urbanpixie

Hi

I'm after some advice please, I'm off to New Zealand in 10 days for a 5 week trip.

Does anyone have any suggestions for must see places? I fly into Christchurch and then to Queenstown for Bungees then onto Milford Sound and then onto Franz Josef for some glacier climbing - other then a base jump in Auckland I have nothing else planned at this moment!

A friend suggested I drop a note in here as you guys usually come up with some good suggestions.

Here's hoping.......

UB xxx

JackClark

Go Snowboarding.

ozzy

You've got to get into the mountains, but it depends on your experience or if you don't mind paying to be guided. If you pay my way across, I'll guide you for free

Skiing or Ski Mountaineering (climb a mountain, ski down it) - none of that poncy snowboarding
Ice Climbing
Mountaineering (go climb Mount Cook)
Mountain Biking. They even do heli-biking in Canterbury.
Canyoning (basically abseil down a 300m+ waterfall)
Skydiving

Stefan

Brendan Hughes

There's a 100m abseil down a pothole in the North Island. There's also a 50m "angel dive" (abseiling facing forwards!) down an office block in Auckland. I got both of these from the Lonely Plandet 1995, I hope they're still valid.

Jetboating is an absolute must, the guys pilot a jetboat of about 12 passengers and constantly try to hit the big rocks (size of a car) in the middle of a river at what seems like 40mph, I swear they miss them by less than 3 inches.

For bungy, the biggest when I was there was the Pipeline at Skippers Canyon. The drive along Skippers Canyon was almost more terrifying than the jump itself! Notice at the start of the 16km road: "Avis, Hertz, Budget rentacar customers - your insurance is invalid beyond this point."

The volcanic islands just outside Auckland (forgotten the name) will blow your thighs up if you try to mountainbike round them. They did for us, anyway.

Have fun, it's a fantastic place!

Chavsrus

Bay of Islands (Paihia) NI
Akaroa SI
Kaikoura (Swim with Dolphins) SI
Trip up Charlotte Sound SI
Lake Taupo and Taupo Town NI
Puketti gardens Nr Oakura ( Some of The last Samuri filmed here) NI
Ninety Mile Beach NI
Keri Keri NI
Cape Farewell SI
Sky Tower Auckland
Russell NI
Taieri Gorge Railway SI
Lake Tekapo SI
Manapouri Hydro Electric Power Station SI
Milford Haven overated IMHO go to Doubtful Sound Instead
Cape Reinga

Just a few suggestions, but it depends what floats your boat.

Brendan Hughes

Kaikoura, good call. I forgot as when we were there it was solid rain for 3 days and no boats

urbanpixie

Wow thanks guys - good information

UB
xx

Chavsrus

Brendan, rain in NZ? surely not

warrenm2

wouldnt rate russel and paihia much, or any of the maori places like roturua waitangi etc quenstown and chistchurch both good though, and explore a bit of wellington. The rotunda restaurant is christchurch is the best food I had in NZ

Chavsrus

Like I said warrenm2, depends on what floats your boat , I went there for 9 weeks. Out of that I spent 4 days in total in Auckland , Wellington , and Christchurch, I couldn't see the point in travelling half way round the world to spend time in a noisy smelly city that's the same as any other noisy smelly city anywhere else in the world. (But then I've lived in Birmingham all my life, so I was glad to escape)JMO