New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It comprises two main landmasses—the North Island and the South Island —and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
It can be said that in New Zealand it's the countryside that's magnificent, and perhaps no more so than the Southern Alps of the South Island. In the Mackenzie Country, the snow-capped jagged peaks rising above turquoise lakes have provided the inspiration for many a postcard. Tucked in behind is the country's highest peak, Aoraki / Mount Cook (3724 m).
From Wikivoyage: New Zealand, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Outdoor and adventure activities include: Bungy Jumping – The modern bungy jumping was invented here by New Zealander A.J. Hackett. Popular locations are Queenstown, Auckland, or Taupo.
From Wikivoyage: New Zealand, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Modern New Zealand cuisine has been influenced mainly by the country's British heritage, although immigration since the 1950s has put Mediterranean and Asia-Pacific twists to it. Māori have their own distinctive traditional cuisine. The evening meal, called dinner or tea, is considered the main meal of the day. Snack breaks between meals are referred to as morning/afternoon tea.
From Wikivoyage: New Zealand, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to New Zealand
- Airports
- Wellington (WLG), 168 km · Christchurch (CHC), 170 km
- Wellington → New Zealand164 km · quickest by road, 9h 32m · NZ$39–50
- Christchurch → New Zealand227 km · quickest by road, 8h 29m · NZ$55–70
- Queenstown → New ZealandTrain, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for New Zealand
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for New Zealand. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get aroundNational passes include the Interislander ferry and a scenic boat cruise in Milford Sound.
- Get aroundFlexi-Pass hours can also be used to travel on the Interislander ferry and on Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands Dolphin Watching cruises and tours to Cape Brett and the famous "Hole in the Rock".
- Get aroundSome rental car companies do not allow their vehicles on the Cook Strait ferries between the North and South Island, or only allow them on if you promise to return them back to their originating island.
- Get aroundMost rental car companies will allow you to drop off a car at one terminal, travel on the ferry and pick up another car at the other terminal at no extra cost.
- Get aroundTimed to meet the Interislander ferry between Wellington and Picton.
From Wikivoyage: New Zealand, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01506 km
- 022,100 km
- 032,609 km
- 043,148 km
- 053,634 km
If you know how people move in New Zealand – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.