A lot of my clients arrive in New Zealand with a long bucket list and not much idea where to start. So here is my short version: the things I tell people to make time for once they land. Not the bus-tour box-ticking, the things that tend to stay with you.
Get out into the wild
The Milford Track is the one people talk about for years afterwards, and for good reason. If a multi-day walk is not your thing, a day on the water by kayak does the job too. New Zealand makes it very easy to be outdoors, and most people find they end up outside far more than they did back home.
If it is the coast you are after specifically, I have a separate list of the most beautiful beaches in New Zealand.
Visit Hobbiton
If you grew up with “Lord of the Rings”, Hobbiton is worth the trip. You walk through the Shire, look into the little hobbit holes, and stop for a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. It is a film set, but a very good one, and a fun day even if you are only half a fan.
Spend time with Māori culture
New Zealand is not only its scenery. Spend an afternoon at a Māori village, sit through the traditional dances, share a hāngī meal cooked in the ground. It is warm, it is welcoming, and it tells you a lot about the country you are moving to.
See the museums
Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington is the big one, and it is free. Or the Auckland War Memorial Museum, if you are up north. Both give you a sense of where the country has been, which helps when you are trying to understand where it is now.
Soak in the hot springs
Sit in the thermal pools at Rotorua or the Hanmer Springs Spa and you will understand why locals keep going back. It is a simple pleasure, and a good way to slow down after a long week.
Eat the local food
Try a classic meat pie, fish and chips, and a slice of pavlova. None of it is fancy, all of it is good. Add a local wine or beer and you have a proper Kiwi meal.
Get to the beaches
From the golden sand of Abel Tasman National Park to the wild surf at Piha Beach, the coast here is hard to beat. Summer is busy, but plenty of locals will tell you the shoulder seasons are better: cool mornings, quiet water, empty sand, and the park more or less to yourself.
That is my short list. New Zealand has a way of turning a holiday into a question, the question being “could I live here?”. If that is where your head is going, that is exactly what I help people with. Have a look at how I work, and get in touch when you want to talk it through.
