A Tour of New Zealand

Sky Tower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere and is located in Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. It stands at 1,076 feet tall and attracts approximately 1,450 people to it every day. One of the features available the Sky Tower is the "SkyJump", which allows people to bungee jump from one of the observation decks.  The tower also has two restaurants and a cafe. It has a great amount of lighting, which causes it be a prominent feature in the Auckland skyline. In some cases, the lights have been used to promote various causes, such as using pink lights for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It has been open since August of 1997.

The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand numbering approximately 750,000 members to their population. Current evidence says that the first settlers came to New Zealand in approximately 1280 CE and evidence has not shown previous visitors to the area. European settlement did not occur until approximately 1642. Maori is one of the official languages of the Maori peoples, but English is the national language. To experience their culture, it is possible to visit Maori villages and be immersed in their culture, including their food, crafts, and trade.

Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, covers an area of approximately 795.98 square kilometers, and is designates as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tongariro is home to the volcanoes Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu, located on the southern end of a range of smaller volcanoes. It is also home to a number of Maori religious sites. Tongariro is open to hiking, climbing, skiing, and snowboarding.

Fiordland National Park is the largest of the 14 national parks located in New Zealand, covering an area of 12,500 square kilometers. In the past, glaciers created the fiords as well as creating some islands that have been separated from the mainland of New Zealand. Fiordland is a popular place for climbing and hiking, although there are few trails to follow.

Queenstown is located on the South Island of New Zealand and is a popular destination for adventurous tourists. The Queenstown area was utilized by the Maori people dating back to the mid-1800s, prior to Europeans settling there. Queenstown offers opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, hiking, and mountain climbing. It has also been utilized in the filming of the popular Lord of the Rings trilogy.