According to the indigenous Maori folklore, Maui, the gifted and clever demigod of Polynesian mythology, was responsible for fishing up the North Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Maui’s brothers began to carve out pieces of the fish for themselves. These are now the many valleys, mountains, lakes, and rocky coastlines of the North Island. The South Island is the canoe from which they fished.
Folklore aside and simply put, New Zealand is geologically the youngest country and the most beautiful place on earth. As a visitor, you will be greeted with dramatic scenery with the purest natural landscapes you will ever experience.
Small Country, Many Travel Hotspots
New Zealand is made up of two main islands with a few small islands around the two, all with incredibly diverse, unspoiled scenery. The subtropical forests, geologically-active regions, and natural hot springs in the north to glaciers, lakes, snow-covered mountains, and large flat plains in the south make New Zealand naturally and incredibly diverse. In between, you will find fiords, volcanoes, thermal parks & flat plains.
All this is packed into one tiny country no bigger than all of Great Britain or Colorado state. No matter, New Zealand is big-hearted, big culture, big nature, and more and boasts of several global highlights that belies this amazing country’s size.
To name just a few hotspots, Aotearoa has three UNESCO World Heritage sites including the dual natural and cultural status holding Tongariro Natural Park; the well-loved seaside town of Kaikoura recently made Conde Nast’s ’50 Most Beautiful Small Towns 2023′; Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, one of the largest IDSR sites globally; possibly the least known global dive hotspot in Poor Knights Islands; and arguably producer of the best Pinot Noirs.
Aotearoa Exploration
Aotearoa Odyssey
Tiaki New Zealand
Tiaki means to care for people, place, and culture.
New Zealand is precious, and everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it. The Tiaki Promise is a commitment to care for New Zealand, for now, and for future generations. By following the Tiaki Promise, you are making a commitment to New Zealand. To act as a guardian, protecting and preserving our home.
Nau mai, haere mai ki Aotearoa. Welcome to New Zealand.
