The International Society for Ecotourism defines ecotourism as “responsible travel in natural areas that preserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

As global industries, tourism and travel have a profound impact on the environment and culture of the world. Fragile natural resources, such as forests, can be damaged or depleted due to large numbers of visitors or irresponsible use. Animal habitats can be destroyed by visitors and ecosystems changed forever.

New Zealand has a large farming community, and it is commonly joked that there are 10 sheep for every person. Farm tours give tourists the opportunity to meet farmers face to face and get their hands dirty on a real farm. In many other parts of the world, this is not an option.

Take a tour of a fully functional New Zealand farm and experience real-life activities on a working farm. See what happens on a daily basis and, if you want, participate in common tasks such as milking a dairy cow, feeding cubs, watching sheep being sheared and dogs being herded. Be sure to go in the spring (September to November) if you want to see and feed the baby animals.

Other farming activities you can participate in are horseback riding, possum or rabbit shooting, or bushwalking.

Types of farms in New Zealand:

• Sheep;
• Cattle/dairy;
• Deer;
• Alpaca;
• Llama;
• ostrich;
• pig;
• fish;
• Vegetables;
• fruit;
• grain;
• And much, much more…

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The northern island of the country is replete with sandy beaches, green valleys and peaks of long-dormant (although occasionally showing signs of life) volcanoes. The main one is Taranaki, which is often compared to Japan’s Fujiyama because of its regular cone shape. Natural wonder number two is the islet of White Island, the tip of an active underwater volcano that is no less than two million years old. The giant Bay of Plenty region is a picturesque coastline cut by many bays. Here, on the North Island, there are two capitals of New Zealand: the official, but at the same time terribly cozy – Wellington, and the economic – the metropolis of Auckland.

The South Island is larger and more picturesque than its northern neighbor, and it experiences guests not only with breathtaking views, but also with regular gusty winds and sudden downpours. You need to go here to see the Milford Sound fjord that does not fit into any lens, drive through the Marlborough vineyards, break off pieces of ice from the millennial Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, swim with fur seals and, of course, see blue whales emerge from the ocean depths, flapping their powerful dorsal fins.

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Taumata is a 305-meter hill on the North Island, off the Pacific coast, near the town of Porangahau. The hill is world famous for its long name. In the Māori language, this long word means: “The top of the hill where Tamatea, the big-kneed man who conquered mountains and explored lands, climbed and performed on the flute for his kin.”

There are even longer variations of the name of this New Zealand natural landmark with their own stories, but Taumatauakauakatangiangiangiangakoauauauauotamateateaturipuripukakapikapikamungahoronukupokanupokanuenuakitana-tahu is the classic and most established version. Māori tell us that they use the word extensively in everyday life, but more often use the shortened version, “Taumata”.

Taumata is a famous warrior who explored the land and whose name appears in many legends throughout New Zealand. The name of this warrior is immortalized not only in the name of the hill and in the legends, but also in the names of several rivers, swamps, and there is even a Taumata district in the town of Napier.

There is an ancient legend on the South Island that the warrior Taumata’s canoe was wrecked in the far south, turning into Mount Takitima. Taumata was then forced to return to the North Island, where he was remembered by his descendants. This warrior became the founder of the Ngati tribe in the Poganhau region.

As the tribe fought a battle with the enemy, Taumata’s brother was killed. Taumata was greatly shaken by this, and even spent some time at the site of his death. Every morning the warrior climbed the hill to play his flute to ease the pain of his loss. Taumata, New ZealandThis event is the reason why the hill was given this name.

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Geologists believe that Manapouri was created by the waters of melting glaciers that came down from the mountains about 20 thousand years ago. The reservoir covers 142 km2 of territory with a depth of 444 meters, Lake Manapouri being the second deepest lake in the country. You will be able to see this natural treasure by ordering a visa to New Zealand for eco-tourism in BTS group.

From the ancient name “Thousand Islands” it becomes clear that the lake is rich in islands, but there are actually 34 of them, and 22 of them are covered with dense forests. Pomona Island has the status of the largest on the lake, and its location is also remarkable – right in the middle of the reservoir. Other large islands include Holmwood, Rona, and Mahara.

Lake Manapouri is fed by streams that flow down from the Hunter, Tarrett and Kepler mountain ranges that encircle the lake, leaving open the eastern shore, which became the site of a small settlement.

In ancient times, the Manapouri shoreline was inhabited by the indigenous Maori, whose livelihoods included gathering, hunting and fishing.Manapouri shore settlement The first explorer of this natural attraction in New Zealand was James McKerrow. This man conducted the first research work in 1862 and named many geographical objects of the area. These names have been preserved to this day. Since 1901 European deer have lived on the shores of the reservoir, which were released here for breeding.

An underground hydroelectric power station of the same name was built on Lake Manapouri. In the last years of the 1960s, the New Zealand authorities put forward a proposal to raise the lake’s water level by 8.2 mozero Manapouri in New Zealand in order to increase energy production, but environmentalists staged nationwide protests with the slogan “Save Manapouri!” and succeeded in getting the idea dropped. This protest campaign became famous as the first environmental mass movement in New Zealand.

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