New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, is multicultural and cosmopolitan, with sizeable Polynesian, Asian and Maori populations enriching its history and broadening the palate.
Strolling along Timaru's hilly streets and past its historic buildings, you might not guess that the city was built on the lava flows of a now-extinct volcano with the evocative name Mount Horrible. Timaru's own name comes from the Maori Te Maru, which means "place of shelter." Chief among its charms are its parks and gardens. As if the backdrop of the Southern Alps wasn't enough, a rose garden, boardwalk and beach enliven the waterfront. Up the hill, Centennial Park offers picnic spots and walking trails. The stellar Aigantighe Art Gallery and South Canterbury Museum showcase New Zealand and Maori art.
The curved shoreline of the Bay of Plenty—known in Maori as Te Moana-a-Toi—is home to incredible surfing, white-sand beaches and New Zealand's only active marine volcano. Tauranga, with 130,000 residents, is the largest city on the Bay of Plenty and fifth largest in New Zealand.
