The most beautiful natural sites to discover New Zealand

If you have to visit only one geothermal site, this is it. Wai-o-Tapu (sacred waters) is New Zealand's Yellowstone. It's featured on every brochure extolling the country's beauty, and its photos have been seen around the world. The beauty of this reserve is reflected in its sumptuous hues: yellow for sulfur, reddish-brown for iron oxide, purple for manganese..

Also worth seeing are the Mud Pools, boiling pools of mud. Allow at least 2 hours to visit this magical place, cross the Champagne Pool and watch the Lady Knox Geyser awaken at 10.15 a.m. every day. The site is very touristy, but well laid out and absolutely unmissable. They allow you to fully appreciate the richness of the region's earth; you can soak up its vivid colors, so unusual in nature, and the smell of sulfur that gives these sites their personality, making them seem a little out of this world.

Guided tours are available to fully understand the cultural significance of these places. After the visit, and to avoid returning too quickly to the real world, you can relax in the on-site Café.

Your ticket allows you to enter and leave the park as you please, for 3 months! You can go to the park at 10 a.m. to watch Lady Knox erupt, and come back a little later for a stroll to avoid the crowds that often arrive immediately afterwards.

Mount Eden (Maungawhau) is one of the ancient volcanoes that make Auckland special. At 196 meters high, it offers one of the most beautiful views of the whole city, with a magnificent panorama and a plunging perspective on the CBD. If reaching the top of the Sky Tower is not in your budget, you should not hesitate to come and console yourself here. Long occupied by the Maoris and their pa, the crater is still clearly visible today. The path leading to the summit is paved. Remember to take water when it is very hot.

Strangely not very vertical for falls, they almost look more like rapids. And rapids they are! With a water flow of 220,000 liters per second, Huka Falls would take just 11 seconds to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool! Known for their intense crystalline blue color (particularly impressive on a clear day), these falls are one of New Zealand's most visited and photographed natural attractions. Several trails lead to them, including one linking them to the center of Taupō.

A famous beach to the south of Hahei, Hot Water Beach is home to hot springs. At low tide and armed with a shovel, many visitors dig their own little pool in the sand, to turn it into a private spa. Underground fissures allow the hot water to seep in quickly, although beware of the temperature, which can rise very high. On the other hand, it should be noted that the strength of the currents makes swimming in the bay dangerous, and we strongly advise against it. Beware, this is a very busy address.

Perhaps the most photographed lake in New Zealand. Its very calm waters, early in the morning or late in the evening, superbly reflect the Alpine chain and, in particular, the Cook and Tasman mountains. To do!

After six kilometers of unpaved road, a trail begins that leads to the beautiful Wharariki beach and its fine sand dunes. It takes about forty minutes to walk there and back (2 km). Described as one of the most beautiful beaches in the country by locals and travelers alike, it is best to go there at low tide, when the cliffs and their arches are not caught in the water. Besides being a divine beach, it is also an excellent place to observe fur seals basking there.

With its 186 hectares, it is a difficult park to miss in the city configuration. Walking through or simply passing through him offers a breath of greenery. In the north of the park is the magnificent Botanic Garden, which boasts its great trees and numerous flowers. The six greenhouses of its Conservatory Complex each houses a collection of different plants, types and environments: tropical, temperate, cold, ferns and alpine plants, cactus…

Located 20 minutes south of Rotorua and 45 minutes north of Taupo, this geothermal park is set in a nature reserve at the bottom of a valley. It's well worth the detour, as it's a superb site. It's recommended to spend at least an hour there, but you can easily get absorbed by the beauty of the landscapes and geothermal manifestations and spend 4 hours or more, if you like to take your time. You can extend your visit with a cruise on Lake Rotomahana, following in the footsteps of the Pink and White Terraces, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886.

This is the best-known company. Each cave is very different, and it's best to see them all:

Glowworm Cave. A 45-minute tour that attracts busloads of tourists. Inside, thousands of glowworms glitter on the cave walls like stars in the sky. A 5-minute boat trip above the "starry" sky is also a great experience.

Ruakuri Cave. The 1h30 tour combines limestone formations with glowworms.

Aranui Cave. A one-hour tour of a "normal" cave without glowworms.

This is a mythical den. Its name comes from the volcano, Mount Eden, on which it sits. It had the honor of hosting the first match in a Rugby World Cup in 1987, between the All Blacks and Italy. And it was at this match that the famous haka, previously reserved for overseas tours, was performed for the first time in a home match. A few weeks later, New Zealand lifted the inaugural World Cup at Eden Park.

The park is home to 72 glaciers, about 40% of its total surface area. The River Tasman, with its 29 km, is the longest of all.

This lake, 82 km long and 5 km long, is one of the deepest in the country and its 400 m depth is not its unique feature. Its temperature is also out of the ordinary. Indeed, it only varies very weakly from one season to another and the lake reaches only a low 15 ° C during the warmer months of the summer. Its last originality lies in the purity of its water. As a direct source from the mountains, it would reach a purity level of 98%. On the other hand, it is very strange that the lake level is rising and down.

It was in Bob's Cove, when the lake was very calm, that this phenomenon was best observed. Every 5 minutes, its level varies by 12 cm. The reasons for this variation remain mysterious at the moment. Maori legend tells us that the heart of a giant named Matau still lies at the bottom of the water and its beats would cause the phenomenon.

Located just over an hour's drive from downtown Auckland, Karekare beach is a wonderful place to watch the sun set. This very large black sand beach offers other advantages, including a daytime stroll to Kare Kare waterfalls and/or the dunes. You may not have noticed, but this beach became famous thanks to Jane Campion's film The Piano Lesson. There are public toilets and plenty of parking space. Watch out for the winding road to get there.

Cape Foulwind has a signposted trail that in 15 minutes from the car park takes you to a seal colony. The latter houses nearly two hundred individuals who have been observed from the cliff. By continuing the path (1 hour walk) you also reach the lighthouse overlooking Tauranga Bay. On the road or even on the parking lot, with a little luck, the hikers may encounter a weka, a bird unable to fly.

Also known as Pupu Springs, these springs are located after a short walk through a forest of kanuka and manuka trees. The clarity of the water and the colors that emanate from it are amazing, coming from a large underground network. It is the largest in the country and in Australasia in terms of volume. It gushes out 14,000 liters per second, which flow into the Takaka River. Because of problems of parasitic algae, access is now regulated and it is unfortunately no longer possible to dive there.

Accessible by road despite its name (Aroha Island), this 5-hectare peninsula is a reserve home to over fifty species of birds. Forest and beach walks, kayaking and picnics are all on the agenda, and guided kiwi-watching tours are organized after dark. Camping, cottage and lodge accommodation is also available. There's a visitor center on site. This is a high-quality eco-center.

The centre is only accessible by boat. Note, however, that this visit can be combined with any classic cruise on Milford Sound. A 10 metres deep, a kind of aquarium that can admire the fauna and flora of the fjord.

Shakespear Regional Park covers the tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, "Whale Bay" in Maori. Walkers and bikers can enjoy the beaches and trails, such as the Heritage Trail (2-hour round trip), which starts at Waterfall Gully and passes ancient Polynesian sites. The Lookout Track (90-minute round trip) offers 360-degree views of Auckland and the Gulf Islands. The Tiri Tiri Track (2.5 hours round trip) passes through an ancient pa and along the coastline from which Tiritiri Matangi is visible.

Piha Beach offers such risky waves that it was even the setting for the reality show Piha Rescue, which chronicles the day-to-day life of lifeguards on this coastline. It's one of New Zealand's premier surfing spots and, if you follow the safety rules, there's nothing to stop you from enjoying it. As for the swimmers, it is more than widely advised to swim between the flags and in the slots of presence of the lifeguards. A little further on, you can access the Kitakita Falls, where a natural swimming pool awaits fresh water lovers.

Located halfway between Auckland and Raglan, the Nikau Caves (named after the palm tree) are well worth a visit, and surpass the famous Waitomo Caves further south, which are often very crowded. For over 30 years, Philip and Anne have been running their family business as well as their farm. They offer a fascinating guided tour of a kilometer-long cave full of glowworms. Fitness and appropriate clothing are recommended. You'll be required to crawl through the water. At the café, everything is homemade.