CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND

ROTORUA: Nearest airport: Rotorua (domestic and short-haul international) 20 minutes. Transport: Good coach/bus service to Auckland and many other nearby centres. Easy access as a popular destination. Local tourist transport. Driving Route: Part of the Thermal Explorer Highway. Climate: Temperate climate, few extremes. Snapshot: Set amongst a geothermal wonderland, visitors can experience Maori song and dance, cuisine and visual arts. The region is also home to large tracks of forest and 16 lakes, providing activities such as jet boating, fishing, river rafting and mountain biking. CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND WAIKATO Nearest airport: Hamilton (domestic and short-haul international) 5 minutes. Population: 135, 000 Transport: Good coach/bus service to Auckland and other nearby centres. Climate: Warm, humid summers and cool winters. Snapshot: Rolling farmland above ground and vast cave systems, huge sink holes and underground streams below. TAUPO: Nearest airport: Taupo (domestic) 5 minutes. Population: 20,535 Transport: Good coach/bus service to Auckland and other nearby centres. Driving Routes: Part of the Thermal Explorer Highway Climate: Warm summers and cool winters with snow covering the mountains. Snapshot: Experience the fabulous trout fishing and activities around the lake. RUAPEHU: Nearest airport: Taupo (domestic) Transport: Good coach/bus service to Auckland and Wellington. Driving Routes: Part of the Thermal Explorer Highway Snapshot: The only two ski-fields in the North Island are found here. The Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage area and is home to one of the best one day treks in the world – the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

WAIKATO

Home to limestone caves, glow worms and underground adventure. Visitors can experience the caves by way of a sedate walk and boat ride, or a full on, adventurous caving trip involving black water rafting and abseiling.

HOBBITON AT MATAMATA Above land, Lord of the Rings lovers can explore the Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata.

ROTORUA

RICH MAORI CULTURE Rotorua is an excellent place for visitors to experience Maori culture. They can learn carving or weaving from master artists, sample contemporary food cooked using traditional methods or participate in Maori singing and dancing shows.

GEOTHERMAL WONDERLAND From the moment your clients arrive in Rotorua, they will know they are somewhere quite different. Steam rises from parks and bush areas. The scent of sulphur wafts through the air - a hint of what's in store.

ADVENTURE Adventure junkies love Rotorua with its huge selection of adventure activities. River rafting, skydiving and zorbing are just some of what’s on offer.

TAUPO

LAKE TAUPO The lake is central to many of the tourist based activities in Taupo with activities such as chartered cruises, parasailing, fishing, swimming, sailing and landing on the lake by float plane available.

THE MIGHTY HUKA FALLS Huka Falls is one of the most visited natural features in New Zealand, with 200,000 litres of water falling over the cliff face every second. Visitors can take an exhilarating jetboat ride up to its base.

RUAPEHU

The Ruapehu region has two National Parks offering plenty of short and multi day treks, including the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – one of the best one day treks in the world.

SKIING AND BOARDING Mount Ruapehu is home to two ski fields – Whakapapa and Turoa, each catering to a range of different levels – from beginner to advanced. Whakapapa is the biggest ski field in the North Island.

FOR MORE INFORMATION : Check out the Central North Island Training Module on the Travel Trade website. All Tourism New Zealand marketing directs consumers to this website. With over 2000 pages of information. Tourism New Zealand’s corporate website has information on our latest campaigns and events. Free access to many of the images you have viewed in this presentation.