Itineraries
2 Weeks
North & South
From the top of the north to halfway down the south: a taste of New Zealand’s best.
Kick things off in Auckland : it’s NZ’s biggest city, with awesome restaurants and bars, galleries and boutiques, beaches and bays. Not an urbanite? Head north to the salt-licked Bay of Islands for a couple of days R&R.
Tracking south, Rotorua is a unique geothermal hot spot: geysers, mud pools, volcanic vents and Maori culture make for an engaging experience. Further south, progressive Taupo has the staggeringly beautiful Lake Taupo and Tongariro National Park nearby. Try some tramping, mountain biking or skydiving, then hoof it down to Wellington, a hip little city with an irrepressible arts scene.
Across Cook Strait, see what all the fuss is about in the Marlborough Wine Region. The hypnotically hushed inlets, ranges and waterways of the Marlborough Sounds are nearby. Swinging south, spend a day whale-watching in Kaikoura, then cruise into Christchurch for some southern culture and hospitality.
Itineraries
4 weeks
Kiwi Classics
Classy cities, geothermal eruptions, fantastic wine, Maori culture, glaciers, extreme activities, isolated beaches and forests: just a few of our favourite NZ things.
Aka the ‘City of Sails’, Auckland is a South Pacific melting pot. Spend a few days shopping, eating and drinking: this is NZ at its most cosmopolitan. Make sure you get out onto the harbour on a ferry or a yacht, and find half a day to explore the beaches and wineries on Waiheke Island. Truck north to the Bay of Islands for a dose of aquatic adventure (dolphins, sailing, sunning yourself on deck), then scoot back southeast to check out the forests and beaches on the Coromandel Peninsula. Further south in Rotorua, get a nose full of egg gas, confront a 30ft geyser, giggle at volcanic mud bubbles and experience a Maori cultural performance (work your haka into shape).
Cruise down to Napier on the East Coast, NZ’s archetypal art-deco sun city. While you’re here, don’t miss the bottled offerings of the Hawke’s Bay Wine Country (… ohh, the chardonnay). Down in Wellington, the coffee’s hot, the beer’s cold and wind from the politicians generates its own low-pressure system. This is NZ’s arts capital: catch a live band, some buskers, a gallery opening or some theatre.
Swan over to the South Island for a few days to experience the best the south has to offer. Start with a tour through the sauvignon blanc heartland of the Marlborough Wine Region, then jump on a boat/plane/helicopter for a close encounter with a massive marine mammal in Kaikoura. Next stop is Christchurch – the southern capital is finding its feet again after the earthquakes – followed by the coast road south to the wildlife-rich Otago Peninsula, jutting abstractly away from the Victorian facades of Scottish-flavoured and student-filled Dunedin. Catch some live music while you’re in town.
Head inland via SH8 to bungy-obsessed Queenstown. If you have time, detour over to the West Coast for an unforgettable encounter with Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier. From here you can keep driving back north, or play airport hopscotch from Hokitika to Christchurch then back to Auckland.
Itineraries
2 Weeks
Auckland Encounter
Is there another 1.4-million-strong city with access to two oceans and vibrant Polynesian culture? Auckland also offers stellar bars and restaurants, museums, islands and beaches.
Check out the Maori and South Pacific Islander exhibits at Auckland Museum, then wander across the Domain to K Rd for lunch. Pay a visit to the grand Auckland Art Gallery and the iconic Sky Tower, then Ponsonby for dinner and drinks.
Ferry over to Rangitoto Island, then chug into Devonport for a meal. Have a look at the tall timber in Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, or check out the wild surf at Karekare and Piha, then hit the Kingsland restaurants. Have breakfast in Mt Eden, climb Maungawhau, then ferry-hop to Waiheke Island for wineries and beaches.
Activities within easy reach of the big smoke: snorkelling at Goat Island Marine Reserve, sailing the Bay of Islands, ocean-gazing at Cape Reinga, ogling giant trees at Waipoua Kauri Forest, delving into Waitomo Caves, surfing at Raglan or beaching yourself at Whitianga.
Itineraries
3 Weeks
Northern Exposure
Three-quarters of New Zealanders live on the North Island – find out why!
Begin in Auckland, NZ’s biggest city. Eat streets abound: try Ponsonby Rd in Ponsonby, K Rd in Newton, and New North Rd in Kingsland. Hike up One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) to burn off resultant calories, and don’t miss Auckland Art Gallery and Auckland Museum.
Heading north, the amazing Waipoua Kauri Forest is home to some seriously tall timber. The rugged tip of the far north is Cape Reinga, rich in Maori lore.
Venture back south through geothermal Rotorua then the Bay of Plenty to the sunny East Coast. Art-deco Napier is surrounded by the chardonnay vines of Hawke’s Bay Wine Country. Follow SH2 south into the sheepy/winey Wairarapa then continue down to hip Wellington.
Heading northwest, there’s crafty glass in Whanganui, the joyously scenic Whanagnui River Road and epic Mt Taranaki. Go underground at Waitomo Caves, surf the point breaks near Raglan, then hit Auckland again.
Itineraries
5 Weeks
Icons & Beyond
Virgin visitors to NZ will want to check out NZ’s tourist icons, plus a few active wilderness experiences.
Cruise sail-dappled Auckland harbour, then take SH1 north to the winterless Bay of Islands : surfboards, sailing, kayaks, scuba gear… Heading south, hold your nose in sulphurous Rotorua, then hook into idyllic Taupo for some volcanic tramping in nearby Tongariro National Park. Take SH43 west to photogenic Mt Taranaki, then stay up late in Wellington.
OLIVER STREWE/GETTY IMAGES ©
Across Cook Strait, disappear into the Marlborough Sounds or launch into some sea-kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park. Track down the rainy West Coast with its iconic glaciers, then experience adrenaline-addicted Queenstown. Mix and match highways to Te Anau for the side road to Milford Sound, then backtrack to SH6 and head north for cloud-piercing Aoraki/Mt Cook. Veer east back to Christchurch, a city on the mend. Don’t miss exploring the Banks Peninsula, southeast of town.
3 Weeks
Southern Circuit
Take a long loop through the best of the South Island. Winging into Christchurch to launch this three-week escapade, you’ll find a vibrant city rebuilding post-earthquakes. Grab a coffee at a cafe (try Addington Coffee Co-op), then visit the excellent Canterbury Museum. Check out the Avon River, cutting lazily through the Botanic Gardens.
PETE SEAWARD/LONELY PLANET ©
City saturated? Visit the geologically and culturally eccentric Banks Peninsula, then head north for whale-watching in Kaikoura. Continue through the famous Marlborough Wine Region, and lose a day on the Marlborough Sounds waterways.
Detour west past artsy Nelson to ecofriendly Golden Bay (more paintbrushes than people). Southbound, dawdle down the dramatic West Coast with its glaciers and wilderness, and continue through to hip/hippie Wanaka and ski central Queenstown. Desolate Doubtful Sound is mesmerising, while the overgrown Catlins are perfectly chilled out.
Back up the east coast, wheel through Dunedin to surprisingly hip Oamaru, before rolling back into Christchurch.