Top 5: New Zealand Wonders

With so much to see and do in New Zealand, it’s virtually impossible to pick the Top 5 natural wonders the country has to offer. We went ahead and gave it a shot, anyway.

Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers

These glaciers offer two extraordinary sites for the price of one, so we made them a package deal. The glaciers are the only ones in the world that flow into a tropical rainforest, making for a unique experience. They’re also both bustling with dramatic ice caves to climb around in and have been advancing since the ‘80s.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves © 2il org | Flickr

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

We like things that light up, so of course we have to include the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. They’re exactly what they sound like, caverns lined with stalactites leading to a grotto full of miniscule glowworms that emanate light from their bodies.

Rotorua

Rotorua is one of the most active geothermal areas in the world. Here you’ll find geysers, geothermal spas and pools of water too hot to touch, along with boiling puddles of mud. Just consider bringing a mask, because the smell of sulfur dominates the air here.

Tongariro National Park

If nothing else, Tongariro National Park is worth seeing due to the fact that it was the setting for the infamous Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also home to three active volcanoes and some pretty epic ski slopes.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is actually a fjord, and a popular one at that. We recommend visiting after a rainstorm, after which hundreds of waterfalls begin to cascade down the walls of the sound for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park © Lucidwaters | Dreamstime