Auckland is the largest and most cosmopolitan city in New Zealand and a major gateway to the rest of the country. Yet it is also one of the least densely populated in the world, covering an area twice the size of London but with barely a million inhabitants. It has a friendly small-town atmosphere and a relaxed pace of life.

Known as the 'City of Sails', with a larger boat-to-person ratio than anywhere else on earth, it is a paradise for sailing enthusiasts and every weekend the waters of the Hauraki Gulf come alive with a flotilla of colourful sails. The best way to experience the city is from the water, sailing around the attractive harbour or on a ferry cruise to one of the many stunning islands dotted about the Gulf.

The North Island has many superb physical features as well as New Zealand's two major cities, Auckland, the 'City of Sails' and the capital, Wellington. From island-studded bays and sailing, to volcanic activity and geothermal wonders, wild rugged coastlines and fascinating Maori culture and history, the North Island of New Zealand has much to offer visitors.

At the heart of the North Island is the Central Plateau, the centre of the country's volcanic activity. Volcanoes, bubbling mud pools, hot springs, spouting geysers, steaming lakes and rivers are strewn across the landscape. Rotorua, the Maori cultural heartland, sits at the edge of the most concentrated area of activity and is characterised by the unmistakable smell of sulphur. Lake Taupo, formed by one of the greatest eruptions ever recorded, has beautiful views across to the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park, with excellent hiking, and is regarded as the trout fishing capital of the world.

The South Island is less populated than the North and appears to have a slower pace of life, with rural scenes of sheep-filled pastures and remote farm settlements backed by rugged snow-covered mountains. The scenery is magnificent, and with its alpine mountains, fjords, glaciers, lakes and forests it is possibly even more spectacular than the North Island. Often arrogantly referred to as ‘the mainland’ by South Islanders, the South is the main destination of New Zealand tourism.

The southwest holds some of New Zealand’s finest scenery and natural wonders, including its highest mountain, Mt Cook or Aoraki, ‘cloud piercer’; the Frans Josef and Fox Glaciers stretching down to within a few kilometres of the coast, the magnificent Fjordland National Park with beautiful fjords, waterfalls and forests, and several world-famous walking tracks.

The South offers an abundance of activities and attractions set in wondrous surroundings, with a huge diversity of things to see and do.