Posted under North Island |
When it’s time to discover the rest of New Zealand, many visitors head over the harbour bridge to Northland and the Bay of Islands, an historical and big game fishing centre.
Whangarei, sometimes described as the gateway to Northland, faces a picturesque, extensive harbour. There are many bushwalks and at the A.H. Reed Memorial Park, several fine stands of kauri, some up to 500 years old. Whangarei Falls, dropping 25 metres into a bush clad pool, makes an ideal picnic spot. The numerous viewing platforms provide excellent photo opportunities.
Russell in the Bay of Islands was New Zealand’s first capital and many of its Victorian buildings have been well preserved. Christ Church built in 1836 is the country’s oldest surviving church, Pompalier House was built in 1842 from mud and clay for use as a Roman Catholic mission and the recently revamped Duke of Marlborough was New Zealand’s first pub.
Paihia, a picturesque seaside resort offers good access to the many islands in the Bay of Islands. There’s a wide range of accommodation, from backpackers’ hostels and camping grounds to luxurious retreats and an almost endless choice of restaurants specialising in fresh seafood. Activities available here include windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and big game fishing as well as cruises to the islands.
The Waitangi National Reserve offers the chance to learn more about the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, a treaty between the Maori and the (British) Crown. The Treaty house is now a national museum.
Kerikeri is an ideal base for backpackers wanting to explore the far north of New Zealand. There is a good range of Kerikeri accommodation to stay at for a few nights, including shops and other services. A visit to the Stone Store is a must.
Ninety Mile Beach (actually about 90 kilometres long) doubles as a road and it’s possible to travel along its sands aboard a specially designed coach bound for Cape Reinga, New Zealand’s northern most point. According to Maori belief Cape Reinga is the departure point for spirits of the recently deceased. Here you can see where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea turbulently meet, walk to the famous lighthouse and send a postcard from the country’s northern most post box.
Having reached the northern most point there’s no need to see it all again as you head back south. Why not return to Auckland via the west coast. This part of Northland is sometimes referred to as the Kauri Coast, and it’s easy to see why. Not only is it home to the country’s oldest and largest trees, but you’ll also find a number of interesting kauri buildings such as the Pouto Lighthouse. You can learn more about these giant trees and their fascinating history at the Matakohe Kauri Museum near Dargaville. Don’t miss the emerald-blue Kai Iwi Lakes and the Kaipara harbour, New Zealand’s largest.
Posted under Tips & Advice |
You can pretty much go surfing and windsurfing anywhere in NZ. New Zealand is a very windy country and has a great deal of shoreline. Anywhere you go along the coast will almost certainly have plenty of places to surf nearby.
If you’re really in to surfing and like big waves then a good place to go is Wellington. If you go surfing in Cook Strait (Wellington is on it), you will certainly find waves, big time (the wind exceeds 60 km/h on over half the days of the year in Wellington and exceeds 90 km/h on one out of every six or seven days of the year - and Wellington is sheltered - Cook Strait is worse). You should only try Cook Strait if you are very resistant to motion sickness.
If you want milder surfing conditions, try Eastbourne (a Wellington suburb on the harbor that Wellington is on - it borders both Cook Strait and Wellington harbor).
According to windsurfing experts, Dunedin Harbour is awesome for windsurfing. It tends to have a steady breeze most of the time, and it’s great if you like to go fast.
There is a book written by Wayne Warwicke called “Surfriding in New Zealand” in it’s 4th edition, which lists about 327 surfing spots in the North and South islands of New Zealand. It is no longer published, but you should still be able to get a used copy.
Posted under Tips & Advice |
If you only have 7 days to travel around New Zealand, you’re just going to have to resign yourself to seeing a chunk of the country and bypassing the rest. I think you’d be stupid to miss the south island so here’s my suggested 7 days itinerary for the independent NZ traveller:
Day 1
Arrive in Chistchurch, drive to Greymouth. This gives you time to see something of Chistchurch then a fairly short drive through amazing scenery.
Day 2
Hokitika - Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. Another short day with time to see the West Coast of South Island. You could take a scenic flight up the glaciers.
Day 3
Visit Wanaka. You could checkout Queenstown but it’s a bit touristy - not too far to drive and has a beautiful lake.
Day 4
Arrowtown - Queenstown - Te Anau. Heaps of action here - bungy jumping, rafting, jetboating, etc. plus spectaular mountains and lakes.
Day 5
Milford - Te Anau. Milford sound. need I say more?
Day 6
Stop off at Dunedin. It’s an interesting city. You have the option to skip this destination if you want and make day 7 into two easy days.
Day 7
Drive to Christchurch via Mt Cook and Tekapo - fly out. This would be a long day but worth it to see the MacKenzie country I think.
You could opt for a completely different programme but to travel to any of these places in any less time than this would be a crime.
What would be your “must see” destinations if you were to travel around New Zealand in only 7 days?
Posted under South Island |
These ‘Pancake Rocks’ at Punakaiki, (956km south of Westport) were created by both the sea and rainwater attacking the joints of a huge coastal outcrop of limestone rock; producing these weird carved shapes. There are a couple of pretty impressive blow holes, when the tide and weather are right. The underlying limestone rock is covered with luxuriant native Bush, and is part of the Paparoa National Park.
The whole area around Punakaiki is noted for its many easy walks (middle image), its long stretches of scenic and empty beaches (maintained that way by very diligent sand flies), and for being the southern-most reach of any palm species (the native Nikau palm).
Across the road from the Pancake Rocks track, (which has over 300,000 visitors annually), the Nikau Palms Cafe is situated near the DoC Visitors centre; and serves light meals and snacks. The DoC Centre is full of geological and botanical information; and for souvenirs, the Art and Craft Gallery next door is good value. For a completely ‘away from it all’ stay, the Te Nikau Retreat is highly recommended.
Punakaiki itself is a small seaside holiday village; there are a couple of motels such as the Paparoa Park Motel and a DoC Youth Hostel. Even though the Pancake Rocks are a popular tourist attraction, Punakaiki is very low key, as most of the tourists just drive through after visiting the Rocks, rather than stay. The beaches are long, silvery, and empty. But, as stated before; that’s how the sand flies like it!
Posted under Tips & Advice |
Travel in New Zealand can be a unique adventure for many travelers not accustomed to wide open spaces and seemingly endless grand open landscapes.
Overland travel, either by train, bus or renting a car, is by far the preferred way to see New Zealand among travellers. These forms of transportation take much longer than flying, but they allow the traveler to experience the majestic mountains, great plains and the natural beauty first-hand. Ferry services are available to transport you between NZ’s North Island and South Island.
Unfortunately, New Zealand’s options in bus and the train category are limited. In addition the speed and convenience of these conveyances do not begin to compare with the modern public transportation systems in places like Europe. However, they will get you from here to there.
Since most of the large commercial carriers don’t go to every destination popular among backpackers, a number of alternative backpacker style transportation companies exist. These backpacker tours will transport you to the national parks and overland to the more unique destinations.
Every once in a while some intrepid traveler asks about hitchhiking. The overwhelming popular opinion is that it’s not advised. If you’re backpacking a far better way to arrange for rides is through hostel or university bulletin boards.
Posted under Tips & Advice |
Renting a car is frequently an expensive proposition for the kind of long term travelling most backpackers engage in. In addition, rental companies in many countries like New Zealand charge more for young travelers.
In order to defer the high cost of renting a car, try finding other travelers in the hostel that want to share the cost of an excursion. It’s sometimes possible to arrange a group yourself by posting a note on one or more hostel bulletin boards. Once the rental is being shared between 3-4 people the cost becomes much more bearable.
Rates of New Zealand car rentals vary widely from company to company, and seemingly by the phase of the moon. Therefore, our best advice to the backpacker seeking the lowest price, is get out the telephone directory and call every company.
When you inquire, ask for the cheapest car available. It sometimes helps if you say the word “cheapest” with a certain amount of friendly grit in your voice. Otherwise, the car rental agent may not hear it. At this point, the agent will likely ask you a few questions like your age, number of drivers, where you will be picking up the car, where you will drop it off, when you want the car, how long do you want it, where you plan to take it, etc.
After answering all these questions they will quote you a price. But wait, the game is not over yet. Now it’s your turn to ask the questions. Ask if this price includes all costs to you. Specifically ask about insurance costs, taxes, mileage limitations (called mileage caps), and fueling charges. Try to give the agent as many details as possible as to what you are looking for. Then try to find out what the overall price will be for your situation. Also be sure to mention if you have any hostel, student or youth identity card.
Occasionally we hear of backpackers that have arranged a very good rate on a longer term rentals (4-8 weeks) through their travel agent at home. You may want to check this out to see if your travel agent knows of any good deals.
If you do rent a car, do all hostellers and young travelers a favor by driving safely. Perhaps, if we start showing the rental companies a lower incidence of accidents; rates and availability of cars to young travelers will improve.
Posted under South Island |
This relaxing port town is just a ferry ride away from Wellington on North Island. Along the waterfront, visitors will find a new museum and the restored ship Edwin Fox. Cruises on the sound are also available; they stop at some of the many little lodges hidden away on the small islands in the sound (the quality of these lodges varies considerably, so inquire locally for recommendations). A great deal of fun can be had at the small bay near Picton, watching regattas of boats, some sailboats, some powerboats, some being rowed.
Picton accommodation includes a range of Apartments, Bed and Breakfasts, Backpackers, Holiday Houses, Homestays, Lodges, and Motels.
Rent a vehicle or take a minibus tour to see the wine country to the south near Blenheim. You can see whale migrations along the coast throughout the year. The best place for viewing the sperm whales and orcas is off the Kaikoura Peninsula (82 mi/132 km south of Blenheim). There are also boat tours from Kaikoura which will take you in for a closer look.
Posted under North Island |
This town in the Bay of Islands area was once known as “the hell hole of the southwest Pacific” because of the pirates who prowled the area. Today, the looting and plundering have been replaced by game fishing (some of the world’s largest marlins have been pulled out of the bay).
Russell accommodation includes a range of Bed and Breakfasts, Holiday Parks, Lodges, and Motels.
The Strand, Russell’s main street, runs north-south along the bay. In the middle of the Strand is a pier, with a Tourist Information Office and fishing tours. After stopping by for information, go south along the Strand to see the Captain Cook Museum and the Pompallier House (one of the oldest houses in New Zealand). East of the museum is Christ Church (the oldest church in New Zealand still pockmarked with bullet holes from the Pakeha-Maori wars of the 1830s). North of town is Flagstaff Hill, which affords a nice view. It’s also notable for having been the cause of battles. Maori chiefs chopped down the flagpole (along with its British flag) on the hill four times, upsetting the settlers. The current, fifth pole has stood since 1840. A 15-minute walk east of town brings you across the peninsula to beautiful Long Beach on Waitata Bay (the north end has a nudist beach).
Posted under North Island |
The site of New Zealand’s first European settlement, the Bay of Islands consists of 144 scattered islands. This region merits a four-day visit, spending less time here wouldn’t be doing the place justice. You will be sure to like the area’s fabulous beaches, sport fishing, scuba diving and kauri trees (they’re enormous, often growing to 120 ft/36 m). The village of Waitangi (not to be confused with the town on the Chatham Islands) has a carved Maori meeting lodge, a shipwreck museum, the world’s largest war canoe (made from the trunks of two kauri trees) and Treaty House, where the British and Maoris signed a peace treaty in 1840, creating the modern state of New Zealand.
The nearby town of Paihia has first-rate beaches and great opportunities for sea kayaking. Several villages in the vicinity can be explored. Russell and Kerikeri are two of the nicest. From Russell you can take a good tour of the northern countryside (lots of citrus and subtropical fruits). Paihia accommodation includes a range of comfortable Backpackers, Apartments, Hotels, Motels, and Bed and Breakfasts.
The island cruises are highly recommended. Take a cruise on the famous ‘Cream Trip’, which used to pick up dairy products from the island (hence the name) but now is mostly for sightseeing and mail delivery. It takes a full day but is well worth it. At the very least, take a half-day cruise, which should visit fishing grounds and the lighthouse and pass by unique rock formations.
If your schedule permits, take a day tour to Cape Reinga (the northernmost tip of North Island, where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea merge). The route passes Mangonui (a picturesque fishing village) and Taipa (where, according to legend, the Polynesians first discovered New Zealand). Buses leave from Kaitaia for ‘90-mile Beach’, a vast beach preserve, smaller than its name indicates, but still impressive (private cars are not allowed). Equally impressive are the sights along the walking trail through the Te Paki Reserve. The Bay of Islands is located 195 km north of Auckland.
Posted under North Island |
Rotorua in central North Island New Zealand, is a fishermen’s paradise consisting of 11 main lakes and numerous other rivers and springs which are perfect for trout fishing. The lakes are an integral part of the Rotorua district. Even the township is built on the shores of the largest lake - Lake Rotorua. All the lakes and rivers are easily accessible by car and it’s only about a 30 minute drive from the city.
Fishing in Lake Rotorua is suitable for both beginner and experienced anglers. Many get out there to enjoy the myriad of fishing opportunities available. If you want to be completely immersed in the trout fishing experience, stay at one of Rotorua’s exclusive lakeside lodges or resorts, with the focus very much being a fishing holiday.
Professional fishing guides live in and around Lake Rotorua and are dedicated to providing an unforgettable fishing experience by personally tailoring each adventure to suit the needs of the angler. The guides will let you know about all the best fishing spots and will provide all of the gear. They may even offer the guarantee that you will not leave the lake empty handed, as Lake Rotorua would have to be one of the easiest places in New Zealand to catch a fish.