New Zealand is perceived as a picture-postcard country with verdant landscapes, clear rushing waters, and sparklingly clear air; the embodiment of an untainted land. The mainland lies in splendid isolation in the vastness of the southwest Pacific Ocean. Comprised of three main islands and numerous smaller islands with a combined area of 270,500 square kilometers and 5,650 kilometers of coastline, it is similar in size to the British Isles or Japan, but with a fraction of the population. Its nearest neighbor is Australia, which lies west, beyond the Tasman Sea, 1,600 kilometers away. The main North, South, and Stewart Islands stretch 1,600 kilometers from north to south and are separated by relatively narrow straits, Cook and Foveaux respectively.

The offshore island groups include the Kermadec Islands, 930 kilometres northeast of the Bay of Islands; the Chatham Islands, 850 kilometers east of Christchurch; and the subantarctic islands of the Auckland and Campbell group, 590 kilometers south of Stewart Island. New Zealand also has jurisdiction over the territories of Tokelau, 500 kilometers north of Western Samoa, and the Ross Dependency sector of Antarctica, 2,300 kilometers south of Stewart Island.

One of the main attractions of New Zealand is the infinite variety of the landscape and vegetation. Golden sand beaches and emerald-green expanses of rugged, hilly, pasture give way to thickly forested mountain ranges and volcanic plateaux in the North Island. By contrast, much of the South Island is stark, with high, barren mountains well above the treeline, which are commonly mantled in snow. Geologically, the surface of the land is young, and the landscape is immature, being characterized by lofty, sharp-crested mountain ranges, deep gorges, waterfalls, and lakes, particularly in the South Island and the central part of the North Island.

Whether you wish to explore the North Island, South Island, or one of the offshore islands, accommodation in New Zealand is available in most towns and regions. Most towns with a population of a few hundred will at least have a motel at which to stay for the night. Popular destinations will have more upscale hotels and resorts available.