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New Zealand in 14 Days

This route feels like a fast cut through New Zealand's whole range: in the morning with a view of the sea, at midday between volcanic hills, the next day in steaming geothermal fields and shortly after in front of alpine lakes. You switch effortlessly between big city, coast, forest and mountain landscape. That is exactly what makes this trip so gripping: no day looks like the one before.

What is special here is the dramaturgy of the places. Auckland starts wide and maritime, Rotorua brings natural forces and Māori culture into play, Wellington sets urban contrasts, and around Queenstown the landscape turns larger, rougher and more spectacular once more.

Who is this trip for?

This trip is ideal for anyone who wants to see a lot in two weeks and yet not just rush from photo stop to photo stop. It suits active city travelers, nature fans and anyone who wants to combine coast, culture and easy to demanding outdoor moments.

What to expect

Expect a varied rhythm of ferry rides, viewpoints, walks, museum visits and a few more action-packed experiences. Some days are relaxed, others start early or bring more driving time. Good shoes almost always pay off, especially for view hills, shore paths and longer tracks.

Day 1 · Auckland

Island view and harbor places

To open, it goes out to Waiheke Island, where vineyards, bays and the easygoing island life switch on holiday mode at once. Back in the city, Mission Bay brings a wide waterfront promenade and lots of sea view right in front of you. Later you stand at Bastion Point/Takaparawha and look out over the Waitematā Harbour, before the day winds down in Devonport with its relaxed coastal flair.

  1. Waiheke Island
  2. Mission Bay
  3. Bastion Point/Takaparawha
  4. Devonport
Bastion Point/Takaparawha© Ingolfson · Public domain
Bastion Point/Takaparawha
Devonport© Bjankuloski06 · CC BY 4.0
Devonport

Day 2 · Auckland

Volcanic cones and city green

Cornwall Park shows Auckland from its green, wide side: old trees, open meadows and a surprisingly calm rhythm in the middle of the city. Then the climb up Maungawhau / Mount Eden is worth it, because from up here the city reads like a map of bays, streets and extinct volcanic cones. In the Domain Wintergardens and later in the Auckland Museum the mood shifts from botanically quiet to historically and culturally dense.

  1. Cornwall Park
  2. Maungawhau / Mount Eden
  3. Domain Wintergardens
  4. Auckland Museum
Cornwall Park© User:Grutness · Public domain
Cornwall Park
Maungawhau / Mount Eden© Etherbug, Alan Collins · CC BY 3.0
Maungawhau / Mount Eden
Domain Wintergardens© Andy king50 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Domain Wintergardens
Auckland Museum© Iswzo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Auckland Museum

Day 3 · Auckland

Auckland between park and skyline

The day begins in the Auckland Domain, where wide paths and large lawns give the city air. Then the Sky Tower draws you up and suddenly changes all orientation: harbor, suburbs and volcanic cones lie in a single view at once. In the afternoon it turns lively at Viaduct Harbour and in the evening Silo Park shows how laid-back Auckland can be by the water.

  1. Auckland Domain
  2. Sky Tower
  3. Viaduct Harbour
  4. Silo Park
Auckland Domain© Ingolfson · Public domain
Auckland Domain
Sky Tower© QFSE Media · CC BY-SA 3.0 nz
Sky Tower
Viaduct Harbour© Ingolfson at English Wikipedia (Original text: Uploader.) · Public domain
Viaduct Harbour

Day 4 · Rotorua

Film set and forest adventure

With Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours the day starts fairy-tale-like but quite tangible: green hills, round doors and that peculiar calm of a perfectly built film world. In Paradise Valley Springs you are then out again in real New Zealand nature. Later Rotorua Canopy Tours | Zipline into an Ancient Forest brings pace into the day and lets you glide right through ancient forest.

  1. Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours
  2. Paradise Valley Springs
  3. Rotorua Canopy Tours | Zipline into an Ancient Forest
  4. Lake Rotorua / Te Rotorua nui ā Kahumatamomoe

Day 5 · Rotorua

Steam, forest and culture

Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland is a morning full of colors, steam and ground that looks as if it came from another geological time. Then the switch into the Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest does you good, where tall trunks, light and soft paths suddenly calm the landscape. In Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village and later at Te Puia - Rotorua, NZ, Rotorua becomes not only visible but also culturally and historically tangible.

  1. Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland
  2. Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest
  3. Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village
  4. Te Puia - Rotorua, NZ
Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest© Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest

Day 6 · Rotorua

Springs, gardens and relaxation

Hamurana Springs Nature Park & Golf Course begins calm and clear, with water that looks as if it had only just come into being. Then the Government Gardens lead into Rotorua's more elegant side, with tended grounds and a lot of history in the background. In the Polynesian Spa and later in Kuirau Park it shows once more how naturally recreation and geothermal activity belong together here.

  1. Hamurana Springs Nature Park & Golf Course
  2. Government Gardens
  3. Polynesian Spa
  4. Kuirau Park
Government Gardens© Muir & Moodie · Public domain
Government Gardens
Polynesian Spa© Wendy Harman · CC BY 2.0
Polynesian Spa

Day 7 · Wellington

Cinema magic and coastal city

In the Wētā Workshop Experiences you see how whole film worlds are made from ideas, models and details. From the Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington then opens up in every direction, with hills, harbor and wind as a constant companion. Later, Oriental Bay, the Wellington Waterfront Walk and Te Papa Tongarewa bring exactly the mix for which the city works so well: relaxed outside, then curious inside again.

  1. Wētā Workshop Experiences
  2. Mount Victoria Lookout
  3. Oriental Bay
  4. Wellington Waterfront Walk
  5. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Mount Victoria Lookout© eythian · CC BY-SA 2.0
Mount Victoria Lookout
Oriental Bay© Jacques Marier · CC BY-SA 2.0
Oriental Bay
Wellington Waterfront Walk© Mgracee · CC BY-SA 3.0
Wellington Waterfront Walk

Day 8 · Wellington

Nature and capital views

Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne shows in the morning how close Wellington lies to real, protected nature. In the Space Place at Carter Observatory the view then shifts from local landscapes straight into larger dimensions. Then the New Zealand Parliament Buildings, the Wellington Cable Car and Cuba Street set a lively contrast of politics, view and urban everyday feeling.

  1. Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne
  2. Space Place at Carter Observatory
  3. New Zealand Parliament Buildings
  4. Wellington Cable Car
  5. Cuba Street
Space Place at Carter Observatory© SPCarterObservatory · CC BY-SA 4.0
Space Place at Carter Observatory
New Zealand Parliament Buildings© Tom Ackroyd · CC BY-SA 4.0
New Zealand Parliament Buildings
Wellington Cable Car© Phillip Capper · CC BY 2.0
Wellington Cable Car
Cuba Street© Aubernas · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cuba Street

Day 9 · Queenstown

Gold-rush flair and adrenaline

Arrowtown, with its historic facades and quiet streets, feels almost out of time. On the Lake Hayes Walkway it continues at a more leisurely pace, with water, mountains and a path that is easy to enjoy on the side. Then the day deliberately tips toward the thrill: first winding down in the Onsen Hot Pools & Day Spa, then revving up with the Shotover Jet Queenstown.

  1. Arrowtown
  2. Lake Hayes Walkway
  3. Onsen Hot Pools & Day Spa
  4. Shotover Jet Queenstown
Arrowtown© Bgabel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Arrowtown
Lake Hayes Walkway© André Richard Chalmers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Hayes Walkway

Day 10 · Queenstown

Lakes, road and altitude meters

Lake Wakatipu sets the standard for the coming days right in the morning: large, clear and constantly framed by mountains. Moke Lake then feels quieter and more secluded, almost like a short time-out from the already wide Queenstown. On the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road and later on the Ben Lomond Track it shows how quickly this region can shift from beautiful to truly dramatic.

  1. Lake Wakatipu
  2. Moke Lake
  3. Glenorchy-Queenstown Road
  4. Ben Lomond Track

Day 11 · Queenstown

Views over Queenstown

The Lake Wakatipu Viewpoint is one of those stops where you automatically slow down, because lake and mountains simply work together. Then the Queenstown Hill Walking Track brings movement into the day and rewards with views that open wider with every altitude meter. Later AJ Hackett Bungy - Queenstown Bungy Centre provides the big pulse, before the Queenstown Gardens ground you again.

  1. Lake Wakatipu Viewpoint
  2. Queenstown Hill Walking Track
  3. AJ Hackett Bungy - Queenstown Bungy Centre
  4. Queenstown Gardens
Queenstown Gardens© fr:Utilisateur:FRED The original uploader was FRED at French Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Queenstown Gardens

Day 12 · Queenstown

Steamboat and evening lights

With RealNZ | TSS Earnslaw Queenstown Cruise the day begins classic and relaxed on the water, with Queenstown from an especially good perspective. Then the mood changes noticeably in the Queenstown Ice Bar: cold, compact and a curious contrast to the mountain backdrop outside. In the Kiwi Park Queenstown and later at Skyline Queenstown the day turns typically regional once more and ends high above the town.

  1. RealNZ | TSS Earnslaw Queenstown Cruise
  2. Queenstown Ice Bar
  3. Kiwi Park Queenstown
  4. Skyline Queenstown
Kiwi Park Queenstown© Skycity Queenstown · PD
Kiwi Park Queenstown
Skyline Queenstown© Skycity Queenstown · PD
Skyline Queenstown

Day 13 · Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, Southland Region, New Zealand

Passage to the fjord

Here the drive is already part of the experience: the Lake Gunn Nature Walk first brings calm and forest, before the Homer Tunnel condenses the landscape dramatically. At The Chasm Walk the water then shows how powerfully it can write itself into rock. On the Milford Sound Foreshore Walk and at the Milford Sound Lookout at the latest it becomes clear why Milford Sound / Piopiotahi stays in your mind for so long.

  1. Lake Gunn Nature Walk
  2. Homer Tunnel
  3. The Chasm Walk
  4. Milford Sound Foreshore Walk
  5. Milford Sound Lookout
  6. Milford Sound / Piopiotahi

Day 14 · Wānaka

Wānaka for the finale

The Roys Peak Track demands stamina once more at the end, but rewards you with those wide, almost graphic views over lake and mountains. At Rippon the landscape then turns softer and more cultivated again, without losing any grandeur. With the Wanaka Willow Tree, the Mount Iron Track and Puzzling World the trip ends in a mix of iconic photo motif, a final bit of movement and a playful wind-down.

  1. Roys Peak Track
  2. Rippon
  3. Wanaka Willow Tree
  4. Wānaka
  5. Mount Iron Track
  6. Puzzling World
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