20 of the most beautiful places to visit in New Zealand

Best of New Zealand

Aug 28

Written By Petrina Darrah

Where to find incredible New Zealand scenery

Mount Ngauruhoe in pastel light at sunrise

Think of a landscape, and you can find it in New Zealand. Beaches, forests, mountain peaks. Even glaciers and islands.

Unsurprisingly, my favourite places to visit in New Zealand are all out in nature. The wilder the better.

These are what I consider to be the best places to visit in New Zealand (after travelling nearly the entire country).

My favourite places to visit in the North Island

It’s hard to argue with the beauty of the South Island; the high mountains, glaciers, and vast wilderness areas are truly spellbinding.

But don’t overlook the North Island.

If you like beaches — for surfing, sunbathing, or coastal walks — the North Island delivers. The coastlines around the North Island are ideal for campervan trips, or just camping trips.

Then there are the volcanoes, cones studding the centre of the North Island, Auckland city, and even the Taranaki coast. There’s something very captivating about the volcanic landscapes in the North.

Waiheke Island

Waiheke Island — called just “Waiheke” by locals — is only a 40-minute ferry from the centre of Auckland city.

You wouldn’t know it, though.

*Go to Waiheke for the wine, stay for the beaches and laid back life*

Waiheke operates on true island time, so once you’ve escaped the bustle of the ferry terminal, you’ll be almost obliged to slow down and indulge in vineyards, beaches, and restaurants with sea views.

Visiting the island makes for an epic day trip from Auckland, or you can even stay overnight to really soak up the island vibes.

Waiheke makes an easy first stop on any itinerary, as most international flights land in Auckland, but you can also throw in a few laid-back island days at the end of your trip, before hopping on your flight out of New Zealand.

Muriwai, Piha, and Auckland’s other west coast beaches

If you like birds, or photography, or a combination of the two, the gannet colony near Muriwai is pretty spectacular.

This is a summer destination, when the gannets settle on the rocky outcrops at Ōtakamiro Point to breed. This is one of our few mainland gannet (takapu) breeding colonies, and a pretty cool sight to see only an hour from New Zealand’s biggest city.

After a walk to see the gannet colony, drop by Murwai Deli for sustenance.

Muriwai Beach itself isn’t my favourite of the rugged West Coast beaches near Auckland, though.

Piha is a little more spectacular, with towering Lion Rock in the middle of the beach.

Or if you’re up for a longer drive, Whatipu Beach is even better — probably my favourite of Auckland’s black sand beaches. The coastal Omanawanui walk there is an excellent day out.

Northland and the very Far North

It’s unfair of me to hand you a whole region and say ‘go explore,’ but there are just so many beautiful places to visit in Northland.

I find it hard to pick just one, so instead I’ll encourage you to go on a road trip all the way up to Cape Reinga, far from the tourist crowds and to some of the most raw and perfectly beautiful parts of New Zealand.

On the way there’s Whangarei Heads, with the fantastic coastal walk along Bream Head.

A little north of that is Matapouri and Woolley’s Bay, with serene Whale Bay in between them.

Keep going and eventually you’ll reach Matai Bay on the Karekare Peninsula, a perfect arc of white sand around calm blue water.

And all the way at the very north, the Far North as we call it, in a part of the country where they have signs warning you to fill up your petrol tank because there’s no petrol for miles, and where wild horses sometimes burst out of the trees and run across the road, where there are almost no towns — up there is where you’ll find Rarawa Beach, with it’s white silica sand, Spirits Bay with it’s divine campground, and Cape Reinga itself.

The Coromandel Peninsula

The North Island stands out for its incredible beaches, and the Coromandel Peninsula is where you’ll find the best of the lot.

The east coast of the peninsula is lined with incredible white sand beaches, from secluded bays to wind-swept surf beaches.

Road tripping around the Coromandel is pure joy in the summer, with so many swimming and sunbathing spots to choose from.

Cathedral Cove is the most famous destination on the Coromandel. The stunning limestone arch is worth a visit, but it can get crowded. Head to Lonely Bay instead, a hidden spot you’ll likely only share with a handful of others.

Or hang out at Hahei Beach, a place of somewhat surreal beauty on a clear, sunny day.

The other famous beach in the area is Hot water beach; for two hours either side of low tide you can dig your own hot pool in the sand. The water is heated by geothermal activity and gets surprisingly hot.

The area where the thermal springs are is also usually sardined with people lying side by side in shallow pools. But, the whole of Hot Water Beach is lovely for a walk (although not for swimming, the currents there are strong).

There are plenty of other places well off the beaten track; I love Otama and Opito Bays, New Chums Beach, and Waikawau Bay further north.

Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park is most famous for the one-day Tongariro Crossing, but the whole park is stunning, and in my view one of the most underrated parts of the North Island.

The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for its volcanic landscapes, including active craters, emerald lakes, and Mars-like terrains.

Taranaki

Taranaki is easily one of my favourite regions in New Zealand.

It has everything; a national park with an epic mountain, a coastline with endless surf beaches, west coast sunsets. And in New Plymouth there are artisanal bakeries, coffee roasteries, and the Len Lye art gallery.

Taranaki is a little off the beaten track, so it’s best to explore if you have two weeks or more in the North Island.

The doorway to a beach villa stands open and bathed in sunshine — FEATURED STAY

Ahu Ahu Beach Villas
Ahu Ahu Beach Villas is a truly exceptional place overlooking the wild Taranaki coastline.

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My favourite places to visit in the South Island

People often ask me which island is more beautiful, and I do have to admit the South Island has more beautiful places.

The sheer diversity of what you can see in the south is amazing; whales, glaciers, bright blue rivers. It doesn’t take long to fill up your camera roll.

It helps that the South Island is a little more pristine than the North. There are fewer people, fewer farms and towns, and more wilderness areas.

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and the nearby lakes

Ice-capped Aoraki is a stunning sight.

Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet).

The glittering fin of the mountain is visible across Lake Pukaki, a bright blue lake fed by glaciers pouring down from the Southern Alps. Looking across Pukaki toward Aoraki/Mount Cook is one of the most iconic views in all of New Zealand.

Make the drive out to Mount Cook Village at the heart of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and you’ll get awesome views the whole way.

From the village, you can walk the Hooker Valley Track — one of the best day walks in New Zealand — and up the Sealy Tarns.

On a fine day, you can admire Aoraki Mount Cook in all its glory.

Queenstown

Queenstown is one of the top destinations in the South Island, not only for the beauty of the town itself, but thanks to the number of day trips you can do in the area.

Marlborough might be the wine region that gets the largest share of the spotlight, thanks to the legendary production of sauvignon blanc, but Central Otago is my favourite wine region.

There are dozens of excellent vineyards around Cromwell and the Gibbston Valley area near Queenstown.

You can hire bikes and cycle between cellar doors, or take a wine tour. I can say that cycling while drunk isn’t the most fun I’ve ever had, so either pick a couple of spots close together or arrange transport.

Note that Gibbston Valley is a vineyard within the Gibbston area - it’s not the only one in the valley and it’s far from being the best to visit, in my opinion. I prefer the smaller cellar doors, like Mt Rosa Wines or Kinross.

Stop in Queenstown on a two week New Zealand trip.

Fiordland National Park

Fiordland is home to one of New Zealand’s most famous sights; Milford Sound.

The drive to Milford Sound is one of the most spectacular roads in all of New Zealand.

But, I admit that I prefer visiting Doubtful Sound, if only because the popularity of Milford takes away somewhat from the overall experience.

(Local Maori legend says that Hinenui-te-Po, goddess of death, released sandflies into Milford Sound to keep people away. She feared the landscape was so beautiful people would never want to leave. Her plan seems to have failed, as Milford Sound gets up to 1 million visitors per year).

Fiordland National Park is also where you’ll find three of the Great Walks of New Zealand, the Milford track, the Kepler track, and the Routeburn (which also crosses into Mount Aspiring National Park).

This tally should give you an indication — Fiordland is one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand.

It’s also home to hordes of sandflies and a lot of mud, thanks to the buckets of rain; there’s an average of 7 metres of rainfall here each year.

Te Anau is a key entry point to Fiordland.

Visit Fiordland on a two week trip through the South Island.

Kayak, hike, and swim your way through Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park is one of the very best places to go in the top of the South Island.

The Abel Tasman Coastal Walk is one of the best hikes in New Zealand. You’re not limited to exploring Abel Tasman National Park on foot, though.

From Marahau, you can catch boats to different parks of the coast and either kayak or walk back to the starting point.

The calm bays with pristine water are perfect for swimming. If you’re hiking along the Abel Tasman, you’ll be tempted strip off and jump into the sea at every opportunity.

Kaikoura

Kaikoura is one of the best places to go in New Zealand for wildlife watching.

There are few other places where you can swim with both dolphins and seals, see penguins, albatrosses, petrels and other sea birds, and see spot whales all year round.

The small coastal town, located around 2 and a half hours north of Christchurch, is famous for whale watching.

A population of sperm whales means you can go whale watching any time of year, while migrating humpback whales provide other opportunities to see the great beasts during the winter months.

You don’t necessarily have to take a boat tour to see wildlife, though — head to the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway for spectacular cliff top views of the sea, with a seal colony lying at the feet of the rocks.

The seals here are so active that when I visited one evening, I saw one heaving itself through the carpark.

Visit Kaikoura on a 14 day tour of the South Island.

Franz Josef and Fox Glacier

Franz Josef and neighbouring Fox Glacier are highlights of the West Coast.

You can visit the West Coast on a one week South Island road trip.

Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is an essential stop on any South Island road trip.

The lake is stunning and a scenic spot in its own right. But one of the main draws to Lake Tekapo is the beauty of the night sky.

Tekapo is part of the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve. This was only the third dark sky reserve in the world, so it’s an area of pristine night skies and superb stargazing.

From Tekapo you can join star gazing tours at the Mount John Observatory, or at other locations near the lake.

To star gaze for free, you can also book yourself into accommodation with skylights over the beds, so you can lie in bed and look up at the Milky Way.

If you want to be immersed in New Zealand’s nature, these are some of the top places to add to your itinerary. You can hike, kayak, or boat your way around a lot of these places — choose how you would like to explore, and enjoy.

You can see Aoraki, Pukaki, and Tekapo on a 3-4 day trip between Christchurch and Queenstown.

Mount Aspiring National Park

Abel Tasman, Tongariro, and Fiordland National Parks often get all the attention. But of all New Zealand’s national parks, Mount Aspiring might be my favourite.

The park stands out for its incredible blue water, which runs down from glaciers high in the mountain peaks. The result is incredible hiking.

For an easy walk, check out the Blue Pools in Makarora, near Wanaka. Or, head into the West Matukutuki Valley to hike to Rob Roy Glacier.

Golden Bay

It’s hard to explain the appeal of Golden Bay beyond the area’s natural beauty.

I think it has something to do with the fact that there’s only one road in and out, that rises and falls over an impressive hill.

Shunted over the top of the hill, you’ll be faced with a sweeping view of Golden Bay, as it stretches out along the top of the South Island (the very northernmost point on the South Island is reached via a short walk).

The rugged, windswept Wharariki Beach has reached global fame as a Windows screensaver, but there are plenty of other world-class beaches in Golden Bay, as well as emerald rivers, the hippie town of Takaka, and walks in Abel Tasman National Park.

The Catlins

The Catlins is a rugged and remote corner of the South Island. It’s an ideal campervan destination, as there isn’t much here apart from deserted beaches and stunning campgrounds.

Purakaunui Bay is a trek down a gravel road, but it’s one of my favourite places to camp in the South Island.

You can see sea lions here.

Further along the coast, the Lost Gypsy Gallery is an absolute gem of a stop, showcasing quirky creativity at its best.

Starting from Christchurch, you can loop through the Catlins and back up to Queenstown in around 8 days.