Climate Of Ireland

A Slice of Kiwi(fruit) - a New Zealand Vacation Primer

Ok - I'm biased, but I believe New Zealand offers for the adventurous of soul and spirit the most exhilarating holiday on earth. I put together this 2 week touring holiday of New Zealand for some friends in the US who aren't travelling on a (tight) budget - but are looking for the special, unique and off the beaten track. A work in progress - I will add additional suggestions and ideas as they come to mind....

New Zealand - Aotearoa ('Land of the Long White Cloud'); "last, lonelist, loveliest.." Rudyard Kipling. Photo of Tongariro National Park, Central North Island (courtesy of Jasons Travel Media).

Tourism New Zealand Travel Site: www.newzealand.com/travel Like the TVC slick, attractive and engaging - however, the site lacks real depth on some topics and the listings are still only a partial representation of the accommodation and activity options in New Zealand. The Trip Planner feature (where you can group, save and share your travel ideas) is a great try but a little awkward to use.

Other useful NZ travel planning sites:

www.jasons.com their web site is strongest on motels/self catering accommodation and campgrounds. They also offer a wide variety of free accommodation guides and maps online and throughout NZ*

www.aatravel.co.nz the New Zealand Automobile Association - they also offer free maps and print accommodation guides. My great uncle was one of their first AA Sign Officers in New Zealand from the 1920s - erecting the first road signs in NZ.

www.tourism.net.nz (now owned by New Zealand's Yellow Pages).

Regional Tourism Offices (see links below). The RTOs are the New Zealand regional tourism marketing organizations, funded by local government, and some with excellent travel planning sites. I list the relevant RTO sites below.

TRIP IDEAS & ITINERARY

Auckland at Sunset from Takapuna. Auckland (dubbed the 'City of Sails') is the arrival point for most New Zealand travelers. Photo: courtesy of Jasons Travel Media)

I suggest a couple of days in Auckland on arrival to recover from the flight, relax and explore the 'City of Sails' before heading on a trip around parts of the North Island - or catching a flight to the South Island (if you are going to travel south to north, see below). You can stay in downtown Auckland (its best on the waterfront) or a unique B&B in historic Devonport or on Waiheke Island - a great place for beaches, wineries and artisans. Here are some activities in Auckland (all Ferries leave from the downtown historic Ferry Building on the waterfront .

Stay in or visit Devonport and explore this historic village of shops and cafes (10 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland). Walk to North Head along coast from Devonport for great views of Auckland and explore this 19th century coastal fort).

Tiritiri Matangi island - if you have little more time, consider a ferry to this conservation park - a sanctuary island around an hours' ferry ride from downtown Auckland. Tiri' as it is known by locals is one of the most striking sanctuary islands on earth - helping protect a huge variety of endangered New Zealand rain forest birds. Easy walks (an hour or two in length) run around the forest and scrub lands of the island.

Stay in or visit Waiheke Island (30 mins ferry ride) for an eclectic mix of artists, wineries, boutique B&Bs and holiday homes. Take the bus and hop on hop off or rent a scooter.

Visit Auckland Museum - the imposing 19th century building in the Auckland's domain around 1 mile from the waterfront (long walk, short shuttle bus or taxi ride) with an excellent Maori & New Zealand cultural collection.

Go sailing (or take a cruise). Auckland is famous as one of the great sailing cities on earth. The country was founded by two of the greatest sea faring peoples in history - the Polynesians (Maori) and British. Auckland was home to two American Cup defenses (2000 and 2003) and boasts two harbors and 40+ islands in the Hauraki Gulf - look at an excursion on an Americas Cup Yacht, other sailing craft or at the last take a ferry ride out to Rangitoto, Tiri Matangi or Waiheke. http://www.aucklandnz.com/index.php/content_B/?L1=65&L2=95&L3=&id=133

Take the shuttle bus along the harbor front drive (Tamaki Drive) to the Aquarium (Kelly Tarlton's) and Antarctic Experience and visit Mission Bay - a harbor front city village for lunch.

Another option is to visit the rugged Auckland West Coast - where the film 'The Piano' was filmed - rugged volcanic landscape, rain forest, dramatic beaches.

Accommodation Suggestions:

Downtown Hotel: Hilton Hotel on Princess Wharf: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/AKLHIHI-Hilton-Auckland/index.do

Downtown Hotel: Westin Hotel, Viaduct Basin: http://specialoffers.starwoodhotels.com/Westin_Auckland/so.htm?IM=PP_LHN_SOP_US_WI_3015&

Waiheke Boutique Lodges: http://www.aucklandnz.com/index.php/accomm_search_B/?L1=64&L2=699

COROMANDEL & ROTORUA 2-3 Days.

Tourism NZ: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/regions/coromandel-home/coromandel.cfm and http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/regions/rotorua/rotorua-home.cfm

RTOs: www.thecoromandel.com and http://www.rotoruanz.com/

These are two options for touring to two different regions within a few hours of Auckland. This will take you on a 3 days trip to the beaches of the Coromandel (where I ran the RTO in the 90s) - allowing you to visit Hot Water Beach (hot water flows up into the sand) and one of the first marine reserves in the World - Hahei and Cathedral Cover (where they recently shot part of the second Narnia Movie). You can rent sea kayaks there or just up the road in Whitianga. Coromandel is quiet out of peak season - and easier to get to and more connected to the rest of the North Island than Northland. From there you can head south to Rotorua and its hot pools, Maori culture and lakes.

Accommodation Suggestions:

Coromandel Peninsula Hotels: http://www.pacificharbour.co.nz/ or http://www.pukapark.co.nz/

Rotorua Hotel: http://www.novotelrotorua.co.nz/

Possible Farmstay - either here or in the South Island I would suggest a stay in a New Zealand farmstay - on a cattle or high country sheep ranch: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/accommodation/accommodation-options/accommodation-listings.cfm/activityitemid/17/startrow/1/activitycategoryid/2/seed/090908.html

Option: Northland. Despite the extra travel this may involve, Northland is also a very special place for and the other 2-3 day trip option from Auckland. Some wonderful coast, volcanic landscapces, Maori culture and 2000+ year old Kauri trees - some of the largest and oldest living things on earth...

Tourism NZ: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/regions/northland/northland-home.cfm

RTO: www.northlandnz.com

LAKE TAUPO, TONGARIRO AND HAWKES BAY - SOUTH TO WELLINGTON 2-4 DAYS.

RTOs: www.laketauponz.com and www.hawkesbaynz.com/ and www.wellingtonnz.com/

The Hawkes Bay boasts a sunny mediterranean climate - which helped foster an extensive wine industry, apple orchards and two attractive small cities in Napier and Hastings - both featuring Art Deco architecture from their rebuilding after a major 1930s earthquake.

Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake and the second oldest National Park in the world - the Tongariro National Park - encompassing the volcanic peaks of the Central North Island and (if time permits) the sunny Hawkes Bay - world renowned Art Deco architecture, world class red wines, dramatic coast line and coastal nature adventures. You can head south to Wellington - thorough Martinborough wine country to New Zealand's eclectic capital nestled at the bottom of the North Island (4-5 hours drive from Hawkes Bay) or if time is short fly to Christchurch or Queenstown from Rotorua, Taupo or Napier.

KAIKOURA, MARLBOROUGH & NELSON 2-4 days.

Tourism NZ: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/regions/marlborough/marlborough-home.cfm and http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/regions/nelson/nelson-home.cfm

RTOs: www.destinationmarlborough.com

Time permitting, from the Cook Strait Crossing from Wellington you can head to the top of the South Island including Marlborough - NZ"s finest wine region and home to some of the world's best white wines, Kaikoura ('Whale Watch' capital of the world - in a incredibly dramatic location between the mountains and the sea), Hamner Springs - great hot pools in a mountain setting and the many beautiful forested inlets of the Marlborough Sounds and Nelson - a picturesque city nestled by Abel Tasman National Park on the coast. Abel Tasman offers many forest fringed, golden sandy beaches accessible by sea kayak, small boat tours or hikes. This is arguably the best sea kayaking in the country. If time is short you may only be able to do a night or two in Marlborough and Kaikoura en route to Christchurch.

CANTERBURY & WEST COAST 2-5 days:

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/regions/west-coast/west-coast-home.cfm

RTOs: http://www.christchurchnz.com/ and www.west-coast.co.nz

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island - has a strong English history and tradition and feels in size/location similar to Boise, Idaho or a warmer version of Anchorage, Alaska. Visit the innovative Art Museum and Botanical Gardens before heading off to the Southern Lakes and Fiordland via one of two routes. You can take the route via the eastern side of the Southern Alps (via Mt Cook National Park) or the take the longer, more rustic route via the West Coast of the South Island - home to extensive national parks, glaciers and rugged sea side communities.

Suggested Accommodation:

Christchurch: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/160/en/hd/chcks?irs=null

Arthurs Pass and West Coast: There are two unique nature lodges (run by a former head of NZ conservation organization): http://www.wildernesslodge.co.nz/wildernesslodge/

QUEENSTOWN & FIORDLAND 2-6 days :

Milford Sound - one of those places that even the best photos fail to do justice to the scale and aura of the place. The most well know and photograhed part of the extensive Fiordland National Park and the even larger 'South West New Zealand World Heritage Area' that includes Mt Aspiring, Westland and Mt Cook National Parks and the surrounding Forest Parks.

RTOs: www.queenstown-nz.co.nz and http://www.fiordland.org.nz/

I suggest at least a few days in and around Queenstown and the other Southern Lakes. There are endless options of 'soft' (or hard) adventure pursuits incl. jet boating, rafting, fly in/walk out adventures, wineries, farm experiences, short hikes etc. From Queenstown you can drive or take a tour bus to Milford Sound (one of the most spectacular fiords - on earth - with peaks rising 6000 feet straight out of the ocean) . Plan to stay a night in Te Anau and catch a bus into the National Park - allowing you to focus on the scenery and not the driving. Plan a cruise or other adventure on Milford Sound - including overnight cruise options. In the National Parks around Queenstown and Fiordland are many fine walks - both short part day hikes, full day and multi day hikes - some dubbed the greatest walk on earth'. Several offered full guided walk (you carry a light day pack - everything else is arranged). The Milford Track is the most famous but others (Routeburn, Rees - Dart, Kepler, Hollyford) are also dramatic in their own rights and with far fewer or no issues of having to book in advance.

Blanket Bay Luxury Lodge, Queenstown: http://www.blanketbay.com/index.htm

Eichardts Hotel: http://www.eichardtshotel.co.nz/