New Zealand Holiday – Geography
Geography of New Zealand
Water water everywhere…
Lakes and rivers are a prominent feature of the New Zealand landscape and are home to large populations of rainbow and trout. Excellent accommodation facilites abound on the shores of many of the larger lakes making fresh water boat and fly fishing an excellent addition to your New Zealand holiday itinerary.
With a total land area slightly greater than the United Kingdom and slightly smaller than Japan, New Zealand has a vast range of geographical features to explore. White sand beaches can be found from Cape Reinga at the northernmost tip of the country, to Bluff at the southernmost extremity. If you’re planning a New Zealand holiday, make sure you allow time for visits to at least a few of the fabulous beaches.
Parts of the west coast have iron sand or “black sand” beaches interspersed with rocky shorelines. If you have never experienced a black sand beach before then they can be amazing places to visit. The sand is very fine, and being iron based, is magnetic. Due to the dark color, the sand can become very warm on hot summer days, so footwear is usually required when walking on these beaches. Traditional beach footwear in New Zealand is flip-flops, known in New Zealand as jandals.
Surfs up!!
The west coast is well known for its good surfing beaches, particularly in the North Island, so if you enjoy surfing you can easily incorporate it into your New Zealand holiday. The most comprehensive website for New Zealand surfing information and guides is here.
East coast beaches of New Zealand are usually more tidal (flatter, meaning the tide moves in and out a relatively large distance) and are predominantly white sand with rocky areas generally at “points” and the end of large sweeping bays. This generally makes them ideal for swimming and beach sports as well as shell-fish collecting. Some east coast beaches also receive great surf at times depending on wind and tide conditions so it pays to check the local surf reports.
Surfing, swimming and surf-casting are always popular. Mid-week you might just have the beach to yourself...
In the northern part of the North Island particularly, it is a relatively short distance between the East and West coasts, and usually the surf will be good on either one coast or the other. Local surf reports are broadcast on many radio stations to keep surfers notified of local conditions so hitting the right waves is easy.
