The more populated of New Zealand’s two main islands, the North Island lacks the variety of scenery of its companion to the south, but with a number of volanoes, lush green forests, and white sand beaches, it still manages to impress. The North Island is the stronghold of the Maori culture, which plays a substantial role in the broader Kiwi identity, unlike in most other western countries where aboriginal culture has been sent to the margins of society.
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- Mount Doom
Featured as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings, Mount Ngauruhoe is one of the most iconic volcanoes in New Zealand.
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- Cathedral Cove
Crawling with busloads of tourists during summer, this icon was deserted during my winter visit.
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- Icy Path
Freezing rain from the previous day created extremely slippery and dangerous conditions in the alpine zone of Mt Tongariro.
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- Red Rain
Sunrise gave a reddish hue to the showers along the black sand beaches of the southern Wairarapa coastline.
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- Auckland
An interesting tangle of of roads shooting off in all directions in the Ponsonby neighborhood, looking toward the Sky Tower in downtown Auckland, the highest free-standing building in the Southern Hemisphere.
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- Rainbow Falls
One of the largest waterfalls on the North Island near the town of Kerikeri.
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- Ice Plants
Snow and ice cover plants during winter along the Tongariro Crossing.
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- Stingray Bay
Night sets in along one of the most impressive coastlines on the North Island.
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- Ahipara
Sunset at Ahipara
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- Cape Reinga
The northernmost tip of the North Island and where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean.
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- Tongariro Crossing
Widely considered the best day hike in all of New Zealand, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing takes you right over craters of the active Mt Tongariro.
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- Tongariro Lava
A mound of lava with Mount Ngauruhoe in the background while hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
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- Cape Palliser
The southernmost point of the North Island is one of the most isolated parts of the island.
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- Tongariro Crater
Following a winter ice storm, ominous clouds made proceeding further a questionable idea in the exposed environment.
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- Gemstone Bay
The last bit of light for the day hits the clouds off of the Coromandel Peninsula.
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