Best time to visit
The best time to visit New Zealand is during the New Zealand summer, from November to March.
New Zealand round trips: Queenstown, Christchurch and Mount Cook
New Zealand experience: Volcanoes, glaciers and Middle-earth
New Zealand divides into fire and ice. The North Island steams with geysers and volcanic craters, while the South Island pushes glaciers all the way down into the rainforest. In between: fjords, black sand beaches, Māori culture and a film set called Middle-earth. In the morning you hike over volcanic rock, at midday you paddle through coves of turquoise water and in the evening you stand before a mountain you only knew from the cinema. On a round trip through New Zealand, the landscape changes faster than your playlist. Both islands pack more highlights into less space than almost any other country on earth.
Tips and info for your New Zealand trip
Currency
The local currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD).
Flight time
A flight from the UK to New Zealand takes around 24 to 28 hours with a stopover.
Language
New Zealand has two official languages: English and Te Reo Māori. In everyday life, English is spoken everywhere.
What are the must-sees in the New Zealand?
New Zealand is full of highlights, but these must-sees belong on your bucket list.
Queenstown, Milford Sound and Wanaka
Queenstown stacks adrenaline along the shores of Lake Wakatipu: bungee jumping at the Kawarau Bridge, skydiving above the Remarkables and in the evenings you sit by the lake as though none of it happened. Things quieten down in Wanaka, where Roys Peak offers the most famous view on the South Island. Through the Homer Tunnel lies Fiordland National Park: a boat trip through Milford Sound takes you right beneath the Stirling Falls. The Milford Track, Routeburn Track and Kepler Track are among New Zealand's Great Walks. Further south, albatrosses and penguins nest on the Otago Peninsula, the Catlins end at Slope Point and off Bluff, Stewart Island begins.
Christchurch: From glacier to volcanic crater
From Christchurch, the TranzAlpine train takes you over Arthur's Pass to the West Coast, where the Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier reach all the way down into the rainforest. Further north, Punakaiki pushes the Pancake Rocks out into the surf. Head back east and Lake Tekapo glows turquoise in front of the Church of the Good Shepherd – at night, the sky above Mount John Observatory is among the darkest in the world. Beyond it, the Hooker Valley Track leads to the foot of Aoraki Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak. Closer to Christchurch, the Banks Peninsula stretches out into the sea.
Marlborough, Abel Tasman and Kaikōura
The ferry from Wellington docks at Picton, with the Marlborough Sounds branching out behind it as a labyrinth of coves. The Queen Charlotte Track follows the coastline for days at a time. Further west, Abel Tasman National Park tumbles down to the sea with golden beaches, and from Kaiteriteri you can paddle past Split Apple Rock. Beyond Golden Bay, New Zealand ends at Cape Farewell, with Wharariki Beach beyond it belonging to nothing but the wind. On the east coast, sperm whales surface from the depths off Kaikōura and Hector's dolphins accompany your boat. Afterwards, you unwind in the hot springs of Hanmer Springs.
North Island: From Cape Reinga to Middle-earth
Auckland begins with the Sky Tower above the city – Piha's black sand beach is an hour away and Waiheke Island just 40 minutes by ferry. Head north and the Bay of Islands strings 144 islands together, with two oceans meeting at Cape Reinga. On the way back, you stand in Waipoua Forest before Tāne Mahuta, the oldest kauri tree in the country. On the Coromandel coast, you dig your own pool into the sand at Hot Water Beach and reach Cathedral Cove only on foot. Inland, you paddle through glowworm caves in Waitomo and just next door, Hobbiton begins in Matamata – Middle-earth, complete with garden fence and a round green door.
Wellington and the gateway to the South Island
In Rotorua you smell the sulphur before you see the geysers – Wai-O-Tapu colours its pools in turquoise and gold, while at Te Puia, Māori culture meets the Pohutu Geyser. At Lake Taupo, the Huka Falls thunder through a rocky gorge and beyond them the Tongariro Alpine Crossing passes Mount Ngauruhoe – the Doom Mountain from The Lord of the Rings. Mount Taranaki rises as a perfect cone from the flatlands. Napier's Art Deco facades date from the reconstruction after 1931. In Wellington, you drink coffee on Cuba Street, visit Te Papa and board the Interislander ferry – the gateway to the South Island.
