AndyR

We are planning on moving to Oz this year (waiting for our visa) but will be coming out in May anyway on a Working Holiday Visa.

We are flying west so going via LA for a few days and then onto Auckland before heading to Brisbane. We originally were going to fly straight thru NZ but have now decided to stop for 7-10 days.

As we have never been to NZ before, could you recommend some must sees on the North Island which we could do in 7-10 days during May/June?

We will hopefully be going to the South Island in the future when we leave Oz to get out Visa granted (i hope).

Thx!

Andy

Hokey-pokey

Do you have any specific interests ie diving , kayaking , mountain climbing, museums etc ? Makes it a bit easier to advise.

AndyR

Anything really, as we've never been to New Zealand before, anything that gives us a good feel and experience of the country would be best.

Mountain climbing is probably a bit too much but general hiking/walking is fine. Would like outdoor activities but also indoor in case the weather is bad so museams etc would be good.

Thx!

Wooly_Cow

Roturua, Lake Taupau, Tauranga, and of course Wellington!

If you've got the time I'd hire a car or camper and do a big circular tour. Many places are worth a quick visit but the weather might not be that great in May.

bro69

Agree the best to do is get a van or something but plan well otherwise you might run out of time, although I've been here 6 years and I've never been to Roturua or Lake Taupau are they anything like Lake Taupo or Rotorua?

Also avoid Taupo, just a massive lake and nothing else, the same can be said for the Rotorua but worth a visit for the hot pools.

Yotty

Better still, just avoid the NI and go straight to the Mainland!

Ash1

Hi,


Rotorua would be a good place to visit or even stay as its pretty central. It has loads to see and do. Te Puia, I think, is the best place for all the geothermal activity and has a great geyser there. Then there is the luge, really entertaining for all ages ! Zorbing is great fun and not far from there is a place that does the jet boats (all though the hukka jet boats in Taupo are much better) and the bungee swing and one of those giant fans that make you float in mid air. Then there`s The Kiwi Encounter and not far from there a zoo thats highlight is the lion feeding time (can get abit vicious). A night time paddle boat dinner cruise.
Bay of Islands is stunning but probably abit quiet for the time of year that you`re coming. All though that may work in your favour!
Tauranga. But I live here, so that`d be biased.
There is a train that goes from Auckland to Wellington that foes through the National Park which is meant to be good.
Hope that helps
Ash

jennifer45

7-10 days!
Won't even be a taste.
Certainly won't do it justice.
We spent 4 weeks and there is so much we missed!
But so much we enjoyed.
Check this out.
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/get...outes-home.cfm

To make it easy to plan your motoring holiday, they’ve catalogued nearly every possible driving route in the country. You can plan your route based on how long you’ll be travelling and where you want to go.

Within each route you’ll see a detailed description of each leg of the journey, along with scenic highlights, local activities and accommodation. Maps, driving distances and travelling times are also included.

Bay of Islands – Wellington (7 Days)

Start Paihia / Finish Wellington
A grand tour that takes you from New Zealand’s first capital in the Bay of Islands to Wellington, the current capital.
Includes: Paihia, Whangarei, Warkworth, Orewa, Auckland, Thames, Coromandel, Whitianga, Whangamata, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Hastings, Masterton, Martinborough and Wellington.
Route Summary


Travel time: Km/Miles
Day 1
Paihia to Whangarei
1 hr 71/44
Day 2
Whangarei to Auckland
2.25 hrs 162/101
Day 3
Auckland to Whitianga
2.5 hrs 212/133
Day 4
Whitianga to Tauranga
2.25 hrs 168/105
Day 5
Tauranga to Rotorua
1 hr 82/51
Day 6
Rotorua to Napier
2.75 hrs 220/138
Day 7
Napier to Wellington
5 hrs 360/225


Totals for Driving Route 16.75 hrs 1275/797

We had a 6B motorhome which we picked up in Auckland. Took a couple of days going upto Bay of Islands [a must] over nighting at Waipu Cove
idyllic!.....http://www.waipucovecottages.co.nz/

The site http://www.newzealand.com/travel/get...riving-routes/ was fantastic for planning your first visit to NZ>

I say first, because you will be literally enchanted, not only by its landscape and people, but by its way of life and value of life, you will be drawn back time and time again- and still not see it all.

kiwinow

If you don't want to be driving all the time - in Auckalnd go to Kelly Tarlton's underwaterworld and go up the skytower. The west beaches are awesome but you probably don' have time. Bay of islands is pretty, but honestly if you only have that amount of time you may have to decide between north an south. Go to Rotorua. Go to Taupo, if only for a short stop. I love Taupo They have lots of lake trips and golf challenges - hit a ball across the water. Visit Wellington and see the sights.

But you may regret not having seen the south island

nero

This website may be of use for you to read up about some of the areas to visit
http://www.aatravel.co.nz/101/index....dvanceSearch=1
In the North Island we have enjoyed the Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Wellington, Mt Taranaki, Tongariro Crossing, the Coromandel (Cathedral Cove, North of Whitianga), Napier, Raglan, Great Barrier Island, Goat Island, Waiheke, Piha to name a few places.

CAN2NZ

I spent two hours at the New Zealand Museum today. I liked it and really went for the French impressionist painting exhibition. I really liked it. The exhibition is on until May 17 I think. I liked it but cannot understand why people have to walk around 1 meter from the painting so the rest of us can't see.

karron

waitomo caves to see the glow worms.

AndyR

Thanks for all the great ideas folks, really appriciate it.

The reason for it only being 7-10 days is that we are only passing through to go to Oz. We might well end up extending the stay on the NI anyway, its earlier days as previous we were going to go straight through so never looked at it much.

Hopefully when we get out Oz visa sorted, because we have to leave Oz for it to be granted, we will go to the South Island then and stay there for a while to see the sights then.

Motorhome would be ideal I know, but we are planning on travelling in a motorhome in Oz for 3-6 months on arrival so would probably just be easier in hotels/hostels in NZ to start with. Will keep thinking about it though.

pixi-dust

The Bay of Islands can be lovely in May, cooler than summer but blue skies and calm water, by June it can be getting rainy.
Also the fact that it's a bit quieter is actually lovely after a summer of tourists

Lots of stuff to do. If you do decide to include it in your itinerary give me a shout!

Like others have said it is a short time as the distances between places seem to take quite a while and if you're not careful you could end up just driving all the time and not really seeing much of anywhere. If it was me I'd be tempted to choose just a few places and have a wee bit longer in them.

If you're going to be in Oz anyway it's easy enough to come back if you fancy it, for a trip!

sel

As someone already mentioned there is the Overlander train ride from Auckland to Wellington, we are going to do this when we go over in March

http://www.seat61.com/Overlander.htm