12 Nights New Zealand

The principal city of the Bay of Plenty is a popular Kiwi summer resort with notorious military and missionary legacies. Its legendary Waitomo Caves comprises a vast underground network of water-sculpted, cathedral-like limestone grottoes. Big-game fishing and scuba diving abounds.

Known by the local M?ori as the "Great standing place of Kiwa", Gisborne is home to a thriving arts and culture scene, thanks to the predominantly M?ori populace. If you visit during the New Year, you can catch Rhythym and Vines, a 3-day music festival at the Waiohika Estate.

Perched on the edge of a spectacular harbour and encircled by green, towering hills, Wellington is a stunning and compact city. Vibrant, exciting and cultured, New Zealand's capital combines the sophistication of a big city with the quirkiness of a charming village.

Known as Whakat? by the local M?ori people, Nelson is known for its thriving local arts, culture, and crafts scene, with several events each year, all culminated by the Nelson Arts Festival. The city is also host to the renowned World of Wearable art (WOW) gallery.

For some whale and dolphin watching, Kaikoura is your best bet, as the natural wonders of both land and sea open up to you. The abundant wildlife is complemented by the beautiful Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway, and the rock platforms will offer plenty of exciting opportunities to catch some fur seals in action.

Lying at the head of a fiord-like inlet surrounded by seven hills, this city was once the largest and wealthiest city in the country, thanks to its gold fields. It's said to be one of the most perfectly preserved Victorian cities in the world.

Also known as Tamatea, the largest of New Zealand's fjords is inundated with sparkling waters, verdant landscapes and tumbling waterfalls. Seals, bottlenose dolphins, wood pigeons and penguins make this remote southern area of New Zealand a slideshow of captivating wildlife.