Mount Taranaki/Egmont is 8,261 feet tall and always covererd in ice and snow on its upper parts.  It’s simply beautiful, and the Maoris consider it to be sacred.  It’s been dormant since the late 1700’s, so don’t worry about frequent volcanic action.  There’s a Visitors Center which can show you all about the park and the mountain and you can stop in the cafe to gear up your energy for the 93 miles of trails.

If you’re super interested in flora and fauna and things like model displays of volcanoes, you can geek out at the Dawson Falls Display Center, located south of the main visitor’s center.

There is only one hotel within the Park, and that’s The Hermitage.  It has over 200 rooms, for every type of budget, and covers lots of acreage, with many amenities such as family rooms, children’s rooms, and a restaurant.  There are also around 20 alpine huts and shelters for hikers (or trampers as they’re called in New Zealand).

Tourists will want to bring a camera because you can’t help but take memorable, beautiful pictures in this land of fiords. One of the largest, Doubtful Sound is 25 miles from open water to base of inland mountain. Also notable is Dusky Sound because you can take an overnight cruise in to see it. Or, if you prefer to walk, leave 10 days and take the Dusky Track. Either way, it’s beautiful, unique New Zealand at its best.

Other walks well worth looking into are the Hollyfor, the Milford, Routeburn (ouch!) and Kepler. Go it on your own with a friend, or go with a guided tour…these walks are best during the warmer months which, since New Zealand is in the Southern hemisphere, fall between October and April. Make sure you get a hut pass or campsite pass before you go. These walks range from 3 to 5 days, with Kepler Track the longest at 42 miles.

If you’re an animal lover, watch for the native Fiordland crested penguin. New Zealand Fur Seals can be seen on a trip to Doubtful Sound, as well as Bottlenose Dolphins playing in the water.

One of the most beautiful spots in all of New Zealand is Paparoa National Park, on the coast facing the Tasman Sea. Near the town of Punakaiki, centuries of salt water pounding has formed limestone structures that resemble stacked gray pancakes, tens of feet high, like giant pedestals overlooking the sea. Found down between the stacks of pancakes there are blowholes from which pressurized sea water that’s been trapped will suddenly release into a huge plume of sea spray. There are other parts of Paparoa National Park, but the pancakes and blowholes are the most unique.

You also might want to check out the “ballroom overhang”, another limestone structure, but which requires a two-hour treck through subtropical forest. For some, that’s all the more reason to go! Paparoa National Park is located on State Highway 6, in Punakaiki, and the pancakes and blowholes are easily accessible from the highway. Wheelchair friendly, too.

The Southern Alps run down almost the entire spine of the South Island, providing the island with spectacular variety of hiking, with over 200 named peaks topping 7,000 feet.  The island seems to have dual personality, with dry, non-forested land on one side of the mountain range, and lush, rainy, forested lake area on the west side.  Parts of the island are coursing with water, in the form lakes, riers, inlets, bays and fiords.