Wilder, but more touristy at the same time.
Beautiful, but also arid and heavily developed into forestry monocultures and grazing lands.
A bit chillier.
Reminiscent of the San Juans and Southeast Alaska.
Brewery- and winery-rich. Local cheeses abound. You'll love it if you're a foodie. There's amazing seafood, too!
Craggy. Mountainous.
Full of animals that live only here and Antarctica. That is just WILD! I want to see every species of penguin so badly! And albatross!
We can't wait to go back, but we also have a greater appreciation of where we currently live. We are lucky in the number and proximity of national parks, and the amount of rain that keeps everything so green year-round. There isn't unsightly erosion, and pine forests aren't as common. Plus we have wicked volcanoes. I know people rave about the South Island, but I didn't want to move there after visiting. I wanted to go back and do more adventures, but I truly believe the North Island has more variety, and offers a lot of natural beauty.
This is just a taste of our trip. I have all the pictures and videos of our multi-day hike on the Abel Tasman Great Walk to share, plus paddleboarding on river and ocean. I'll leave you with this image: