North Island

New Zealands North Island

The north island of New Zealand holds around 75% of the population. It is definitely more populated that the south island, Auckland leading the race with 1.6m people calling it home.

It has twelve main ‘urban areas’ being large towns or cities. These from top to bottom are; Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Napier, Hastings, Whanganui, Palmerston North and the capital city of Wellington which is based right at the southern most tip of the island.

There is so much to do on the north island of New Zealand, with national parks, volcanic mountains, huge lakes and rivers and a LOT of beaches.

There are 9 main regions that make up the north island.

We’ve got Northland which has some of the longest beaches in the country, some of the clearest waters to go snorkelling in and so many islands that you can sail around.
Auckland is the biggest city in the country and home to hundreds of great restaurants, bars and shops.
Waikato which is famous for its caves and flat farmland. If you look close enough you’ll also find some hobbits!
The Bay of Plenty has some great surf, beautiful beaches and as many avocados as you could possibly want.
Gisborne has a some amazing scenery and a place where you can actually come up close and personal to some beautiful stingrays.
Taranaki is famous for it the stratovolcano that it’s named after.
Manawatu – Whanganui is on the southern coast of the north island. It’s main towns are Whanganui and Palmerston North. We haven’t explored much in this region yet but stay tuned!
Hawkes Bay is home to Napier and its world famous Art Deco buildings.
The capital city Wellington is more known for its strong winds, but catch it on a good day and you can’t beat it. Wellington is a beautiful city and an amazing place to explore.