Things To Do In New Zealand

Things to Do in New Zealand


You'll want to get out and enjoy our country's spectacular scenery. Try hiking across a glacier, mountain biking through ancient rainforest or skiing down the side of a volcano. If you're feeling really brave, go bungy jumping -it was invented here after all.

You should experience New Zealand from the water too. Go kayaking through mystical fiords, surfing past golden-sand beaches or scuba diving through a marine reserve. If you prefer to stay dry, jump into a boat and watch the whales, dolphins and seals splash by.

For those intent on relaxation, we have golf courses, wine tour and scenic flights to dazzle you. Soak in a geothermal hotpool, or take a quiet wander through our galleries and museums. And don't forget to visit a cultural centre or marae and be captivated by our Maori heritage.

That's just a few of the things to do in New Zealand. Better start making that list.
Find out more about these things to do in New Zealand:

Arts
Geothermal
Sailing
Boat Cruises
Golf
Seals
Bungy
Horse Raiding
Skiing
Camping
Kayaking
Skydiving
Cycling
Landscapes
Snowboarding
Diving
Lord of the rings
Surfing
Dolphins
Luxury
Walking & Hiking
Family Friendly
Mountain biking
Whale Watching
Fishing
Penguins
Wildlife
Food & Wine
Romance
Gardens
Rugby

If you want to truly immerse yourself in the landscapes and magnificent scenery of New Zealand then there is no better way to do it than from the saddle of a cycle. When you're riding, every corner has another view, another stop, another photo. The most ordinary place becomes special when you stop and talk to the people. You can go anywhere in the country. From the balmy climes of the sub-tropical north to the more refreshing lands of Southland, the well-maintained roads will take you there.

You don't need to bring your own bike. You can rent your cycle from a bike hire operator or cycle shop. There are guided Cycle Tours if you want to travel with company and have your gear carried between stops. Everything is taken care of; your accommodation, your cycle and your safety gear. Tours can be anything from a few days to a few weeks.

With New Zealands rugged landscape, mountain biking has also become a very popular pursuit. There are hundreds of mountain bike rides and trails throughout the country where you get the thrill, the adventure and the magnificent scenery.v

Cycling

If you want to truly immerse yourself in the landscapes and magnificent scenery of New Zealand then there is no better way to do it than from the saddle of a cycle. When you're riding, every corner has another view, another stop, another photo. The most ordinary place becomes special when you stop and talk to the people. You can go anywhere in the country. From the balmy climes of the sub-tropical north to the more refreshing lands of Southland, the well-maintained roads will take you there.

You don't need to bring your own bike. You can rent your cycle from a bike hire operator or cycle shop. There are guided cycle tours if you want to travel with company and have your gear carried between stops. Everything is taken care of; your accommodation, your cycle and your safety gear. Tours can be anything from a few days to a few weeks.

With New Zealand's rugged landscape, mountain bikin has also become a very popular pursuit. There are hundreds of mountain bike rides and trails throughout the country where you get the thrill, the adventure and the magnificent scenery.

Golf

If you're a golfer you'll know that it's impossible to go somewhere without looking for a course. Well, welcome to New Zealand. New Zealand has over 400 golf courses. They're everywhere, from the big cities to the smallest country towns. Best of all, they're accessible. Green fees are remarkably reasonable and visitors are always welcome. So if you want a round or two, not a problem.

There are courses and there are special courses. At Carrington club in Northland you play with vineyards on one side and the sweep of the ocean on the other. Kauri Cliffs, at Matauri Bay-just north of the Bay of Islands is a par 72 championship course that winds through marsh, forest and farmland. Six of the holes are played alongside cliffs which plunge to the sea-don't lose your ball. And at Lakes Resort in Coromandel's Pauanui, you can play on one of New Zealand's top 10 courses that meanders its way through pristine native wetlands.

If a good round of golf feeds the body, mind and soul, then you will find yourself well fed.
Gardening-

It's a funny little fact but gardening is rated as one of New Zealanders favourite pastimes. New Zealand's temperate climate a and being a long north-south country means that everything from the sub-tropical to the sub-alpine grows here. If you're a keen gardener you will enjoy your visit here.

Many cities and towns have garden tours where you can visit botanic gardens and private gardens alike with the gardeners sharing their love of what they grow and how they grow it. The rural garden tours of Eastland, Manawatu, Whanganui, Wairarapa and Christchurch - Canterbury are often hosted by residents of stately historic homesteads. Visit Kerikeri's Palmco Gardens and wander through lush sub-tropical splendour. At Matakana's Villa Tamahunga you'll see a unique garden that includes olive grove, beautiful bush walks, subtropical pond gardens, rose walk and a sequence of three formally designed terrace gardens below the relocated villa. In Blenheim, Hortensia House has a romantic flower garden with masses of colour co-ordinated flowers that is a gardener's delight.

You cannot talk gardens without talking about Christchurch, the Garden City. A must-see is the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and, if you're there in March, you have to go to the famous Ellerslie International Flower Show.

Wildlife

Before man arrived New Zealand was a land of birds, birds that evolved with no predators. The only mammal was a tiny native bat. And it was the very last country on earth to be settled by humans.

The result, today, is a bird population that is different than any you will see elsewhere in the world. Take a tour of our predator-free open sanctuaries and you will see close at hand the rare and unique birds. But many native birds-the tui, kereru (native wood pigeon) and the flittering piwakawaka (fantail) are all around you, in the bush and in the gardens.

The most fascinating bird is the kiwi. Go into the bush at night and you will hear the distinctive 'kee-wee' of this shy nocturnal bird as it fossicks on the forest floor.

You'll find fur seal colonies dotted around the coast of the South Island and lower North Island. There are penguins and dolphins and, if you go to Kaikoura, boats will take you to meet those magnificent of mammals, the whales. New Zealand's rich fish life can be seen in the haven of the many Marine Reserves and in a number of aquariums.
New Zealand is a food and wine lover's paradise. Vineyards stretch throughout every region, chefs put playful local twists on fine cuisine and festivals serve up taste sensations with a side of local music.

Food & Wine

World class wine
The Hawkes Bay, Martinborough and Marlborough are signature New Zealand wine regions; explore your pick of the 120 vineyards by driving the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail. If you're after a really thorough wine tour, add West Auckland, Gisborne, Canterbury and Central Otago to your itinerary.

Most wineries are open for tasting, and many have fine restaurants onsite. There are plenty of bicycle and chauffeur-driven wine tours too- a great way to take in the full spectrum of local flavours. Our internationally acclaimed varieties include sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir and the Bordeaux (cabernet sauvignon/merlot blends), so get ready to sample!

Fancy a beer instead
You'll find several major breweries and more than 50 boutique micro-breweries around New Zealand to keep your beer belly happy. Be sure to visit Nelson, the hop growing capital.

Pacific Rim cuisine

New Zealand food goes way beyond fish and chips and barbeques-our chefs have developed a distinct Pacific Rim cuisine. Expect to indulge in plenty of seafood (like greenlipped mussels, crayfish (lobster), Bluff oysters and fresh fish), award winning cheeses and of course our famous lamb. You should also expect a laidback, friendly atmosphere wherever you eat; we Kiwis love to keep things casual.

Fabulous food experiences

For fine dining amid spellbinding scenery, try one of New Zealand's many remote luxury lodges. For urban eats, try a waterfront restaurant at Auckland's Viaduct or a bohemian ethnic cafe in Wellington's Cuba Quarter. For a truly authentic experience, head to Rotorua for the smoky flavour of Maori food from a traditional hangi earth oven. And if you're here in the summer months, the wine and food festivals are a must-check out the Kawhia Kai Festival or the West Coast's Wildfoods Festival for something really adventurous.

Get cooking

Keen to hone your kiwi cooking skills. Take part in a cooking class and learn some local secrets, including Maori cooking using native plants. When shopping for fresh ingredients, remember to stop by a Saturday morning farmers market. And for take-home inspiration, pick up a cookbook by one of our celebrity chefs, like Annabel Langbein or Peter Gordon.

Honeymoon

Choose the perfect place to begin the rest of your life together-choose New Zealand, and share with your soulmate one of the best places for a honeymoon in the world.
New Zealand's compact size lets you experience dramatic alpine landscapes, quiet pristine beaches, tranquil lakes, stunning vineyards, and more, all in a single day if you want to. Seclusion or excitement, relaxation or adventure, holiday packages or go your own way -you can tailor a great value honeymoon package that's 100% unique to you.
Soar over the Canterbury Plains on a scenic flight or sip champagne while floating in a hot-air balloon. Catch a helicopter ride to your own secluded Garden of Eden for a 'Heli-picnic' or skydive over beautiful national parks-and fall for each other all over again.
Every day can be an unrepeatable experience. You can take a dawn horse ride through the foothills of the Southern Alps, spend the day touring vineyards by bicycle, and in the evening simply lie back, stargaze, and dream about your new life together.
Stay in romantic, boutique hotels or honeymoon lodges, share indulgent spa treatments, taste exceptional food and wine, put your feet up in picturesque gardens, or retire to the privacy of your honeymoon suite.

Let the rest of the world take care of itself for a while and concentrate on just being together, sharing once-in-a-lifetime experiences you'll cherish forever amongst New Zealand's breath-taking vistas and welcoming locals.

Adventure

If adventure is your middle name get ready for the trip of a lifetime. New Zealand has every adventure sport you could wish for(and some you've never even heard of), all set amidst jaw-dropping scenery.

This is the place where one day you can be snowboarding down a slope and the next day sailing through a marine reserve. Today you're mountain biking through the rainforest and tomorrow you're trekking along a glacier, or swooping, whooping and sliding down a massive sand dune.

There are tours from one end of the country to the other guiding you through a mindboggling range of experiences. From off road driving to paragliding; from heli skiing to horse riding. If novelty is your thing, try blokarting, zorbing or blackwater rafting.

And after skydiving over some of the world's most stunning landscapes, what better way to finish your trip than by throwing yourself off a bridge in the global home of the bungy.

Find out more about these adventure activities:
Bungy
Mountain biking
Skydiving
Horse Riding
Rafting
Snowboarding
Kayaking
Sailing
Walking and hiking
Motorcycling
Skiing