Mt. Victoria, located in the Devonport district, is a perfect sunset spot to enjoy the skyline – dominated by the Auckland Sky Tower – and the harbour of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. As there’s often a strong breeze here, the hill is also very popular for kite flying. More pictures of landscapes, people, and culture from the South and North Islands can be found in the ‘New Zealand’ gallery.
Large areas of New Zealand are designated as national parks to protect the unique flora and fauna from human destruction. Mount Aspiring National Park in the west of New Zealand’s South Island lies in the extension of the Southern Alps and borders Fiordland to the south. Its charm lies in the alpine vegetation and the transition from the rainy West Coast to the dry interior beyond the main divide of the Alps. The lush green of the forests is gradually replaced by the brownish-yellow hues of tussock grass. This photo was taken near Makarora, a lovely rest stop between Haast Pass and Lake Wanaka. As in all national parks, there are excellent hiking trails here that allow for an intensive experience of nature and gradually reveal the beauty and expressiveness of the landscape.
Nestled amidst the magnificent mountain scenery of the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the town of Queenstown lies on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. As a popular holiday resort, it serves as a starting point for various tourist activities: water sports in summer, skiing in winter, and spectacular attractions from the modern leisure industry. Lake Wakatipu alone, New Zealand’s third-largest lake, is an attraction in itself. During a trip on the steamship “Earnslaw”, which has been operating on the lake since 1912, you can visit several sheep farms and have plenty of time to soak in the mystical landscape. A unique feature of the lake is its water level, which rises and falls by a few centimetres at regular intervals. Science has yet to provide a precise explanation for this phenomenon, but the Maori have their own idea: the heart of the giant Tipua, who was killed by his beloved for abducting a beautiful woman, is still active today and causes the pulse of Lake Wakatipu.
Just like the peak in Tongariro National Park, Mount Taranaki is a sacred area for the Māori, where they bury their deceased chiefs and worship the souls of the dead. In their Māori mythology, Taranaki, also known as Mt. Egmont, did not always stand in its current location on New Zealand’s west coast, but lived in harmony with the other volcanoes in the centre of the North Island. One day, Mount Tongariro went wandering and left his wife Pihangi behind. Taranaki and she fell deeply in love, and when Tongariro learned of this affair upon his return, a terrible battle ensued. Taranaki was defeated and sought refuge in the west. Even today, he still looks sadly towards his beloved, who adores him. If his summit is covered in clouds and raindrops fall, then he weeps with longing.
Long before the first Europeans, the Māori, a South Sea people, settled the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. According to their legend, the first tribes arrived in twelve large canoes in their new home, New Zealand. There are numerous myths and stories about the settlement in many different versions, one of which will be told here. The navigator of one of the first canoes, the tohunga Ngātoro-i-rangi, set off inland one day with several companions, where he Mount Tongariro spotted and immediately decided to climb. He ordered his companions to fast until his return and set off with the slave Auruhoe. But those left behind grew hungry and broke their fast, which angered the gods, who sent thunderstorms to the mountains. Ngātoro and Auruhoe were freezing bitterly, and with his last strength, Ngātoro prayed to his gods. They heard him and sent fire via an underground route, which, however, rose too early and left a trail of volcanic activity. With full force, it finally erupted at Tongariro and thawed Ngātoro out. Auruhoe, however, was already dead. Ngātoro sacrificed the body to the gods in gratitude for his rescue and threw it into the crater, which has since borne the name Ngauruhoe .
The historic Old Waihohonu Hut, located in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island and the Tongariro National Park, was built in 1901. It’s a relic from the uncomfortable days of the coach connection from the Whanganui River up to the steamboat on Lake Taupo and further up via the Desert Road. The hut served as an overnight stop at the end of a tiring, bumpy stage along cart tracks through the wilderness. While the hardships of the journey for those seeking relaxation and nature lovers are less today, the rugged charm of the surroundings has fortunately remained unchanged. It’s understandable that the national park’s new huts have already recorded over 10,000 overnight stays.
Highway 41 passes to the west of Lake Taupo in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island and north of Tongariro National Park. To the southwest of Lake Taupo lies the village of Waihi, which is still home to a large MaoriMāori community. Many generations ago, a chief lived there, Te Heuheu Tukino IV, who determined the future of the sacred mountains with a far-sighted and wise decision. Until the mid-20th century, new immigrants from Europe were not only pushing to climb the mountains but were also claiming increasingly large areas for colonisation. The chief saw the danger that his ancestors and his spiritual centre would fall to the Pākehā and be divided up, just as other areas had been before. Therefore, the mountain peaks were to be gifted to the New Zealand government, and thus to all citizens of the country, on the condition that a national park be created from them. This gift led to the creation of Tongariro National Park in 1887, New Zealand’s first national park and the fourth in the world, following the origins of the national park concept in Yellowstone, USA.
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