Any of the following qualities had to occur in the areas that made our list: excellent scenery, unspoiled landscapes, unspoiled nature, and friendly environment. Accessibility, facilities available like banking, shopping, or lodging, or the cost of getting there were conditions that we did not consider. Neither major city was considered as it is important for most of the places to arrive and leave. New Zealand is the best place for a family vacation in 2021.
Table of Contents
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park is a World Heritage region in South Westland and is the oldest and one of the biggest national parks in the world. The landscape of Fiordland has deep fjords, steep mountains, roaring waterfalls, and plush ancient rainforests.
Milford Sound is home to Fiordland, described as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ by Rudyard Kipling. But the neighboring Doubtable Sound may not be as steep, but six times bigger, comprising 365 islands, one each day of the year. Fiordland has a number of great walks in the world, including the popular Milford Track in the early 20th century, which was considered the finest walk in the world.
Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman may be the smallest national park in New Zealand, but there are Tourist attractions. It almost looks as if the best beaches in the world are in one of the sunniest regions of New Zealand. The sandy shores vary from gold to white and descend into the Tasman Sea’s deep blue water. The park is a green, temperate rain forest, and manuka behind the beaches, a form of tea tree that attracts many native birds. A 3-5 day hike through the bush and the beaches will carry you on the famous Abel Tasman walk. Whether this seems like an endeavor too much.
Queenstown
Queenstown has it all for action and scenery. This lovely lake-side town is set in snow-capped mountains and is built for a queen and offers a never-ending variety of activities. It’s the birthplace of bungee jumping that was first promoted by New Zealander A J Hackett and also by jet boat invented in New Zealand. Paragliding, white water rafting, and other creative ways of pumping the adrenaline are other thrill sports. Queenstown is also one of the biggest ski resorts in the Southern Hemisphere, offering fresh snow in summertime.
Rotorua
Rotorua is renowned for its volcanic activity, accessible from the largest city in New Zealand (Auckland). The area is one of the major geothermal regions in the world. Here you will find thermal reserves like Waimangu, Waiotapu, and Te Puia, all of them in the beautiful natural setting. Their geysers are amazing, their lakes are boiling, hot springs, the baked clay, their volcanic terraces, and their thermal craters. Rotorua is well known for its rich swimming and fishing lakes. There is plenty of indigenous bush in the area surrounding this thermal spa.
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands subtropical is New Zealand’s finest maritime park. There are only 150 islands to visit, many of which have stunning beaches and remote bays. The park offers plenty of seafarers, such as sea lions, whales, and dolphins. The bay is known to draw various people around the world, including fishers, golfers, and seafarers. Of course, most people come and swim on some of the best beaches in the world to enjoy this subtropical climate. The mainland near The Bay of Islands is also the center of the nation where the English Crown and the Maori natives signed the foundational document The Treaty of Waitangi.
Mt Cook National Park
Mt Cook and its surroundings is a Southwestland alpine park classified as World Heritage. Here the highest mountain, Mt Cook, and other highest peaks such as Mt Tasman, Mt Sefton, include the largest peaks in Australasia (Australia and New Zealand). Due to the altitude and the rocky alpine terrain in the park does not contain any trees or plants, but it is covered in colorful lupins which offer a more picturesque look than one would expect. The Hermitage is a superb hotel and from here you can take a few scenic walks and guided walks in this alpine wonderland. This is the main accommodation.
Westland National Park
This national park is known for its mountains and the two largest glaciers, the Fox and the French Glaciers. The park is part of South Westland World Heritage. They are the nearest glaciers outside the polar regions on the coast of anywhere in the world. This makes it more available than other glacial sights in the world, but the atmosphere is much colder. A forest of beech trees that are supported by steep cliffs and mountains are covered over the lowlands of the park. It’s a contradiction to see rain forest glaciers, but the area’s steepness and high rainfall are responsible for this phenomenon.
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the world and a World Heritage Park. In a desert-style plateau, the park features three prominent active volcanoes. The area is snow falling frequently in winter and is host to most of the North Island skiing areas. In 1995 and 1996, Mt Ruapehu erupted the largest volcano and in 2012 Mount Tongariro erupted. One of those two volcanoes is situated at the conical volcano named Mt. Ngauruhoe, where the popular Tongariro Crossing takes place.
