New Zealand Travel Guide: Self-Guided City Walks

New Zealand, also known in Māori as Aotearoa, is an island country shaped by mountains, water, volcanic activity, migration and long geographic isolation. The North Island and South Island offer dramatically different landscapes, while Māori culture, European history and later immigration have shaped the country’s identity. Neywo has free audio guides for 13 cities in New Zealand, with 778 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in New Zealand

Explore New Zealand’s two main islands

New Zealand’s two largest islands are the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu. Cook Strait separates them, while more than 700 smaller islands surround them. Their landscapes range from sharp mountain peaks in the Southern Alps to volcanic terrain, coastal areas and broad basins.

The country’s climate is mainly temperate and maritime, but regional contrasts are considerable. Northland has subtropical conditions, the West Coast of the South Island can be extremely wet, and Central Otago and the Mackenzie Basin can be semi-arid. This variety is one of the defining features of travelling through New Zealand.

Discover Māori culture and New Zealand’s history

The first settlers were Polynesians who arrived in oceangoing waka between about 1280 and 1350. Over time, they developed a distinctive Māori culture. European contact began with the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, while Captain James Cook later became the first European to set foot on and map New Zealand.

In 1840, Māori chiefs and representatives of the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Britain declared sovereignty that same year, and New Zealand became a British colony. The following decades brought conflict between the colonial government and Māori tribes, as well as the alienation and confiscation of large amounts of Māori land.

New Zealand later became a dominion and then gained full statutory independence, while retaining the monarch as head of state. Today, Māori and British inheritances, later migration and the legacy of colonisation all remain part of the country’s story.

Visit New Zealand’s cities

The best cities to visit in New Zealand offer different perspectives on the country’s history, culture and regional character.

Auckland is the largest city represented on Neywo, with 451 narrated places. Among its highlights are Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira and Auckland Art Gallery, alongside places of worship such as Kohekohe Presbyterian Church and Auckland Unitarian Church.

Wellington has 77 narrated places. Its collection includes the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Sacred Heart Cathedral and Kumutoto Stream.

On the South Island, Christchurch has 93 narrated places, including the Cardboard Cathedral, the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral and Christchurch Art Gallery. Dunedin has 67 narrated places, with Larnach Castle, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Baldwin Street and Cargill’s Castle among its featured sites.

The North Island’s regional centres also add variety to a New Zealand itinerary. Napier has 29 narrated places, including the Customhouse, Faraday Museum of Technology, MTG Hawke’s Bay and Waiapu Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist. Russell has 20 narrated places, such as Kerikeri Mission House, the Stone Store, St. James Church in Kerikeri and Russell Museum.

Follow the Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty includes several cities available on Neywo. Mount Maunganui has five narrated places, including The Historic Village, Classic Flyers and Tauranga Art Gallery. Tauranga also has five narrated places, with The Historic Village, Tauranga Art Gallery and Classic Flyers among its highlights.

Rotorua has 12 narrated places, including Rotorua Museum, Mount Tarawera and the Jean Batten Memorial. The city is one of the places where New Zealand’s natural and cultural landscapes can be explored through a local collection of narrated sites.

Discover Waikato

The Waikato region is represented by several Neywo cities. Hamilton has seven narrated places, including Waikato Museum, St. Peter’s Cathedral, Wesley Chambers and Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge.

Matamata has four narrated places: Cadman Bath House (Former), St Joseph’s Church, Saint Mark’s Anglican Church and Kaimai Air Crash Memorial. Waihi also has four, including Owharoa Falls, the Big Lemon & Paeroa bottle, Saint James Presbyterian Church and Saint Johns Anglican Church.

Experience New Zealand’s living world

Long geographic isolation influenced the evolution of New Zealand’s plants, animals and fungi. Many indigenous plants occur nowhere else. Tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions helped shape the country’s topography, while islands, mountains, water and weather continue to define its character.

The landscape is therefore more than scenery. It reflects the country’s geological forces and its separation from other landmasses, creating a distinctive natural world alongside its cultural history.

Try food from across the Pacific

New Zealand cuisine is often described as Pacific Rim. It draws inspiration from Europe, Asia and Polynesia, creating a broad culinary tradition rather than a fixed collection of national recipes. Restaurants offer a wide choice, and food is often eaten casually in keeping with the country’s laid-back lifestyle.

Agriculture remains an important part of the economy, and food products made up more than half the value of New Zealand’s exports in 2014. International trade is especially important for agricultural products, linking everyday food to the country’s wider economic story.

Listen to New Zealand’s languages, music and traditions

English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are official languages. English is dominant, but its local accent and vocabulary give it a distinct character. Māori culture can be seen in carving and weaving, as well as in musical traditions that include songs and chants for ceremonies, laments and expressions of love.

New Zealand music has also absorbed blues, jazz, country, rock and roll and hip hop, often giving them a local interpretation. Rugby union provides another shared cultural reference and is considered the national sport. Contemporary New Zealand culture brings together Māori, European, Pacific, Asian and other communities.

Explore New Zealand with Neywo

Download Neywo to explore New Zealand with 20 walking tours across 13 cities and 778 narrated places in total. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, so you can discover the history and character of New Zealand while you walk.