Did a quick search and couldnât find a thread in here other than a Christchurch-specific one.
Doing three weeks in New Zealand from mid-December into early January. Obviously a very busy holiday period in NZ, but also when I was able to get three weeks of leave for the days-off cost of 1.5 weeks.
Guess this is one of those âonce in a lifetimeâ type trips, so anything that I should absolutely NOT MISS?
Weâll have a car, starting in Auckland and ending the three weeks in Christchurch to fly home. Have booked in accommodation already because - school holidays. But all currently free cancellation so can shift things round if I need to.
Particularly into outdoor stuff - walking, kayaking, cycling etc. etc.
Iâve only been to NZ in winter, but think that most of the outdoorsy stuff we did (probably with the exception of snowboarding tbf) is quite year round.
South Island walking - did the Tongariro Crossing which is probably the most famous walk in NZ. A nice all day activity. Did the two main glacier hikes also - Franz Josef and Fox. Queenstown is the adventure capital - did two bungee jumps here which were fun. There are loads of rafting options around here. Queenstown is also the main stop from which to access Milford Sound which, while beautiful, is still a ballache to drive to. Donât want to be dismissive as I absolutely love NZ, but at times it did make me realise that Iâd travelled a looooong way to see scenery that was slightly more dramatic than Wales or Scotland.
North Island - Lake Taupo has good kayaking options. I skydived over the lake, and at the time it was the cheapest place in the world to skydive I believe. Nearby Rotorua is the place for Maori culture. The Wai-O-Tapu thermal springs are very cool. If I had had more time I would have got up to Bay Of Islands which apparently is the best place for sailing and fishing. Also, the area north of Auckland is the main wine region if thatâs your kind of thing.
Cities-wise, I really enjoyed Wellington (which had a nice cosmopolitan vibe) and Dunedin (cool student vibe). Christchurch has my favourite video store/cinema in the world:
Great walk though. We were pretty unlucky with the weather, mostly fog so couldnât get the nice views but did have a timely spell where it dispersed enough to enjoy for a 10 mins!
Some nice places I went from Christchruch- Kaikoura (there used to be a little waterfall where baby seals would play near here but heard it was destroyed by an earthquake), Akaroa, Lake Wanaka, Arthurâs Pass.
In Auckland, getting the boat to Rangitoto Island was pretty good for views back across the city
we land midday, so weâll do an afternoon in Auckland on day 1. Was thinking of taking boat over to Waiheke from Auckland on the second day and hiring bikes and visiting vineyards and beaches on that island.
Definitely do this. I went to a vineyard straight after landing when I did a conference tour with NZ Music export office.
Probably favourite place I went to on the trip was https://wunderbar.co.nz/ - one of the weirdest bars Iâve ever been to, with a beautiful view out of one window and looking into a super market from another. There were dreadlocks for curtains. Chopped up bits of toy dolls for lampshades and beneath glass. Sadly wasnât a gig on when I went but the list of upcoming shows there was great. Itâs in Lyttleton which is in the hills outside of Christchurch.
I also really liked drinking around Wellington but it was over 10 years ago so canât remember the names of any places. The one bar I remembered The Matterhorn closed in 2017 by looks of it.
I see we have a JAFFA.
Didnât mean to cause offence. It was a long time since Iâve been there. I did have fun and jumped off the Sky Tower but didnât click with the place.
Another shout for the Tongariro Crossing*. One of the best days hiking Iâve ever done. Was in NZ for a month as part of a group so was a bit constrained in terms of itinerary but would love to go back and do more of the great walks.
The crossing itself is a few hours/dayâs walk but the circuit on the site below is more of a 3-4 day trek.
No mention of Napier yet. The extensive art deco architecture is a real vibe worth experiencing, imo.
+1 for Waiheke & wine.
+1 for Dunedinâs friendly appeal, and for catching sight of actual wild penguins on the beach, and albatrosses, and getting a Strava record of running up the worldâs steepest street.
+1 for Christchurch for a vaguely sorta kinda Berlin-in-the-90s work
-very-much-in-progress vibe, cardboard cathedral and all that (albeit this was over seven years ago, and the city is probably no longer as riddled with gap sites, ad-hoc bits and bobs, and substantially operating out of shipping containers).
Went to a wedding in Hamilton, but if it werenât for that weâd probably have spent time in Wellington instead.
Also, en route, we had an afternoon changeover in Sydney, with just enough time to get a cab to the harbour, have a brief walk taking in the opera house and catch views of the bridge, before getting a cab back to the airport. Something to do if youâre there and kicking your heels for a few hours innit.
Oh my oh my the trip is now very much looming - 9 days until we fly. Have a very nailed down looking itinerary now, so hoping that the weather decides to play ball and allows it all to happen. Canât wait to leave this iceblock of a country!
Still on the hunt for any recommendations of very excellent bars in Auckland that are open on Sunday/Monday nights, bars in Wellington on Xmas eve and any survival tips for NYE in Queenstown�!
Also interested in what people think maybe the best kind of wildlife tour type things are around Dunedin and Oamaru. Weâre already booked in to see the penguin colony in the evening in Oamaru.
Nice on the way up/down thoughâŠ
