I am planning a vacation to New Zealand in October...?

Question

I am planning a two week vacation to New Zealand. I want to spend 1 week outdoors...hiking, etc. I want to spend 1 week in a major city. What are the must do's and must see's in New Zealand?

Answer 1

check out hobbiton on the south isle. where they filmed Lord of the rings. worth a look if you've gone that far

Answer 2

If you are into hiking take a hike along the " Milford track " truly one of the most memorable and remarkable hikes in the world. You will have to book it as they allow only a certain number of ppl out there at one time .......... it takes about 3-4 days but you have very good cabin accom along the way ....... don't know about the weather there at that time of year ........ you would have to make enquiries as I'm sure springtime there is very wet usually and as you are limited with time I suggest you take in Christchurch, a very English style city or Dunedin ( university city ) for your city fix as both are near Milford  ....... or you could find a good hike and a week in the far north of the North Island ....... around Bay of Islands, or the Taupo/Rotorua/Tauranga area in the Bay of Plenty..... the cities are small (100 thou or so) but nothing is missing when compared to the bigger cities.

Answer 3

Take Kiwi's advice.  Take a coach trip up to the Bay of Islands and perhaps Rotorua and the thermal activities are worth a day or two.  Then head for the very scenic South Island as described.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

October is a wee bit early for your outdoor pursuits if you are into to camping. spend your first week in Christchurch, then you are close to an excelent outdoor mountainaous area, when the weather is right , then go for it. An area you may enjoy would be Hanmer Springs, the outdoors is on your door step , and the hot pools to relax in in the evening.

Answer 6

Don't spend too much time in Auckland.  I spent a week there and it grew old quickly, and the bar scene is not so fun.  You can go sailing during the days, and that's about it.  I would spend as much time as possible camping and hiking etc.

Answer 7

You've got a few idiot answers here, haven't you?

I live in Wellington and can recommend it too. If you are only here 2 weeks, I suggest you should concentrate on the outdoors. October is spring so the weather should be ok, but we do have a bit of rain at that time of the year.  If you want to go to Lord of the Rings Hobbiton village, you need to go to Matamata in the North Island. but it costs NZ$50 for a guided tour. Of course there are other LOTR sites all over the country. Buy the location guidebook to help.

The best thing to do is check out on the Net what interests you (hiking, bungy jumping, tandem skydive, white water rafting etc, etc.) so you should be able to plan out an itinerary to make the most of your time here. I have to say 2 weeks isn't long enough!  

Check out campervan hire rates - it's not high season so you should get a good deal.

Answer 8

I would flag the whole city thing.  There are way to many pretty off the map kinda places to see.

Answer 9

do not go it is nasty out ther ive deen im warning you

Answer 10

I'm a Kiwi, so I hope I can help you out.

October is maybe not the best time of year, it's early spring, so the weather will still be unpredictable. February/March are the best months, unless you're into snow sports.

If you insist on spending time in a major city, I recommend Wellington. It's the 2nd largest city in NZ & also the Capital. It's not as spread out as Auckland, so you'll be able to bar hop on foot. There're plenty of cultural things to do and see.

For your outdoor activities head straight to the South Island! The North Island has plenty to do, but the South Island is breathtakingly beautiful!

The Marlborough Sounds will offer you water activites, as well as hiking.

From Nelson you can easily get to Farewell Spit (the top of the island), Takaka..which has some wonderful sophisticated craftspeople, Harwoods Hole, & after a walk through the forest from there you'll come to a spectacular view. Nelson also has the Pupu Springs (that's not the full name, but I forget what it is). Jacques Cousteau dived in these springs. They're amazing!

At the other end of the South Island is Queenstown. It's a tourist mecca so expect everything to be expensive, but it's worth it. In Queenstown you MUST do the Shotover Jet, & I thoroughly recommend an AJ Hackett bungy jump..there are 2 or 3 to choose from! For a more sedate piece of entertainment, take the SS Ernslaw boat trip. Very relaxing, and very beautiful!

I hope you have a wonderful time in my country! I only wish you could spend more time there, because I have so many favourite places for you to visit!