Why
Travel to New Zealand?
New Zealand is
hiker heaven, with a superb variety and splendour of landscapes,
from glaciers to subtropical
forests, and no deadly land creatures, this little country has some
of the safest, prettiest, tracks and walks on the planet. The government
has encouraged eco-friendly hiking track development through some
exquisite areas.
NZ is also good for many more lunatic outdoor activities - much loved by all the British backpackers -
and has many miles of excellent beaches.
New Zealand is small, easy to get around, inexpensive, English
speaking, there's a lot of budget accommodation available and the local people
are friendly.
Mitre Peak in Milford Sound, New Zealand's South Island
Downside:
- In terms of exotic culture there's not much happening [why do
you think locals started throwing themselves off bridges attached
to a rubber band?], though Maori do touristy face-pulling on demand
and Auckland has some Polynesian offerings.
- Travelling there is a long haul for non-Antipodeans.
- Sand flies [wicked bloodsucking midges] are omnipresent, and not
just in sand.
Length
of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: 1 week - 4 weeks [if
you like walking!]
New
Zealand climate:
Best:
Nov - April [summer]
Worst: the rest [cold, erratically wet, windy], though June
- October is good for skiing. School holidays are from Dec 20 -
end of January, a busy time so book ahead.
Auckland, North Island, seen from Mt. Eden volcano.
Where
to go:
North
Island:
- Auckland, New Zealand's largest city,
with a pretty harbour and bridge, a couple of good museums and markets,
some beaches nearby, and some Polynesian influence around.
- *the Coromandel peninsula for forest
walks, bird watching and excellent beaches.
- ***Napier, stylish art deco town
with Hawkes Bay wineries and tasting all around.
- Waitomo glow worm caves and black water rafting [underground on
a rubber ring!]
- **Rotorua geyser park [picture
top right], pre-packed Maori shows, good trout fishing nearby.
- *Wellington, the capital city. Culture
capital too, with festivals, shows, ethnic restaurants, some great
buildings and museums; often very windy.
Cathedral Square, Christchurch, South Island.
South
Island:
*Nelson, sunny, pleasant, and near
some excellent beaches, walks and the Abel Tasman Park.
Kaikoura for sperm whale watching trips
**Christchurch for a taste of olde
English life - well, pre-Thatcher genteel rural life - and lots
of good little walks.
***Queenstown lake region is the tourist
action centre of the country, with stunning scenery and every mad
activity imaginable, see above left.
***Milford Sound, a magnificent fjiord
and a world famous Great Walk.
**Fox or Franz Josef Glaciers.
*Otago peninsula for an albatross colony;
penguins and seals too.
Pancake Rocks, aka Punakaiki, South Island.
Activities:
Walks/hikes: The country's raison d'être,
many spectacular tracks and walks, ranging from half a day to a week or longer,
mostly in the South Island.
Scuba Diving: Poor Knight's Islands
Marine Reserve off the North Island is famously colourful.
Game fishing: around the Bay of Islands
[north of the North Island]
Driving: easy, safe, on the left and
a gorgeous place to travel with your own wheels. Camper vans are
popular and rentable, along with bikes and cars.
A mass of adrenalin activities on the South Island, especially around Queenstown:
boat cruising, sailing, jet boating, kayaking, white-water rafting,
black water rafting, river surfing, canyoning, parapenting, bungy
jumping, gumboot throwing, golfing, horse riding, mountain biking,
mountain climbing, sky diving, abseiling and of course great snow
skiing.
External reviews on travel in New Zealand.
Festivals:
Jan-Feb, Summer City Programme, various festivals in Wellington
Feb - March, International Festival of Arts, Wellington
November, Canterbury Show Week, agricultural entertainment.
Visas:
Check New Zealand Immigration for the latest information.
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