North island New Zealand-help
 

We have 5 days in New Zealand in late November 2016. We arrive& depart in Auckland. Need help where to stay & what to see. From the US, we are in mid thirties, avid travelers, love beach, outdoor activities, nice accommodations. good food& wine. please help!!! .

You had several replies on your other thread: http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...-itinerary.cfm

Although we much prefer the South Island over the North Island, as wine drinkers, we really enjoyed our stay in Martinborough. We spent a few days in Wellington on that trip too, my trip report from that particular visit might give you a few ideas if these two areas appeal to you.

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...ew-zealand.cfm

If organized tours are your thing, you might want to take a look here:

https://www.viator.com/Auckland-tour...rsions/d391-g5

If you are flying in and out of Auckland and only have five days, spend it all on the North Island. You can base yourself in Auckland and take day trips. Go to Waiheke Island for good food and wine; there are many wineries on the island as well as hikes and beaches. You can also visit Rangitoto Island and climb up the volcano or ferry to Devonport for easy hikes that offer good views of the city. Piha Beach, northwest of the city, is one of my favorites. You can click on my name for my report from 2013, during which time I spent five nights in Auckland as part of a longer trip.

If you really do not like cities, as I seem to recall, you can divide your time with a few nights up north at the Bay of Islands. If you are interested in Maori culture, Rotorua is a few hours' drive from Auckland.

Could you please clarify -- what day do you arrive and at what time? What day do you depart and at what time?

I find that the optimists will arrive midday on the 5th and depart midday on the 9th and claim to have 5 days. The pessimists will have the same schedule and claim they have 3 days.

And the realists will think of it in terms of nights. Five nights = four full days.