It has a warm and mild climate, has lots of historic interest in the region and for the settlement of New Zealand, is close to some lovely beaches and not far from the Te Urewera National Park for camping, walking, and access to the bush. Every city has historical buildings and monuments indicating the history of settlement there - for instance, Christchurch is often considered to be “the most English city in the southern hemisphere”, whereas Dunedin has a noticeably more Scottish design and set of traditions. The Hawke's Bay is one of New Zealand's premier wine-producing regions, so there are plenty of opportunities for eating and drinking well. Traditionally, a city in New Zealand was a settlement with more than 20,000 residents. If your time is very limited and you can only spend time in one South Island city, make it Dunedin. There are many other natural and cultural attractions in and around the city, including infamous White Island offshore, waterfalls and lakes, and beautiful hiking trails. For this reason, we’ve put some city accommodation guides to help you get settled, along with useful links on what there is to do in each city, public transport, etc. As the Art Deco artistic stylist was in vogue at the time, many buildings were rebuilt in this attractive fashion. Attractions to the city and area include Egmont National Park walking tracks, Mount Taranaki, bush walks, heritage museum, and the 10km New Plymouth Coastal Walkway. Nelson city itself is pretty, with excellent beaches, hilly hikes, and lovely parks, as well as good food and drink. Weather averages, seasons, and tips on the best time to visit. Here is a short piece on the major cities in New Zealand and what you can expect to experience in each. Visit Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony, play in the big Splash Planet Fun Park, go fishing for trout in TukiTuki river along with other water sports such as jet-boating and kayaking, or go for a walk at Te Mata Peak. Out of all the New Zealand cities, Wellington is the capital city and is widely seen as being the cultural centre of the country (although many Aucklanders may beg to differ). Follow @ExploreNZtravel By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Omissions? The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (commonly known just as Te Papa) shouldn't be missed while visiting Wellington. But that's all part of their charm. The name 'Dunedin' is Scots Gaelic for Edinburgh, and the town was planned following the same layout and street names as the Scottish capital. Tauranga has a growing population and currently looks like a popular place for Aucklanders to relocate to. This is a list of towns in New Zealand. Our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy explain how we use your data and who our partners are. Dunedin city itself is one of the most attractive and vibrant in New Zealand, with its large student population giving it a lot of energy (and rowdy nightlife). Flying into or out of Wellington can be nail-biting for nervous fliers. Christchurch New Zealand is the biggest city on the South Island. Get up high by hiking to the top of Mount Manaia or Mount Parahaki. Map of New Zealand showing main cities and towns. How long will the footprints on the moon last? It’s a popular city with New Zealanders due to its climate and lifestyle opportunities. The unspoilt natural landscape and native bush land surrounding Whanganui has plenty of choice for visitors, as does the river for kayaking and cruising on a paddle steamer. The list includes most urban areas in New Zealand. Queenstown is the adventure tourism centre of the South Island. Although it's an urban centre, you're much more likely to encounter “provincial” attitudes throughout the South Island, particularly with older generations. Locals and travelers alike love Tauranga's beaches, especially those beneath Mount Maunganui. Newsletter | This is a list of towns in New Zealand. Victoria Lookout. Here are 10 of the best. Here you can enjoy such experiences as bungee jumping, skydiving, a canon swing, jet-boating, skiing, and more. Plenty to see and do in and around Hastings! New Zealand's third-largest city (population 400,000) is the biggest on the South Island and has the second-busiest airport in the country. Let us show you the best of New Zealand on other platforms by selecting 'On' and allowing us to share data from your visit(s) with our partners. We also use cookies to show you the best of New Zealand on other platforms. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It’s a lively city with lots of students of Massey University contributing to the population. New Zealand's largest cities are Auckland and Wellington in the North Island, and Christchurch in the South Island. Auckland city is widely seen as the metropolitan centre of the country and it tends to be the place where the biggest major events take place, but at the same time it also seems to draw a bit of friendly criticism from around the rest of the country. The South Island's second-largest city (population 120,000), Dunedin is a charming place with Scottish-inspired colonial-era architecture and a large and well-respected university. It is also very distinctive in its architecture - it was extensively rebuilt in Art Deco style after the majority of the buildings were destroyed in the Napier Earthquake of 1931. Rotorua is in the Bay of Plenty region and a main tourist town on the North Island. Auckland is the only city in NZ that comes close to qualifying as a true “melting pot” of races and cultures from around the world. The residents and businesses of Christchurch will appreciate the support of tourism. Site Contents, Protected by Copyscape Online Infringement Detector, © 2009 - 2020 Explore New Zealand - All Rights Reserved - Terms & Conditions | Images Copyright | Privacy. Many were boroughs during most of the twentieth century, and some earlier. This is a list of destinations served by Air New Zealand. Don't imagine sprawling megalopolises of the kind found in North America, Europe, or Asia, though. town" has no current statutory meaning in New Zealand, List of villages and neighbourhoods in the Cook Islands, New Zealand sign language for place names, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_towns_in_New_Zealand&oldid=980028559, All Wikipedia articles written in New Zealand English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 September 2020, at 05:43. There are twenty five main regions in New Zealand that cover both the North Island and South Island. Dunedin was originally settled by Scots and has maintained connections to its Scottish past through architecture and traditions. It's a popular place to stop off if you're particularly into health and wellness, and it's also possibly the best place to experience Maori culture.