I am starting to plan a trip to New Zealand. What are my MUST-SEE places and MUST-DO things? Also, what are some good restaurants? Please let me know your favorites from all over New Zealand!

MandaBE - plan to have approximately 4-6 weeks to see NZ properly. Get a good Campervan, and "slowly" drive around both islands, stopping at the major sights, but also ask the owners of the Caravan Parks, of "unusual" places to visit.
Most Tourists will visit the following places -
South Island (the most scenic) - Christchurch, Picton & Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman National Park, Fox & Franz Joseph Glaciers, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Arthurs Pass.
(Some places not visited by tourist & worth seeing & staying at: lake Tekapo, Murchison & fishing the river, Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea, The Catilans, Stewart Island, Nelson Lakes National Park, take the backroads away from Queenstown, to small villages & stunning mountain scenery, try the Milford Walking Track)
The North Island is more populated than the south, but here are the "most visited" places: Bay of Islands, the northern tip of the north island, Lake Taupo and the 3 mountains (drive up one for the fun of it), Mt.Ergmont, Coramandel Peninsula, etc.
If drive a campervan, you will find other campervan motorists at each park, that will give you heaps of information on interesting places to visit. Don't be frightened of going off the beaten track, and "discover" a village or location, that "wasn't given to by someone on this board", it makes travel & life that little bit more interesting.

It's hard to suggest must-see places and must-do things without having an idea of your interests, budget, and what time of year you plan to visit New Zealand. If you can give us a little more information, we can give you some helpful suggestions.

In the meantime, you might enjoy looking at our pictures and trip report from the North Island, April 2004: http://community.webshots.com/user/ElendilPickle

Lee Ann

Thank you both for the replies so far! As far as my interests.... Hmmm, I pretty much like anything. I love the outdoors/hiking, sports, and just sightseeing. I tend not to enjoy "tour-isty" places that are really commercialized (I like to explore the "real" place). I am single and working, and some of my friends would be coming on the trip also (splitting some costs) so budget is not very tight. Time of year was also something I was unsure of. I was hoping someone could give me info on what NZ is like in summer and winter (ie: in the winter does it just snow in the mountains or other areas also?) As you can see, I am at the beginning stages of planning this trip, so any of your ideas/suggestions would be helpful! Thanks so much!

Oh! Forgot to mention that I love the beach also.

north island-lake taupo is beautiful, thames-quaint little town good for a "rest" day, white water rafting and sledging are excellent, don't miss the black water caving in waitomo, zorbing in rotorua is a barrel of fun, auckland is fantastic. tony's lord nelson in auckland was the best meal i've eaten. haven't done the south island yet.

If you are not into "Touristy" things you might rather try Wanaka and Te Anau, rather than Queenstown. Although most of the things most people want to do are round "Touristy" places.
For ease of travel and booking, avoid the high season (26 Dec to mid March). The weather is pretty good in NZ most times of year. Warmer in the North Island (10-20 C Winter, 15-30 C Summer)
than in the South (0-15C winter, 15-25 C Summer). Apart from in alpine areas, no roads have perminant snow or ice in the winter, but most roads in the South Island, and some roads in the North MAY be affected with ice in the mornings. You have to be a bit carefull.
The weather in NZ is totally unpredictable. You get a fairly good idea of the next days weather from the forcast, but beyond that it's a lotery. Be prepared for rain, sun, hurricanes and snow, and this is in the summer.

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who gave me some great suggestions. I will definitely keep watching the message boards for more ideas as I plan my trip. Thanks again!

Best time of year - Autumn (Fall) April is best - generally settled weather and not yet too cold and the colours in the South Island are spectacular-especially in the Central Otago region.
Best time for beaches would be earlier - Febuary, and the best areas for beaches are Nelson, Bay of Plenty and Northland.
Must see's are - Rotorua in the North Island, Huka Falls in Taupo, and Taupo Lake(cold even in Summer)
South Island - Queenstown, Arrowtown, Milford and/or Doubtful Sounds, Dunedin,Caitlins,Nelson area - Abel Tasman National Park is great for hiking or kayaking, Christchurch, Hamner Springs, Punakaki Rocks & the glaciers on the West Coast.
How long will you have?

Kiwis2:
Thanks so much for the tips! We will hopefully get to stay in NZ for 2-3 weeks.

Dont drive on your first day. Get the camper van on day two. During the Lions tour a group of young men got off a plane and headed out in their camper van. The driver fell asleep and killed a young woman.

If you fly into Auckland spend the first night in Ponsonby in a B&B as it is the most happening part of the city and you will be able to catch the local bus all over the city. After a long flight you will also want abit of comfort of hot showers, and a good bed. Stay safe.

Campervan or Motorhomes are the best way to see all the best bits of NZ. Here is a list of all campervan and motorhome companies prices in NZ. It will save hours of hunting around.
http://www.newzealandatoz.com/motorhomecompanies.php Also you will find other advice on driving a campervan in NZ

I hope it helps
Glenn
www.newzealandatoz.com

Thanks everyone for the tips about motorhomes and campervans, and for the good websites! I really appreciate everyone's help!

I agree with tropo that most tourists will visit places like Queenstown, Abel Tasman National Park etc (Sth Is) and Bay of Islands, Coramandel (Nth Is) and these places are definitely worth visiting. But if you really want to go somewhere undeveloped and where there are still very, very few tourists, why not drive around the East Coast, starting in Opotiki, going through Te Kaka, Whanarua Bay, Hicks Ban, Te Araroa and ending in Gisborne. Then going from Gisborne to the Hawkes Bay. The drive from Opotiki to Ruatoria is amazing. There are not too many places to stay but off the top of my head you can stay in TeKaha, Te Araroa, Waihau Bay, Hicks Bay. It's a bit out of the average tourists' way but in my opinion well worth the effort.

A couple of restaurants that come highly recommended - by my foodie sister & BIL - "Fleurs" seafood restaurant at Moeraki village - just south of the Moeraki boulders, which is an hour or so north of Dunedin.
And "The High Tide" which is on the peninsula out of Dunedin. They rave about these two places.

We went in Feb 05, and had t-shirt weather almost every day. For us, if we were to go again, we would revisit:
Dunedin- gorgeous buildings
Wellington- Definitely could have spent all day at the museum!
Christchurch- very pretty, and lovely gardens
(as you can see- all the major cities that we underrated).

Highlights of the trip for us:

Pretty much everything in the Rotorua/Taupo region
Bay of Islands- Perfect for the start to a honeymoon!
Te Anau- very pretty town
Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers
Queenstown- very pretty town
Walking the track at Kaikoura to see the seals- It was a gorgeous day, and the views and the seals were just amazing!
Zoo at Christchurch! - Fantastic!

Places that we would drive through, or skip altogether if we were to go again:
Hanmer Springs
Ashburton
Mt Ruapehu
Queenstown
Haast
Picton

South Island is the most beautiful place on Earth, so I'd recommend spending as much time there as possible, though the Bay of Islands in North Island is worth a few days.
In the South, here' some not to miss ideas-
- the journey from christchurch to greymouth - either drive or on the Tranzscenic
- Fox Village (stay at Rainforest Motel and consider the half-day glacier walk - dont miss Lake Matheson)
- Queenstown (spend at least 4-5 days here and you can skip Wanaka completely)
- Dunedin (try a nature tour to see albatross and penguins -its an out of the world experience)
- Kaikoura (a whale watch is a must)
- Blenheim (a wine tour is highly recommended)

I missed Nelson/Abel Tasman National Park and the Southern Scenic Route - ifyou have the time, certainly inlcude these in your itinerary.

HELP! I am overwhelmed by NZ. We are flying from Los Angeles to Auckland November 13th and return on the 26th. I want to spend just a few days in Auckland and at least 3 or 4 days in Wellington. Where in the south island should we go? Is driving just utterly exhausting? Want to take in a lot of nature but also relax as much as possible. Any amazing restaurants on either island that are must visits? Thanks!

Hi halb 101,

You have 13 days, more or less, right? That's not a lot of time to see both islands unless you fly between Auckland and Christchurch or Queenstown, especially if you want to spend that much time in Wellington (which I recommend - loved that city!).

We spent 10 days on the North Island last year, and didn't have enough time to get to the South Island.

Another thought - when you get to Auckland, you could fly to Christchurch or Queenstown right away. Spend most of your time on the South Island, then fly to Wellington, rent a car, and drive to Auckland.

Lee Ann