Rotorua, a town set on its namesake lake on New Zealand's North Island, is renowned for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. In Te Puia’s Whakarewarewa Valley, there are bubbling mud pools and the 30m-tall Pohutu Geyser.
Auckland, based around 2 large harbours, is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. In the centre, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of superyachts and lined with bars and cafes.
Waiheke Island is the most populated and the second-largest island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. Its ferry terminal in Matiatia Bay at the western end is 21.5 km from the central-city terminal in Auckland. Waiheke is the second-largest island in the gulf, after Great Barrier Island.
The Northland is a forested, subtropical region on New Zealand's North Island, framed by the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. The Bay of Islands is studded with sheltered beaches, wineries and colonial-era towns like Russell.