At Mangarara, they put the planet before money, writes Tim Roxborogh.

The entrance could be better signposted: I tried to enter via the exit and ended up dithering dangerously on a high-speed road.

Elisabeth Easther seeks out the historical and beautiful sides of this Hauraki Gulf gem.

Winston Aldworth lays down his towel at a classic Coromandel beach.

We were asked to keep our heads down, follow the path and walk single file with no talking.

Our third island offers friendly locals and an array of adventures.

As one of the frontrunners so succinctly put it: "That was super-hard, but man it was fun!"

Elisabeth Easther finds herself stoked with a small town's selection of brews.

Mangawhai is a great place to get away to for the weekend and also fantastic for fishing.

After our tour of Napier's art deco riches, we fancied ourselves as experts of the features that marked this oh-so-elegant aesthetic.

Miriyana Alexander checks out a luxury lodge that's luring celebs to New Zealand.

Fresh off the boat from Auckland, Sarah Daniell discovers paradise on Waiheke.

New Zealand boasts some of the world's top multi-day tramps and wilderness adventures.

Formerly a mill town, the area was surveyed in the 1880s, in 1903 the main trunk line came through and the school was opened in 1904, the same year the phone line was brought in.

The TrailLite's turbo diesel ensured it was no slug on the road and we were through Auckland's busy Saturday morning traffic and over the harbour bridge in no time.

The interior design is a questionable combination of pea soup green and floral. And don't expect to be able to lounge around in a robe, because there aren't any.

The mosquitoes up there are as big as sparrows, they told me. They come in swarms so big they blot out the sky, they added ominously.

Take an extended break and explore this art- and culture-centric part of the North Island.

As far as breakfast spots go, it would be hard to beat our beachfront campsite at Matata, just north of Whakatane, with its views of crashing surf and picturesque Whale Island.

Cyclists are bringing the gold back to this former mining town, says Elisabeth Easther.

It's Seaweek - what better excuse to get out to some of NZ's top snorkelling spots?

The Eagles Nest spills across 75 acres of a peninsula looking down on the Bay of Islands along the way to Tapeka Pt.

The snacking is plentiful down south, discovers Louise Richardson.

Deep beneath the Earth's surface the magical sight of thousands of glow-worms makes the cave ceiling twinkle.

There's more to this town than pretty parks and coastal walks, writes Susan Strongman.

A US-based "sand artist" has transformed a Northland beach with the help of a local Maori artist.

Most people who live around here have deep ties to the land, their parents are from here, their grandparents, and their great-grandparents.

Scenic Hotel Te Pania Napier has rolled out the welcome mat to guests and their dogs

Over a million Kiwis left our main centres over the Christmas holiday break - but most didn't go far.