Luxury hotel holidays to Central North Island New Zealand

An Expressions tailor-made holiday to the Central North Island in New Zealand encompasses the volcanic heartland of New Zealand's North Island and contains the geothermal wonders of Rotorua including the dramatic Pohutu Geyser as well as the active volcano, White Island, just off the coast, Mount Ruapehu and the Taupo volcanic zone. The geothermal activity in the area has created a fascinating landscape of volcanic peaks, sometimes snow-capped, mountain ranges, bubbling springs and hot mineral pools, plateaux dotted with vast lakes fed by fast flowing, clear rivers brimming with trout. The landscape is incredibly green, and a mixture of bush with dense forests of beech trees, rimu and other pine trees and ferns of varying sizes and grassy open hillsides with cabbage trees. Every now and then steam rises from patches of ground. This region is also rich in Maori history and Rotorua has remained an important centre for Maori culture. To the east of the region near Gisborne, there are vineyards, rich pastures and surf beaches. It is also the place where Captain Cook made his first New Zealand landfall at Kaiti Beach in 1769. The region offers a superb range of water based and land sports including fishing, white-water rafting, walking, kayaking and mountain biking. Scenic flights over the volcanoes are very popular.