r/newzealand_travel

It feels like a lot of people do the same route in New Zealand when they are travelling - what are the best experiences or hidden gems that you think people should consider when visiting from overseas?

What month would give the best chance and what’s your best go-to city or town for snow in New Zealand? Not skiing, just snowmen and the ability to experience snowfall?

Hi everyone,

My partner, our 10-month-old baby and I will be travelling around New Zealand during November and December for what will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us.

We’ve put together the itinerary below and would really appreciate any thoughts or feedback on the route itself. Does it flow well? Are we spending too long or too little anywhere? Is there anywhere you’d recommend swapping, adding, or removing?

As we’re travelling with our little one, we’ve planned with some parameters in mind:

• Staying at least 2-3 nights in most places.
• Keeping the majority of driving days to around 2-4 hours where possible.
• We’ll drive during the baby’s nap times and break up longer drives with lunch stops & any stops when necessary.

North Island (6–20 November)

• Auckland (3 nights)
• Coromandel (3 nights)
• Rotorua (4 nights)
• Taupō (2 nights)
• Wellington (2 nights)

South Island (20 November–15 December)

• Picton / Marlborough Sounds (2 nights)
• Abel Tasman (4 nights)
• Punakaiki (1 night)
• Franz Josef (2 nights)
• Wānaka (4 nights)
• Te Anau (2 nights)
• Queenstown (4 nights)
• Aoraki / Mount Cook (2 nights)
• Lake Tekapo (1 night)
• Christchurch (2 nights)

We’d really value any thoughts on the overall route and pacing from those who know New Zealand well.

Thanks so much in advance!

Hi everyone, our supposed plan today was to travel from Queenstown to Lake Tekapo and we have our Airbnb booked there for the day. However, checking the NZTA website, the highway is blocked on both ends for Lake Tekapo so we’re not sure if we could enter Tekapo today? We have snow chains if that makes any difference.

What do yall think? Would it be better if we drive straight to Christchurch because that’s where our return flight in 2 days is or do you reckon the highway open up soon? Thank you for any advice!

EDIT: omg on the way to Oamaru, the entire stretch of SH8 from Cromwell to Lake Tekapo opened up!! We’ve already rode past Lindis Pass and soon to our destination yay 😆

We’re doing 11 days in New Zealand next May (I know that’s short but it’s what we can afford.) I’m stressing over the fact that we’re waiting until 4 months out to try and get the best prices for flights. The hotels/excursions we want to do (Kamana Lakehouse, Milford Sound, Hobbiton) all seem like things you have to book ahead of time before they get booked or to get the best rooms/times. I’d hate to jump the gun on bookings and then realize our flights are going to mess up our entire itinerary. Anyone else have experience with this? I haven’t travelled this far on my own nor has my fiance so this is a big trip for us lol.
We are leaving from Philadelphia, landing in Auckland, driving to Rotorua, then fly from rotorua —> Auckland —> Queenstown, then Queenstown —> Auckland —> Home.

My husband and I (30s) are spending 2 weeks in the South Island, 4 nights of which are in Queenstown this August. We had looked into Milford Sound as a doable day trip but are now hearing others recommend Doubtful Sound more as a less touristy option.

Is there a way to do doubtful sound as a daytrip? Or is that just too impossible. Are we missing out by skipping Doubtful sound?

I’m on the hunt for weird wacky cool or unique short term accomodation in NZ. I’ve tried every search. I’m planning a trip to the SI West Coast so bonus points for that area but also happy for this thread to be the home of all the unique places to stay because I’m always on the hunt. I’m a magpie for colour / craft / nature / eco / SPAS OR BATHS / camping / art / animals/ history / anything weird.

I know there’s a cool eco train in Pōneke / Wellington somewhere but otherwise I’m bone blank idealess so please help!

I had signed up a car insurance last saturday at 14:00 and had an accident at 18:00 pm...

I claimed on my insurance on the same day ( maybe i was too dumb) And they called me and told me that they would have an investigation about it cause is suspicious that i claimed on the same that that i signed the insurance.. i reckon they will decline as indeed it is weird claiming yhe insurance the same day i signed up.

As i think they will decline it i thought about getting a new insurance in another company but was wondering if they share information between each other, like the other companies will know my claims?

thanks

Hello,

My wife, 6 month old baby and I are visiting New Zealand North Island for 5 weeks in October and we hoping for advice with our itinerary. We spent 5 weeks in the south island for our honeymoon and that was great, but we want to focus on the north island this time.

We are big on walking, wine tasting and scenery, but with a young baby we probably couldn't walk further than a 4 hour round trip.

I've tried to find other itinerarys on the sub for situations similar to ours, but they tend to only spend 10 days on the north island.

We are thinking of staying about 3 days in each location, in AirBnbs, with trying to keep drives between them at about 4 hours, for the baby. On our honeymoon trip we stayed in 13 different Airbnbs, moving about every 2ish days, and we loved it, but that would be a bit intense with a baby.

Here is our current plan for AirBnb locations and nights at location, we'll then go see attractions from these locations:

Staying Location	Nights At Location
Auckland	3
Russell	4
Auckland	2
Raglan	3
Lake Taupo	3
Stratford	3
Wellington	4
Napier	3
Gisborne	3
Rotorua	3
Coromandel	4

Are we staying too long/not long enough somewhere? Should we skip a location or add another?

What are attractions to see and what should be missed?

Thanks for your help!

Two Canadian retirees - with a love of cycling - looking to spend 4 months in NZ (mid Dec to mid April). That's over 120 days!!

We want to 'live like locals' in a few locations and travel in between. The long stints will be spent exploring the area on our bikes, some day hikes, good coffee, lazing around with a book etc. 

We're seniors and are hoping to ride 30-40km at a time on quiet roads or paths, not too hilly. Probably 3 or 4 rides a week (no issues with repeating routes). 

This is what we're thinking and would love some feedback! The places I'm unsure of are shown with a '?". 

18-20 days each: Christchurch, Nelson & Napier

6-7 days each: Cromwell (Otago & Dunstan trails), Wellington, Mount Maunganui?, Paihia or Kerikeri? Auckland

3-5 days each: Queenstown, Te Anua, Wanaka, Tekapo or Twizel?, Kaikoura, Taupo, Routudo, Paeroa (Hauraki rail trail), Whitianga? 

1 day (some are just driving breaks): Greymouth, Franz Josef, Haast, Mt Cook, Geraldine?

Thanks!

Hi. From Auckland to maybe waimarino is the best option for a hostel? Planning to go to tongariro and I need some kind of reservation to this mountain?

Thank you!

Hello!

My wife and I (mid-30's) are nearing the final itinerary for our trip to NZ from December 13-30. Thanks to those of you in this sub who helped out with advice. Laying out what we currently have below:

12/13: land in Queenstown at 1:30pm, get rental car, settle in

12/14: Queenstown (gondola/luge, Glenorchy drive)

12/15: drive to Te Anau (possibly do Lake Marian track)

12/16: Te Anau (Milford Sound 2 hour cruise booked for 8:50am, relaxed drive back to Te Anau afterwards and possible hike)

12/17: Doubtful Sound overnight

12/18: drive to Wanaka (settle in and relax)

12/19: Wanaka (Roy’s Peak early AM, Haast Pass afterwards - some of Wilson’s Creek, Thunder Creek Falls, Monro Beach, Blue Pools Track)

12/20: Wanaka (Rob Roy Glacier Track)

12/21: drive to Twizel to drop bags (staying here) then to Mt Cook (Sealy Tarns to Mueller Hut/Hooker Valley Track either today or tomorrow depending on weather)

12/22: drive to Arthur’s Pass (some of Devil’s Punchbowl, Castle Hill, Cave Stream Scenic Reserve, Bealy Spur)

12/23: drive to Hokitika Gorge, down to Franz Josef, and back up to Hokitika to sleep

12/24: drive to Punakaiki then up coast to Westport then to Abel Tasman

12/25: Abel Tasman

12/26: Abel Tasman

12/27: fly to Auckland in AM, drive to Tongariro

12/28: Tongariro Alpine Crossing, drive to Cambridge afterwards

12/29: Cambridge (Hobbiton Second Breakfast tour then Spellbound Glowworm tour at 4pm)

12/30: fly home from Auckland 2pm

How does this look?

Do you think we would prefer an extra night in Wanaka or Twizel (or elsewhere) and therefore cut out the Franz Josef day?

Thanks for any advice!

I'm a little over a month away from coming to New Zealand from Canada on a WHV. Can anyone share your experience entering on your visa? What they asked, what was helpful, what not to stress about? For some reason getting anxious leading up to it lol

We're a married couple in our mid-40s planning our first trip to New Zealand, and we're incredibly excited. We'll be visiting from February 21 to March 5. We love day hiking, kayaking, scenic drives, wildlife, and stargazing.

We know there's no way to see everything in just two weeks (it's the maximum time we can take off work), so we'd really appreciate any feedback on the itinerary we've put together.

Sunday

• Arrive in Auckland at 8:15 a.m.
• Stay in Auckland to recover from jet lag.

Monday

• Pick up rental car.
• Drive to Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
• Visit Hobbiton.
• Overnight in Cambridge.

Tuesday

• Drive to Wai-O-Tapu.
• Visit Waimangu Volcanic Valley.
• Relax at Hell's Gate in the evening.
• Overnight in Rotorua.

Wednesday

• Morning at the Redwoods.
• 1:35 p.m. flight to Christchurch.
• Arrive around 3:30 p.m., pick up campervan, and drive to Arthur's Pass.

Thursday

• Arthur's Pass

Friday

• Lake Tekapo

Saturday

• Aoraki/Mount Cook

Sunday

• Wānaka

Monday

• Te Anau

Tuesday

• Milford Sound

Wednesday

• Fiordland National Park

Thursday

• Queenstown

Friday

• Fly from Queenstown to Auckland (either the 7:00 a.m. flight arriving around 8:50 a.m., or possibly the evening before) to catch our 2:35 p.m. flight from Auckland to the US.

Our priority is definitely the South Island, but we'd really love to fit in both Hobbiton and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves while we're on the North Island.

One thing we're debating is whether we should skip Rotorua altogether and head straight to Christchurch to give ourselves an extra day in the South Island. Looking at the itinerary, I feel like I've packed a lot into those seven South Island days.

If you were planning this trip, would you keep Rotorua, or would you spend that extra time in the South Island instead? Also, are there any places where we're trying to do too much in a day, or any "must-do" stops we're missing?

Thanks so much! We'd really appreciate any advice or suggestions.

Kia ora!
My husband and I are visiting New Zealand for 18 days over the holiday period (late December–early January). We’re coming from the U.S. and this trip originally started because we wanted to attend Le Currents in Taupō. My husband is also a huge Lord of the Rings fan, which is how Hobbiton made its way onto the itinerary.
We enjoy hiking, wildlife, scenic drives, and exploring on our own rather than doing lots of expensive guided tours. We generally prefer hikes under 10 miles (16 km).
Our biggest goals are:
See penguins and kiwi (preferably in the wild)
Do some great day hikes
Experience as much of New Zealand’s natural beauty as possible
Visit a few LOTR-related locations
Avoid feeling rushed while still making the most of the trip
We already have flights, rental cars, and accommodations booked, but we’re still flexible if there’s something we’re overlooking.
North Island (7 days)
Day 1: Arrive Auckland, drive to Taupō
Days 2–3: Le Currents music festival in Taupō
Day 4: Waitomo Black Labyrinth black-water rafting, then overnight near Pirongia
Day 5: Hobbiton evening tour, overnight near Maungatautari
Day 6: Explore Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and spend a quiet New Year’s Eve there
Day 7: Drive to Auckland and fly to Queenstown
South Island (11 days)
Days 7–9: Queenstown (mostly relaxing, exploring town, short hikes)
Day 10: Drive to Te Anau
Day 11: Milford Sound day trip
Day 12: Kepler Track day hike or Lake Marian, then drive to Curio Bay/Catlins
Day 13: Full Catlins day (Curio Bay, sea lions, waterfalls, Slope Point, etc.)
Day 14: Nugget Point area in the morning, then Dunedin/Otago Peninsula
Day 15: Otago Peninsula and Blue Penguins Pukekura evening tour
Day 16: Drive to Cardrona, explore Wānaka
Day 17: Rob Roy Glacier Track or another Wānaka hike
Day 18: Return to Queenstown
Day 19: Fly home
Questions
Are there any major “don’t miss” stops along this route?
Is this itinerary reasonably paced, or are we trying to squeeze in too much?
For wildlife, are we maximizing our chances of seeing penguins and other native species, or would you recommend different locations?
Curio Bay vs Nugget Point for penguins—if you had to prioritize one, which would it be?
Any Catlins wildlife tips (best locations, best times of day, things visitors often miss)?
Any recommendations for lesser-known hikes under 10 miles/16 km near Te Anau, Wānaka, Queenstown, or the Catlins?
For Milford Sound, is there a best time of day to visit that helps avoid the biggest crowds?
Are there any worthwhile LOTR filming locations that fit naturally into this route?
Appreciate any advice. We’re incredibly excited for our first trip to New Zealand!