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The Coastline of New Zealand

The Coastline of New Zealand

The Coastline of New Zealand...
New Zealand's coastline offers a bit of everything. Sand stretches as far as the eye can see in some areas, such as Ninety Mile Beach at the tip of the North Island; in other areas, such as the Bay of Islands in the northeast of the North Island and Marlborough Sounds at the South Island's northern tip, deep coves and sheltered bays dotted with tiny islands fringe the coast.

The west coast of the South Island is lined with rocky cliffs, blowholes, caves, and rugged surf beaches where seals haul themselves ashore; in the far southwest corner, 14 magnificent fiords deeply indent the coastline, and along a small section of the east coast, several sandy beaches are strewn with large, perfectly circular boulders.

For sandy beaches and warm, aquamarine waters, stay in the north; for rugged surf-swept beaches, intriguing rock formations, and deep, mirror-surfaced fiords, head south.