It’s official – New Zealand is now home to the one of the world’s longest and most spectacular walking trails.

Spanning from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island, the newly opened Te Araroa (Long Pathway) walking trail is just over 3000 kilometers long and passes through more than 60 towns, six cities, including Wellington (the capital city), and some of New Zealand’s most historic, scenic, and spiritual locations.

Intrepid hikers have calculated that it would take up to three months to complete the journey from top to bottom. But not everyone has the time or the energy to walk the entire trail. Thankfully, the trail is formed from a patchwork of regional pathways that allow shorter treks that will please both leisure and serious walkers.

Many of New Zealand’s already well-known walkways, such as the central North Island’s Tongariro Crossing (featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy), are part of the Te Araroa trail.

Geoff Chapple, the man who first envisioned the trail over two decades ago and has remained the main driving force behind its creation, has released a walking guidebook to Te Araroa to coincide with the opening of the trail.

(Image of Tongariro Crossing from flickr shardin1n)

A golden opportunity awaits those heading toward the Coromandel Peninsula on State Highway Two. The Karangahake Gorge, between the townships of Paeroa and Waihi, features walkways offering a glimpse of goldmining history amidst dramatic scenery.

Gold was discovered here in 1875, sparking off the Coromandel’s first gold rush. Within weeks, thousands of miners, armed with pick and sluice pan, converged on the gorge, but their dreams of fame and fortune soon soured – traditional mining techniques of the independent miner were of little use on gold deeply imbedded in quartz rock.

Independent miners were replaced by large mining companies. Huge crushing and extraction batteries were built alongside the Ohinemuri River. Powered by steam or kauri wheels, they extracted gold and silver from quartz rock mined from the steep cliffs overlooking the river.

By the turn of the century, the Karangahake Gorge was an important Coromandel mining area. Three townships – Mackeytown, Karangahake, and Waikino – grew from the need to feed, shelter, and support the thousands of mining workers and their families.

Today it’s hard to believe that the gorge was such a hive of activity. The towns of Karangahake and Mackeytown have all but disappeared. At Waikino, all that remains are some old buildings lining the terrace overlooking the newly refurbished Waikino Visitors Centre.

The centre houses an extensive display of photographs and artifacts relating to Karangahake Gorge’s goldmining past, as well as information on current facilities and attractions in the area. The Centre also provides carparking facilities for those interested in doing any of the Department of Conservation walkways.

The walks are pleasant leg stretchers for those seeking a break in their travels up the Coromandel Peninsula. And it is along these walkways that the most interesting goldmining relics lie.

Following signposted walkways, visitors will come across a variety of rusted mining relics hidden among regrown native bush and visible beneath the clear waters of the Ohinemuri River.

Enormous foundation ruins of the gold extracting batteries sit alongside the walkways, serving as a spectacular reminder of the wealth of the Karangahake gold fields. During their short working life, these batteries extracted over half a billion dollars worth of gold from within the Karangahake mountains.

The shortest of the three walkways traces the old Paeroa-Waihi railway line (once used to transport coal and machinery) alongside the Ohinemuri River to the Owharoa Falls.

A slightly longer variation of this walk starts at the ruins of the Crown battery. Passing through the orginial bricklined railway tunnel, the walkway crosses the Ohinemuri River and State Highway Two via a railway bridge and then follows the river to the Owharoa Falls.

The third walkway, estimated at 45 minutes, is commonly called the Karangahake Loop. Beginning and ending at the old Karangahake town site, this walkway passes through the Woodstock and Talisman battery foundations.

An additional attraction to the area is the Goldfields Steam Train, which operates between Waihi and the Waikino Visitors Centre. The return trip, from either Waihi or Waikino, takes an hour and a half.

(photo credits by Rosino and Robin van Mourik via Flickr)

Featuring original miners’ cottages, wooden walkways, saloons, 19^th century churches and tree lined avenues, Arrowtown is considered one of New Zealand’s most well preserved gold mining towns.

Located a short half hour drive from Queenstown (commonly known as the adventure capital of the world), Arrowtown has small town laid-back atmosphere.

It wasn’t always so laid back. In the 1860s, while in the midst of a gold rush, the town was overrun with thousands of miners from around the world hoping to make their fortunes.

When the gold ran out, however, so too did most of the miners. But while some miners left, others, in particular, Chinese miners, arrived in droves, encouraged by the Otago Provincial Council desperate to keep the town alive. Today, the restored Chinese Village on the outskirts of the town provides a stark tribute to the conditions that these miners had to endure.

You can still find gold here, but it’s not quite what the miners had in mind. These days, most of Arrowtown’s gold is found in the autumn leaves that attract visitors from around the world and also in the liquid gold created by the region’s wineries and breweries.

From the up market Saffron restaurant (reservations a must) to the down market Arrow Brewing Company, there are plenty of places to discover this liquid gold.

For a uniquely Arrowtown experience, head for Dorothy Browns. This boutique cinema and bar, named, according to local lore, after a turn of the century photographer who frequented the town’s opium dens while co-habitating with a Chinese man, is a real treasure.  The bar doubles as a tiny bookstore, just to sort of place to park yourself on a winters’ day.

In the evening, order the cheeseboard and glass or two of the local vino and then collapse into the comfortable armchairs to watch art house movies in the boudoir-ish designed theater, complete pink and chiffon sheets floating from ceiling to floor and chandeliers dangling from padded Chinese silk ceiling panels.

Eat, drink, and then rest for the night.

In Arrowtown there’s a bed for every budget, from the Born of Gold Holiday Park for campers to the luxurious Millbrook Resort for those looking to be pampered.

(photo credit: Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association Incorporated)

No visit to New Zealand would be complete without exploring some of the locations featured in movies such as Lord of the Rings, The River Queen, and Whale Rider.

After all, who wouldn’t want to follow in the footsteps of Frodo, paddle along side the River Queen, and swim with the Whale Rider.

Many of the movies, however, were filmed in remote locations well of the tourist trail. Little, if anything, remains of the sets and props built for the movies.

But it’s well worth the effort to find them because the biggest star of these movies – the landscape – remains.

The Lord of the Rings

Director Peter Jackson covered the whole of New Zealand looking for ‘middle earth’ and ended up filming in 150 different locations.

Most of the villages and sets created for the Lord of the Rings trilogy were dismantled as soon as shooting stop.

But if you head a couple hours south from Auckland on State Highway 27, you’ll come across the remains of the original Hobbiton Village. Located on private farmland near the town of Matamata, access is only available by tour.

The River Queen and The Whale Rider

These two movies provided not only spectacular scenery but also introduced moviegoers to insights into Maori history and culture.

Visitors to New Zealand can get a glimpse of this by heading out to the Whanganui River and following the trail of the River Queen. This river that was used by Maori as a main transport route for centuries before Europeans arrived. Today, you can canoe, kayak, or jet boat down the river. Alternatively, you can hike along any of the numerous hiking trails that follow the river.

Those choosing the water route can arrange for an overnight stay at Tieke Marae, an old pa (fort) located on the river banks. This cultural experience features a traditional powhiri (welcome) and strives to provide a view of Maori life – past and present.

The small village atmosphere is also available at the beachside community of Whangara (population 30) where Whale Rider was set. Located near Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island, Whangara is the hometown of Witi Ihimaera, author of Whale Rider. This small Maori town (population 30) is the ancestral home of the Ngati Konohi tribe.

Base yourself at nearby Gisborne, known for it’s sunny weather and wineries, and take one of the tours to Whangara led by Hone Taumaunu, cultural consultant during the filming of Whale Rider. These tours depart from the Gisborne Visitors Information Center and offer a chance to visit the house where the filming was done and learn about the story that inspired the movie.

(image by lifacolor)

They say on a clear day you can see forever. And in New Zealand, that sure is true, especially at night. The southern skies offer some of the most fabulous stargazing opportunities in the world. Many are visible to the human eye, but no trip to New Zealand would be complete without stopping at least one observatory to check out the Southern skies by telescope.

When to Go

Stargazing in New Zealand is a year round activity, providing that the clouds don’t get in the way. Best time to go, though, would be late summer and early autumn when the skies are the clearest. But if you‘re looking for the center of the Milky Way, then go in the winter.

What to See

As well as the Milky Way, the three brightest stars – Sirius, Canopus, and Alpha Centauri – can be seen in the southern skies. Alongside the Southern Cross is the Jewel Box, a collection of different colored stars. But the star attraction must be the great view of two extraordinary galaxies – the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. These two cloud-like patches, considered the closest galaxies to our own, are about 170,000 light years away.

Where to Go

Auckland Observatory and Planetarium

Auckland is the entry point for most international travellers, so where better to kick start your New Zealand stargazing experience. The Auckland Observatory and Planetarium (more commonly known as ‘stardome’) is located in Auckland’s One Tree Domain.

The Planetarium, with it’s 360 degree all-sky theater, offers a truly amazing stargazing experience. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like outside, in here the stars are always shining – all 3,500 of them.

Stonehenge Aeoteora

Only an hours drive from the capital city of Wellington, Aeoteoroa Stonehenge sits amongst the farmlands and vineyards of the Wairarapa.

A full scale adaptation of England’s Stonehenge, this New Zealand version marks the stars and constellations that guided the Polynesian navigators years ago during their voyages across the Pacific.

Run by the members of the Phoenix Astronomical Society, this is the perfect place to learn both history and astronomy. Visitors are introduced to the art of stargazing while learning how ancient cultures used the stars, moon, and sun navigate the ocean, create calendars, and follow the seasons.

Carter Observatory

Sitting atop Mount Victoria, surrounded by 26 hectares of spectacular Botanic Gardens and overlooking Wellington, a trip to the Carter Observatory is worth it just for the panoramic view of the city and the harbor. But this observatory also offers a chance to reach for the stars, visually, through an historic 23 centimeter refracting telescope. Weather permitting, of course.

There are astronomy displays, computers, audiovisual presentations, and telescopes to check out. The Planetarium offers a 30 minute show, audio visual presentations, and a short talk by an astronomer.

There are two main telescopes for public observation sessions. During the day, the focus in on solar viewing, searching for flares and sunspots through a telescope protected by solar filters. And at night, the search is on for the stars of the southern skies. The telescopes are manned at all times by a qualified astronomer, able and willing to answer your questions.

Mt Johns Observatory

Located three hours south of Christchurch, the Mt Johns Observatory offers some of the best views of both the New Zealand landscape and the southern skies. During the day, visitors can experience panoramic views of the Southern Alps and Mount Cook.

And at night, the stars come out to play.

You can walk or drive up to the observatory during the day. Once there, take a guided tour and look at the sun through the solar telescope. The Astro Café provides good food and amazing views.

Night time tours (at 10 pm each night) are offered by Earth and Sky Tours. They pick you up from the town center and drive up to the observatory. Once there, visitors are provide with a tour of the facility and the opportunity to see the Milky Way, the Southern Cross, and the Jewel Box through telescopes, binoculars, and the naked eye.

There is also a Twilight Tour available, aimed more for those with young families. Starting right after sunset, this tour is shorter, but still provides the opportunity to look through the large telescopes.