Winter break is coming to the southern hemisphere. What is a better experience than hopping over to NZ and drive the country!
General Schedule
General Ideas
Downhill Luge - Queenstown
Mountain biking - as I have time
Rock climbing?
Zip lining
Mud baths
Cooking classes!
North Island Ideas!
[Commentary provided by Jack Edson]
Auckland
Cathedral Cove (auckland finger), hot water beach
Piha Beach, [massive rock in the middle that you can climb] (45 minutes outside Auckland)
Botanic gardens
Auckland museum
Mount Eden - overlooks the city
Museum of transport and tech
Sculptureum
Tiritiri Matangi Island, a man-made nature conservation island
Food areas
City Works Depot, Britomart, Wynyard Quarter, Viaduct Harbor, Gingsland/mount eden, parnell and newmarket, Ponsonby Central
Markets
La Cigale French Market (daily), Auckland night markets, Otara flea market (sat),
Auckland art gallery
List of Nearby Parks
Wellington
Little beer quarter
Weta Workshop (special effects shop, made famous by LotR)
Museum of NZ
Mount Victoria - overlooks the city
Wellington cable car
NZ parliament
Cape Palliser lighthouse
Pinnacles Track
Cuba Street - food and drinks
Red Rocks reserve
Wellington museum
Night market
Hannah's laneway
Craft Beer capital Self Guided Tour
Northland
Kauri forest, [trail that has a swimming pool and waterfall at the end and really cool trees]
Bay of Islands
Waitangi treaty grounds
Whangarei falls
Rainbow falls
Mount manaia track
Bream head coast walk
Central
Rotorua hot pools
National Kiwi Hatchery
Waitomo Caves - glow worm cave tour (center)
Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings set)
Lake Taupo/Paihia Beach [is a great area, went to a gay bar called Pipi Patch on accident and won trivia night, there's a bunch of stuff to do on the lake (kayaks, boats, etc.)]
Te Puia, geyser, mudpools and Maori culture
Hiking
Pouakai Crossing
Cape Reinga
Huka Falls
Redwoods Forest, Rotorua
Waimangu Volcanic valley
Tongariro Alpine Crossing, more volcanoes
[probably the toughest hike but arguably my favorite with really cool geothermal pools at top (also next to Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings) (a little over an hour south of Taupo)]
Driving
Northland’s twin coast highway
Lost/forgotten world highway - central
East cape
Rt 38 Murupara to Wairoa (east cape)
Taihape to Napier rd - Taihape to Napier
Wakapara to Russell
90 mile highway (apparently no rental cars allowed - boo)
South Island
Fly to NZ. Rent a car. Drive to mountains.
Whale watching is peak in winter
Maori new year is June 24
Hot springs, hanmer springs
Southern lights around Curio Bay - Dunedin
Skiing
Treble Cone - largest ski area, best terrain (Queenstown)
Cardrona - Where the national team trains (Queenstown)
Mt Hutt - best terrain, great for intermediates (cheaper than first two) Christchurch
Hiking
Lotta hiking around Qtown
Ben Lomond track
Ben Lomond [Hike has some crazy views] (Queenstown)
Tiki Trail
Qtown trail
Lake Alta track
Roy’s Peak, Otago - [2-3 hour hike to overlook a fjord]
Mount Cook area
Franz Josef and Fox glacier (4 hours north of Queenstown)
Routeburn Track
Glaciers
Hokitika Gorge (center)
Queenstown
Jack's favorite city,
[there's a burger place called Fergburger that everyone goes crazy over (pro tip: you can call ahead to place an order so you don't have to wait in line), ]
[we also went skydiving/hanggliding there]
Kawarau Bridge (birthplace of bungie jumping)
vineyard area outside the town
milford sound cruise
Shotover Jet Tour or Dart River Jet
Mount aspiring NP?
Central Otago biking vineyards?
Queenstown Hill
Kiwi birdlife park
Qtown mall
NZ mountain film/book fest june 30 - july 2
July 7-10 is the Qtown Winter Festival
Snow biking at cardrona, water obstacle course, music fest, food trucks,
Indoor skydiving
Skyline gondola/luge
Christchurch
skip
Driving
Lewis Pass – Canterbury to the West Coast
Arthur’s pass (christchurch to Hokitika)
West Coast (Punakaiki to Lake Wanaka)
Lindis Pass (Cromwell to Mackenzie)
The Catlins Scenic Drive – Balclutha to Invercargill
Crown Range (Qtown to Wanaka)
Road to Milford Sound
Qtown to Glenorchy