New Zealand is a land of absolute contrasts. Two islands at the end of the world, where the elements reign supreme: active volcanoes, primeval forests, wild beaches, alpine peaks and dizzying fjords. Here, Maori culture permeates the landscapes: it gives a name to the mountains, a memory to the lakes and a soul to the forests.
Your adventure begins in the north, between turquoise bays and subtropical hills. The ocean punctuates your days, the islands are revealed as you sail, and the ancestral forests are home to thousand-year-old trees whose trunks seem to touch the sky. In Rotorua, discover gushing geysers, mineral pools of unreal hues and valleys of steam: the landscape seems alive. You will fly over volcanic craters, land on reliefs sculpted by eruptions, and listen to the stories of a people intimately linked to these profound forces.
As you descend towards the centre of the island, the sacred volcanoes of Tongariro rise up in almost lunar majesty. The trails wind between emerald lakes and desert plateaus. Then come Wānaka and Queenstown. Here, the atmosphere is brighter and more open, with panoramic roads, lookouts and magnificent hikes. A natural balance between Alpine serenity and the energy of the great outdoors.
The South Island then unfolds all its alpine grandeur. Glaciers slide down from the peaks of Aoraki / Mount Cook, glacial lakes reflect immaculate skies, and roads cross endless valleys. You'll walk on thousand-year-old ice, sail among icebergs and look up at some of the purest skies in the world.
Then come Wānaka and Queenstown. Here the atmosphere is brighter, more open, carried by panoramic roads, lookouts and magnificent hikes. A natural balance between Alpine serenity and the energy of the great outdoors.
Finally, further south-west, Milford Sound imposes a silent majesty, with its sheer cliffs, waterfalls looming in the mist and deep waters where the fjord narrows. Cruise slowly through this landscape sculpted by glaciers, feeling tiny in the face of immensity.
