Northland

Northland is a narrow peninsula in New Zealand's northern-most region, Northland includes all of the country that is north of Greater Auckland.

Northland is perfect for aquatic lovers, with its hundreds of miles of unspoilt twin coast that is waiting to be explored. With 144 islands, the Bay of Islands is renowned for diving, boating, swimming and big game fishing. Inland, hiking trails and short walks in the native forests lead to some of the largest and oldest trees in the world.

Northland is a magical land of long silvery beaches, sparkling island-studded bays, rugged countryside and lush sub-tropical rainforests. The rainforests feature some of the largest Kauris in the world.

Northland is home to many magnificent preserved historic buildings, as it was one of the first regions that was visited and settled by Europeans. It is also home to the famous silvery sands of ninety mile beach or Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea meets the Paific Ocean. This spot is extremely popular for surfers and beach lovers.

Northland's magical, unspoilt land is just waiting to be explored.

The South Island is cooler than the North Island by a few degrees. Winter in New Zealand is from June to August and summer is from December to February. There are regional variations: It is quite warm and pleasant up in the Northland region at any time of the year. Higher altitudes are always considerably cooler, and it is usually windy in Wellington, which catches the winds whistling through the Cook Straight.

Snow is mostly seen in the mountains, although there can be snowfalls, even at sea level, In the South Island, particularly in the extreme south. Some of the plains and higher plateaus also receive snow in winter, notably the Canterbury plains and the high plateau around the Tongariro National Park, especially on the east side. Snow is seldom seen near sea level on the West Coast of either and not at all in the far north.

An important thing you must know about the New Zealand climate is that it is a maritime climate, as opposed to the continental climate typical of larger land masses. This means the weather can change with amazing rapidity.