In the Pacific Ocean, in its southwestern part, the Polynesian triangle, the state of New Zealand is located. About 700 islands, most of which are uninhabited, belong to New Zealand. The largest of them are only two - the islands of North and South, separated by the Cook Strait . Stewart Island , Auckland, Antipodes Islands, Chatham Archipelago, Bounty Islands, Kermadek and Campbell are some of the largest. Translated from the local dialect, the name of the country sounds like “Long White Cloud”, where many tourists are attracted by the natural attractions of New Zealand.
Climate of New Zealand
The country has a heterogeneous climate. It tends to change: in the north of the North Island it is warm subtropical, and in the south of the South Island it is cool temperate. New Zealand is divided in half by the Mountain Range of the high Southern Alps, which divides the country into two separate zones of climatic conditions. The wettest part of the country is the western coast of the South Island. But the driest is the eastern, located 100 kilometers from the wet.
Attractions: what you can see
One of the most important priorities when planning a trip to New Zealand is the presence of areas entirely included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: the New Zealand subarctic islands, the southwestern Te Wahipounamu area and Tongariro National Park.
In the search for new emotions and vivid impressions, it is worth paying special attention to such sights of New Zealand: the beautiful fjord Milford Sound, Franz Josef Glacier located in the territory of Westland National Park, Lake Matheson in the territory of Westland Thai Poutini National Park, Lake Taravera, located at the foot of the same name volcano Taraver.
Guests who visit the country under the name “Long White Cloud”, even after a long period, do not forget the sights of New Zealand, the photos of which they brought to mind. These places include: caves and grottoes, clusters of boulders Moeraki, Hobbiton.
Landscape wealth of the country
Among the landscape riches of New Zealand, Milford Sound stands out as the fjord. It is located in the southwest of South Island. The fjord can rightfully be considered the most popular and most visited place in New Zealand. It is visited annually by up to 1 million tourists. They offer boat cruises during the day and night. Despite the fact that the fjord is significantly removed from the settlements, numerous tourists seek to see its magnificent landscapes.
Abel Tasman National Park is located in the north of the South Island, and Spencer Mountains, Hanmer Springs Valley, and Christchurch County Mountains are located in the east. The beauty of landscapes can be judged not only by the brochures of travel companies, but also by photos, for example, from this article. In general, New Zealand is becoming an increasingly popular holiday destination. Sights of natural origin are so diverse that for several days they simply cannot be visited.
What are the highlights of the caves of the "Long White Cloud"?
The name of the same name Waitomo is a mountain system over 2 million years old and a small village on the North Island of New Zealand. The inhabitants of this settlement are busy working in the many labyrinths of caves. Millions of miniature fireflies illuminating the inner surface of the grottoes brought world fame.
Waitomo caves have gained such great popularity that they are included in the list of must-see attractions. And although the fireflies themselves live at the lowest, third level, there are no less people wishing to see this beauty. Firefly Grotto is also famous for the fact that this species lives only in New Zealand. But Waitomo caves are famous not only for the beautiful view of luminous insects. Cavers go down to the grottoes for the sake of many stalagmites, making the most daring sorties. On the third level of this creation of nature, concerts are held on holidays, and on the second there was a banquet hall where everyone was fed.
Hobbiton - a paradise for tourists
Another attraction that New Zealand is famous for is the Hobbiton. Peter Jackson, director and producer of the Brotherhood of the Ring trilogy, has been looking for a place to shoot the full-time film for a long time. Flying in a helicopter along the northern island of New Zealand, he saw Alexander farm. After a long inspection of the green plains, Peter Jackson decided to settle the hero of the Shire (aka Hobbiton) on the lands of Alexander farm near the town of Matamata. This 500-hectare farm has been owned by the Alexander Family since 1978. Having agreed with the owners of the farm to begin filming the film, in 1999 he began construction of the hobbit village.
When the shooting of the picture was completed, the facades of the hobbit houses, the mill, the tavern and the humpback bridge, at the request of the farm owners, were not dismantled. Today, the Hobbiton is an attraction that is very popular among tourists from around the world.
Boulders of Moeraki
On the beach of New Zealand between the cities of Moeraki and Hampden are a bizarre spherical form of education. Moeraki boulders formed in the Paleocene era. Based on the presence of iron, magnesium found in their composition, as well as stable oxygen and carbon isotopes, a conclusion was drawn about the formation of formations from sea mud. Over 5 million years of its existence, stone blocks reached 2 m in diameter. Some of them show cracks and structural damage.
The Moeraki boulders show significant differences in structural and dimensional characteristics. Locals keep, passing by word of mouth, legends about the origin of mysterious blocks of stones. By portraying them in travel guides, leisure and entertainment companies are attracting an increasing number of visitors to view boulders. Although the sights of New Zealand are not limited to the above.
How to get to New Zealand and its attractions
Considering that tourists combine visits to New Zealand and Australia, airlines offer a choice of tourists flights from Moscow to Auckland via Sydney, Singapore, Paris, Dubai, Delhi and several other cities convenient for connecting flights.
Sights of New Zealand are easily accessible for tourists: inside the country you can get to them both with the flights of local companies and with water transport. Also at the service of visitors of the country - rent a wide fleet of cars.
Travel restrictions
For citizens of Russia and the CIS, a visa is required when visiting New Zealand. A prerequisite is the translation of the entire package of documents submitted for visiting New Zealand into English and certification by a notary.
Consideration of documents in the New Zealand Immigration Service takes an average of 14 calendar days. When traveling through a travel agency, the term for consideration of a package of documents does not exceed 14 days, and when traveling independently, it can reach 30 calendar days. The duration of the decision to open a visa is also influenced by factors such as the season and the number of people wishing to come in a particular period. In this regard, the terms of consideration of a package of documents can be extended or reduced.
Restrictions for tourists staying in New Zealand include smoking. The ban on it is quite strict: you can not smoke in public transport, in many hotels and in all public places.