New Zealand's North Island is often overlooked on the race to the South but it offers an incredible range of scenery and the fascinating cities of Auckland, Rotorua, Hamilton and Wellington. Lord of the Rings fans often visit to take the pilgrimage to the locations used for Hobbiton and Mount Doom. The mountains of the Southern Alps dominate the landscape of a New Zealand's South Island creating some of the most stunning scenery in the world as they shelter a rich collection of ancient glaciers. Their dramatic slopes challenge mountaineers in summer and skiers in winter.