trav. to NZ for 8 days. Starting out in Auckland. I love the outdoors (im open to anything) I im not a tour kinda person. Any suggestions on must see in those 8 days?

Are you planning to spend all of your time on the North Island?

yes. i would think this is the best, considering time. also should we hire a car? and most importantly should we book hotels? trav days will be nov. 19 -nov 27th. we are not the type to squeeze in 30 days activities into 8 days. we like a moderate pace. thanxz for your reply

I suggest that you hire a car and work around an itinerary that covers the Bay of Islands area, north of Auckland, the central North Island (Taupo, Rotorua, etc.), the wine region around Napier and Hastings, Coromandel Peninsula, and then back to Auckland.

If you want the trip to be a bit more leisurely, skip the Napier/Hastings bit.

At that time of year, you should have no trouble with accommodation. You might like to look at motels rather than hotels. If you are not familiar with NZ motels, they are, usually, fully equipped with cooking and laundry facilities, etc. and all linen supplied.

Unless you're going for other reasons I would stay home until you can cobble more than a few weeks together.

cfcool -

Glad to hear you're just visiting one island and that you don't have unrealistic ideas about how much you'll see.

IMO hiring a car is the best way to see NZ.

As mentioned above, I certainly wouldn't worry about booking hotels this time of year. You might want to grab a motel book such as Jason's so you can call a few hours ahead of your anticipated arrival at a given location (or not).

thank you everyone for your wealth of information. Ill book a car and book my accomodations as we go...thank you kiwi_rob for the route you have sent.

any perticular car hire you all recommend?

Regarding car hire, you might want to take a look at APEX, they tend to have better rates than the majors. They also rent older cars, which can save money on both rental and insurance.

As far as type of car, if you're going to leave your belongings in the car while you go off walking or sightseeing, I would try to get a real locking trunk. Many of the econocars that are rented in NZ are 5-door hatchbacks with only a small space behind the rear seats, and your luggage is for the most part visible. Breaking into cars is more common than it used to be, unfortunately. It is often nearly impossible to guarantee a trunk, the agency websites will usually say "or similar" after the model type.

I had better luck with Avis as far as a better car for the class promised, eg, a bigger trunk, automatic door locks, etc. National (who does rentals for Europcar) was not very good about delivering the car class amenities promised.

I only rented on the spot from Apex for one day, no problems but not the same situation.

We spent 10 days on the North Island in April 2004, starting and ending in Auckland. In between we visited Whakatane (dolphin swim), Rotorua, Tongariro National Park, Wellington, Egmont National Park, and Waitomo.

Do hire a car so you can travel at your own pace.

Pictures from our trip are at
community.webshots.com/user/ElendilPickle if you're interested.

Lee Ann

thank you all once again! all your feedback is great. lee ann and others: i was wondering if the waitomo caves are worth seeing or if they are tourist trap.

how is the weather around nov 17th-dec 5th time..only in the north island and what is ideal to pack for outdoor activities

Hi cfcool,

if I were going to NZ soon I'd like to visit Zion Wildlife Gardens to see the white tigers, white lion and the Barbary lions.

Other places I remember well from my trip are Bay of Islands for wonderful scenery, Rotorua for a totally different experience (there is a walk down a valley that you can do there, past some geologically interesting terraces and I think it includes 2 boat cruises) and Napier for good food and wine and wonderful art deco architecture.

Cheers,


Pol

Waitomo Caves were worthwhile IMO, and easy to include in your route on a day's drive from Auckland to Rotorua.

We didn't see the main caves at Waitomo. Instead, we took the Black Abyss tour with Blackwater Rafting through Ruakuri Cave, which was lots of fun.

Lee Ann