Auckland, New Zealand’s largest population centre, is poised between two enormous harbours and dotted with extinct volcanic cones. The region is a fusion of four cities – Auckland, Manukau, North Shore and Waitakere – with cultural elements that span from Polynesia and Asia to the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe. While Auckland acts as a gateway to New Zealand, it’s also a destination in its own right. Visitors can explore the islands of the Hauraki Gulf by ferry or charter boat, walk the forest tracks of the Waitakere Ranges, follow wine trails and enjoy the relaxing pleasures of urban life by the sea.

In this place of calm water ocean and golden sand two peoples came together to form the Maori-European country we know today as New Zealand. The unique and colourful history of the Bay of Islands is an unusual backdrop to a place renowned today as a naturally beautiful ocean playground.

On the east coast of Northland a length of sand and rock coastline circles a sea pierced by 150 islands. Discovered by legendary Maori navigator Kupe, visited by Captain Cook in 1769, home to the Nga Puhi tribe (iwi) of Maori, the Bay of Islands is a truly remarkable area.

Coromandel takes its name from the HMS Coromandel, which dropped anchor here in 1820 to load kauri logs for the English navy. The trunks of young kauri trees are very straight and strong - ideal for ships' masts and spars. The Coromandel’s other treasure, gold, was discovered around 30 years later. Although the serious mining days are over, the town has New Zealand’s last fully functional stamper battery - still on its original site and working on a daily basis. Coromandel also has many restored Victorian buildings. Other local attractions include a narrow gauge mountain railway, mining museum and the Coromandel Coastal Walkway.

Rotorua sits squarely on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so volcanic activity is part of the city’s past and present. The city is also the tribal home of the Te Arawa people, who settled in lakeside geothermal areas more than 600 years ago. Entertaining in any weather, and at any time of the year, Rotorua promises to keep you captivated with geothermal phenomena and special cultural experiences. Geysers, boiling mud pools, marae stays, hangi feasts, an authentic pre-European Maori village and indulgent spa therapies will provide plenty of content for your emails home. Rotorua also has a well-developed adventure culture – everything from sky diving to zorbing.

Pipiriki, a small historic village located on the banks of the Whanganui River. At Pipiriki you can visit the Colonial House, a museum that has many exhibits on the history of the Whanganui River. Another interesting sight is the restored riverboat MV Ongarue, which plied the river from 1903 to 1959.

From Pipiriki you can organise a jet boat tour to the Bridge to Nowhere. Marooned in the forest, this bridge was built across the Mangapurua Gorge to give access to an isolated farming settlement that was finally abandoned in 1942.