Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

This region lies to the northeast of the North Island, and covers some of the most naturally attractive areas in the country. The main towns are busy, despite being connected by isolated roads that wind across mountain ranges through vast areas of bush. Expect steaming thermal regions, rolling farmland, or peaceful sun-drenched vineyards.

The Rotorua Area. Home of geothermal unrest and oddities, Rotorua today is almost entirely a product of the late-19th-century fad for spa towns; its elaborate bathhouses and formal gardens date to this era. You'll find surreal wonders that include limestone caverns, volcanic wastelands, steaming geysers, and bubbling, hissing ponds.

Lake Taupo & Tongariro National Park. Fishing and water sports are popular activities in Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, and rivers running into it. The area has its share of geothermal oddities. Tongariro National Park, made up of three volcanic peaks, has some great otherworldly hiking trails.

Napier & Hawke's Bay. On the shores of Hawke Bay, you'll find a fabulous architectural anomaly: the town of Napier, a time capsule of colorful art deco architecture. The Hawke's Bay countryside is thick with vineyards, as this is one of the country's major wine-producing areas.

Gisborne & Eastland. Gisborne, where Captain James Cook first landed in New Zealand, is the area's largest town. Above it juts the largely agricultural East Cape, a sparsely populated area ringed with stunning beaches, and inland lies the haunting beauty of Te Urewera National Park.