Thanks for the all the advice in my previous post. It's really good to get suggetions from people that have already been!
Can anyone suggest things to do on the north island? I'm going to be based in auckland for 5 weeks. Likley to be busy in the week, but have weekends off. There late june onwards.
Rotorua is worth a couple of days - lots of thermal stuff.
I also really enjoyed Wellington - compact city with a great vibe.
GO to Woodhill. Lots. I did when living in AUckland. It is about 20 minutes north of the bridge. woodhill always something going off and the coffee is good too. Just watch out for some of the North Shore stuff. If it has four black crosses, it means you have to clear the barbed wire fence to land the jump.
Oh Forgot about Taupo trails too. Worth a weekend run from Auckland. Nice and sifty cut into the cliffs above the river all the way from the forest singletrack to the hotpools and beer.
Sail in the bay of islands.
Take the morning ferry over to Rangitoto island and spend the day walking up to the crater. Get off the ferry and turn right. everyone else goes straight up and back down.
Drive at 90mph on 90 mile beach, while aquaplaning. Show your girlfriend how little the steering wheel functions. She'll be fascinated.
Steam off a hangover in the hot river in Taupo.
Go black water rafting in the Waitomo caves, but wait until it's rained first.
For riding rotorua and craters of the moon (taupo) are both fantastic. Top tip is you can get mtb maps at the craters info booth but pretend to want to go for a walk after your ride. That way they keep an eye on your car 
Oraki Koraka or however you spell it is the best thermal experience IMO, bit out of the way but super cool.
If you fancy a bit of hair raising and are driving to Welly then drop into Gravity Canyon which is S of Taihape. Seriously, its worth it, the double flying fox is simply scary fun !
Wellington of course is tops.
Rotorua is home to whakawerawera forest, singletrackworld heaven 
home of the 2010 singlespeed world champs
yup trails at taupo are great - what will they be like in winter though ? claggy id have thought ??
some interesting "rainforest" up north of auckland if you have access to a car -
corromandel is worth a punt
if you get any time off you have the tongiriro path - again perhaps not a good idea in winter
North of Auckland is really nice, Warkworth etc. Whangerei isn't up to much keep going and head up to Russell, Keri-Keri, the Treaty House at Waitangi if history interests you. As a kid I loved the old wooden churches with the bullet holes from the wars (I can't remember what I have to call them now as a kid we called them the Maori Wars).
Second the suggestion of Waitomo Caves with the glowworms.
Rotorua also worth a look, and just generally try and go on a Marae visit if you can find one that isn't too tacky, make sure somebody takes you to a Hangi at some point. And just take a visit to South Auckland, Otara etc at some point, the markets etc for a day out.
If you like beaches and surfing Raglan on the west of Auckland (but watch out for the Bogans).
Napier has loads of stunning Art Deco architecture if thats your cup of tea.
Martinborough over in the Wairarapa north of Wellington, fantastic vineyards I often spend a day with my folks on the wine trail there when I visit.
New Zealand is often billed to tourists as the land of adventure, jumping off bridges etc but there is so much more, a rich and diverse culture. You can jump off a bridge in your own country...
There's some great beaches around Auckland. Hot Water Beach is quite ace for a day out, not sure if you can still dig holes at low tide though.
Coromandel is good to visit. Jeez, I need to go and visit again, damn these NZ posts, they could cost me a lot of money!
Coromandel is a great place to go camping and do a few walks, hot water beach was cool.... I had a lovely time with a young lady around there about 15 years ago... ah the memories.
If you like beaches and surfing Raglan on the west of Auckland (but watch out for the Bogans).
Watch out for my brother too. Very nice little place, if you go there have a look at Bridal Vale Falls too.
Go to Goat Island for some great diving and snorkeling that is just north of Auckland, or if you have a dive ticket the Poor Knights are a great dive.
In Auckland Mission bay is a place to hang out and enjoy the scenery, Ponsonby for the hip in crowd. Some good clubs on K Road. Western Springs speedway is a good night if you like your car racing. I loved going over to Devonport on the ferry.
Gizzy is great and Napier as mentioned. It gets a lot emptier the further North you go. Some amazing beaches on the East coast around Tutukaka then go up to the very top. Surfed Blue House near Ahipara and got battered and humiliated by 3 very cool girls
Beware the sun in NZ not sure why but it sears you worse than any other place I have visited.
+1 For coromandel peninsula. IIRC the scollop festival is sometime around the times you're talking about. It is what you may have guessed. A festival where many scollops are eaten!
+1 Hot Water Beach (coromandel area), get there early to get a good spot - try and match your visit with a high / low tide that is around sunset / rise. TAKE A SPADE!! Really good gallery by car park for beach which has lots of nice contemporary and 'reasonably priced' NZ produced jewelry / carvings / paintings etc. MrsG loved it.
-IMHO it's a long drive up to Cape Reigna / 90 mile beach. Bay of islands is a great spot to visit - do the parasail for great views.
- Waitangi treaty grounds up that way are a must if you are at all interested in the history of NZ and how we Europeans treated folks there 'back in the day'. Twas quite an eye opener.
- If you can only do one full on 'cultural experience', then Te Puia outside Rotorua has it all. Hotsprings, a trad skills school, a maori village (with Haka, full ceremony, etc), loads about the origins of Maori people / beliefs, etc. Not too 'touristy' either.
+ Tongariro Crossing is awesome, but tiny chance of weather window in winter.
Enjoy!!!!!
It gets a lot emptier the further North you go
All the more reason to go north! waitangi and paihia are nice but again was ther in summer
The hot water sulphur pools at tokaanu just south of taupo are nice too lot quieter than taupos as well
My favorite story from NZ history, you can see the flagpole at the Treaty House at Waitangi:
Can't beat jumping out of a plane over looking lake Taupo, they also have a sweet bungy there as well 
Can recommend going kayaking up the mangrove forest up at the bay of islands.
The black volcanic beach in Piha is stunning but watch the rip tide.
Waihi beach on the east side is stunning.
Ditto on the Coromandel area, those Kauri's are HUGE 
Enjoy 
Thanks very much for all the suggetions guys. Can't wait to get there now. Should be really good!!!
New Zealand,....probably my most favourite country in the world....its a shame its such a distance from the rest of the world!!!
thats why its so good perhaps ? 
get the kennet brothers book of mtb rides. the world champs were at rotorua a few years back.
most has been said here, if you like mountains and volcanoes visit Togariro National Park or learn to ski/snow board on Rhuapeu. May be a fair distance but would make a great weekend. Deffinately Bay of Islands, North Cape and 90 Mile Beach (52 miles). I rode most of that when touring there in '95. Went to N.Z last year for a very short time and not changed too much. Enjoy!!
Don't wan't to hijack the thread but my better half and I are moving to NZ on a working holiday visa in November. I have a couple of mate already living in Aukland. I have a couple of questions. First off is it true that once payed for the WHV will be put straight through. ie We don't need to purchase on until the time we're flying out? What is emplyment like for graduates? I have a BSc in automotive technology with experience in Technical Sales and my GF has a BSc in phycology and sociology with experience in HR. Finally who is the best person to fly out there with? I have looked and it seems whom ever I fly with it is cheeper to get a return than a one way ticket.
This time last year I was in NZ getting married and we flew with Air New Zealand - they were very good and at 6'2" even I was comfortable in economy class.
If Carlsberg made countries.......
Both times I have flown via L.A. with Air New Zealand, great airline. One of the stewardesses was originaly from Blackwood in South Wales so we we just chatted about home much to the annoyance of this guy who had been flirting madly with her. She made a point of giving me her number as well, top girl.
Prefer to go that way as I have mates in the states I would always go and visit.
Air NZ via LAX every time on NZ1. It's like a bus route they have it down so slick, yet friendly, much like the country itself. And the flights arrive and leave at reasonable times, the layover was less than on hour last time I went through. Food good too !
And you get 70KGs luggage allowance as opposed to 25KG via Asia.
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