The nikau palm tree, New Zealand’s only native palm tree, is also the southernmost palm tree in the world! Learn about this native tree here. Most of the time I associate palm trees with tropical islands and sipping cocktails on the beach. Well, New Zealand…
Search Results for: hiking, south island
The Routeburn Track is a truly spectacular alpine hike on the South Island of New Zealand. These tips and FAQ will help you plan your hike on this track. One of the first things that I like to do when I’m thinking about doing a…
The Mt. Roberts hike in Nelson Lakes National Park is fantastic day hike. This half day hike has incredible views and is a must do! I have a lot of hobbies, but hands down my favourite activity is hiking. I absolutely love spending a day…
New Zealand’s 3 parrot species include the kaka, kea, and kakapo. Here are some facts about these 3 endemic bird species and a hysterical video. The islands of New Zealand are home to a wonderful variety of truly unique plants and animals. A couple of…
The hike difficulty levels in this blog are based on my personal experience. Here is a short explanation of the hike difficulty ratings on this blog. In my blog I include many different day and multi-day hikes. These range from easy walks, like Cathedral Cove…
Tama Lakes makes a fantastic day walk near Mt. Ruapehu. This hike is an alternative to the busy Tongariro Crossing with alpine views. Mt. Ruapehu is the hulking mass of rock that juts up from the central part of the North Island. The area around…
Here are 5 white native flowers in New Zealand. These are some common native white flowers that you’ll see in the wilds of New Zealand. I love hiking all across the world and one of my favourite things to encounter when hiking is a meadow…
Hebe is one of the most common types of plants in New Zealand. Here are 8 facts about it, focusing on the variety found on Mt. Taranaki, Veronica stricta egmontiana. Considering the fact that this is the most common type of flowering plant in the…
Sandfly bites can be super, super annoying and even quite painful. Here are the ultimate tips to prevent sandfly bites when exploring New Zealand. In New Zealand sandflies are simply part of life if you enjoy exploring the great outdoors. Similar to most amazing natural…
The mountainous terrain of New Zealand is home to over 3,000 glaciers. Here are 6 well known glaciers that you should visit today! All but 18 of the glaciers are located on the South Island (although only 6 of those 18 are larger than 1…