What should I do/see in New Zealand

[Anonymous]

For those of you who have spent any time there, what can you tell me? I'll be there when it's spring/summer there. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch

Lake Taupo is great

[Anonymous]

We only did the South Island and it was fantastic. Some highlights were the Milford Trek (incl. Milford Sound), Dunedin, Franz Joseph glacier, and Queenstown but really we felt like every single mile was gorgeous scenery and and we loved it all.

[Anonymous]

The beautiful gardens and farms in any part of the country, geysers in Rotorua. Auckland is the cleanest city I ever visited, at least it was that way back in 1999.

[Anonymous]

Our trip to New Zealand was in the spring too and it was amazing. I'd definitely recommend spending a few days in Queenstown...the town is great, the mountains on the lake are beautiful. From there you can take a tour to Milford Sound, Lord of the Rings tours, zip lines, etc. Glacier hiking on Franz Josef was also memorable. Have a great time!

PS. If you go to Rotorua, eat at Fat Dog Cafe. Great food and shakes.

[Anonymous]

I have spent a LOT of time in new zealand -- do you have more specific questions?

[Anonymous]

Aukland is a big, ugly, uninteresting city (imo.)

Queenstown is fantastic! Charming town. Good food. Amazing adventure activities---skydiving, rafting, etc.

The countryside, winding roads, sheep, wineries are great to see!

Christchurch is good, too.

Roturua is very interesting. The geysers and the native people who live there are fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have spent a LOT of time in new zealand -- do you have more specific questions?

I wish I did. Just want to know if there are any places that you really love. I'll be there for a few weeks, so I should have time to see some stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our trip to New Zealand was in the spring too and it was amazing. I'd definitely recommend spending a few days in Queenstown...the town is great, the mountains on the lake are beautiful. From there you can take a tour to Milford Sound, Lord of the Rings tours, zip lines, etc. Glacier hiking on Franz Josef was also memorable. Have a great time!

PS. If you go to Rotorua, eat at Fat Dog Cafe. Great food and shakes.

Thanks pp, I will look into it. Sounds very nice.

[Anonymous]

The Tongoriro Crossing--do that! Awesome day hike! And there is a big fancy hotel nearby there--old, famous; nothing around it--that's the place to stay--and order the Beef bourganion. You'll find that hotel in any tour book.

(OMG pardon my spelling for all this)

Kaikoura is a town on the South Island that has an ocean situation that makes it full of everything--fish, seals, whales, all right there. Go there!

We did not get the Milford Track (the most famous of the Tracks) but got the Routeburn Track. These tracks take a few days. Routeburn was fantastic and there are not as many stinging flies as on the Milford Track (so I've been told). You have to apply for this; only a certain amount of folks are allowed to go and stay in the lodgings.

Outside Queenstown there was a company ha! I remembered it! Called "The Shotover Jet" and that ride was fun.

There is a cave (Wai….Waiwowa?) A famous cave with glow-worms. I recall we just sat in a boat and floated under them. I often think of it, even though it was sedate by comparison.

We did another rappelling, caving experience (and had no experience) but it was a blast. During one part of it, you turn off your headlamp and it's pitch dark and they fling you on a pulley over a gorge--omg so fun. Then on that cave ledge, everyone stops for tea. Then we walked on the cave/river floor--with some big old eel.

Also, we took a helicopter up to the top of Franz-Joseph glacier.

Somewhere in there we saw a sheep-shearing.

Have fun, OP, and let us know what you did and how the endangered Kiwi and that endangered parrot that hangs out on the ground are doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Tongoriro Crossing--do that! Awesome day hike! And there is a big fancy hotel nearby there--old, famous; nothing around it--that's the place to stay--and order the Beef bourganion. You'll find that hotel in any tour book.

(OMG pardon my spelling for all this)

Kaikoura is a town on the South Island that has an ocean situation that makes it full of everything--fish, seals, whales, all right there. Go there!

We did not get the Milford Track (the most famous of the Tracks) but got the Routeburn Track. These tracks take a few days. Routeburn was fantastic and there are not as many stinging flies as on the Milford Track (so I've been told). You have to apply for this; only a certain amount of folks are allowed to go and stay in the lodgings.

Outside Queenstown there was a company ha! I remembered it! Called "The Shotover Jet" and that ride was fun.

There is a cave (Wai….Waiwowa?) A famous cave with glow-worms. I recall we just sat in a boat and floated under them. I often think of it, even though it was sedate by comparison.

We did another rappelling, caving experience (and had no experience) but it was a blast. During one part of it, you turn off your headlamp and it's pitch dark and they fling you on a pulley over a gorge--omg so fun. Then on that cave ledge, everyone stops for tea. Then we walked on the cave/river floor--with some big old eel.

Also, we took a helicopter up to the top of Franz-Joseph glacier.

Somewhere in there we saw a sheep-shearing.

Have fun, OP, and let us know what you did and how the endangered Kiwi and that endangered parrot that hangs out on the ground are doing.

Wow, this all sounds awesome! Thanks pp!

[Anonymous]

Yes!! I forgot about the cave with glow worms. AMAZING!