Those glacier hikes go on the South Island's ledger for adventure activities, too. The North Island isn't exactly short on these – you can bungy jump in Taupo or do the world's highest rafted ...

Rainfall: Extremely dry in Northland, Firth of Thames, Eastern Waikato, Coromandel, Western Bay of Plenty, and Taupo. Wet around Palmerston North, and very wet over much of South Island ...