Travel Notes for Tourists

Kaikoura. Situated on the East Coast of New Zealand's South Island is the seaside town of Kaikoura overlooks majestic mountains which are snow capped for many months of the year. In the waters off the coast an abundantly rich habitat for marine mammals and seabirds exists. Kaikoura is one of the few places in the world where whales can be seen all year round. In addition, dolphin swimming, seal swimming, fishing, diving, shark diving, and a large number of both land and water based activities is available.

Coromandel Peninsula. Accessible within a few hours from New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, the Coromandel is blessed with a superb climate coupled with some of New Zealand's best beaches and coastline. A thermal beach called Hot Water Beach is one attraction worth seeing. Volcanic heat rises through the ground allowing you to create your own spa pool by simply digging a small hole in the sand and waiting for it to fill up with warm sea water. Other coastal attractions include Cathedral Cove and Whangamata. These volcanic cones and the surrounding area are covered in temperate rain forest, making the terrain ideal for trekking/walks. The forests also contain the tallest fern trees in the world, some reaching heights of 20 meters or more. The abundance of fern species in the Coromandel gives the area a subtropical look and feel even though it is situated in the temperate zone.

Tongariro National Park. The park contains 3 active volcanoes that are situated in a desert like landscape. The area gets regular snowfalls in the winter and home to most of the ski fields in the North Island. Mt Ruapehu is the largest volcano and last erupted in 1995 and 1996. A conical volcano called Mt Ngauruhoe is located next to Ruapehu and is the location for the Tongariro Crossing. National Geographic has classed this walk as one of the top 10 one day walks in the world. The Tongariro National Park is situated in the Taupo region.

Westland National Park. This national park is part of the South Westland World Heritage area and is famous for its two glaciers, Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. They are unique as they are the closest glaciers to the coastline of any in the world outside of the polar regions. The park is also covered in a lush ancient rain forest and is backed by steep cliffs and mountains. It seems like a contradiction when viewing the glaciers from a rain forest, and it is this phenomenon that makes this area geologically unique.

Mt Cook National Park. Mt Cook and surrounding area is an alpine park that is part of the South Westland World Heritage area. Mt Cook is Australasia's highest mountain and Mt Tasman the neighboring mountain is the second highest mountain. Mt Cook National Park also has one of the world’s longest ski runs (on the Tasman Glacier).

Bay of Islands. The subtropical Bay of Islands is the finest maritime park in New Zealand. There are about 150 islands to explore with many superb beaches and bays. The park has an abundance of marine life, including marlin, whales, penguins and dolphins. The Bay attracts many people the world over including fishermen, golfers, marine enthusiasts.

Rotorua. Rotorua is famous for its volcanic activity. The area is one of the world’s great geothermal areas. Every reserve has spectacular examples of geysers, boiling pools, hot springs, boiling mud, volcanic terraces, and craters. Mt Tarawera a nearby volcano offers spectacular scenery including superb views inside the rim of the volcano. Rotorua is also the best area in the country to experience and learn about Maori Culture.

Abel Tasman National Park. Abel Tasman may be New Zealand's smallest national park, but the attractions are huge. Its beaches have a range of colored sand from gold to white that look out onto the clear waters of the Tasman Sea. Beyond the beaches, the park is covered in lush temperate rain forest and manuka, a type of tea tree. The popular Abel Tasman Walk is a great way to see this park; it takes 3-5 days to complete. Sea Taxis are also available and can drop you off at any number of beaches within the park. Kayaking is a popular alternative way to see this park as you have access to all the beaches, including those that the walk misses out on.

Written Tasks

Write a leaflet about one of the Australian or New Zealand cities. But before writing study some rules.