Throughout New Zealand Buy the Lord of the Rings location guide, and do some hunting out of familiar scenes from the LOTR trilogy. North Island Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach Swim with the dolphins in Paihia, Bay of Islands Vertigo Climb, Auckland Skytower - beyond the observation decks, and wear an orange suit to do it. Take a ferry or kayak from Mission Bay, Auckland to Rangitoto Island & climb to the top. Waiheke Island - only 35 mins by ferry from Auckland, for some great wineries, maybe spend the night. Raglan- & catch some wild surf. Waitomo Haggas Honking Holes and tubing the glow-worm caves Kayak from Whitianga to Cathedral Cove - then go to Hot Water beach and dig your hole in the sand Drive from Opotiki to Gisborne then around the East Cape and back to Opotiki Hawkes Bay- wineries, East Coast, North Island Whakatane- Take a scenic flight over White Island, an active volcano. Rotorua - to see the geysers, thermal activity and smell, visit Te Whakawerwera for your Maori cultural experience. Drive out to Lake Tarawera near Rotorua- check out the Blue and Green lakes on the way Taupo- Tandem Skydive 12,000ft Craters of the moon outside of Taupo Tongariro Crossing- one of the best one-day walks in the world, stunning scenery with volcanoes Walk up Mount Taranaki- West Coast, North Island Watch the sun rise at Te Araroa - the eastern most place in NZ Martinborough- wineries- bottom East Coast, North Island Te Papa Museum in Wellington- you could spend all day here learning about NZ / Maori -culture South Island Abel Tasman- for relaxing walking and kayaking around the National Park Walk the Queen Charlotte Track, Marlborough Sounds- Top, South Island Marlborough- wineries, top East Coast, South Island Kaikoura- for whale watching and swimming with dolphins 4 day hike, Banks Peninsula - East Coast, South Island Moeraki Boulders - East Coast, South Island for unusual round boulders Christchurch- Arts Centre Akaroa- for a bit of French New Zealand history Dunedin- for historic homes, albatross, yellow eyed penguins and seal colonies Oamaru- for Old Oamaru Stone buildings and Penguin watching Pancake Rocks and blowholes- Punakaiki, upper West Coast, South Island Mount Cook - South Island Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers- West Coast, South Island While looking at the glaciers in the Fox/Franz Josef area take a cruise out to Lake Matheson first thing in the morning to take some amazing photos of the reflection of Mount Cook in the water Wanaka- a relaxing place in Central Otago Arrowtown- an old Central Otago Goldfields town with an old Chinese village, 20 minutes from Queenstown Queenstown- for adventure activities and party atmosphere Pipeline Bungy Jump in Queenstown Drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy- have a beer at the Glenorchy pub, after stopping and taking plenty of photos whilst on the drive Queenstown- wineries 5 day trek of Routeburn/Greenstone Track Walk Milford Track- one of the Worlds best. Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park- lower West Coast, South Island Doubtful Sound in the Fiordland National Park- swim with dolphins The Catlins- for nature East Coast, South Island Stewart Island- for nature bottom South Island Once you have done all these things you will have had a great look around beautiful New Zealand |