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Going to NZ...

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KaLi68

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Me and my wife are going to NZ this Januari. Leaving the winter in Sweden for summer in New Zealand... :)

Could you please provide us with some last-minute-tips of sights not to miss?

Were planning to start at Auckland at jan 6 and drop of the rental in Christchurch at jan 24...

Regards,

Kari & Lena
 
I spent 24 days in New Zealand last year. Lovely country. We hired a car, and drove everywhere.

The highlights of the North Island were 'The Bay of Islands', the Waitomo Caves, Rotorua and the Taupo area.

We could have spent the entire time in the South Island, and not seen all we wanted to.

Highlights were: Kaikoura, Maruia Springs, Lake Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, and the Franz Josef Glacier.

Photos from my trip can be seen in the link below.

-- http://iainphotos.fotopic.net/
 
New Zealand is a fantastic place - you will have a great time there. My tips would be:
Book your car through hertz.
Allow longer to get places than the map suggests.
Dont speed, the police are very hot on this.

Try to book the little house near the church of the good sheperd. There isnt a lot there apart from a big lake, but we had a fantastic 24 hours there.
Swim with the dolphins in Kaikoura and go to the seal colony in the car park.
If you can afford it fly to the Milford Sound - see point 2...

If you get the opportunity, do the train journey from Christchurch to the west of the Island.
Try as many of the local wines as you can.

Pics - http://www.pbase.com/gsb/new_zealand

If you go up the Glacier, please take a good picture for me. We were rained off, which was a huge disapointment.
 
Hi Kari,

Hope you have a really great time.

Can be worth booking Wellington inter-island ferry in advance (in their high season).

We enjoyed Mercury Bay & Hot water Beach. Also Wellington's Observatory & Cable car and the Te Papa museum. North Island.

South Island is even more beautiful. Try to include; the Hooker Glacier by Mt Cook & perhaps a ski-plane landing (Helicopters leave their engines running). Wanaka Queenstown & Te Anau are lovely (Queenstown gets a little busy). Omarama has some of the best gliding on the planet. (As a non pilot I was able to take the controls for 30 mins!)

Camper-vans can be a great way to see the country. Remember to check out the Southern Cross. Poor things dont have a (south) Pole Star.

Cheers,
Donald
 
Be sure to visit Waitomo near Rotorua. Visit the caves with world-famous glow worm. You can't take photos (even without flash) because everyone has to be absolutely quiet so as not to disturb the glow-worm. It's the most wonderful experience I had. A definite must-see place.
 
You will love New Zealand. We spent seven weeks there two years ago and there were many,many highlights.

South Island:

The road to Milford Sound and the sound itself (great walks);
Doubtful Sound;
Helicopter ride up round Mount Cook;
Lake Matheson;
The Catlins;
Queenstown;
Kaikoura (whale-watching and beautiful walks);
Wineries around Nelson (lunch and a glass of wine!)

North Island:

Huka Falls (Taupo);
Rotorua (Maori Hangi, Geysers);
Coromandel Peninsula;
Bay of Islands;
Ninety Mile Beach.

Get a free copy of the AA Guide to accommodation. Make sure you have loads of memory because of all that magnificent scenery. Hopefully, the the sun will shine for you.
Have a wonderful time.

Shaun
 
Gorgeous place and I really want to go back. You can't really go wrong there's just so much beauty there but I want to add the Otago peninsula and the albatross and penguins that you can see there to the places that have already been mentioned.
Bob.
 
skip the north island... stay in the south... OK, kidding, both were fun, but we enjoyed the south more...

as a can't miss, I would also suggest the Routeburn track... from Milford sound back to Q town. on of the best hikes i've ever done.

wanaka was a great place, better than queenstown in my opinion.

franz josef glacier, full day trip was lots of fun. dont forget abel tasman NP either...

in the north, rotorua, if you can stand the sulphur smell, is interesting. but the coromandel peninsula was incredible...

here's a bunch of photos and some more descriptions:

http://fastducatirider.smugmug.com/Travel/72668

have fun....
 
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