What to do in New Zealand

“Ki Ora! Welcome to New Zealand!” This is often the comment you will receive when you get off the plane at one of our international airports in Christchurch, Hamilton or Auckland.

New Zealand is an amazing place to live and a fantastic place to visit. We have lush green hills surrounding us in many parts of the country, but we also have acres and acres of lush green plains with rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean.

There is a lot to do here and no matter what your age is, there is something for everyone. Having lived in New Zealand all my life and traveled to most of the northern and southern islands, I can tell you that there is no other place in the world that I would rather live.

So what can you do in New Zealand? Well, if you like hiking and camping, this will be like paradise for you. We have some fantastic mountain ranges. The best places for hiking and camping are Taupo, which is in the middle of the North Island, Wellington, Christchurch, and the west coast of the South Island, where there are some amazing hiking trails.

Don’t you like hiking or camping? Would you rather go shopping? I have the perfect place for you! Auckland, our largest city, has one of the best places to shop. There are so many factory and bargain shops that you are sure to find something and being a bargain shopper myself I would recommend visiting “Dressmart” in Onehunga, it is huge and has some of the best shops! Another great place to shop is Wellington’s main street; take a cable car to get around. Christchurch also has some great shopping malls.

Ok, are you done shopping? Want to see all the different attractions New Zealand has to offer? Well where should I start ?! Here is a list of my favorite places in all of New Zealand, there are many more, but these are the ones that I love:

• Swim off the 90-mile beach at the top of the North Island. This is just past Kaitia, which is about a 6 hour drive from central Auckland.
• Fishing on Great Barrier Island. There are some excellent excursions and this is one of the best deep sea fishing options you can find.
• Enjoying a good coffee on Auckland’s Mission Bay waterfront. This is a great place to be during the summer.
• Visit the Auckland Museum to learn about the history of our beautiful country. Learn about Maori culture and how our country has evolved through the ages.
• Head to the Waitomo district and go to Waitomo Caves where you can go white and black water rafting and see the amazing glowworms in the caves. This is a truly surreal experience.
• Visit our national bird, the Kiwi at the Kiwi house in Otorohanga. Get up close and personal with this birdless two-legged flight. They are beautiful.
• Taupo: my favorite place during summer and winter. Taupo has one of the largest lakes in the world, which is the crater left by one of the largest volcanic explosions in the world. The lake is renovated for its incredible trout fishing. Also, one of my favorite things is paragliding behind a boat on the lake, you get amazing views! Take a step further and take a tandem parachute jump over the Taupo district. My dad did this for his 50th birthday last year; It was up high for days after that!
• Drive an hour and a half outside of Taupo and you will come across some of the best skiing in the world. Mount Ruapehu (which is still an active volcano!) Is one of the busiest mountains during winter; You can ski on both sides of the mountain as there are two ski fields.
• Cape Kidnappers is another great historical place to visit and is one of the warmest places in New Zealand. Take the tour to the point at Cape Kidnappers and visit the colony of gannets (birds) that gather there. Be aware of the smell though, it’s something you have to experience!
• Take the ferry in Wellington via Picton on the South Island and you will find a very different New Zealand. The South Island is not so much hustle and bustle, it is more of a laid back atmosphere, take your time, a great place to relax.
• Nelson is one of the fastest growing cities in New Zealand and it is not hard to see why. This is a great beachside town and a lot of people are retiring here or bringing their families for the lifestyle.
• Head towards the west coast of the South Island and you will come across a town called Kaikoura, where you can take a boat cruise to see some of the most amazing whales and dolphins up close and personal.
• Queenstown is probably my favorite city in New Zealand, it has a great atmosphere all year round, it is surrounded by a beautiful lake and one of the best ski slopes in New Zealand. Whether you visit during the summer or winter, you will be charmed by the locals and tourists, this is definitely a place to be.
• Invercargill, where one of my brothers lives, is a small town at the bottom of the South Island. On a clear day, you can see Stewart Island in the distance. Drive half an hour from Invercargill and you will come across Bluff … famous for its Bluff Oysters, this quiet little town has the “end of the lands” marked by signs pointing you in the direction you want to go. A great place to take a photo and of course if you like seafood you will want to taste their oysters.

There you have it, some of my favorite places in New Zealand, my home country and the place I will always return to. Come visit us and discover your own favorite places to visit!