Tag: NZ – Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand

Locals report that brances appear to have been hacked off the isolated tree that many in New Zealand see as a symbol of hope.

Source: New Zealand’s most famous tree, ‘That Wanaka Tree,’ vandalized

The list includes a hidden waterfall, a swing bridge and little-known glow-worm cave.

Source: New Zealand’s best secret spots revealed

If you’re going to explore more of your backyard, this is the place to start.

Source: The magic of Milford Sound: A corner of New Zealand every Kiwi needs to see

OPINION: Defecating in National Parks has gone too far.

Source: Dirty tourists should be deported

Among the landmarks seen in the images are the 36-foot Huka Falls, and Milford Sound on the west coast of the South Island, once named the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ by Rudyard Kipling.

Source: Remarkable colour photos show New Zealand’s landscape a century ago

Pretty much no one these days travels without an Instagram account. We are constantly on the move, snapping up the best and brightest angles, views, and lighting as we spot them in every corner of the globe. From Seoul’s Changdeokgung to Paris’ Arc de Triomph, smartphones have become ubiquitous on our quest to capture the…

Source: 11 of the Most Instagrammable Destinations in the World – OpenWorld Magazine

Wild and rugged coastlines rank among the most spectacular and amazing features of our planet. Here’s my selection of the world’s 10 best coastlines.

Source: Top 10 most spectacular coastlines in the world – the Luxury Travel Expert

Anchoring the southwest corner of New Zealand’s South Island, the scenic Fiordland Region is often thought of as the end of the earth. The area’s untouched hinterland is home to chiseled cliffs that have been the backdrop for many a film—from the Lord of the Rings to this summer’s Mission Impossible 6—and Rudyard Kipling dubbed it the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Within the wild and rugged region, the mighty Milford Sound is the most frequented destination.

Source: Milford Sound 101: How to Visit New Zealand’s ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’

And this is only an introduction…

Source: New Zealand is the natural wonder we’ve all be looking for

Campers on the South Island access the famous landscape — without the infamous crowds.

Source: Mountains? Rain forests? Fjords? New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park has them all.

Source: 20 of the most beautiful campsites around the world

Auckland’s volcanic cones are set to bid for World Heritage status, joining the likes of Machu Picchu and Great Barrier Reef.

Source: World heritage status for Auckland volcanoes? One councillor is ‘optimistic’

A West Coast farmer is fighting to keep 150-year-old rights to graze cattle in a UNESCO World Heritage Park.

Source: Farmer fighting to continue grazing cattle in UNESCO World Heritage Park

The mention of New Zealand invokes thoughts of vast landscapes, Lord of the Rings, award-winning wineries, and thrill-seeking adventures, all discovered at the end of the earth. With travelers flocking to this isolated paradise, small-group, active tour operator New Zealand Walking Tours ensures its guests know which experiences are not to be missed. (See the traveler reviews and inspiring videos for proof!)

Here are 10 experiences to be savored in the land of the long white cloud:

1) Explore the Great Walks of New Zealand
New Zealand’s iconic countryside consists of over 500 stunning hiking trails that connect rainforests, dramatic granite peaks, and every fiord, lake, river valley and rugged coastline in between. Of these hiking trails, 9 are deemed particularly special by the New Zealand government with a tenth scheduled to open later this year: New Zealand’s Great Walks. Choose to hike one trail in its entirety or absorb a variety of landscapes with day hikes on several of the country’s Great Walks, famed for their unsurpassable views.

2) Indulge in locally-produced wine
Prepare your palette to be put through a journey of the senses.

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Believe the hype. Even Rudyard Kipling’s description of it as the eighth wonder of the world. Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) is a national treasure.

WHERE/WHAT IS IT?

A narrow-mouthed inlet deep within Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound was long overlooked by early European explorers. Even the revered Captain Cook passed it twice unnoticed. Sealer John Grono was the first European settler to visit in 1823 and one can only imagine how he must have felt as he sailed toward what he thought was a small bay and found himself inside a 16 kilometre-long fiord surrounded by sheer-sided mountains covered in virgin rainforest and dripping with waterfalls.

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Of course, it is impossible to narrow this list down to 15 entries, but we believe the following to be a fair selection.

That the world is one beautiful place is no secret, however, the world’s beauty is constantly facing challenges of modernization and globalization. This situation notwithstanding, there still exists some beautiful places, most in their natural form and free from unnecessary pollution. The attractions on this list include some of the most beautiful places as rated by tourists, and sources like tourism bodies and agencies including UNESCO. The beauty of these breathtaking attractions includes water in their purest forms, beautiful sceneries, and unique wildlife.

15. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a mountainous forest reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Croatia covering 113.9 square miles.

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A wild river ride leaves even the most hesitant passengers calling for more.

“As the old man would say, we’re off like a dog shot in the arse,” says Lindsay Kain in classic West-Coast-South-Island-New-Zealand-clipped-drawl. He hits the throttle and the jet boat glides upstream with the negligible judderings of a powerful animal running full pelt. This is Haast River Safari; a backcountry journey into the heart of Westland and the soul of its “Coasters”.

The town of Haast and its river and pass have, like many places in New Zealand, been most recently named after a European man – in this case German geologist Julius von Haast. The 100-kilometre river runs east to west through Te Tai-poutini, or the West Coast region, and drains into the Tasman Sea.

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WHERE IS IT?

Franz Josef Glacier,  Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere – The Frozen Tears of the Ice Maiden, lies in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The area is part of a Unesco World Heritage site, Te Wahipounamu – the Greenstone Waters.

WHAT IS IT?

Franz Josef Glacier is an 11-kilometre river of ice which descends from 3000-metres high in the Southern Alps, to 350m in lush rain forest. Moving at a rate of 1 to 2 metres a day in the winter and 3 to 4 metres a day in the summer, the Franz Josef is the world’s steepest and fastest-flowing commercially guided glacier.

WHY GO?

Three excellent reasons – it’s spectacular, easy to get to and retreating fast.

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