Destinations
Although New Zealand is a relatively small country, it is blessed with a huge variety of amazing destinations to visit. Please find below links to detailed information on the range of destinations we cover on our ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND outdoor adventure tours, as well as other areas of interest.
Major cities
We like to focus on outdoor adventures so we don’t spend much time exploring urban landscapes, but you’ll probably spend at least a bit of time in at least one of our cities.
Due to New Zealand’s location in the South Pacific, our major North Island cities have a distinct Polynesian feel and offer great café’s, bars and vibrant local New Zealand music and arts scenes. The museums in the capital of Wellington are worth checking out if you have some extra time.
Auckland – most international flights will arrive/depart from here, and it's a short domestic flight from here to Christchurch or Queenstown in the South Island.
Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island has kept a distinctly English feel and has fantastic parks and walks around its compact centre. You can now fly direct to Christchurch from Los Angeles with Air New Zealand on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Outdoor Adventure Hotspots
If you’re looking for an outdoor-oriented adventure vacation, New Zealand has an awesome number of options available. For example, Hamner Springs, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui offer spas and natural hot springs. The East Cape of the North Island is a rich cultural and scenic experience and was the location for the recent New Zealand film, Whale Rider.
There are plenty of outdoor adventure hubs offering almost endless options to get out and be part of New Zealand’s untouched scenery through organised tours and activities. On the South Island, also check out Wanaka and Te Anau.
Queenstown – this year-round international resort is the self-proclaimed “adventure capital of the world”.
The Glaciers - Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier
Kaikoura –
Makarora & Siberia Experience
Taupo
Towns & Smaller cities
One of the most special features of New Zealand is the small towns you’ll encounter as you travel throughout the country.
New Zealand’s West Coast
Ohau
National Parks & Popular Tracks
A lot of New Zealand’s charm and appeal comes from its sparsely populated areas and national parks which are particularly of interest to people on more adventurous tours. New Zealand has 14 national parks covering over 5 million hectares of land and cover a diverse range of landscapes from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South. A wide range of facilities such as huts, tracks and conservation offices are located in the parks offering accommodation and information for outdoor adventure travellers.
Fiordland
A few other national parks and tracks worth exploring on your own if you have extra time:
More information about New Zealand
If you would like any more information on any New Zealand destinations or need any help planning your adventure tour, please feel free to contact us for more information
Other Destinations
A lot of our clients have said they want to take another ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND trip, but want to go somewhere new. So in 2001 we started up a sister company, ACTIVE AUSTRALIA, and began running active, multi-activity outdoor adventures in Australia. In 2003, we went one step further and started up ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA, running adventure tours in Peru and Ecuador.
