cool things to do/see near Wellington, Napier, Rotorua?
 

Hi all

I won't go into a long winded spiel about how much the tour operator I am using sucks, just suffice to say I think I'm going to be on my own while visiting these three towns.

Since I am leaving in about ten days, I don't have much time to sort this out. I do have two guide books, but can anyone give me some feedback on things you did in/near the above that mustn't be missed?

tour operators who might handle day trips would be great, as an option. meanwhile I'll try to sort out transportation options.

thank you!

What do you think is "cool"? Just guessing, but the tour operator will drag you to the Agrodome, which you won't like. There is not a whole lot in Napier other than looking at the Art-Deco buildings, but you could book a wine-tasting tour from there. Wellington is all about the museum for me, so can't be much help there. There are a lot of street-side cafes, so maybe just shopping and hanging out?

this is only the second trip, ever, where I have NOT made all plans myself... reminds me why I don't use tour operators.

primarily outdoors stuff - scenery and hiking. wine tasting sounds marvelous.

You should be able to book some all-day hiking-type tours from Rotorua. There was one were you hiked thru the Waimangu Valley and some how wound up on Lake Tarawera (spelling long forgotten). Plus they showed us the Blue & Green lakes & the Buried Village. I'm sure there are others.

Te Papa in Wellington is excellent, and there are good hiking trails along the coast. I was just reading about one called the Eastern Walkway which sounds really nice. You could take the cable car to the botanic gardens, too, and walk down from there. I haven't done that, but I've seen directions in a couple of guidebooks.

We hiked around on Mt. Victoria and enjoyed that.

Lee Ann

blackwater rafting is awesome! kiwi encounter in rotarua is interesting, zorbing at the agrodome was fun, white water rafting EXCELLENT! sledging was TOO SCARY, but fun!!

Hi Fly,

OK, the suspense is killing me! Just spit it out -- who are you using as a tour operator? I gotta know! :)

As a travel agent who specializes in Australia and NZ, I'm really interested.

Honestly, I hardly ever use large tour operators, cuz most of my clients prefer smaller tours (or at least that's what I try to get them to take) :) when I do a custom itinerary for them.

It sound as though you're on a packaged tour, yes?

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Aussie & Kiwi Specialist

Melodie:

Down Under Answers. ever heard of them?

the person I am now dealing with is much better. the other one was unresponsive to say the least, among other things. it really made me wonder why I was even bothering with a tour.

I think they are a broker, who uses local operators, if I had to guess...