North Island offers a taste of the great New Zealand outdoors with the opportunity to sample the cosmopolitan ambiance of some of its largest cities. Wellington, the capital, lies on the southern tip of South Island, set against rolling green hills with a picturesque harbour. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and is built around a myriad of harbours, bays and islands in the shadow of dormant volcanoes. Outside the main cities, Rotorua offers a fascinating insight into the Maori way of living while there are stunning beaches at the Bay of Islands, Coromandel and Waiheke.