World’s ‘most tranquil’ destination just three hours from Australia
The popular destination has been crowned the ‘most tranquil’ in the world, with three surprise Aussie locations also on the list.
Our friends over the ditch live in a country home to the most tranquil city in the world, with three surprising Aussie locations also on the list.
If there was ever a reason to visit New Zealand, it would be now, with Queenstown topping Travelbag’s “Most tranquil destination for 2025” study.
The UK-based long-haul travel specialists analysed 36 global destinations using key indicators such as noise and light pollution, cleanliness, the quality of green spaces, and levels of local congestion.
The popular adrenaline destination, known for its unparalleled landscape on the South Island, scored the highest overall average across each category noting its impressive cleanliness score of 92 out of 100 and green space quality of 94, reflecting its pristine surroundings.
It scored 25 for noise and light pollution levels, ensuring peaceful days and starry nights, and 88 in low travel congestion.
In fact, the small coastal town of KaikÅura, on the South Island, officially became an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, making it the 22nd location globally and the third sanctuary in New Zealand, alongside Aotea Great Barrier Island and Rakiura Stewart Island. The achievement supports New Zealand’s goal of becoming a dark sky nation.
The hotspot is where most tourists visit, with 43 per cent of Aussies visiting Queenstown and 58 per cent flying direct to the South Island, according to a Tourism New Zealand study. It also helps it’s just a three-hour plane journey.
“Often referred to as the adventure capital, the variety of experiences on offer proves popular among Australians,” Andrew Waddel, General Manager – Australia, Tourism New Zealand, previously told news.com.au.
“From exploring local award-winning wineries, gliding down the luge at Skyline Queenstown, taking in the view on a scenic cruise to mountain biking through world-famous trails, there’s something for everyone.”
Queenstown was also previously ranked one of the most loved destinations in the world in 2023 – so it’s definitely a destination high on travellers’ lists.
Meanwhile, its sister city Auckland located on the north island ranked sixth on the tranquil list with a noise and light pollution ranking of 44, cleanliness of 68, quality of green spaces 82 and travel congestion 166.
Three Aussie locations on the list
Coming in second place was Seychelles in East Africa followed by Cairns in Australia, sharing equal third with Kyoto, Japan and Banff in Canada.
Travelbag described Seychelles as an island paradise that blends unspoilt natural beauty with serene ambience, “making it an ideal retreat from urban life”.
“The islands boast the lowest noise and light pollution score of just 16.7, with the most tranquil spots being La Digue, Praslin, and Silhouette Island,” it stated.
Cairns, which is considered the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, had a surprisingly low noise and light pollution score of 25.
“Cairns also stands out for its cleanliness score of 69.9 and a green space quality score of 78.5, reflecting its well-maintained, nature-rich environment,” Travelbag said.
It also sits in second place with golden sands and tropical waters. “Its beaches boast an impressive rating of 4.7 stars, supported by a strong cleanliness score of 69.6 and low water pollution (34.3).”
Meanwhile, the Gold Coast also made the cut, ranking fifth with a score of 42 for noise and light pollution, 73 for cleanliness and 85 for green spaces. But for low travel congestion it scored 180. Sydney ranked seventh with a score of 40 for noise and light pollution, 69 for cleanliness, 80 for green spaces and parks and 192 for low travel congestion.
Rounding out the top 10 were Whistler, Canada in fourth, Orlando, Florida in eight, Tokyo Japan in ninth and Cape Town, South Africa in 10th.
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