Attractions of New Zealand. Waitomo Caves, Hobbiton (photo)

In the Pacific Ocean, in its southwestern part, the Polynesian triangle, is the state of New Zealand. About 700 islands, most of which are uninhabited, belong to New Zealand. The largest of them are only two - the North and South islands, separated by the Strait of Cook. Stewart Island , Auckland, Antipodes, the Chatham Archipelago, Bounty Islands, Kermadec and Campbell are some of the largest. Translated from the local dialect, the country's name sounds like "Long White Cloud", where many tourists are attracted by the natural attractions of New Zealand.

The climate of New Zealand

In the country there is a heterogeneity of the climate. It is peculiar to change: in the north of the North Island it is warm subtropical, and in the south of the South Island - cool temperate. New Zealand is divided in half Mountain range of the high Southern Alps, which divides the country into two distinct zones of climatic conditions. The western part of the South Island is recognized as the wettest part of the country. But the most dry is the eastern one, located 100 kilometers from the wet one.

Attractions: what to see

One of the most important priorities in planning a trip to New Zealand is the existence of areas that are wholly included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: the New Zealand subarctic islands, the southwestern district of Te Vahhipunamu and the Tongariro National Park.

In search of new emotions and vivid impressions, you should pay special attention to such sights of New Zealand: the beautiful fjord Milford Sound, Franz Josef Glacier, located in the Westland National Park, Lake Matheson in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, the Taravera Lake, The foot of the Taravera volcano of the same name.

Guests who visited the country called "Long White Cloud" even after a long period do not forget the sights of New Zealand, whose photos they brought to the memory. To such places include: caves and grottos, clumps of boulders of Moeraki, Hobbiton.

Landscaping wealth of the country

Among the landscapes of New Zealand, Milford Sound is a highlight - it is a fjord. It is located in the south-west of the South Island. The fjord can rightly be considered the most popular and visited place in New Zealand. It is visited annually by up to 1 million tourists. They offer boat cruises during the day and at night. Despite the fact that the fjord is significantly removed from settlements, numerous tourists are eager to see its splendid landscapes.

In the north of the South Island is Abel Tasman National Park , and in the east - Spencer Mountains, Hanmer Springs Valley and Christchurch District mountains. The beauty of landscapes can be judged not only on advertising brochures of travel companies, but also on photos, for example, from this article. In general, an increasingly popular place to relax is New Zealand. Sights of natural origin are so diverse that they can not be visited in a few days.

What is remarkable about the caves of the "Long White Cloud"?

The same name Waitomo is a mountain system of more than 2 million years old and a small village on the North Island of New Zealand. The inhabitants of this settlement are busy working in the numerous labyrinths of caves. World fame brought millions of miniature fireflies that illuminate the inner surface of the grottoes.

Witomo caves have become so popular that they were included in the list of attractions required to visit. And although the fireflies themselves live at the lowest, third level, those who want to see this beauty do not become less. The grotto of fireflies is famous for the fact that this species lives only in New Zealand. But the caves of Waitomo are famous not only for the beautiful appearance of luminous insects. Speleologists descend into the grottoes for the sake of a multitude of stalagmites, making the most daring raids. On the third level of this creation of nature, concerts are held on holidays, and on the second there was a banquet hall where everyone was fed.

Hobbiton is a paradise for tourists

Another attraction, which is famous for New Zealand is the Hobbiton. Peter Jackson, the director and producer of the trilogy "The Brotherhood of the Ring", for a long time was looking for a place for the actual filming of the film. Flew by helicopter on the northern island of New Zealand, he saw the farm Alexander. After a long inspection of the green plains, Peter Jackson decided to settle the hero Shire (also known as Hobbiton) on the grounds of Alexander Farm near the town of Matamata. This farm of 500 hectares belongs to the Alexander family since 1978. After agreeing with the owners of the farm to start filming the film, in 1999 he started the construction of the hobbits village.

When the pictures were completed, the facades of the hobbit houses, the mill, the inn and the humpback bridge were not dismantled at the request of the farm owners. Today, the Hobbiton is an attraction that is very popular with tourists from all over the world.

Boulders of Moeraki

On the beach of New Zealand's beach between the cities of Moeraki and Hampden are a quaint spherical form of education. Moeraki boulders were formed during the Paleocene era. By the presence of iron, magnesium, and stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon found in their composition, a conclusion was made about the occurrence of formations from sea mud. For 5 million years of its existence, the stone blocks reached 2 m in diameter. Some of them show cracks and structural damage.

In Moeraki boulders, there are significant differences in structural and dimensional features. Local people store, passing from mouth to mouth, legends about the origin of the mysterious blocks of stones. Representing them in tourist guidebooks, recreation and entertainment companies attract more and more visitors to view boulders. Although the sights of New Zealand are not limited to the above.

How to get to New Zealand and its attractions

Given that tourists combine visits to New Zealand and Australia, airlines offer a choice of flights from Moscow to Auckland via Sydney, Singapore, Paris, Dubai, Delhi and a number of other convenient connections for connecting cities.

Attractions in New Zealand are easily accessible to tourists: within the country you can reach them both by local airlines and by water. Also, visitors to the country are renting a wide fleet of cars.

Restrictions for tourists

For citizens of Russia and the CIS when you visit New Zealand you need a visa. A prerequisite is the translation of the whole package of documents submitted to visit New Zealand for the English language and the notarization of the notary.

Consideration of documents in the immigration service of New Zealand on average takes 14 calendar days. When traveling through a travel agency, the time for consideration of a package of documents does not exceed 14 days, and for an independent trip it can reach 30 calendar days. The length of the decision to open a visa is also influenced by factors such as the season and the number of people who wish to come in a particular period. In this regard, the timing of consideration of the package of documents can be extended or reduced.

Smoking is a limitation for tourists staying in New Zealand. The ban on him is quite strict: you can not smoke in public transport, in many hotels and in all public places.