Manawatū-Whanganui accommodation from NZ$85

Halfway between Rotorua and Wellington is gorgeous Manawatu, where Mother Nature has really outdone herself. With spectacular mountains, beaches and rivers; you can enjoy them all from your Manawatu hotel on New Zealand's North Island.

Without a doubt, the first natural landmark to visit is the Manawatu River. The size of the river apparently caused the ancient Maori chief Hau's heart to stand still when he saw it for the first time. For this reason, he named the river "Manawatu" which roughly translates to "Halted Heart". Over time, the river has carved out a sizeable piece of mountain, Manawatu Gorge, which should definitely feature in at least one of your photos. The Manawatu River isn't the only place you can go for a dip, though. There's also the Rangitikei River, Himatangi Beach and Tangimoana Beach. If you don't feel like getting your feet wet, you might like exploring the Ruahine Mountain Range; or standing under a windmill at the Tararua Wind Farm, the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere.

Although the rush of a windmill above your head is pretty exhilarating, it's probably considered child's play for hardcore thrill seekers. If you're an adrenalin junkie, Mokai Gravity Canyon is the place for you. It's got a flying fox, giant swing and the highest bungy jump in the North Island. On the other hand, football fanatics will love visiting New Zealand's Rugby Museum, which houses football-related artefacts, as well as a "have a go" area. After all that activity, you can head to the Tui HQ to tour the brewery, explore the beer museum, pick up some souvenirs in the shop and sample a glass of the golden beverage at the bar. However, if you prefer wine over beer, the Hawkes Bay wine region is only 150km away.

As we mentioned earlier, Manawatu is situated about halfway between Rotorua and Wellington, but the best way to get here is to fly to Palmerston North because the Palmerston North Airport is within the Manawatu District. You can get around Manawatu on buses and there are plenty of coach buses that can take you to the surrounding regions.

So if you're a nature lover, you'll feel like a kid in a candy store in Manawatu. Don't forget to book your flights and Manawatu accommodation today!

Image credit Kane under Creative Commons