Here is my summary from our 6 weeks traveling in New Zealand.
If you love the outdoors and adventure, then New Zealand is a must visit location. Push it to the top of your travel list.
Stunning landscapes: coast line and beaches, lush tropical forests, awesome jagged peaks of the southern alps, and the beauty of the fjords.
Great hikes… for a day or a week.
Adrenaline rush activities enabled by sane liability rules.
Warm, friendly, helpful citizens who all go by their first names.
Intense sun (ozone hole), unpredictable weather (so seize the day), & constant wind.
Very sleepable airplane ride from the USA west coast… so fly economy and spend that business class premium on activities in NZ.
If you are coming to NZ, here are my recommendations:
Must see/do:
Cape Reinga at the far north of the north island. I would include boogie boarding in the dunes as well as hiking down to one of the beaches at the tip. The bus tour is good, but I’d recommend just driving up on your own & skipping the 90 mile beach drive.
Coromandel East Coast/Mercury Bay. This is Cathedral Cove, Han Hei beach, and Hot water beach. The hike between Han Hei and Cathedral Cove is beautiful, good kayaking as well.
Tongariro Crossing. Lonely Planet says best day hike in the world… enough said.
Abel Tasman Park. Do at least one day of hiking and one in kayaks. Remember that tides and water taxi schedules drive things here so do your research.
Southern Alps hikes out of Wanaka and Queenstown.
The Routeburn 3 day trek.
Doubtful sound cruise.
Must Do Thrills: Nevis bungy jump, aerobatic airplane ride, zorbing, skydive. As of today, Zorbing can only be done in Rotorua. Because we thought it was also available in Queenstown, we did not get a chance to try Zorbing.
My favorite food stops:
- Boat Shed; $$$ in Nelson
- Hot Rocks Pizza; $$ in Nelson
- Fergburger; $ in Queenstown
- Kebab Take away; $ on the waterfront in Wanaka
- TimTam cookies; at any grocery store
Have a great trip; Cheers; Kia Ora!!! … if you don’t come back with a fun burn… then you probably should just have them nail the lid on your coffin right now.