities and Experiences in New Zealand's South Island Getting Around New Zealand. However, if you want to go to the South Island, be aware that getting there by car will take you a couple of days (including the ferry crossing of Cook Strait between the North and South Islands). The best chance to see a Kiwi in the wild is on Stewart Island, and there are some in Northland and the wildlife sanctuaries. AUckland skyline with sky tower seen from wynyard quarter. The glacier and through ice caves surface, while chemical reactions create silica formations and pools... The majestic Mt Cook to plan a road trip northland, being the king Coromandel (... To North or South Island New Zealand from the UK happily come to normal... 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