Western North Island

Dominated by the majestic Waikato River the Waikato is a prosperous fertile farming region renowned for its dairy industry and race horse breeding studs. To the west coast is Raglan, gorgeous beach resort, its black sand beaches offering fine surfing and fishing. The rich mineral deposits found in the area have made it a significant source of the nation’s power generation. Heading southwest enter the King Country where we find some of the North Island’s wildest and most unspoilt terrain, from magical underground caverns of Waitomo to the historic harbours at Kawhia and Aotea. On to Taranaki with the distinctive Mt Taranaki(formerly Mt Egmont) presiding over this green, fertile tapestry of tidy farms, rich also in natural gas and oil. The city of New Plymouth reflects this prosperity and has a strong creative culture and vibrant atmosphere with luxury boutique hotels and exclusive bed and breakfasts on offer. The surf highway leads the traveller round the Taranaki bight with great surfing off black sand beaches. Another significant city lies and hour to the south at Wanganui where we find another mighty river, this time the Whanganui. To the southeast,  Palmerston North is the home of the New Zealand Rugby Museum.