Advice on what to see and do in New Zealand

[dairedevil]

In April, my family will be traveling to New Zealand for about two weeks. There will be seven of us, three grandparents, two parents and the grandkids that are 8 and almost 7. We are trying to plan an itenerary, probably staying on the North Island as we don't know what shape the roads are in after the earthquake near Kaikoura. Also, my son and his wife spent a portion of their honeymoon in the Marlborough area, and would like to see new places instead of repeating the prior experience... With their parents and kids.
We hope to find rentals (air bnb type homes) to use as a base for day trips as we do not want to be in a car the whole time.

Do you have any ideas for things that are "must see"? Any activities that we should do? Fun things for the kids? Places to stay?

I appreciate any advice you've go to offer.. Thanks!

[campered]

In April, my family will be traveling to New Zealand for about two weeks. There will be seven of us, three grandparents, two parents and the grandkids that are 8 and almost 7. We are trying to plan an itenerary, probably staying on the North Island as we don't know what shape the roads are in after the earthquake near Kaikoura. Also, my son and his wife spent a portion of their honeymoon in the Marlborough area, and would like to see new places instead of repeating the prior experience... With their parents and kids.
We hope to find rentals (air bnb type homes) to use as a base for day trips as we do not want to be in a car the whole time.

Do you have any ideas for things that are "must see"? Any activities that we should do? Fun things for the kids? Places to stay?

I appreciate any advice you've go to offer.. Thanks!

Just get on YouTube, my friend..

[wfhyde]

In April, my family will be traveling to New Zealand for about two weeks. There will be seven of us, three grandparents, two parents and the grandkids that are 8 and almost 7. We are trying to plan an itenerary, probably staying on the North Island as we don't know what shape the roads are in after the earthquake near Kaikoura. Also, my son and his wife spent a portion of their honeymoon in the Marlborough area, and would like to see new places instead of repeating the prior experience... With their parents and kids.
We hope to find rentals (air bnb type homes) to use as a base for day trips as we do not want to be in a car the whole time.

Do you have any ideas for things that are "must see"? Any activities that we should do? Fun things for the kids? Places to stay?

I appreciate any advice you've go to offer.. Thanks!

We visited NZ last May (2016) and we too were restricted to the north island. May means winter and some restrictions. (We couldn’t hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.) We rented a car and that allowed desirable flexibility. If you change your plans and decide to drive, then be alert to the very many speed checks.

We didn’t get to either the far north or the east coast—both of which we understand had much to offer. Our trip was assisted with the recommendations of professional friends and two weeks of professional meetings. But we also had another two weeks of uninterrupted family time—which we enjoyed enough to now plan a return visit. Our trip included a lot of forestry-related and outdoor activities. NZ is well-known for these. The forest sector of its economy is among the most advanced technologically in the world and its changing land ownership pattern (largely indigenous) makes for special interest. If you have any interest whatsoever in forest-related activities then this will add to your trip. However, NZ was great for us—even beyond my professional interest.
We arrived in Auckland, drove to Rotorua, took in a side trip to Waitomo, drove on to Taupo and then to Wellington, before returning to Auckland for our flight home. The Auckland museum, adjacent large city park, and Anglican church and Catholic cathedral were all within a block or two of a great B&B—but I cannot seem to turn up its name. Sorry. I can do better for the rest of the trip.

We were only in Auckland two days before heading south to Rotorua. Our recommendations there would include the redwood forest park and the city park near the lake. Both offer good walking trails, the latter alongside numerous hot springs. The city museum and restaurant row with an excellent ice cream store are adjacent to the city park. Check out the open air market held (Wednesdays and Saturdays?) in the city park. Opies’ Takeout is good and inexpensive for seafood. And, for adventure, try Kaituna Falls, a 2-3 hour afternoon raft trip near Rotorua, including a seven meter fall, the largest commercially run fall in the world. Good fun, even for old timers like my wife and me (67 and 73 yo). We had recommendations for native Maori shows but never found time for them. Just a lot of other interesting activities—and reason to return!

We took two side trips from Rotorua and both were well worth the time. Our son played rugby on one of Duke’s good teams. This provided incentive to visit Hamilton for an international match with Melbourne. We don’t know much about the sport (only watched three Duke matches before) but we gained insight from even this one quality match. You probably know, or will know because you can’t miss it in NZ, that the All Blacks, NZ’s national team, are world champs.

Our second side trip was to Waitomo, the Blackwater caves and glowworms. Interesting and well worth the time—even if we had a miserably rainy day. We also visited Hobbitown which was also a worthwhile stop. Neither of these two activities was something that had special appeal to me ahead of time, but I’d recommend both. Our son and my wife, who’d both read the Hobbit stories when our son was younger, understood more than I but we all enjoyed the time.
We drove on to Lake Taupo. Taupo has one of the finest small town museums we’ve seen anywhere in the world. Just south of town the trout hatchery and its museum is also worth visiting. Huge trout! Victoria’s is a good and unpretentious restaurant in Taupo.

Wellington (along with the various forestry things we did and saw) was a highlight. The coastal drive and a trip to the peak above the town were both outstanding. Te Papa, the national museum is, an absolute must. The botanical garden and its lots of opportunity for interesting and peaceful walks are also on the top our list. We recommend highly the unpretentious seafood restaurant on the waterfront near Te Papa (Crab Shak?).

We often stay in B&Bs. Booklovers in Wellington is one of our favorites. The hostess is a writer herself. Booklovers is ½ block from one entrance to the hillside wooded park with paths leading to the top of Wellington. It is also only about one block up the hill from a small pub that served among the best hamburgs we’ve ever had. Ask its name at Booklovers.

Finally, just know in advance that you’ll have a wonderful time. New Zealanders were fine hosts for us, and we’re certain you’ll find them the same. No matter what your interest you’ll find much to enjoy—but you’ll especially enjoy the countryside and all sorts of outdoor activities if those fit your desire.

[dairedevil]

Thanks, wfhyde! This was the type of advice I was seeking. We have been doing online research, as well as guidebooks, but it is nice to have someone tell us of their personal experiences. We have discussed most of the places you visited, but are hoping to add some of the coastal areas and Waiheke Island. I appreciate the market and restaurant recommendations.

[OldPhiKap]

Re-upping this, there is an outside shot I will be headed that way in the spring and DBR has been a great resource for traveling in the past I have found. Thinking North Island and Auckland/Rotorua area but if anyone has info or recs please let me know!

Would like to rent a car but worried about driving on the left side of the road. Did it on a motorbike in Bermuda, worked fine until the one time it almost really didn’t. Any thoughts on that are welcome as well.

Would also be in Melbourne AUS if I go — no choice on city but any ideas for things to see in that area are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

[sagegrouse]

If you are mostly in rural areas, I would rent a car and not give it a second thought -- except maybe at the roundabouts.

We spent a week on the South Island in 2008. It was unbelievably gorgeous in Oct.

[House P]

Re-upping this, there is an outside shot I will be headed that way in the spring and DBR has been a great resource for traveling in the past I have found. Thinking North Island and Auckland/Rotorua area but if anyone has info or recs please let me know!

Would like to rent a car but worried about driving on the left side of the road. Did it on a motorbike in Bermuda, worked fine until the one time it almost really didn’t. Any thoughts on that are welcome as well.

Would also be in Melbourne AUS if I go — no choice on city but any ideas for things to see in that area are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve been to about 50 countries and New Zealand is my favorite. My wife and I have been there twice- once in 2001 for 3 weeks and once in 2011 for 2 weeks. Not sure how much things have changed since 2011, but here are some things to consider.

- While Auckland and Wellington are nice enough places, I would recommend spending as little time as possible in cities. The countryside and wilderness areas are where NZ really shines. It almost doesn’t matter where you go, there is spectacular scenery practically everywhere.

- The entire country is about the size of California, but has about the same population as metro Boston. So very few places are crowded. You could stumble upon one of the most picturesque lakes you have ever seen and they may be no one else there. Because it is an island, there are near deserted beaches all over the place.

- If you can fit it into your schedule, I would recommend the South Island over the North. Both are great, but the South Island takes the above points to another level - even more spectacular scenery and even fewer people.

- We were also initially reluctant to drive on the “wrong” side of the road, but got the knack for it pretty quickly. Once you get outside the cities, your are unlikely to encounter anything tricky. It is nothing like trying to navigate Bermuda’s narrow roads as they wind through highly developed areas.

- If you enjoy hiking, NZ has some of the best hiking trails in the world.

- At the risk of overgeneralizing, nearly every Kiwi we met was delightful. This seemed especially true once you get outside the main cities and major tourist spots.

- You probably know that NZ is famous for adventure activities like bungee jumping. We really enjoyed the jet boat trip we took, but I am pretty certain that we will never go Zorbing ever again.

- The only place we went that underwhelmed us was Rotorua. The town is nothing special (mostly a bunch of tourist centric businesses) and the thermal features aren’t especially impressive if you’ve been to Yellowstone.

We obviously didn’t go everywhere, but here are a few of the places which stood out to us.

- Waiheke Island: A laid back island (beaches, vineyards, etc) which is a short ferry ride from Auckland.

- Queen Charlotte Sound: We stayed a couple nights at the Bay of Many Coves Lodge, a small lodge with a spectacular setting on a peninsular which is only accessible by boat.

- Wanaka: A lakeside town on the South Island which is nearly as scenic as the more famous Queenstown, but far less packed with overseas travelers.

- Te Anau: We took a great boat tour of Milford Sound and another tour of the local glow-worm caves from here.

- Akaroa: A small seaside resort town in the crater of an extinct volcano about 90 minutes outside Christchurch.

[bundabergdevil]

Re-upping this, there is an outside shot I will be headed that way in the spring and DBR has been a great resource for traveling in the past I have found. Thinking North Island and Auckland/Rotorua area but if anyone has info or recs please let me know!

Would like to rent a car but worried about driving on the left side of the road. Did it on a motorbike in Bermuda, worked fine until the one time it almost really didn’t. Any thoughts on that are welcome as well.

Would also be in Melbourne AUS if I go — no choice on city but any ideas for things to see in that area are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

It's been a while for both New Zealand and Melbourne but a few recollections/thoughts below:

- Rent the car. My Duke roommate and I rented a car as 21-year olds and drove it around the north island without any trouble. Outside of Auckland, it's pretty easy going. Twenty years ago, there weren't too many other options for getting around unless you were with a group tour.

- We enjoyed the Rotorua hot springs and a lot of the Maori history and culture opportunities on the North Island.

- We did not get tot he Northland bay area of the North Island but everything I have seen and read suggests it's beautiful. It's also home to historic sites like the Waitangi Treaty Grounds (you sound like a history buff).

- In Melbourne, take a day trip out on to the Great Ocean Road to see the Apostles/Coastline. Other easy trips are to Phillips Island to see the penguins and out to the mountains nearby to look for Koalas and ride the puff train.

- In the Melbourne city, I seem to recall the botanical gardens being nice but we mostly used it as a base for trips out to the hinterlands.

[OldPhiKap]

Thanks for all three responses!!!

DBR is such a broad community, I have found the travel insights here a lot better than random “top things to see” articles you find on the other parts of this interwebby thing.

House P, zorbing looks fun. I’m guessing it is more bruising and nauseating than it may appear?

[House P]

House P, zorbing looks fun. I’m guessing it is more bruising and nauseating than it may appear?

When we went 20 years ago, there were two options for zorbing. One where you were inside the zorb with a bunch of water and sort of 'sloshed' your way down the hill and another where you were strapped into some sort of chair and tumbled down the hill. We choose to be strapped in and the motion was fairly intense. I mostly enjoyed the first half of the ride, but the last couple of tumbles were fairly unpleasant and it took me a couple mins to recover. My wife was so affected that she threw up in the hotel bushes about an hour later and was not feeling right for a day or two afterwards.

Looking at the website just now, it seems that they may have discontinued the "strap-you-in" option.

[BigWayne]

Re-upping this, there is an outside shot I will be headed that way in the spring and DBR has been a great resource for traveling in the past I have found. Thinking North Island and Auckland/Rotorua area but if anyone has info or recs please let me know!

Would like to rent a car but worried about driving on the left side of the road. Did it on a motorbike in Bermuda, worked fine until the one time it almost really didn’t. Any thoughts on that are welcome as well.

Would also be in Melbourne AUS if I go — no choice on city but any ideas for things to see in that area are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Based on my experience a long time ago, if someone in NZ wants to take you to see the glow worms, look for a better option to spend your time.

The AFL season starts mid march. More than half the teams are in the Melbourne metro. I would try to get to a game if possible.

[OldPhiKap]

Thanks to all!!

[House P]

Based on my experience a long time ago, if someone in NZ wants to take you to see the glow worms, look for a better option to spend your time.

We have seen the glow worms twice. The first time we joined a tour which involved a boat trip across Lake Te Anau, followed by a short hike in a cave, which was followed by a boat trip down a river in the cave with thousands of glow worms overhead.

Glow worms.jpg

The second time we followed a short path through the woods behind our motel to a spot where there were a few dozen barely visible glow worms hanging from a tree. Needless to say, that was much less impressive.

In retrospect, the boat trip inside the cave was probably the best part and something that can be replicated without glow worms.

[davidson]

Re-upping this, there is an outside shot I will be headed that way in the spring and DBR has been a great resource for traveling in the past I have found. Thinking North Island and Auckland/Rotorua area but if anyone has info or recs please let me know!

Would like to rent a car but worried about driving on the left side of the road. Did it on a motorbike in Bermuda, worked fine until the one time it almost really didn’t. Any thoughts on that are welcome as well.

Would also be in Melbourne AUS if I go — no choice on city but any ideas for things to see in that area are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

New Zealand was the best trip of my life, and currently planning a visit next year.

We spent very little time in Auckland - flight landed around 5 am, and we were jet lagged zombies as we wandered about town waiting for check in time at the hotel. I do remember eating lunch at the rotating restaurant on top of the Sky Tower. Not realizing there was a bungee jumping attraction at the top of tower, in my jet lagged state was stunned when I saw bodies flying by the window.

A car is a must, but there is virtually no traffic once you get out of Auckland. Some of the bridges are even one lane (with a light telling you when it is clear) with train tracks in the center as well.

Spent a lot of time on the Coramandel Peninsula - gorgeous mountains tumbling own to the sea. Stayed in a couple of places, including Whitianga, and had a blast. Hot sand beach was pretty fun - dig in the sand and have your own hot tub.

Drove from there to Rotorua. The town is a pretty touristy, but the attractions are cool. The Waimangu volcanic valley with hot springs and geysers is beautiful, and the buried village of Te Wairoa from the 1886 eruption is pretty interesting.

Really liked the South Island the best. Flew to Christchurch, which I loved. Took the Tranz Alpine train across the Southern Alps, and picked up another rental car. Drove down the coast (amazingly beautiful), hiked the Fox Glacier, did the boat tour of Doubtful Sound, went skiing at the Remarkables while staying in Queenstown, and ended up in Dunedin (which was my favorite city on the trip).

Every place was beautiful, every person was wonderful, great wine, ate more lamb than I ever had, and loved every minute. Can’t wait to go back.

[OldPhiKap]

Again, many thanks to all!

Due to circumstances beyond my control, if I do the trip it will be late May. A little concerned about snow and road conditions, especially on the South Island. But these responses have upped my odds of actually pulling this trip off.

[OldPhiKap]

Re-upping — davidson when are you going?

Looking for us like Auckland-based for a week, then Hobart (Tasmania) and then Melbourne. All ideas welcome, and davidson if we overlap I’ll but the first round of the most local brew.

[House P]

Re-upping — davidson when are you going?

Looking for us like Auckland-based for a week, then Hobart (Tasmania) and then Melbourne. All ideas welcome, and davidson if we overlap I’ll but the first round of the most local brew.

My wife and I spent two weeks in Tasmania last month. We had a wonderful time.

How long will you be in Hobart? We only spent two days there, so we are hardly experts.

That being said, I'd highly recommend the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart. Lonely Planet describes it as "provocative, disturbing, and deeply engaging". The founder described it as a "subversive, adult Disneyland". My recommendation would be to read just enough about the museum to get a sense of whether you want to visit, but try to learn as little as possible in advance about the specific exhibits. Part of the fun is repeatedly going through the process of "What is that? ... Oh my, that's what it is! ... Now, how do I feel about that - do I feel amused, enlightened, or disgusted?". I could give you one representative example of the type of "art" on exhibit if you don't mind a bit of a spoiler.

Other suggestions

- Tasmania was the destination of ~40% of the convicts sent to Australia and there are several fascinating - though disturbing - "convict history" sites throughout Tasmania. We visited the site of the Female factory (work prison) in Hobart. The most famous convict site, Port Arthur, is about an hour from Hobart, but we didn't visit.

- The Aboriginal/colonial history of Tasmania is downright tragic, but was less evident to us (adding to the tragedy). The movie The Nightingale is an unsettling look at the convict and Aboriginal experience in colonial Tasmania. The BBC series Banished provides a somewhat historical portrayal at the first convict fleet to arrive in Australia (Sydney, not Tasmania).

- Maria Island is a great place to see native Australian animals in the wild. We saw more Tasmanian wildlife - wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, pademelons, a Tasmanian devil*- in one day on Maria Island than we did on the rest of our trip combined. Maria Island is about an hour drive from Hobart (plus a 30 minute ferry). Maria Island was also the site of a convict penitentiary, so you can combine both wildlife and convict history with a visit.





*We saw a small black creature scuttling in the distance. We told ourselves it was a Tasmanian devils, but it was probably a bird.

[OldPhiKap]

My wife and I spent two weeks in Tasmania last month. We had a wonderful time.

How long will you be in Hobart? We only spent two days there, so we are hardly experts.

That being said, I'd highly recommend the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart. Lonely Planet describes it as "provocative, disturbing, and deeply engaging". The founder described it as a "subversive, adult Disneyland". My recommendation would be to read just enough about the museum to get a sense of whether you want to visit, but try to learn as little as possible in advance about the specific exhibits. Part of the fun is repeatedly going through the process of "What is that? ... Oh my, that's what it is! ... Now, how do I feel about that - do I feel amused, enlightened, or disgusted?". I could give you one representative example of the type of "art" on exhibit if you don't mind a bit of a spoiler.

Other suggestions

- Tasmania was the destination of ~40% of the convicts sent to Australia and there are several fascinating - though disturbing - "convict history" sites throughout Tasmania. We visited the site of the Female factory (work prison) in Hobart. The most famous convict site, Port Arthur, is about an hour from Hobart, but we didn't visit.

- The Aboriginal/colonial history of Tasmania is downright tragic, but was less evident to us (adding to the tragedy). The movie The Nightingale is an unsettling look at the convict and Aboriginal experience in colonial Tasmania. The BBC series Banished provides a somewhat historical portrayal at the first convict fleet to arrive in Australia (Sydney, not Tasmania).

- Maria Island is a great place to see native Australian animals in the wild. We saw more Tasmanian wildlife - wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, pademelons, a Tasmanian devil*- in one day on Maria Island than we did on the rest of our trip combined. Maria Island is about an hour drive from Hobart (plus a 30 minute ferry). Maria Island was also the site of a convict penitentiary, so you can combine both wildlife and convict history with a visit.





*We saw a small black creature scuttling in the distance. We told ourselves it was a Tasmanian devils, but it was probably a bird.

Thanks! Will likely be:

Auckland and North Island (NZ) 5 or so days
Hobart (TAS) 5 or so days
Melbourne (AUS) 5 or so days

Oh, and birds aren’t real so I am sure it was a Tasmanian Devil.

Planning to trip out to Port Arthur and the Unzoo on the way with a pretty large devil presence. MONA definitely on the list.

ETA: did you find it difficult driving on the left side?

[House P]

Thanks! Will likely be:

Auckland and North Island (NZ) 5 or so days
Hobart (TAS) 5 or so days
Melbourne (AUS) 5 or so days

Oh, and birds aren’t real so I am sure it was a Tasmanian Devil.

Planning to trip out to Port Arthur and the Unzoo on the way with a pretty large devil presence. MONA definitely on the list.

ETA: did you find it difficult driving on the left side?

We didn't have any issues driving on the left side. One thing that took getting used to is that the turn signal and wiper controls are "swapped". So it took us a while to stop turning on the windshield wipers every time wanted to make a turn. The only real driving concerns were a) many of the roads are very narrow with little or no shoulder and b) wildlife is abundant after dark (outside the cities).

The Cascade Brewery in Hobart was worth checking out - though we were mildly disappointed with the overall microbrew scene on the island. The wineries were great, but we didn't visit any near Hobart.

We heard good things about Bruny Island - wineries, restaurants, scenery - but didn't visit.

Not sure how the exchange rate is these days, but it was pretty favorable in early Nov. Not that anything was particularly cheap, but prices seemed more like 2019 than 2022.

[OldPhiKap]

We didn't have any issues driving on the left side. One thing that took getting used to is that the turn signal and wiper controls are "swapped". So it took us a while to stop turning on the windshield wipers every time wanted to make a turn. The only real driving concerns were a) many of the roads are very narrow with little or no shoulder and b) wildlife is abundant after dark (outside the cities).

The Cascade Brewery in Hobart was worth checking out - though we were mildly disappointed with the overall microbrew scene on the island. The wineries were great, but we didn't visit any near Hobart.

We heard good things about Bruny Island - wineries, restaurants, scenery - but didn't visit.

Not sure how the exchange rate is these days, but it was pretty favorable in early Nov. Not that anything was particularly cheap, but prices seemed more like 2019 than 2022.

Thanks again!

Gas and brake pedals are the same as here, correct?