Hi,
I need help, we are 2 yummy Mummy’s, we’ve just booked flights to NZ with 4 little nutty boys! We want to buy a converted vehical, like a small bus. It needs to be big enough for all of us. And not too big that I can’t drive it!
Could someone out there help me..we don’t have much money to spend so will have to be second hand!
Where will I find my new home!!
Thanks
Angie.
Living in New Zealand I guess I’m a bit biased, but really it depends how much time you have and what you want.
Australia has lots to offer, but its a big place and it can take a while to get to all the bits you want to see. Melbourne is a great city, the great coast road out of Melbourne is gorgeous, there are wineries and great food. Adelaide has great wineries and food. Sydney has lots going on, Brisbane and the Gold Coast are great, the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Kuranda, …. heaps to do and see. BUT its all pretty well spread out.
New Zealand is a lot smaller. There’s also heaps to do and see but it tends to be packed into a smaller area.
How much time and money do you have?
Muggins.
Hi there
I’ll join the crowd saying that you need to get out of Auckland. Its pretty much just a city like any other really. There are enough things to do in Auckland to keep you busy for a couple of days, but checking out Northland would be my recommendation - the Bay of Islands, Cape Reinga, the Kauri Coast for 4-5 days and then head south to the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo and Hawkes Bay. If you’ve got time and money, then hop Cook Strait on a Ferry (great day time trip) and check out Nelson Marlborough. With more time on your hands then you can cruise down through Kaikoura to Christchurch, head to Queenstown and back to Dunedin.
I’m not sure about modes of transport to be honest because living here I just take a car. There are Intercity buses though. I would have thought that air travel might be the most expensive way to travel, though you can get some cheap deals at the last minute on some flights.
Hey Don
I would suggest one of the better times of year to travel in NZ is at the end of our summer February to April. The weather has generally settled down and is pretty nice but its not too hot, the kids are all back at school and people are still in the Summer vibe so there’s lots happening about the place.
Places to go? Well you’ll probably fly into either Christchurch in the South Island or Auckland in the North Island … doesn’t really matter which. From Christchurch you would probably want to cruise down to Dunedin, to Queenstown (adventure tourism capital - bungy jumping, jet boating, river rafting, paragliding, etc), up the West Coast to see the glaciers (quick before they melt!!) and north to Nelson and Marlborough (wine, food, great weather). Kaikoura is a great place to go too …. very beuatiful, whale watching, seals, great seafood, etc.
From Auckland you can travel north to the Bay of Islands, right up north to Cape Reinga, back down the Kauri coast, south to Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty (Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Whakatane, etc), Rotorua for geothermal action and some cultural input, Taupo, Napier/Hastings (wine, food, art deco, great weather) south through the Wairarapa to Wellington (capital city, big museum, etc).
Very laid back — it’s pretty awesome. The internet cafe at Anchorage Beach resort was the owners computer when they were done for the day 8), and the phone worked about 25% of the time. I totally decompressed… it was a chore to walk 20 paces to the masseuse hut on the beach.
There was accomms at Botaira Beach (Yasawa’s) and Mana Island (Mamanuca’s) — but I did not stay at either place.
Also the Coral Coast area south of Nadi is quite popular if you didn’t want to stray too far. You may want to check that out. I’m sure you will find something suited to your needs. There is accomms from the very high end ‘money is no object honeymoon’ style to primitive backpackers ’share the toilet with 15 others’ style.
Do you like snorkeling, diving, water activities or prefer land based? Give me an idea of what you like to do and what are show stoppers.
