Accommodation in Ohakune, New Zealand: Where to Stay

Accommodation in Ohakune, New Zealand. Ohakune changes character with the seasons. In winter it fills up with people heading for the ski fields on Mount Ruapehu. In summer it becomes a base for walkers, riders and families working their way through the central North Island. Whichever season brings you here, you will need somewhere to…

Whanganui, New Zealand: A River City Guide

Whanganui New Zealand is a river city on the west coast of the North Island, built at the mouth of the Whanganui River. It is the 19th most-populous urban area in the country and the second-most-populous in the Manawatū-Whanganui region, with a population of 42,800 as of June 2025. It also happens to be one…

Whanganui Hunting & Fishing New Zealand Guide

Whanganui sits at the mouth of the river that gives the region its name, and the district around it spills out into beaches, backcountry and quiet lakes. For travelling hunters and anglers, that mix is the whole appeal. You can spend the morning sorting gear at a locally owned store in Gonville and the afternoon…

Accommodation in New Plymouth: Where to Stay in Taranaki

Accommodation in New Plymouth. New Plymouth packs a surprising amount into a compact coastal city, and where you sleep shapes how much of it you actually see. Book a room by the water and you can walk to dinner with sea air in your face. Base yourself in the CBD and you are minutes from…

Ohakune New Zealand Skiing Guide: Tūroa and Whakapapa on Mt Ruapehu

Ohakune New Zealand skiing. Ohakune has earned its place as one of the North Island’s best known ski towns. The village sits close to the south-western slopes of Mt Ruapehu, the mountain fills the view from autumn through to spring, and for a few months each year the whole town revolves around snow. Two world-class…

Accommodation in Hokianga: Where to Stay Around the Harbour

Accommodation in Hokianga. The Hokianga Harbour sits in Northland, and the accommodation spread around it is wider than most travellers expect. Within a short drive you can choose between beachfront resort rooms, a self-contained studio with a super king bed, a cabin with harbour views, a campervan site, a bunk in an eco hostel, or…

Camping in New Plymouth: Beach Parks and Freedom Camping

Camping in New Plymouth puts you on the Taranaki coast with the city close by. You can sleep beside the surf at Fitzroy, park a campervan on a quiet lakeside spot, or base yourself in town and walk the Coastal Walkway from the front gate of the park. Because the district runs its own freedom…

New Plymouth Taranaki: Surf, Art and Mountain Views

New Plymouth Taranaki rewards a slow look. It sits on the west coast of the North Island with a mountain rising behind it and the sea in front, which gives the city a setting few places of its size can match. Surf, art, food, music and walking country all sit within easy reach of each…

Restaurants in New Plymouth: Best Places to Eat in Taranaki

Restaurants in New Plymouth. New Plymouth has a way of surprising people who expect nothing more than a mountain view and a walk along the coast. The city’s restaurant scene is another good reason to linger. From brewery taprooms serving generous plates to award-winning hotel restaurants, the options suit most tastes and budgets. Families, couples…

Far North New Zealand: Cape Reinga, Coastlines and Māori Heritage

Some parts of New Zealand feel as though they belong at the very edge of the map. The Far North New Zealand is exactly that kind of place. Sitting at the top of the North Island, this is the furthest north you can travel in Aotearoa New Zealand before the land gives way to open…