New Zealand - A Natural Selection

Beaches of glistening sand with not a footprint in sight; primeval forests where the trees are a thousand years old, cauldrons of bubbling mud in a geothermal wonderland, and green pastures where cattle and sheep graze beneath snowy mountain ranges - the diversity of the New Zealand landscape astonishes visitors.

Geologically, the land is remarkably young, with active volcanoes in the North Island, but its flora and fauna are of an antiquity found nowhere else in the world. Some of its plants are so primitive they are described as living fossils. The giant lizard known as the tuatara is the worlds only living relative of the dinosaurs that roamed the earth 220 million years ago. The largest of these scaly beasts is 60cm long and 100 years old. Tuatara can be seen in sanctuaries and on offshore islands.

The kiwi, New Zealand’s national symbol, a nocturnal, flightless bird with nostrils at the tip of its beak, is also a relic of the time, 70 million years ago, when the fragment of land which became New Zealand broke away from the southern supercontinent of Gondwanaland. With no native mammals (except one species of short-tailed bat) and no marsupials, New Zealand’s birds, reptiles and insects were left alone to pursue their curious lives and evolve unmolested by predators. Like so many native birds, the kiwi’s survival in the wild is tenuous, with predators such as feral cats and stoats now impacting dramatically on numbers.

For visitors interested in marine life, New Zealand’s extensive coastline is a rich environment. A pod of sperm whales lives off the east coast of the South Island near the small town of Kaikoura. Other species, orca and the odd humpback, also make occasional appearances. Kaikoura’s rocky shore has a resident colony of fur seals and viewing platforms enable visitors to watch them cavorting in the sea. Dolphins are seen all around New Zealand’s waters, with the rare Hector’s dolphin, endemic to New Zealand, best seen in Akaroa, a small settlement near Christchurch in the South Island.

Of all New Zealand’s natural splendours, nothing surpasses the geothermal wonderland at Rotorua in the North Island’s central volcanic plateau. Geysers of mineral-rich boiling water spout plumes metres high, mud pools plop in lazy circles, and steam rises from the shores of the area’s numerous lakes. The mountainous areas of the North and much of the South Island are another natural wonderland with spectacular landscape that attracts the more adventuresome visitor for hiking and rock climbing. In the South Island the Southern Alps form a mountainous spine ending in the country’s least explored domain, that of Fiordland. The bleak slopes host an extraordinary 600-odd plant species, 93 per cent of which are unique to New Zealand.

One New Zealand tourism operator that is leading the way in best environmental practice and conservation while operating in some on New Zealand’s most beautiful and remote areas is Real Journeys. The company has had a long involvement in conservation in Fiordland National Park and current projects include supporting the whio or blue duck, the pekepeka or native bat and the Stewart Island harlequin gecko. And, if you take a Real Journeys tour in New Zealand you will be encouraged to get involved too!

Milford Sound Overnight Cruise

Overnighting in the long southern twilight on board the Milford Mariner provides a very special experience in magnificent surroundings. From Queenstown travel to Milford Sound, via the shores of Lake Wakatipu, for a full length cruise of the fiord. See waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife viewing opportunities including seals, penguins and dolphins.

Doubtful Sound Day Tour

Enjoy a relaxing drive from Queenstown over the rolling countryside to Pearl Harbour, cruise across Lake Manapouri to West Arm before travelling by coach over the Wilmot Pass for a three-hour cruise along the Doubtful Sound, renowned for untouched wilderness and wildlife.

Stewart Island Lodge

Just 39kms from the South Island, reaching Stewart Island is an experience in itself, by ferry or small aircraft. Real Journeys owns Stewart Island Lodge, a retreat nestled in a bush setting at Halfmoon Bay. The large garden plays host to many native birds and the Lodge is a great base from which to explore this wildlife island.