Being a Kiwi is to win the lottery in life. We are free, prosperous, clean and green and we’re not a bad looking bunch either. The most breath-taking facet of our country is the spectacular land and sea scape that touches all corners of our two islands. But if you had to pick a winner, which island would come out on top?
This is almost an impossible task to undertake without being personally biased. Some people love beaches, some the rolling hills of the countryside and mountains, many revel in native culture, others just love wine and need to be immersed among the vines. If you had to recommend to a tourist where to spend the majority of time, would you say North or South?
The North Island enjoys a more tropical climate, especially North of Taupo, and no doubt has better beaches. The Bay of Islands, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Raglan, among other spots boast fantastic beaches for all types of purposes be it surfing, fishing, kayaking or taking in some of the suns rays. The South has some awesome rugged beaches but the ocean swims tend to be slightly too refreshing.
City life and night life is actually a thing in the North, Auckland and Wellington being standouts with great café, restaurant, art and music culture. The South has a population of just over 1 million and Christchurch is the only real city, so if you’re not a fan of people pollution then the South is ideal for you.
Speaking of people, Maori culture is more vibrant and active in the North island where people still speak the language and cultural performances and Marae are much more prominent. Also, there is a more diverse demographic in the North with many Pacific Islanders, Asians and Europeans living together.
New Zealand’s geothermic activity is also in the North, brought about after two tectonic plates collided – the Australian and the Pacific. The volcanoes of the Tongariro National Park, the hot pools and mud spas of Rotorua, and Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel are all highlights.
One of the main appeals of the South is the mountainous landscape. The Southern Alps are snow-capped throughout the year and are a post cards dream. Hiking, tramping and mountaineering should be done in the South too – the Routeburn Track, Milford Track and Abel Tasman Coastal Track are stunning to say the least. And for glaciers, head to Franz Joseph on The West Coast.
If you’re an adrenalin junkie Queenstown is where you need to be – skiing, skydiving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, jetboating, paragliding, zorbing, it doesn’t matter what form of adventure you dig, it’s all there in Central Otago. Not a bad night life and café scene there too.
The South is perfect for road trips be it in a car, bus, motorbike or campervan. The landscape and open space is incredible. Things are generally slower and more laid back in the South Island and the North is faster paced and revolves more around people and culture rather than scenery.
So which island comes out on top? We’ll go with the North. The cultural factors sway us slightly in the Norths favour but in reality one should never have to choose between the two, they are both just as awesome as each other.