The Cook Islands, in the South Pacific, comprises 15 islands scattered over a vast area. The largest island, Rarotonga, is home to rugged mountains and Avarua, the national capital. Aitutaki Island has a vast lagoon encircled by coral reefs and small, sandy islets. The country known for its many snorkelling and scuba-diving sites. Although an...

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses, the North Island and the South Island, and more than 700 smaller islands. Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand. It was originally used by the Māori people referring to the North Island but, since the late 19th Century, has come to refer to the w...

The rugged west coast of New Zealand's South Island draws travellers in search of the country's wild heart and a new three-day hiking or two-day biking trail will show it at its wildest. The Paparoa Track is New Zealand's 10th and newest Great Walk and hikers will experience the Pororari River Gorge, towering limestone cliffs, remnants from the reg...

Matakana tour company, Kiwiness Tours has added a kiwi watching tour to its selection of activities. The Kiwi Walk, which takes place on the Tawharanui Peninsula, offers participants a chance to see the Northern Brown Kiwi in its natural habitat. Kiwiness Tours Director, Vanessa Wards, is well-versed in her native region and relocated her successfu...

A rainforest hike outside Auckland, New Zealand reveals waterfalls, towering ferns, palm trees and a black-sand beach. At first, the rain is barely a mist on my face. Feather-soft and refreshing, the tiny droplets have somehow navigated their way through the thick canopy of trees, massive ferns and vines. Before long, the precipitation is a steady ...

The Paparoa Track on New Zealand's west coast forms the latest of the country's Great Walks. It comprises14km of existing trail and 41km of new track, winds from Blackball to Punakaiki through the Paparoa National Park's karst landscapes and beech and podocarp forest. An11km extension to the trail, the Pike 29 Memorial Track, is under construction,...