New Zealand Adventure Travel Guide

Enjoy an outdoors adventure in New Zealand – one of the least crowded and most spectacularly scenic countries in the world.

Things to do and see
New Zealand’s South Island offers a range of exciting adventures: hike, cycle or kayak around the stunning Marlborough Sound’s coastline and through the Nelson Lakes National Park; swim with dolphins and watch sperm whales in Kaikoura, just north of Christchurch; then pedal past stunning West Coast glaciers, over the Haast Pass and down to scenic Wanaka.

Skydive over Queenstown – the ‘Adventure capital of the world’ – and try white water rafting, jet-boating or bungy jumping; or rock climb in the Matukituki Valley on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park.

Tramp (local terminology for ‘trek’) the Routeburn or Milford tracks through forested valleys rich with bird life and spectacular mountain scenery; kayak the majestic Milford Sound and see some of New Zealand’s most diverse bird life, including New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi, on remote Stewart Island.

New Zealand’s North Island offers a truly amazing range of exciting adventures: go big-game fishing or scuba diving in the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve at Tutukaka, north-east of Whangarei; then abseil down a 100m cliff into a subterranean canyon system at Waitomo Caves in the Waikato.

Saddle up a horse or cycle a bike through the picturesque valleys and rugged forests of the Coromandel Peninsula, east of Auckland; or head to Cathedral Cove for a beach walk, then dig your own thermal spa in the sand at Hot Water Beach, south of Hahei.

But that’s not all: walk to the edge of an active volcano on White island and discover a vast geothermal expanse of multi-hued rocks, plopping mud pools and a geyser that erupts on cue each morning at Rotorua; paddle the historic Whanganui River; and in Tongariro National Park, home to Mount Ruapehu (2797m), cycle or hike through snow-capped volcanoes, craters and alpine lakes.

Best time to visit New Zealand?
Any time. New Zealand has a maritime climate: generally warm from November to April, with an average temperature of 15C to a high of 25C in summer from December to February; and never truly cold, even in winter from June to August, which is usually wet and temperatures range between 10C to 15C. The chance of rain is greater in the North Island than in the South Island.