whats the best way to see NZ in 21days?

Answer 1

If you like others to take care of the details for you and don't want to put a lot of time into figuring out where to go, what to do, and where to stay, do a package tour like Kiwi Experience. They are fun tours and will take you to lots of great places and the drivers know everything there is to do there. Jump on and off as you want at the different stops. If you are travelling alone, this is a great way to meet people too.

If you like to do it yourself or a tour is not really your style, don't waste money hiring a car..just BUY one. Pick up the local free paper on arrival and find a cheap car (NZD500-1000). Insurance is not required, and you can re-sell the car through the same paper when you are ready to leave. If you plan to drive, invest in a Pay As You Go phone as well (can resell this too).

There are some nice things to see on the North Island but I prefer the South Island myself. There isn't much I can tell you that you won't find in a guide book already. Two things I would recommend are the "scenic drive" through the Otago pennisula starting in Dunedin and ending in Queenstown, and flying a plane through the local flight club in Kaikoura. Also, check if the Wearable Arts Awards will be going on when you are there. This is a fun show. For anything else, just stop at the tourist centre in each town for great advice and free maps.

Answer 2

With 21 days, first decide on which island to see; North or south. Otherwise you'll be too busy to spend quality time at anything.

North Island: volcanic, relaxing and watery

Bay of Islands - a fantastic place to stay, relax and do a few watery things (Sailing, Fishing, dolphinsetc.)
Cape Reinga - nice place, but maybe not worth the travel
Auckland - get out as soon as you can
Rotorua - Good for a couple of days of geothermic and smelly sightseeing
Taupo - good for adventure activities (Skydiving, etc.) And a stopping point for Tongariro
Tongariro crossing - a good days walk in and amongst active volcanoes.
Waitomo - good for a day absailing, caving, rafting and watching the glow worms.
Coromandels - Hot water beach, relax on the coast, scenic.
Great Barrier Island - good walking and a place to relax.

South Island - Very Scenic, and centre of extreme activities, chance to relax a tad too.

Queenstown - anything the involves throwing yourself off a cliff, out of a plan, over a waterfall, etc. Do it there. Also to chill out.
Hamner Springs - Maybe a day or two to relax and walk.
Milford - walking, sailing - you need to be organised
Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers - walk on 'em (For a full day) while they're still there.
Big walks - there's a good number in the sound Island - but don;t expect a pub mid route.
Tranzalpine train - nice day's [lazy] activity if the weather's good.

If poss (And budget allows) hire a car - it does give you a lot of control. Otherwise there is the Kiwi Express, which is ideal if you want to meet people and like alcohol.

Answer 3

Hire a campervan and arrange for it to be picked up by you at one island say Auckland on the North Island and then to be left at Christchurch on the south Island. We say both Islands in 20 days and had the best time ever. We flew into AUckland and made our way down south stopping at caves and various places on the way. The ferry trip through the Marlborough Sound was unreal. We drove down the West COast and seeing waterfalls and hanging bridges and on to the Fox Glacier where we went trekking. We crossed the Haast Pass and went on to Queenstown which is magical we would have had time to visit the sound below that but were tired so made our way up to Christchurch. We visited the boulders and Dunedin and rode the shotover jet at Queenstown. We spent a night camping by a lake with no one anywhere and my kids still say to this day that it was the best holiday they have ever had. But if you do drive down the west coast fuel up as some of the towns they show on the maps are not really there. All you see is a letterbox and that is it.

Answer 4

So many of these answers are great. Have to agree with previous answer - don't try to pack too much in. Spend a few days in a few key locations rather than trying to cover the whole North and South Islands. I've been there many times, but after one particular 3 week trip I found my memory a blur and came home tired.... sure with some great photos but no great stories to tell. Remember the old saying: A tourist knows where they are going but a traveller knows where they have been.
Key locations for me: Queenstown, Milford Sound, Tekapo (South Island), Bay of Islands and Rotorua (North Island). Enjoy.

Answer 5

Hire a car or campervan, whichever suits your budget.

Hotels, even cheap ones have very good self catering facilities so you can have breakfast and dinner in your room if you want to, saves a bit of cash! Get hold of a coolbox and you can make packed lunches.

You'll probably be flying into Auckland? If so you may want to check out prices of an internal flight straight to the SI (Christchurch?), do that island and hop back up to the NI by the Interislander ferry to catch your plane in Auckland.

http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/
http://www.interislander.co.nz/
http://www.ferrytickets.co.nz/
http://www.rentadent.co.nz/Portal.asp

If you are staying in hotels you don't need to book in advance (you might want to sort the 1st night though), you can get a free AA Accomodation guide at the airport and pick a place to suit your budget.

I DO NOT recommend flying via LA, if you intend doing Hollywood. It's definitely not worth it (apart from the Watergrill restaurant which is excellent!) there's much more to see going via the Far East.

http://www.watergrill.com/

Answer 6

Don't forget to bungy jump in Queenstown. Kawarau Bridge. South Island only forget the north. The south Island is beautiful. Also you must hike the Fox Glacier or Franz Joseph Glacier.

Get a camper van and drive

Answer 7

Fly in to Auckland, spend a couple of days there, hire a car and drive to Coromandel peninsula for a couple of days, then down to Rotarua (hot springs and geothermal landscape), then down to Taupo (central N Island, pretty lake and volcanoes). There is a good walk you can do in a full day called the Tongariro Crossing, over the volcano. Then drive down to Wellington for a couple of days, leave car there and fly to Christchurch, S Island.

Hire a campervan in Christchurch - they aren't expensive but book before you go. Drive over Arthurs Pass to the west coast, down to Fox Glacier and do a day's glacier trek. Then south again and over the Haast Pass to Wanaka. Do a sky dive in Wanaka! Then down to Queenstown and then down to Manapouri and do a boat trip to Doubtful Sound (as beautiful as Milford Sound, but quieter and nearer to Queenstown). Then drive north up to Mount Cook, there is a campsite there at the foot of the mountains. Then up to Tekapo (DON'T miss out Tekapo - it's so beautiful and tranquil). Then up to Christchurch and fly home via Auckland!

That's still missing a lot out - Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman national park, whale-watching at Kaikoura.. but you can't do it all. A campervan trip is so the best way to experience NZ.

Answer 8

hire a campervan. we landed in the north island and travelled down, got the ferry at windy wellington and went to the bottom of the south island. and its the best holiday i have ever gone on we covered that over28 days. get a map and some info on new zealand before you go and try to plan a rough route. its alot easier than going willy nilly to places that you no nothing about and may not enjoy

Answer 9

New Zealand is a big country, North and South Islands. There's so much to cover! What I did was to go on one of the package tours - they are the best for covering this big & beautiful country in so short a time. The tour takes me to most of the major cities and attractions, and it was truly memorable.

Answer 10

Try not to do too much. You've probably got time to get a taster of both islands or to focus on one and see it in a bit more detail.