After four trips to New Zealand, one of our favorite countries, we share detailed travel tips on how to plan your visit.
Favorite New Zealand photos:
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Visiting New Zealand can be as comforting as “going home to Grandma” or as exciting as bungy jumping. Language is no barrier, as English is spoken by New Zealanders, who call themselves Kiwis. Their soft accent is endearing, such as when they say “yis” for yes and raise the end of most “sintinces” (sentences) like a question, in a polite tone. New Zealander culture is very friendly, neighborly and down-to-earth. Scenery in this South Pacific country varies dramatically in short distances, perfect for touring via car, bicycle or feet. New Zealand is bigger than the UK, smaller than Japan, and about the size of Colorado. Fully 30% of New Zealand is preserved in parkland, very attractive for wilderness lovers. 75% of the country’s plant species are endemic (found nowhere else).
Rent a car (or campervan), stay in comfortable motor camp cabins, and hike (or “tramp”) to mountain huts. Planes, buses, jet boats, and water taxis efficiently assist one-way hikes or tours. Most cities have an excellent “i-Site” or tourist office with free highway maps, pamphlets, lodging and campground directories, and free bookings.
Bonus tour itinerary honed from four trips
Carol and I loved our 25-day honeymoon in January 1998 on the South Island. After 100 miles of hiking in varied wilderness scenery (with a hilly 16,000 feet of total elevation gain), we felt strong and invigorated. From February 12 to March 27, 2007, we returned for an equally enjoyable 6 weeks on both islands, tramping 175 miles. On an earlier trip in 1992, a friend and I drove two weeks exploring pleasant Walkways of North Island, staying in comfortable motor camp cabins. In 1981, my first trip overseas included tramping and bicycling for two wonderful months on the South Island, based at my parents sabbatical-year home in Christchurch.
6-week self-drive New Zealand Trip Guide and Itinerary 2007 (PDF file 18 pages) — a valuable reference for day hikers and overnight backpackers (trampers) who enjoy natural wonders. We drove and tramped February 12 to March 27, 2007.
History and economy of New Zealand
According to Māori mythology, Polynesian navigator Kupe discovered New Zealand around AD 925. Most Polynesians arrived in their waka (sea canoes) about 1350 AD. They mainly settled North Island, because South Island was too cold. Over about 100 years, they hunted one of earth’s largest known birds, the moa, to extinction, which also extinguished the world’s largest eagle. The Polynesians in New Zealand were not known as Maoris until after the arrival of the Pakeha, people of European descent. British and Maori leaders signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, founding New Zealand along with Maori rights. In 1893, New Zealand became the world’s first country to grant women the right to vote. New Zealand became independent from Britain in 1947.
Currently 15% of the population call themselves Maori, who are receiving new respect and improved land rights. Half of New Zealand has been domesticated with pasture and farmland. Sheep outnumber people by about fifteen to one, yet agriculture contributes only 17% of the economy. The nation is more urban than ever now, but Kiwis still love their parks and feel a strong connection with nature. New Zealand’s 4 million people mostly work in service, tourism, and manufacturing industries and depend heavily upon exports (29% of Gross Domestic Product, GDP).
New Zealand geology and landscape
Geologists believe that New Zealand detached from the ancient southern continent of Gondwanaland 80 million years ago, isolating the evolution of many ancient plants and animals, most of which are found nowhere else. Thrust faulting, crustal shortening and vertical slips rapidly lift the Southern Alps up to 10 mm per year, about the same rate as heavy rainfall and erosion wears them down. Volcanoes have formed most of North Island’s mountains.
In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area, including: Fiordland National Park, Mount Aspiring National Park, Mount Cook/Aoraki National Park, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, plus nearby land:
“This park offers a landscape shaped by successive glaciations into fjords, rocky coasts, towering cliffs, lakes and waterfalls. Two-thirds of the park is covered with southern beech and podocarps, some of which are over 800 years old. The kea, the only alpine parrot in the world, lives in the park, as does the rare and endangered takahe, a large flightless bird.”
In 1990 and 1993, UNESCO honored Tongariro National Park as a World Heritage Area and Cultural Landscape.
New Zealand Trip Planning:
If you have only 1 to 2 weeks: Fly to Christchurch and drive a loop on South Island, which offers more wilderness than denser-populated North Island. See North Island later on a separate or longer trip.
For trips of 3 weeks or more: Save half price on transportation: fly from Auckland to Christchurch, then rent a car or campervan one-way from Christchurch to Auckland (Scotties Rental Car). This one-way vehicle relocation deal is discounted 50% when traveling south to north, and also cuts flying cost in half by eliminating a return flight. We recommend 6 weeks, as described in our self-drive New Zealand Trip Guide and Itinerary 2007 (PDF file 18 pages).
After arrival in New Zealand, pick up excellent free road maps, area guides, and lodging pamphlets at i-Sites and tourist offices in major towns.
Transportation
A campervan (also known as a caravan, camper, motor home, mobile home or RV) lets you stay in more places, spontaneously, close to nature, but will cost more than a car per day for rental and gasoline.
Sleeping in a tent is closer to nature and cheapest, but much less comfortable due to wind and rain.
Economy car plus lodging: When you add up the cost of vehicle rental, gas, lodging and campgrounds, driving an economy car is cheaper than a campervan. Holiday Park tourist flats or cabins cost from NZ$40 to $150 for a double room in 2007. Car rental is especially cheaper than a campervan per day when you will be staying in mountain huts away from the vehicle for a week or more. Cheapest car rentals may be in town away from the airport, such as used-car rentals (Scotties Rental Car).
Buses and trains cover the country fairly well, but you’ll spend valuable trip time waiting for arrivals, multiple stops, and departures.
Driving tips: Drive on the left side of the road in New Zealand. In roundabouts, yield to the car approaching on your right. Allow plenty of time for driving on the curvy roads, which average about 75 kilometers per hour across the country. Road surfaces were maintained in excellent condition everywhere in 2007. Most roads are two-lane, with frequent single-lane bridges, some shared with railways — watch for yield signs. Drive slowly and defensively, and watch out for aggressive drivers and animals in the road.
Lodging
Holiday Parks or motor camps (campgrounds) offer great value in lodging everywhere in New Zealand, usually cheaper than traditional motels or “Bed & Breakfasts”. Choose from the following options, all with access to public self-service kitchens and bathrooms:
tent sites
campervan sites with optional hook-ups
dormitory — cheap bed in shared room
cabins — usually very clean, many with ensuite bathroom and/or kitchen
Tourist Flats — “self-contained” high-end
Advance Bookings: You should reserve rooms 3 or 4 days ahead in high season (December-February) in popular areas such as Queenstown and Wanaka. Reserving a site for your campervan is not as critical as for booking a bed, since rooms sell out much quicker than campsites. In 1997 we brought but never used our backup tent — we always stayed in motor camp cabins and motels, spontaneously booked sometimes one or two days ahead. Compared to our earlier trips, lodging in 2007 was noticeable tighter in most major tourist areas, requiring booking two days ahead, or further in advance during festival events. If you don’t book far enough ahead, the last rooms in town tend to be the most expensive.
i-Sites: Reserve your lodging in advance with no fees at the very helpful tourist “i-Sites” or other tourist offices found everywhere in New Zealand. Pick from an astounding array of excellent free highway maps and detailed guides. i-Sites charge you no fees because they get 10% from lodging providers.
Telephone
Mobile phone: unblock your cell phone before leaving home. In New Zealand, buy a cheap SIM card with minutes, giving you a kiwi phone number.
Phone cards: For easy calling within New Zealand (and to phone numbers abroad) at the cheapest rate per minute, buy a prepaid rechargeable phone card such as CheapChat, at any motor camp or tourist office. (Dial an 0800 number and enter a pin code then dial the number.) Don’t buy Telecom’s expensive card. Phoning ahead to reserve your lodging directly as needed can be more convenient than trying to find the next i-Site during open hours.
Food
Buy food in big-city groceries and cook in public or private kitchens in Holiday Parks and campgrounds.
Bring or buy a collapsible cooler (or portable “chilly bin“) to store perishable items on ice in the car, then transfer to the refrigerator found in most rented rooms. Buy ice at petrol stations or some grocery stores. Renting a campervan has the advantage of a built-in refrigerator.
Overnight Tramping/Hiking Trips
On the many tramping tracks (hiking trails), we enjoy self-service huts where you carry your own sleeping bag and food, cook using the hut’s stoves, and sleep in a shared dormitory on mattressed beds. Self-service huts are much more comfortable than the tenting option (where you must carry your own stove, fuel, tent, and sleeping pad), and much cheaper than the full-service hut option (which provide meals, hot showers, and guides). Some hikes such as Hump Ridge, Nydia Track and Queen Charlotte Track offer reasonably priced private rooms and hot showers. Overnight backpacking tips:
Bring rain gear that can withstand long downpours.
Gas cookers (stoves) are provided in peak season on the Tuatapere Hump Ridge, Tongariro Northern Circuit, Routeburn, Kepler, and Milford Tracks, and at Aspiring Hut (NZAC).
For free recreation brochures, check i-Sites first, since DOC (Department of Conservation) offices charge for info sheets. (For example, at Stratford’s i-Site, we picked up the free Pouakai Track pamphlet published by Venture Taranaki, which is much better than DOC’s sheet.)
DOC (Department of Conservation) offices run most parks and are the best places to prepare for overnight tramping trips, reserve huts, and to buy excellent topographic maps. Most tracks are very well marked.
As of 2007, you don’t need reservations for huts on the Tongariro Northern Circuit or Rakiura Track (Stewart Island) — both of these “Great Walks” have dormitory huts which are first come, first served.
The following “Great Walks” require advance reservations for overnight huts:
Milford Track
Routeburn Track
Abel Tasman Coast Track
Kepler Track
Heaphy Track
Lake Waikaremoana Track
Restrictive reservations make these Great Walks pleasantly uncrowded. Popular huts fill fast and often require reservations weeks or months in advance, thus randomizing your chances for bad weather. To smartly take advantage of 1- to 3-day weather forecasts, the best parts of the Routeburn, Abel Tasman Coast Track, and Lake Waikaremoana Track can be hiked in a day with no reservations, or as single-night adventures bookable on shorter notice.
While the “Great Walks” are very popular and well maintained, New Zealand offers many other excellent hikes on well-maintained trails such as: Hump Ridge, Nydia Track, and Queen Charlotte Track. Some excellent but tougher overnight tracks that require some scrambling include:
Crucible Lake Hike from Siberia Hut, or the longer 3+day Wilkin-Young Circuit.
Pouakai Track on Mount Egmont/Taranaki.
Dusky Sound Track if you like long walks in remote wilderness with few people.
South Island Tips:
Favorite parks, tracks (trails), and sights are labelled on this small relief map of South Island, New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
Rated activities are listed in order of a loop starting at Christchurch, going west, south, then ending in the north end of South Island at Picton, the car ferry to North Island.
Key to ratings: *** Must do. ** Do. * Maybe if time allows.
Christchurch
** Fascinating International Antarctic Center exhibits next to the airport, with multi-media show and sea spider aquarium.
** Arthur’s Pass National Park: day hike Avalanche Peak
West Coast
*** Paparoa National Park, Punakaiki Pancake Rocks. Easy walks. Or hike Inland Pack Track starting at Fox River mouth, visiting Upper Fox Cave, overnight at The Ballroom, and explore Dilemma Creek as a day hike.
Westland / Tai Poutini National Park: Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier
*** Lake Matheson boardwalk trail (2.5 miles round the lake; just west of the town of Fox Glacier) has spectacular reflections of Mounts Cook and Tasman on a calm day.
** Walking to the tongue of Fox Glacier is an easy and rewarding 4 miles round trip.
* Roberts Point Track: This slippery and rocky track traverses some fun suspended boardwalks through lush forests of tree ferns, taking you to nice views of Franz Josef Glacier. If you like vigorous exercise in beautiful native forest away from the crowds, you may like this track.
Mount Aspiring National Park (Wanaka and Queenstown)
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*** Siberia Hut and Crucible Lake: Fly to Siberia Valley from Makarora (NZ$160 per person in 2007) and jet boat out (NZ$60 per person). Day hike the spectacular but extremely steep and rooty track to Crucible Lake, and overnight at Siberia Hut. The easiest one-day option is “The Siberia Experience“: fly in, hike 2.5 hours, then jet boat back. Or tramp in the same area 3 to 4 days on the scenic Wilkin-Young Circuit, with two cautious river crossings.
*** Rob Roy Valley Track (easy 8 miles, 900 feet gain) is one of our favorite day hikes in the world. From Wanaka, drive up Matukituki Valley to trailhead. Great hanging glaciers, crashing streams & waterfalls, swing suspension bridge, and kea alpine parrots. Optionally hike easily onwards to scenic Aspiring Hut, overnight. Scrambling up very steeply on a rooty track reaches spectacular French Ridge Hut for an optional second night.
*** Routeburn Track traverses the scenic alpine pass of Harris Saddle, with views especially impressive from Conical Hill side trip. Buses from Queenstown help stage a one-way hike. The Routeburn Track crosses from Fiordland National Park over the alpine pass of Harris Saddle into Mount Aspiring National Park. In 1998 we booked the Routeburn several months in advance, with a bus to The Divide and 3-day hike to Routeburn Shelter. The track was enjoyable despite rain and mist obscuring views. We returned in 2007 for sunshine and best views on short notice: Routeburn Flats Hut was booked on two days notice to catch good a weather forecast, and a day hike to impressive Harris Saddle and the highpoint on Conical Hill. Try to book Routeburn Falls Hut, which is a more-spectacular treehouse but fills months in advance.
** Spectacular Cascade Saddle is easiest approached via Rees-Dart Track, a 5 day backpack with huts, and optional jet boat to help shorten the trip. Start with a base in Queenstown or Glenorchy. Or hike Cascade Saddle via a dangerously steep track from Aspiring Hut — be very cautious hiking steeply downhill on slippery vegetation.
Fiordland National Park
*** Our favorite track: privately-run Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track (new in 2000) in Fiordland NP, which has excellent new dormitory huts, breakfast included, with optional hot showers and private rooms***. You can also helicopter your pack for a fee. This track has it all: lush wilderness, excellent footing, extensive boardwalks, alpine views, ocean beaches, history, and a walk across the world’s largest existing wooden viaduct. Take the 4WD Track Transport to shorten the track to a more comfortable 27 miles over 3 days.
*** Kepler Track, 3 days tramping. In 1998, reserving with just two days notice matched a perfect weather forecast. This high alpine ridge hike has expansive views, insect-eating sundew plants, pretty rainforest with tree ferns, and great huts (new at the time), with playful kea mountain parrots that like to slide down the roof.
** The Milford Track is a fun 4-day hike, starting from a boat launch on Lake Te Anau, wandering through glaciated valleys and over an alpine pass to Milford Sound, an impressive glacier-carved fiord. You can optionally stay an extra night and tour Milford Sound via a one-day kayak trip **. Return to Te Anau via bus. The track cost NZ$120 per person in 2007, including transportation to and from the Milford Track, with dormitory hut accommodation, gas cookers provided (bring your own food and sleeping bag). Add NZ$50 for optional Milford Sound boat tour 1 hour 40 minutes.
* Dusky Sound Track: a long adventure of 8+ days by boat across Lake Manapouri, hiking through remote rain forest over Centre Pass to Dusky Sound and back. Also route via a boat ride on Lake Hauroko.
The Kiwi spelling of “Fiordland” and “fiord” is more commonly “fjord” elsewhere, as in Norway. Milford Sound is actually a fjord (glacier carved) not a sound (water carved).
** Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour (but if you have a choice, instead see ***Waitomo Glowworm Caves on North Island).
Southeast coast
** The Catlins are fun to explore, including Nugget Point, Cathedral Caves, and waterfalls.
*** Moeraki Boulders: Fascinating rock spheres up to 2 meters in diameter scattered along the seashore. These calcite concretions formed slowly 65 million years ago and were tectonically uplifted.
* If you like birds, the colonies of blue penguins and rare yellow-eyed penguins are worth visiting, such as at Oamaru, Dunedin and Otago Peninsula (Sandfly Bay). (We didn’t see these little New Zealand penguins because we had already seen other penguins in Australia and Antarctica.)
* Royal Albatross Colony on Otago Peninsula is best December through February. See the world’s largest flying seabird and world’s smallest penguin (blue penguin) in one place.
** Stewart Island, Ulva Island: best chance to see or hear kiwis and other native birds in the wild
*** Mount Cook National Park, Mt. Cook Village
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*** Hike easy & very scenic Hooker Valley Track (6 miles, 850 feet).
*** Hike Sealy Tarns (5 miles, 1700 feet, steep). Or hike further to spectacular Mueller Hut, optional overnight, booked at DOC, requiring a sleeping bag.
Copeland Track: In 1981 my brothers and I hiked this fantastic 3 day adventure over the shoulder of Mt. Cook one way to the rainforest side and relaxing Welcome Flat Hot Springs, requiring bus/car shuttle. But as of 1995-2007, a landslide wiped out the trail from the Mount Cook side, making a dangerous scree traverse on unstable moraine, walked by few. Copeland Pass is still accessible via the West Coast trailhead to Welcome Flat Hot Springs and Hut. Check with the DOC (Department of Conservation). Requires rental of ice axe and crampons.
The prevailing Westerly winds dump most of their moisture on the West Coast, leaving Mount Cook Village with a sunny climate, east of the Southern Alps. A private double room is a good value at YHA Youth Hostel at Mount Cook Village. Easier to reserve, if you have a vehicle, are cabins or caravan sites at nearby **Glentanner Park campground.
Northern end of South Island
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** Nelson Lakes National Park: the Honeydew Nature Trail is informative about the non-native wasp problem. A day hike of **Robert Ridge is scenic.
** 2-3+ day backpack from St. Arnaud: water taxi to the south end of Lake Rotoiti (or hike there in a day to Coldwater Hut or Lakehead Hut), hike Cascade Track to Angelus Hut for 1 or more nights; hike back to St. Arnaud over Robert Ridge (or take Speargrass Creek Track if weather turns bad). Good wilderness hiking through native forest and alpine views down to wild Lake Rotoiti.
** Nelson: WOW, the World of Wearable Art & Classic Cars Museum is a visual feast. The WOW live show is a world-class nouveau art event, held yearly in Wellington, North Island (such as September 20-30, 2007). See the video at the museum if you attend the live performance.
** Nydia Track, Marlborough Sounds: The best part can be done as a day hike from the Duncan Bay side over to Nydia Bay and back. We hiked the full two days with help of water taxi and bus, a good hike if you have time.
** Queen Charlotte Track, Marlborough Sounds: The best part of the Queen Charlotte Track can be walked as a day hike round trip from Picton via water taxi: drop off at beautiful and historic Ship Cove, and walk to Furneaux Lodge for pick up. In the remainder of the track, clear cuts alternate with forest, mostly not wilderness, but you get sweeping views of Marlborough Sounds from the ridge walk. Most people have their pack transported via water taxi from hotel to hotel on this comfortable track.
* Abel Tasman National Park: If you like beaches and don’t mind sharing with lots of hikers and boats, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track is an easy jaunt along former logging roads through green forest. However, the native forest throughout the park needs another 100 years to recover from logging that ended in the 1970s. Most of the ecosystem is in stage 2 of the 4 regrowth stages, so you won’t see much old growth forest — we were not impressed. Our day hikes to Separation Point and Anapai Beach were pleasant, but we prefer the purer wilderness of Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Park.
** Sea Kayaking
Spontaneously booking sea kayak day trips with one-day notice gives you a more accurate wind/weather forecast. Beware of wind and waves.
Our Milford Sound kayaking day trip was difficult pulling into a strong wind, but the next day was perfect weather!
In warm Abel Tasman National Park, you might enjoy Kaiteriteri Kayaks “Soul Food” day trip, or multi-night options (or other companies).
For water sports, use a water resistant camera recommended in the BUY > CAMERAS menu. A waterproof housing ($160 and up) is available for many popular cameras, but a dedicated camera is more compact, convenient, and reliable.
*** Bicycling
Pad and box your bicycle very carefully to avoid damage on jet flights. Be prepared for delayed luggage.
Motor camps offer convenient accomodation for bicycling at good intervals almost everywhere. Train for very hilly terrain.
Within New Zealand, optionally ship your bicycle ahead via bus.
With my brother Jim in 1981, I rode 500 miles in 10 days from Lake Te Anau to Christchurch past beautiful lakes, rolling hills and pastoral farms, in the rain shadow of the glacier-clad Southern Alps.
My brother Dave and I bicycled an exciting, steep mountain route from Christchurch over Arthurs Pass to Paparoa National Park.
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Key to ratings: *** Must do. ** Do. * Maybe if time allows.
A map of North Island, New Zealand, suggests favorite parks and sights.
North Island tips:
First, read ***New Zealand Overview, Trip Planning, and South Island Tips above. Relocation cars and campervans can be half price going one way from Christchurch to Auckland. Rated activities are listed on a tour route from Wellington to the far north:
Key to ratings: *** Must do. ** Do. * Maybe if time allows.
** The WOW live show is a world-class nouveau art event, held in Wellington, North Island (September 20-30, 2007). Don’t miss the event video at the museum in Nelson (South Island): ** WOW, the World of Wearable Art & Classic Cars Museum is a visual feast, a breathtaking array of wearable art.
** Putangiura Pinnacles: Drive 3 hours each way to reach Putangiura Pinnacles on a day trip from Wellington. Hike 2-3 hours round trip on an uneven rocky stream bed beneath weird gray hoodoos. The spires starred as the “Dimholt Road” in the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy (directed by Wellington’s Peter Jackson 2001, 2002, 2003), where Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli ride into a tunnel to meet the Army of the Dead.
* Tararua Wind Farm: largest wind power installation in the Southern Hemisphere. Located 10 kilometres northeast of Palmerston North, sprawling across a 5 kilometer long ridge in the Tararua Ranges. Palmerston North is home of Massey University, New Zealand’s largest educational institution.
*** Taranaki / Mount Egmont National Park
** Admire this perfect volcanic cone from any angle. Taranaki and surroundings were filmed as a stand-in for Japan’s Mount Fuji in the Tom Cruise movie, “The Last Samurai” (2003).
*** Hike the scenic but rough Pouakai Track 2-3 days (20+ miles), staying overnight in dormitory style Pouakai Hut and others. Bring your own stove, as the wood fired stove is slow for cooking. Pouakai Track requires scrambling over rocks, roots, ladders with missing rungs, and washed-out trail sections. Purchase the required hut pass at the DOC office at North Egmont. At Stratford‘s i-Site, we picked up an excellent free Pouakai Track pamphlet published by Venture Taranaki, a better value than info at DOC office.
* Stratford to Taumarunui “Forgotten World Highway” is a quiet back road with rolling hills and ranches mixed with native forest. See *Mount Damper Falls, highest on North Island.
*** Tongariro National Park
*** Tongariro Crossing day hike is a 10 mile traverse (2900 feet up, 4000 feet down). A bus from Whakapapa Village drives to and from this spectacular hike, one of the most crowded tracks in New Zealand. Base yourself in attractive Whakapapa Village at the Skotel (highest hotel in New Zealand), which has range of comfortable rooms and a public kitchen.
* Tongariro Northern Circuit is a long backpack with huts, 3 days through a desolate moonscape. If you love backpacking, the rating is *** must do.
*** Take the ski lift up Mount Ruapehu, and climb to the top of North Island’s highest peak to see the famous Crater Lake responsible for destructive lahars (mud flows). The tephra ash dam broke in March 2007 relieving pressure from Crater Lake — check latest safety warnings.
*** Rotorua & Taupo area
*** Tamaki Maori Village: NZ$93 includes hotel pickup, Maori Concert & Hakari (feast), with great food cooked in a hangi, steamed for hours on hot stones underground. You will see a performance of the challenging haka (or more precisely, the haka taparahi) and other dances. A hongi is the Maori nose press greeting (double or single). As you load your dinner plate, remember that tuna is the Maori word for the New Zealand Longfin Eel.
*** Fishermen can reliably pull giant fish out of Lake Taupo and many New Zealand rivers.
* Thundering Huka Falls is the headwaters of New Zealand’s longest river, Waikato River, flowing out of Lake Taupo.
* Agrodome: Sheep shearing and sheep dog demonstrations show a dozen or more sheep breeds.
*** White Island: Tour 6 hours by boat from Whakatane to an active offshore volcano and former sulfur farm for intriguing photography. Gas masks provided.
*** Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour reveals a fascinating insect which shines like a star (better than **Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour on South Island).
** Otorohanga Kiwi House & Native Bird Park is one of the few places in New Zealand where you can see active kiwis, because the exhibit building reverses day and night. See many other rare native birds and the small tuatara, a rare dinosaur/lizard relative.
*** Lake Waikaremoana, Te Urewera National Park
*** Day hike Panekiri Bluff, 5 miles round trip, 1900 feet gain. Or hike the *Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk 4-day circuit, hut to hut, through lush wilderness.
** East Cape Road: 1-2 day drive encompassing modern Maori culture, empty beaches, ranch life, & history.
** Shine’s Falls on Boundary Stream: 2 hour hike to a beautiful high waterfall. Near Napier, the art deco city.
* Coromandel Peninsula
Wander pleasant public Walkways in mixed ranchland, crossing over fences on stiles (stepped ladders) into native forest and back to fields:
* Moehau Track is a pleasant 2 hours round trip walk.
** Coromandel Track: 7 miles round trip along the South Pacific Ocean. Bell birds call and cicadas buzz.
** Hot Water Beach & Cathedral Cove
** Auckland
** Visit Auckland Museum if you are not able to see Te Papa Museum in Wellington (or vice versa). Both are culturally and scientifically valuable.
* Mangawhai Walkway: native palms & tree ferns intersperse with ranch land
*** Northland Forest Park, at Waipoua offers a pleasant walk to see tree ferns and the world’s largest Kauri trees, which grow up to 153 feet high, 46 feet circumference & 1200 years old. Kauris are the second largest tree species in the world, next to California’s Sequoia Redwood. This forest gives a sense of the wilderness before humans arrived. An interesting logging museum is nearby, detailing the near destruction of kauri forests.
Kauris only grow half as fast as California’s Monterey Pine, called locally by its Latin name Pinus radiata, which now dominate the huge tree farms marching across New Zealand.
