North Island and Wairarapa named in Lonely Planet travel lists

Thursday 23 October 2025 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated Thu 23 Oct 2025, 6:00am

In this story Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet has included New Zealand's North Island in its top 25 destinations for 2026. Additionally, the Wairarapa region has been recognised for its food, wine, and stargazing experiences in the publication's top experiences list.

How they headlined it

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1. StuffThu 23 Oct 2025, 4:00am

   North Island trumps Mainland in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel list (opens in new tab)

2. 1NewsThu 23 Oct 2025, 6:00am

   Two NZ destinations feature on global travel hot lists for 2026 (opens in new tab)