Once you’ve toured the glaciers and fjords, seen where Bilbo and Frodo both grew up, and visited a Maori cultural heritage site or museum, you may be wondering what else New Zealand has to offer travelers who are willing to venture off the beaten path. Read on for a few suggestions about unique experiences that await you in the land of the Kiwi.
If you’re the type of person who just can’t wait for summer to be over because ski season will be just around the corner, take heart – you can always travel to New Zealand during their winter for some of the best skiing in the world. Cardrona Alpine Resort maintains a full size half pipe and attracts some of the world’s finest Northern Hemisphere skiers looking for a place to train, or just to have fun when there’s no snow in the North.
Why not stalk the wild kiwi bird on Stewart Island? After all, the kiwi (fruit and bird) is emblematic of the country. The Maori used to hunt them for both meat and feathers, but have stopped now that development in the birds’ habitats has endangered them. You can still see them emerge from the forest at night on Stewart Island, or in one of their other protected areas.
Take in a rugby match during your stay, or one of the other “crazy” activities that the “kiwis” have taken a liking to, such as bungee jumping or zorbing. When it comes to professional sports, though, rugby is New Zealand’s national sport and they have the fans and the teams to live up to it. The country boasts the world’s most decorated team in the world, the New Zealand All Blacks.
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