New Zealand Travel Blog

If you want to truly experience our vast wilderness down here in New Zealand then there is only one thing you can do… get amongst it! Lucky we have a great network of hiking tracks, each offering a different perspective of our epic landscapes. Great walks in New Zealand are the elite of the elite. In New Zealand’s most iconic, untouched and beautiful places, these nine walks have something to delight around every turn – native wildlife popping up to say “kia ora,”indescribably magic views and landscapes so contrasting it’s like you’re visiting many different countries all at once.

My home town Nelson is the gateway city to many tourist gems, amongst them the best day hike in the South Island. The 12.4 kilometer (7.5 mile) walk from Marahau to Anchorage is the start of the Abel Tasman National Park, which is one of the more popular Great Walks of New Zealand (completed in 3-4 days). Described as an easy four-hour walk on a gentle coastal trail, our merry band (a school trip of 11 and 12-year-old girls) set a cracking pace and easily took an hour off that estimate. 

Are you interested in true adventure and wanting to get into a wilderness environment? If you are planning a holiday to New Zealand then you should seriously consider canyoning. The nature of this sport gets you into area’s very few get the privilege to visit.  Think crystal blue pools, waterfalls and truly untouched virgin forests – and if you are fit and love adventure this could be perfect for you.

I am Alexandra, one of First Light Travel’s interns. We decided to explore the beautiful Northland area just North of Auckland. Coming from Switzerland, I know all about majestic mountains and glaciers. therefore I wanted to experience something else New Zealand has to offer. Our weekend trip took us North to Whangarei and Matapouri where we discovered some amazing coastline, beaches and even a hidden mermaid pool.

Brent, Suzie and Kirsten embark on a three-day self-drive adventure from sunny Nelson, along State Highway 5 to the Alpine and Spa Village of Hanmer Springs. A long weekend full of unexpected treasures, interesting excursions amongst some really remarkable scenery - so all in all thats more than a thumbs up!   

Lisanne, one of First Light Travel’s interns, travelled down the North Island to visit New Zealand’s capital. Being from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, she loves coffee, craft beer, and great food. In addition to that, she also is a huge the Lord of the Rings fan. As Wellington offers all listed above, it made perfect sense to pay the windy capital a visit.  Because of the limited time I would have in Wellington, I wanted to make most out of it. When looking up the city’s must-do’s, a few things caught my eye which were repeated everywhere.

Travelling New Zealand by rail is a bit more than just an efficient way to get around; in fact, because of our challenging landscape we actually don’t have a vast stretch of rail. But thanks to the amazing feats of engineering achieved by some hardy early pioneers, we’ve got some impressive rail journeys that criss-cross the country. In one just one trip, you can traverse snow-dusted mountain ranges, glide around glistening coastlines and sweep lush farmland dotted with bouncing lambs.  Here’s the low-down on exploring New Zealand by rail.