North of South Island new Zealand

New Zealand 2 Weeks Self Driver North and South Island - New Zealand Message Board

We' re going to have a one-year shabbatical and actually (and unfortunately) only 16 New Zealand (North and South) night stays. We' re planing a self-drive and we want to go camping. So we are very interested in making Northern and Southern Islands because we don't want to miss anything.... but it seems so hasty.

For leisure, you can go white-water-rafting, go MTB, explore an activity volcano or go to a Maori community near by. Starts on a trail through fern and regeneration moderate rain forest. Step onto the icefall, buckle on your climbing irons and negotiate cracks and burrs for stunning vistas of the falls and lower crevasses.

2011 New Zealand Tours (both islands)

Featuring the best of both worlds, this trip offers everything you need to see, even for those who are making a whirlwind trip to New Zealand. Allow us to show you the magnificence of New Zealand's nature on this leisurely 14-day itinerary. Like the old proverb says, diversity is the seasoning of living and this trip has it all.

Spend 3 night in Queenstown with a Arrowtown sightseeing and a Milford Scenic Cruise Sounds. A 8 days New Zealand trip from Queenstown to Auckland in the northern direction. Adrenaline is one way to describe Queenstown. However, you don't have to be really adventure-hungry to experience New Zealand's leading holiday destination.

Set in breathtaking countryside, a breathtaking ridge of mountains and on the shores of crystalline Lake Wakatipu, Kingstown will leave you relaxed and inspired. Quintown, just an astonishing area to be visited during this unbelievable 12-day New Zealand Tiki Tour.

Adventure New Zealand: Road trips to the North and the South Islands

One of the best ways to get away from it all is on a journey around the globe. But driving along New Zealand's rather empty motorways full of view postcards takes street driving to a whole new heights. The majority of long distance flight destinations land in Auckland on New Zealand's North Island. Explore this metropolitan town for a full-day or two, then recharge your batteries for your street voyage experience.

The New World, a New Zealand super store that offers a wide range of fruit, vegetable, gourmet cheese, milk produce and more. Coming from Auckland, take State Highway 1 heading N over the Auckland Harbour Bridge. If you continue further along this route to the northern end, you will see that the urban landscape is transformed into beautiful meadows and farmland.

Approximately half an hours northerly you make a brief excursion into the enchanting Puhoi town, which in Maori means "slow water". Books connoisseurs should not miss the lovely little Puhoi Town Library, which shuts down very early, as it is closed on most occasions at 2 pm. Continue down the street for a mug of Devonshire Tee at the historical Puhoi Cottage Tearoom.

Admittedly, my greatest New Zealand habit is the genuine Puhoi Valley Belgium hot chocolate milks. As you find this on New Zealand's retail shelf, you may as well try it at the spring, so make a short stop at the Puhoi Valley Café and Cheese Shop. A twisty westbound ride to the city of Parua Bay embraces the gleaming shoreline and leads you to Parua Bay Tavern, the area's most famous waterhole.

It is a 10 kilometre journey from Parua Bay to the Ara Roa Villa and Boutique Lodgings, the definitive holiday resort. Withdraw the Ara Roa to your home base as you take roads through this sub-tropical area known as Whangarei Heads. My favourite excursion route leads around most of the Whangarei Heads half island, past quaint sandy shores, vulcanic summits, woods, hidden bays and many hiking paths.

Best of all, the streets are relatively calm and you won't find yourself in the crowds of tourist that you will find in many other parts of New Zealand. Driving southwards to McLeod Bay is a wonderful section of the highway and leads past Mount Manaia, a holy hill with a precipitous path to the summit.

Peak of this street trip is a stop at Urquharts Bay, where an easier walk leads you to a hill overlooked from above, and then down to the photoogenic Smuggler's Bay shore. Known as Bream Head Scenic Reserve, this coastline woodland is a haven for all types of New Zealand wildlife, as well as the famed kiwifruit.

Driving from Urquharts Bay along the last section of the highway to Ocean Beach, a surfer's haven and perfect place for a swim in the Pacific Ocean. Take the same street back to Parua Bay, where you can drink by the sea at sundown. Begin this journey in the seaside city of Queenstown, a landmark for adventure outdoors.

Do not miss an exciting watercraft trip on the beautiful water of Wakatipu before taking the street. The hours-long journey of the K-Jet takes you across the scenic sea and two streams, taking in the fresh, clear fresh breezes and experiencing exciting 360-degree turns. Take a break in Queenstown before you leave.

Spend a luxury residential vacation in the Rees Lakeside Residences with views of the Wakatipu and a pier for your own K-Jet cruise. Featuring a panoramic sea and landscape views, the comfortably furnished suite is roomy and offers a classical mountain hut feeling. Having breakfasts at the guesthouse is a great way to begin the morning, with a tailor-made eggs meal, a selection of biscuits, muesli and other savoury meals to fill you up before you head off on your trip southwards.

Stop at the busy and inexpensive Four Square downtown grocery store to buy pick nick food such as delicious cheese, hot milk, bread, dip and New Zealand cider. From Queenstown, the first stage of the route leads southwards to the city of Te Anau, the gate to the famed Milford Sound.

Head southwards on State Highway 6, a picturesque street that limits Wakatipu as far as Kingston City. Make a stop at the lakeside to enjoy beautiful photography and a nice pick nick. Your journey will then take you westwards on State Highways 97 and 94 towards Te Anau, on the edge of Fiordland National Park.

Te Anau, a tranquil seaside city, is primarily used as a place to stay for tourist pilgrims to Milford Sound. On the west bank of the Te Anau Sea there is also an underworld of glowing fireflies. Go on a boating trip across the tranquil sea to the caverns, where a tourist leader will take you through the 12,000 year old maze of chalkstone passageways.

On the next days we go on our roadtrip from Te Anau to Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park. With all the picturesque stations, the nice 118 kilometre journey can take several long kilometres. I' d suggest to go directly on the Milford Sound early bird cruises and then make picturesque stopovers on the late bird boat ride back to Te Anau.

Boating on Milford Sound is an essential part of your stay in New Zealand, despite the huge numbers of tourists and all-inclusive coach trips that cover the area. Whilst there are many boating firms to pick from, I was fortunate enough to pick a less well-known firm named Cruise Milford, with a smaller vessel, fewer travelers and a friendlier staff.

Two hours by boat across the tranquil Milford Sound, a stunning fjord encircled by magnificent mountains. Following a tasty cup of hot chocolate and a snack at the Milford Sound Visitors Centre Cafe ( closing at 16.00), the journey continues on to an unforgettable journey. Do it slowly on the way back to Te Anau and stop wherever you see a junction, a beautiful footbridge or another vantage point.

From Milford Sound to Te Anau my favourite is stopping on the road: Only 10 kilometres from the Milford Sound car park, you will definitely stop at The Chasm for a simple 20-minute walk through the woods to a gorge of elevated crags. Another 10 kilometres will take you to Lake Gunn, a tranquil sea that can be seen in the Lord of the Rings trio.

Cascade Creek is a few kilometres away, where you can take another brief stroll through a beautiful reddish birch wood and along the shores of the pond. A 45 -minute one-way car ride from Queenstown to Glenorchy is perhaps one of New Zealand's best. Along a winding street along the shores of Wakatipu River, the trail offers an incredible ride.

Once you've driven around New Zealand's North and South Islands, you'll find little to be compared to the tranquil higways, unspoilt countryside and magic scenery you've just seen on your roadside adventures.