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Thanks to Lord of the Rings, the America's Cup, and a hysterical fear of terrorism, New Zealand has been declared the world's top tourist destination for 2003. From this you might reasonably assume that New Zealand must be filled with awful tourist traps and beaten tracks. Luckily for you, whatever beaten track exists today is still very interesting. A few randomly selected tourist traps and mainstream tourism highlights:
| A low-flying airplane in Mangaweka which doubles as a roadside cafe. They proudly serve the large but rather dry "Cookie Time" biscuits. |
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| Bungy jumping. QED. |
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| The world's largest alpine parrot, the adorable kea is a relentless pest to sheep farmers. Tourists love its ability to remove windshield wipers and rubber seals from parked vehicles. |
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| Hundreds of small wineries. Bicycles. Good times. |
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| Endless green pastures. There are still more sheep than NZ residents. |
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| North of Taupo, DOC's Craters of the Moon features a short walk through a somewhat thermal landscape. Expect neither craters nor lunar scenery. |
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