The Best National Parks in New Zealand

Tongariro National Park is located on the North Island, making it an ideal spot to visit on any relocations en route to Auckland. It's New Zealand's oldest national park and it has 3 active volcanoes (any Lord of the Rings fans may recognise these)! Here you'll find an impressive landscape with emerald lakes and boiling mud pools. It has great spiritual significance in Maori culture. You can stay overnight at Tongariro Holiday Park which has 23 powered sites.

Fjordland National Park is located on the South Island and is home to the famous Milford Sound. It has it all - mountain ranges, dense forests, and alpine lakes. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and covers an impressive 1.2 million hectares! Milford Sound isn't the only fjord, you can also visit Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, and Preservation Inlet. Be prepared as it's famously rainy but don't let that stop you! As the park is so big there's a multitude of campsite options - such as Te Annu Holiday Park, Possum Lodge Holiday Park, or DOC Campsite Cascade Creek.

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is located in the South Island and is home to New Zealand's highest mountains and longest glaciers. It's one of, if not THE best place for star gazing in New Zealand. The nearest towns are Twizel and Lake Tekapo which is also a must visit with the famous lupins backdrop. There are hikes for all activity levels, such as Glencoe Walk (under 1 hour), Tasman Lake & River Track (1-2 hours), and Hooker Valley Track (3-4 hours). You can even take a helicopter ride to get an aerial view of the glaciers!

Like many of the best national parks, Mount Aspiring National Park is also on the South Island! It forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site. It's famous for bright blue pools at Wanaka. Nearby towns include Glenorchy, Haast, & Makarora where you can camp for the night. Day tours are popular here, with jet boat trips going down the Dart, Wilkin, or Mattkituki rivers.

Often criminally under rated, Whanganui National Park is located on the North Island. It's home to New Zealand's longest navigable waterway, once an important route for Maori people. It has lush forests abundant with wildlife, if you're a keen bird watcher then this is for you!