New Zealand

New Zealand is crammed full of tantilising natural wonders: towering mountain ranges, wild coastline, mystical fjordlands, crystal clear lakes and abundant wildlife from the rare yellow-eyed penguin to over 40 million sheep! Its North and South Islands offer an insight into the fascinating Maori culture and this is the home of outdoor sports. Highlights of North Island include Tongariro National Park, the geysers of Rotorua, the laidback city of Wellington and Auckland, otherwise known as ‘the city of sails’. On South Island don’t miss Mount Cook in the mighty Southern Alps and the serene beauty of Milford Sound. It’s no wonder the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed here. New Zealand is home to exceptional country house hotels and lodges serving fabulous cuisine and wines including Huka Lodge and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers.

Top Accommodation

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  Eagles Nest

  New Zealand

  Guests are mesmerized by the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Bay of Islands ...

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  Wharekauhau Country Estate

  New Zealand

  Wharekauhau Country Estate boasts that nothing is impossible here and with such awe-inspiring scenery it ...

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  Blanket Bay

  New Zealand

  Blanket Bay is the ultimate retreat for a luxury Alpine hideaway, nestled amidst rugged snow ...

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  Eichardt's Private Hotel

  New Zealand

  Eichardt's Private Hotel is located in the historic district on a premium lakefront position ...

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Top Restaurants

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  Claremont Country Estate & Nature Reserve

  New Zealand

  Claremont Country Estate is an elegantly restored historic homestead on a 2,400- acre, working ...

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  The Farm at Cape Kidnappers

  New Zealand

  Nestled amongst six-thousand acres of pasture land and one of only five Relais & Châteaux properties ...

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  Edenhouse

  New Zealand

  Located in the beautiful Orinoco Valley at the top of South Island in the Nelson ...

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  Old St Mary’s Convent

  New Zealand

  Old St Mary’s Convent was originally located next to Saint Mary’s Church in ...

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New Zealand has a temperate climate with highly changeable weather. It’s fairly wet year-round with warmer temperatures on the North Island. New Zealand’s high mountains are snow-covered year round. The best time to travel is in summer from November to April.

Transport

Getting around

Although New Zealand is compact and generally easy to get around, it makes good sense to fly - especially for the views over the mountains or volcanoes. A variety of discounts also make flying economical.

Air New Zealand flies widely (including smaller routes via partly owned smaller airlines), and smaller regional airlines fill in the gaps. Altogether there's very thorough coverage of the country - kiwis can fly.

New Zealand also has an extensive bus network, with the main operator, InterCity (servicing both the North Island and South Island), and subsidiary Newmans, running frequent (at least once a day) services on main bus routes including a cheap fare on the main Auckland to Wellington route. An alternative is to use shuttle bus companies, which are smaller, cheaper and friendlier than the large bus companies. Some of them are designed to cater especially to foreign travellers and/or backpackers and have lots of little 'extras' that make them particularly attractive; other companies, perhaps drawing on the experiences of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, can take you around New Zealand on 'alternative' buses, which can be an unhurried way of seeing the country.

Train routes are few, though train travel is reasonably fast and the trains modern and comfortable. Tranz Scenic's Overlander route runs between Auckland and Wellington; on the South Island, it offers services from Picton to Christchurch and Christchurch to Greymouth (known as the TranzAlpine).

Car travel (New Zealanders drive on the left) is recommended as the roads are good and well signposted and the distances short. Rentals of cars, motorcycles and campervans are popular, with a range of special deals available.

There are plenty of boat services, including the Interislander and Bluebridge ferries (operating between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island).

And finally, there's always cycling around the country. Many travellers describe New Zealand as a cyclists' paradise: it's clean, green, uncrowded and unspoiled, and there are plenty of places where you can camp or find cheap accommodation. Bicycle rental can be daily, weekly or monthly and is inexpensive.

Getting there and away

The overwhelming majority of visitors arrive by air. There are seven airports that handle international flights: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Queenstown and Wellington. A few cruise ships visit New Zealand, but there are no regular passenger ship services and working your way across the Pacific as crew on a yacht now seems a thing of the past.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

Theft, primarily from cars, is a major problem. Avoid leaving valuables in a vehicle no matter where it's parked - the worst places to tempt fate are tourist parking areas and the car parks at the start of walks.

Don't underestimate the risks posed by NZ's unpredictable, ever-changing climate in high-altitude areas if you're tramping.

Sharks exist in NZ waters but they rarely pose a threat to humans (there have been less than nine deaths in recorded history! Much greater hazards in the ocean, however, are the rips or undertows that haunt some beaches and are capable of dragging swimmers right out to sea - take notice of any local warnings when swimming, surfing or diving.

The islands' byways are often made hazardous by speeding locals, wide-cornering campervans and traffic-ignorant sheep. For a safer trip, set yourself a reasonable itinerary instead of careering around the country at top speed, and try to stay alert on the road despite the distractingly beautiful scenery.

In the annoyances category, it's hard to top a sandfly visitation. Equip yourself with insect repellent in coastal areas.