New Zealand's north island gets an unfair reputation

It's not as dramatic, but it's still pretty dramatic

That’s not the Sahara… it’s New Zealand’s north island!

Recently Alexa and I spent about 3 weeks traveling all around New Zealand, across both the north island and the south island. Now, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I’ve definitely heard one consistent thing about New Zealand: the north island isn’t nearly as interesting as the south island, topographically speaking. And while this might be true, the south island is really dramatic, the north is still very beautiful in its own right.

And, of course, if you haven’t yet, take a look at our video all about taking a train from Auckland to Wellington on the North Island (and you can see the South Island on Saturday):

The South Island is, of course, home to the soaring Southern Alps and dramatic fjords of the Fiordlands National Park (and no that’s not a misspelling; they spell fjords with an i). This can leave the North Island feeling a little overlooked, but to dismiss its topography would be a disservice. The North Island's landscape, while different, is incredibly dynamic and possesses a beauty all its own. There is a reason they filmed Hobbiton from the Lord of the Rings movie here, afterall.

The North Island's topography is primarily defined by its volcanic origins. Unlike the South Island's mountainous spine forged by tectonic uplift, the North Island is a land shaped by geothermal activity that is still highly active today. The Taupō Volcanic Zone, stretching from Ruapehu in the south to White Island (Whakaari) in the Bay of Plenty, is a testament to this powerful volcanic topography. Here, you'll find active volcanoes like the iconic Mount Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro, whose snow-capped peaks offer a stark and impressive contrast to the surrounding lush native bush.

But beyond the volcanic peaks, the North Island has what I would consider to be a more varied topography. Rolling hills, particularly evident in areas like the Waikato and Taranaki, provide a gentler, more pastoral beauty. Perhaps, in some ways, similar to the English countryside, though a bit more dramatic I’d wager. These verdant hills were carved by rivers, wind and time, creating a serene that Hobbits would flourish in. But it’s not all Hobbit-like topography! The rugged coastlines, especially on the west, are battered by the Tasman Sea, forming dramatic cliffs and black sand beaches that stretch for miles. The Hokianga Harbour in Northland, with its immense sand dunes, offers another example of the island's coastal diversity.

Perhaps one of the most distinctive features of the North Island though is its geothermal activity. Rotorua, for instance, is world-renowned for its bubbling mud pools, spouting geysers, and vibrant silica terraces. This is a landscape where the earth breathes and hisses, a truly otherworldly experience that showcases the raw power beneath the surface. While the South Island has its share of impressive natural features, this kind of widespread, active geothermal landscape is uniquely North Island.

Moreover, the North Island is home to extensive forest cover, including the magnificent kauri forests in the north, remnants of ancient ecosystems. These forests contribute to a sense of scale and grandeur, often overlooked in the shadow of the South Island's more imposing peaks. The central plateau, dotted with large lakes like Taupō and Rotorua, themselves formed by ancient volcanic eruptions, adds another dimension to the island's varied terrain, creating vast inland seas that reflect the sky and surrounding hills.

The North Island's reputation for being less dramatic than its southern counterpart is unfair in my opinion. While it may lack the sheer scale of the Southern Alps, its topography is a testament to varied but equally powerful geologic forces. But what’s perhaps oddest about all of this is that, if you take the two islands separately, you could almost be convinced that they were nowhere near each other. They look and feel very different. Not better or worse, just different.

All this is to say, if you get the chance to visit New Zealand, be sure to give the north island its due and not skip over its natural areas because the South Island has the mountains and fjords. In particular, we really enjoyed our roadtrip to the far northern tip (episode coming in a few weeks!).