Famous for its beauty and diversity, New Zealand tops many lists outlining the best countries to visit, friendliest people or the most beautiful destinations. Today one of our New Zealand-based staff members tells us from a Kiwi perspective, her recommendations on which places to visit while in the Land of the Long White Cloud:

“As a proud, born-and-bred Kiwi, I can rave on about how amazing New Zealand is until the cows come home.  We’ve had many overseas friends come and stay and it’s always a pleasure to show them the local sights, give them insights into the true New Zealand and what life here is really like.

The first question most people ask is whether they should visit both North and South Island.  My answer to that is always, if time and finances allow, do both!  The Islands are completely different from one another.

In the North, you’ll find more cities and larger towns as well as some gorgeous coastal villages.  The Bay of Islands in the north of the North Island is just beautiful.  There are over a hundred islands dotted through the Bay, historic settlements such as where our Treaty was signed and the first capital of New Zealand – Russell or Kororareka – which was nicknamed the Hellhole of the Pacific back in the 1800’s when it played host to whaling ships coming in for a break and had a less than savoury reputation.   Life here is all about getting out on the water, hiking, fishing and sailing.

As you head south, you’ll encounter large cities like Auckland and Hamilton, as well as rolling countryside (think Hobbit country), vineyards, geothermal areas and plenty of cultural experiences, especially in the likes of Rotorua.  There are some beautiful walks, lakes and beaches as well as the art deco town of Napier.  At the bottom of the North Island, you’ll find our capital of Wellington.  A visit to Te Papa Museum is a must there and I would recommend also going to the Weka Workshop, where they make the props and digital mastering for films like The Lord of the Rings.

Once you cross over to the South Island, it’s like entering a different country altogether.  The northern part of the South Island, the Marlborough region, is absolutely stunning with a fiord dotted with lots of islands, many uninhabited.  There are also  beaches, small coastal townships and plenty of award-winning vineyards. 

As you venture further down the eastern coastline, you’ll find whales at Kaikoura, the beautiful township of Akaroa, bustling city of Christchurch and student city of Dunedin in the South.  But it’s the fiordland region that will really knock your socks off.  The scenery here is just unbelievable.  Lakes and rivers set against a backdrop of snow-clad mountains, winding road, towering cliffs, waterfalls, native bush, deep fiords … there is something new around every corner.  If we get a bit blasé about living in New Zealand, a visit to Fiordland will remind us that we are the luckiest people in the world to call this paradise home.

You can easily spend a couple of weeks exploring Queenstown, Milford Sound and Doubtless Sound.  Queenstown is the capital of adventure and there is so much to do here, you’ll never be bored.  Boat trips through the Sounds are simply spectacular and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a perfect sunny day or a moody, rainy day as they are beautiful in both.  Rainy days mean plenty of waterfalls, sunny days mean postcard-perfect pictures. 

Then there’s Stewart Island and Ulva Island at the very bottom of New Zealand where you’ll find a nature and wildlife lover’s dream.  Birdlife is plentiful, there are no big cities and it’s a bit like finding the New Zealand of yesteryear. 

The Sub-Antarctic Islands are also part of New Zealand but that’s a whole new destination in itself.

My advice for cruising New Zealand?  Do as much of New Zealand as you can, you won’t be disappointed.  If I was to choose a cruise, I would be starting in Auckland or Bay of Islands and cruising all the way down the East coast right up to Milford/Doubtful Sound.  I would then add on at least a week to explore Queenstown and Arrowtown and if time allowed, spend another week driving from Queenstown up through Wanaka and McKenzie country to Christchurch.”

Ultimate Cruising has a range of New Zealand cruises with Ponant, Heritage Expeditions and more such as this cruise from Auckland to Dunedin with Ponant Cruises.  Ultimate Cruising has an exclusive offer on this voyage with your choice of a FREE 2 night city stay in either Auckland or Dunedin.  See more details here.

The best place to start is by having an obligation-free conversation with one of our cruise experts so they can put some options together for you.  T: 1300 485 846