Hello,

My husband and I (we are in our late 20's) are planning on traveling to New Zealand over our Christmas break. Our trip will be a little less than 2 weeks and we will spending Christmas and New Years Eve there. From prior posts, it looks like it's recommended that we pick either North or South Island to visit due to the length of our trip. (We are looking to fly into Auckland..unless another destination in recommended) We want to have a good mix of "Must See's/Do's" and some more isolated/ non-touristy places.

I would LOVE some advice on the following:

If we had to pick, would you suggest North or South Island at that time of year?

Recommended itinerary?

Any recommendation for New Years Eve?

Any advice/feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Many Thanks!

hi there
personally i think that you can see both islands in around 2 weeks especially if you have the money to fly places rather than drive but im a bit of a speed traveller (i would prefer to see a little of a lot than a lot of a little). depends on your preference of course. if you let us know a bit of what you are into then we could give a more tailored response. are you into tramping, outdoors, culture, arts, pubs etc etc??

I would pick the South Island. I would try to fly into Christchurch. New Zealand Air goes there. If you must fly into Auckland, consider a brief connector to the South Island. They are inexpensive if booked with your trip in. Once there, you want to explore the west coast. That's where the attractions are that are especially unique to NZ.

NZ has and awful lot to offer, but in a two week trip, I would focus on that area. You'll love it and return again to explore the rest.

Thank you very much for the advice! South Island definitely sounds like it will be our priority then for the trip, and if we think we can manage both, we will do that.
To provide a little more feedback on what we enjoy...it's definitely seeing nature, beautiful outdoors, beaches, snorkling/diving. We are very athletic and like adventure, but have no problems spending an entire day on a beach relaxing and drinking. So, I guess we're looking for a mix of both on this trip. We are young and definitely will want to go to pubs or a good dinner at night, but we're not into the big city thing (at least not for most of the trip)...we'd prefer more off the beaten path/local places. Hope that helps!

Also, any suggestion for New Years Eve?

Thanks so much!!!

We were in NZ for Christmas and New Year's this past season (2006 into 07). We did both islands, but I would recommend sticking to the South given your interests.

You should note that, even though it is Summer, it could be cold and you should prepare for warm AND cold weather -- bring lots of layers. When we were there, Christchurch was having its coldest summer start in years.

For New Year's Eve, we were in Christchurch and saw a Kiwi band, Salmonella Dub, at the Dux De Lux. Coming from Canada, it was quite the novelty to be outdoors and listening to dub music while ringing in the New Year. Not sure if you're into music/concerts, but I'd check around and see if there are any outdoor NY events where you can ring in the new year with all your new Kiwi friends.

Hi MLilianH. As a NZer this is what I like to do. Find an unspoilt beach - try the Bay of Islands - anwhere Nrth of Whangarei or The Coromandel Peninsula . Do you sail ? You can easily find tucked away bays with lovely beaches. Our Pohutukawa trees are in full glorious red bloom at this time of the year ( the NZ Christmas Tree ), and droop invitingly over crystal clear water all along our Upper North Island coastline. Just writing about this is making me feel I must run off and make a campsite booking! It would be sad if you didnt see the beauty of these places. Be quick and make any bookings now - a very busy time of year

Hi again. The East coast of Nth Island has super beaches too . Worth exploring. Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Hicks Bay . " Whale Rider " country ! Gisborne. Mahia Peninslar and then onto Napier. These places are very special and not too touristy