Bridge to Nowhere: stunning walking in the Whanganui National Park

Take a detour back in time to Denniston, a near-deserted mining town on a bleak, windswept 600-metre plateau, home to the infamous 45-degree Denniston Incline.

Feel the raw energy and explosive power of the largest geyser in the southern hemisphere at Te Whakarewarewa, a living thermal Māori village.

Visit this pure, heartfelt celebration of the creative endeavours of the people of the region and their fine local produce.

‘The most accessible wildlife in the South Island’ is the catch-cry here. Well, there are wheeling seabirds, honking sea lions and all manner of other natural noises, but you get the point.

Lake Matheson is a photographer’s dream, where the waters reflect a near-perfect image of snow-capped Aoraki Mount Cook.

A whole lot of Kiwi ‘number 8 wire’ thinking has gone into creating The Waterworks in Coromandel. 

Just beneath the surface of the sand is a delicious, natural underground river that brings hot water to the beach almost on tap, so to speak.

Explore snowy mountainscapes, turquoise glacier-fed lakes and the snow tussock grassland of alpine valleys in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

Scale a 450 metre-high waterfall and stay dry in Wanaka. 

Whether you’re in the heart of the city or exploring the outskirts for a weekend, the Auckland region has a selection of excellent markets to visit.