Should i visit north island or south island in new zealand?

Question

We are going for our honeymoon around the end of April for 7 days - should we do north island, south island or both? Any recommendations? Thanks!

Answer 1

Much depends on what you like doing, so if you're into outdoor activities I'd get a brochure and check what's available where. Queenstown is very good for extreme outdoor activities (although you should check your insurance carefully because if anything goes wrong you won't get compensation in NZ even if the operators are negligent). If you want warm and gentle, try the Coromandel peninsula. But may I offer a couple of pieces of general advice? New Zealand roads (especially in the South Island) aren't built for speed, so if you're trying to estimate driving time between A and B it could be a good deal more than you expect; Wellington is the windiest city on God's good earth, and Auckland is a huge urban sprawl ... if you want to stay in a city, Christchurch is lovely and probably has the most reliable climate, but in your place I'd choose a small town as a base rather than a big city. By the way, the two islands aren't very far apart, so it depends how much you want to travel. And the weather can be very, very variable except in the tiny little sheltered niches, so take layers of clothes as well as stout shoes if you want to go walkies. Plus - especially for the most beautiful part of the South Island - insect repellent. The mosquitoes around Te Anau have probably got very, very hungry since they ate me.

Answer 2

The South Island has more rugged scenery than the North Island. It has rugged peaks, glaciers and fjords. The North Island is gentle and green, with a few mountains. It also has thermal areas with geysers and stuff. In Lord of the Rings terms (the films were shot in NZ), the North Island is the Shire, and the South Island is everywhere else. For the South Island fly into Christchurch. For the North Island, Auckland or Wellington.

Answer 3

If you have seen Lord of the Rings, North Island is The Shire. South Island is everything else.

Answer 4

The harbour-side town of Auckland is New Zealand's correct city and the vivid financial center of the nation, know it with hotelbye . Auckland can also be known as the "City of Sails" and it sprawls out in helter-skelter style between Manukau Harbour (to the west) and Waitemata Harbour (to the east) with the small central city district proper beside the waterway. For most guests to New Zealand, Auckland is the idea of arrival, and several days washing up the cultural and outdoor attractions here should be on every tourist's to-do list. The monuments, museums, and artwork galleries listed here are a few of the best in the country. The suburban coastline of the town is speckled with fine beaches, and the hawaiian islands of the Hauraki Gulf provide a taste of New Zealand's spectacular national park scenery directly on the city's doorstep. Auckland is surely a city worth seeing.

Answer 5

I recommend the South Island. It has the adventure capital Queenstown, Alexandra is really pretty. Dunedin and Oamaru are historical, Blenheim (marlborough) is gorgeous. The town with the most sun. Blenheim has lots of vineyards so winery tours are a must! I feel safer in the south island...not too sure why but thats just me :)

Answer 6

7 days definitely isn't time to do both islands justice, or even to see a few highlights of both... in fact, it isn't even long enough to do justice to one island! Having said that, it definitely is long enough to have a great time somewhere, so you should sit down and think about whether you want to be in cities or the countryside, what kind of scenery you like, what kind of activities you're interested in, etc. It also depends if you already have flights booked, though internal flights are quite cheap and easy to arrange.

My personal preference would always be South Island, but of course this is totally subjective. I'd fly to Christchurch, spend a few nights in the mountains, a couple in Queenstown or Wanaka and then fly out of Christchurch again.

Have a great trip!

Answer 7

if you come to NZ - you have to do both - would be a shame to miss out on either the North or South Island. But 7 days isnt enough.

Answer 8

Both! I'm originally from the North Island - so many places to go to, especially in Auckland, check out websites on NZ, Auckland,etc. I Hear Christchurch is a beautiful place to visit and Dunedin. There are so many places, check out the websites on tourism in Nz.

Answer 9

7 days North Island go to Auckland airport when you land go to Paihia Book into the Copthorne Resort as your base camp and spend your time in The Bay of Islands. Congratulations you will have a ball.Best honeymoon I could think of.

Answer 10

id travil to south island the heart of the country beautiful land scape north island is just a big place to shop