Best Of New Zealand With Fiji & Sydney

A city of stunning natural beauty, Auckland blends the best of the modern cosmopolitan world with that of a Polynesian paradise. Nestled between two beautiful harbors, this marine playground offers breathtaking views and more than 1,000 bays and beaches. Shop the colorful Victorian Park Market or the charming boutiques of Parnell Village. Explore museums brimming with artifacts of the Maori culture. Or enjoy the natural splandor of the city, from English-style rose gardens to extinct volcanic sites. Popular landmarks are One Tree Hill and Mount Eden.

The ‘Bay of Islands’ was how Cook described the area two centuries ago, and the simplicity of his name masks the diversity of its charm.The subtleties of its attraction lie as much in the graceful fusion of sea with land as in the manoeuvres of Man – of Maori, whaler, missionary, and later, settler. The Bay, studded with over 150 islands, is a ‘drowned river system’, an area where the sea has invaded and drowned a number of river valleys. Its sheltered waters offer some of the finest boating and fishing to be found anywhere, and the menus of local restaurants reflect the abundance of marine life in the Bay.

With its miles of parks and tranquil gardens, striking Gothic architecture, and meandering Avon River, Christchurch is resplendent with English style and charm. Bustling Cathedral Square is the heart of the city, dominated by the spired Christchurch Cathedral. The serpentine Avon River invites strolls along its banks, dotted with weeping willows
and small romantic bridges. And throughout the “Garden City,” carefully tended streets and parks are ablaze with the color of classic English landscaping. Christchurch is the base for Antarctic exploration programs–visit the International Antarctic Centre located to the east of the city.

The Coral Coast begins 15 kilometres south of Nadi town, and hosts the largest concentration of beach resorts. This was the first area to fully develop tourism in the 1960s and 1970s and is still one of the most popular areas for visitors. Most resorts are alongside nice, white-sand beaches and cater for family holidays.The Coral Coast is an area where tour companies offer trips to offshore Robinson Crusoe Island, waterfalls and river rafting excursions. There’s a small culture centre and the impressive Sigatoka Sandunes just outside Sigatoka.Be sure to stop and watch the waves breaking on the reef just off shore.

Queenstown is an exhilarating, year round, alpine resort, perfect for adventurers and leisure seekers alike.Nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, overlooked by the majestic Southern Alps, the town was named because “…it was fit for Queen Victoria.” Queenstown is today recognised internationally as New Zealand’s premier visitor destination. Queenstown has more than just breathtaking scenery and a diverse range of attractions, it’s the people visitors find enchanting. In fact in 1998, Queenstown was again voted Friendliest Foreign City in a poll of 37,000 readers of Conde Nast Traveler, a top US Travel Publication. Queenstown first won the award in 1996.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales, is Australia’s largest city, chief port, and main cultural and industrial center. Manufactures include ships, refined oil, chemicals, textiles, and automobiles. Sydney Harbour and Port Botany are the main ports. Founded as a penal colony in 1788, Sydney is Australia’s oldest settlement. Its population surged during the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s. Sydney replaced Melbourne as the nation’s largest population center after World War II. Landmarks include the Sydney Harbour Bridge (1932); the Gladesville Bridge (1964); the modernistic Sydney Opera House complex (1973); and the Centrepoint Tower (1981), Australia’s tallest building. The city has several universities and museums, including the National Gallery of Art and the Australia Museum.