New Zealand deserves to be high on people’s travel lists. It has dramatic landscapes, bubbling hot springs, beautiful beaches, and loads of high-adrenaline activities. There are plenty of interesting things to see and do in New Zealand, whether young or old.
How long should you go for?
You can see the highlights in two weeks, but having more time is better. We went for three weeks and would have liked another week to explore the northern part of the North Island.
If you only have 1 week, stick to one island.
Only one of New Zealand’s island
If you have limited time and can only go to one island, which island suits you better?
The North Island
- Slightly warmer
- Vineyards
- Has geothermal activity
- Hobbiton
- More opportunities to experience the Māori culture
The South Island
- Adrenaline activities and Queenstown, the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’
- Skiing
- Southern Alps and glaciers
- Fiords
Both islands have lovely beaches.
When should you go?
New Zealand has 4 seasons. The best time to visit is the summer season, from December to February. The temperature can be up to 24C (75F) in the north and slightly colder in the south.
The winter lasts from June to August, and it rains throughout this period. Snow can also be expected in the North Island’s Central Plateau and the South Island’s Southern Alps into October.
We went on the 6th of February just as the local children returned to school. I suggest you check the school holidays before you book.
Getting there
Reaching New Zealand from the UK takes about 23 hours.
Even though we travelled on one of the highest-rated airlines, I didn’t enjoy the journey. They kept running out of meal choices, and I was left with only beef, which I never eat. I put up with it for the first meal, but when it happened again, I refused it. I would always recommend a stopover at a hotel on long flights if possible. It helps break up the journey and gives your legs a stretch.
Visa or NZeTA
Depending on your passport and the length of your visit, you need either a Visa or NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). The NZeTA is a simple online application that can take up to 72 hours to process. A holiday visa can take 4 weeks, but apply in plenty of time in case of problems.
Tourism Levy
New Zealand has introduced a tourist levy called the New Zealand International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL). All visitors except Australians and those on Work Visas must pay the levy, which you can pay when you get your Visa or NZeTA. At the time of writing (2025), the levy costs $100 NZD and lasts two years.
Getting around New Zealand
Buses connect the towns if you are backpacking or travelling on a budget.
There are limited trains, but a few, such as the TranzAlpine and the Northern Explorer, offer scenic views. However, these are not budget-friendly.
Travelling by car or motorhome is the best option.
We chose a motorhome so we could see the beautiful scenery at our own pace. If you haven’t driven a motorhome before, New Zealand is a good country to start in, as it has less traffic.
When we visited New Zealand, my daughter had just passed her driving test. For the most part, she had no problems driving. At one point, I woke up to hear my husband saying worriedly, “Use the brakes.” Looking out the window, I could see we were racing downhill at speed. When we were safely at the bottom of the hill, we explained engine braking to her, but any type of braking would have been good.
New Zealand has many mountain passes, such as Arthur’s Pass (State Highway 73). If you haven’t driven a motorhome before, I would avoid mountain passes until you are more confident. If you are travelling in winter, the mountain pass might be closed for a short time.
Getting from South to North Island
You could fly from one island to the other. If you have a car or motorhome, you will need to take a ferry. Two ferry companies cross the Cook Strait, the Interislander and Bluebridge.
It is best to book in advance, especially during peak periods, as they can be fully booked. Sometimes, it can be a pain trying to book a vehicle on a ferry when you don’t yet know its registration, but these ferry companies are used to this situation and allow you to supply the details later. When planning, don’t forget you must arrive at the terminal 60 minutes before sailing. The crossing will take about 3 to 3½ hours but sometimes longer. You might also have to wait a while before it is your turn to disembark.
Accommodation
There are plenty of backpacker hostels, but they can get packed in peak season, so it is best to book in advance.
Plenty of hotels and motels exist if you are touring in a car. Have you ever considered a homestay, where you stay in someone’s house and share their facilities and maybe a meal too? It is a great way to meet the locals. Or perhaps you would prefer a farm stay. Sometimes breakfast is included, and extra farming activities are on offer.
Camping or glamping is also an option with a car. Glamping might be better as you don’t have to provide the equipment.
If you use a motorhome, there are plenty of holiday parks and campsites. You could also try freedom camping if you can cope without power and water connections. We parked for one night on a farm and paid a small fee to the farmer. The sheep were a bit noisy, but it didn’t stop us from sleeping. There are also campsites in the national parks with fantastic views. One site we stayed at was a dark site where you could see the stars at night.
Is it safe?
New Zealand isn’t like Australia, where tales of poisonous spiders and giant crocodiles are a bit off-putting. New Zealand only has two poisonous spiders. No one has died in New Zealand from the Katipo spider for the last 100 years, and the Redback spider is rare.
There are no snakes in New Zealand. Sometimes, a sea snake or krait snake visits from another Island, but it is only a visitor. There are also no crocodiles.
The crime rate is low, but still, take normal precautions.
Severe weather can cause problems. People have been killed or injured because they weren’t prepared for the changes in weather while exploring the mountains. Avalanches can also occur. Enjoy your holiday, but don’t underestimate the dangers of a mountain. Be sensible.
New Zealand is in a major earthquake zone, so earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic activities occur. Learn the safety procedures to follow, including where to go if there is a tsunami warning.
Adrenaline activities
Many adrenaline-rich activities started in New Zealand, the world’s adventure capital. If you want to try bungee jumping or whitewater rafting, New Zealand is a great place to try it.
However, check that the activity is safe. We booked a trip to White Island to see the volcanic activity when we went to New Zealand. Unfortunately, the trip was cancelled due to bad weather, so we re-booked twice. However, as those bookings were also cancelled, we had to forego the trip. A few months later, 22 people were killed during the same trip because the volcano erupted. It was found that the tour owners hadn’t explained how hazardous this trip was.
When trying any adrenaline activities, check that the company has been established for a few years and has a good reputation. Stop immediately if you don’t feel confident about safety at the activity. The staff members on that day might not be as experienced as they should be. Be aware that some activities are risky, and you could be injured. Several people have been killed when using jet boats. The White Island tragedy has made New Zealand look closely at the safety of adrenaline activities, but people make mistakes, so there is always a risk.
If you love the adrenaline rush, enjoy yourself. With experience, you will be aware of shortcomings at the activity. However, if you are doing these activities to prove something to yourself or others, avoid taking risks and spend your money on something else you will enjoy more.
Places to visit on the South Island
Queenstown
This town is by Lake Wakatipu and is excellent if you need an adrenaline fix. You can go zip lining, bungee jumping, paragliding, and jet boating, and to relax, you could go cycling.
It is definitely a place where the young hang out. I felt old enough to be the mother of everyone I saw. In the evenings, the place was lively and noisy when I was there.
While in Queenstown, we were driven along the 7th most dangerous road in the world. I hated every minute, especially when we had to reverse and hang feet away from a long drop.
We had a fun drive in a river. Don’t try this by driving yourself. A local tried that while we were there and caused severe water damage to his vehicle because he didn’t see a hole under the water.
We also tried panning for gold. I found a piece of gold that wasn’t huge; it was more breadcrumb-size, so I haven’t made my fortune yet.
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park contains fiords such as Milford and Doubtful Sounds. Cruising down the fiords is popular for a few hours or overnight. The waterfalls can be disappointing in the summer, but they don’t need much rain to return. Allow plenty of time to get to your booked ferry. The day we went to Milford Sound, a car overturned on the road with unfortunate results. It is less stressful to get accommodation near the ferry departure point.
Glaciers
There are two popular glaciers: Fox Glacier and Franz Josef. The Franz Josef Glacier can be seen from the car park. Walking uphill only took us 20 minutes to get a closer view.
A sign in Fox Glacier’s carpark states that walking to the glacier and back takes 1 hour, and you will get wet feet. Fortunately, there were stepping stones in the streams we had to cross so our feet didn’t get wet.
The route goes upward a couple of times, and at the beginning of the second slope, a sign says not to stop for the next 400 meters because of rock falls. I was panting hard by then, and my heart was thumping. My husband didn’t want to stop. I thought that I was more likely to have a heart attack than be hit by falling rocks. I did stop for a few seconds to get my breath back, much to my husband’s annoyance.
The glacier was greyer than I expected. Please don’t do what we did and start your walk at 8 p.m. We took torches with us, but it was getting dark by the time we got back, and it was difficult to walk on the rubble path or cross the streams when you couldn’t see well in the evening gloom.
Mount Cook
Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet). It can only be climbed by serious mountaineers. You can, however, walk to near the base and get a lovely photo. Although it was a hot day, it was freezing when we got to the lake, and there was ice along the shore’s edge.
We crossed a suspension bridge to get to the lake, which moved slightly. This was a problem for some people clinging to the bridge’s side for dear life. It was a good, stable bridge, but it can be disconcerting when it moves as people walk along it.
Places to visit on the North Island
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
This wonderland in Rotorua has the Lady Knox Geyser, hot springs, and mud pools.
The Lady Knox Geyser erupts daily at 10:15 when chemicals are added. Loads of coach tours arrive for this eruption; if you let them disappear, you can enjoy the place with fewer people; otherwise, you can come later in the day. We stopped and had lunch in our motorhome.
There is also a mud pool area. I love the mud pools and how the mud jumps up; it jumps higher after rain.
The hot springs in the geothermal park section are fascinatingly coloured and change depending on the cloud cover. There are walkways that you must stay on for your safety. I did go to sit on one rock on the safe side of a fence but changed my mind when I realised it was hot. I even felt a few drops of hot rain, which I presume fell from the cliff I was walking by.
Whakarnewara
This place is a fascinating Muai village, also in Rotorua, on the same active geothermal hot spot. I found it hard to comprehend how casual they were when steam vents appeared in their homes. You can take a tour of the village and watch a show that includes the Hakka dance. They use naturally boiling water to cook with, and you can buy some corn on the cob, which they lower into a hot spring and cook for a few minutes.
The village’s name has been shortened; its proper name is Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao. I hope I have spelt that right.
Waitomo Caves
This is where you can explore the caves by boat and see the glowing worms on the walls and ceiling. If you want to increase your adrenaline level, you can do this as a black water rafting experience. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get any good photos because it was too dark.
Hobbiton
This is a chance to look around the Hobbiton movie set. I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings series but wasn’t as enthusiastic as my family about visiting the set. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. They had worked hard on a lot of details. You can enjoy a drink in the Green Dragon Inn at the end of the tour. You can add a second breakfast, lunch or evening banquet to the tour. We did the first tour in the morning so we could take photos without too many other people in the pictures.
There are many places on both islands where other film scenes were shot, but Hobbiton is not to be missed.
Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel
On the beach is a limestone cove with the sea beyond and a rock centred nicely for a photo. We went there later in the afternoon, and it was crowded. Coachloads of people are regularly dropped off to walk down the paths to the cove. People queue up to take selfies, but it isn’t easy to do if you want a photo that doesn’t include a person. You need to be very patient.
Hot water beach
Hot Water Beach is only a short distance from Cathedral Cove and offers a unique experience. The best time to go is two hours on either side of low tide. Hot water runs through the sand onto the beach, and people make sand baths to sit in. The water can be very hot, so it is best to find a place with hot and cold water.
We went one evening, and it was crowded, but early the following day, we had the beach almost to ourselves. Sitting in hot water on a cold, deserted beach felt very strange. You need a spade to dig in the sand to make yourself a bath. My daughter cut up an old plastic milk bottle, which worked well except in the very hot water.
Wildlife
You can spot penguins, dolphins, and albatrosses in New Zealand. You can also scramble over rocks in search of seals sunbathing.
However, I fell in love with keas. Keas are intelligent and cheeky parrots. I watched a woman try to get a kea out from under her car; every time the woman ran to one side of her car, the bird ran to the other. I am sure he was laughing at her as this went on for ages. While he was doing this, his mate broke a car’s aerial.
On the way to Milford Sound is the Homer Tunnel, and there are quite a few kea by the car park. The tunnel is one-way during the summer, and the cars stop at the tunnel entrance. In winter, because of avalanches, the tunnel is two-way. The kea realised the vehicles didn’t stop in winter, and they move the traffic cones to make the cars stop, hoping to get food.
I wanted to see a Kiwi in New Zealand, but you are unlikely to see one in the wild. We did see two in Te Pula centre, which also has thermal activities.
Summary
New Zealand is a great place to visit if you are interested in mountains, Maori, or mud pools. It’s also an excellent place to enjoy the outdoors. I have only mentioned a few of New Zealand’s wonders: vineyards, beaches, the towns of Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland, rocks that look like piles of pancakes, large round boulders on a beach and much more. It offers something for everyone, from daring activities to stunning scenery. It is a long flight from Europe, but it’s worth the effort.
Come and see for yourself.
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