Hello

I get married at the end of sept and have got a 4 weeks in NZ booked for our honeymoon. We are going to be travelling around in a camper van and want some STW recommendations (and photos if you have them) of good places to visit.

We have a rough idea from the guide books we've brought, but nothing beats real recommendations

Cheers

Tom

Stick mainly to the South Island. It's far more scenic and romantic (IMHO)

Do you fancy doing any "extreme" activities* or would you rather something a bit more sedate?

Plenty of both available!

(* outside of the bedroom)

Coromandel (including hot water beach) in north island Rotorua is a bit of a tourist trap but worth a look, then get yourself to south island whale watching in Kikoura, head down to christchurch then over the hills towards Millford and up the other coast, should keep you occupied for 4 weeks. Try and get some walking in anywhere you go. The mountain huts are excellent.

you want a landcruiser not a camper!!

Nice pictures – I think the landcruiseris a good option – but the missus wants a bit of comfort

I would love one of these –

I used to drive the same type of 4×4 when I was a linesman for MEB. Would love to find a used one an do it up – would be great for biking weekends.

Back to the subject – we will be after a mixture of beautiful scenery and some extreme activities

Spent 6 weeks pottering around NZ and really loved it. My favourite activity was this

http://www.dolphinencounter.co.nz/

It was so good I bought it as a wedding gift for some friends of mine who were honeymooning there, they loved it too.

Saw so many dolphins I did not know where to look, it was a bit scary at first when they came close to your face. I went on the early morning trip.

the landcruiser was my brothers who lives in Raglan on north island (worth a visit if you like surfing)

we started out with this one then swapped to his hard top!!

whale bay surf

bridal veil falls

Take a look around Tauranga and Mt Maunganui, best place in NZ, mind you I am a bit biased being as I "grew up" there, I say that loosely as I have not really grown up yet…

some good trails around the area and a fantastic beach

Yep agree with south Island call, less people ,better scenery and cheaper ale!
Lake Tekapo is lovely, as is Queenstown and Wanaka, they are both toutisty meccas though so not all that peaceful, try a lazy drive up the west coast for some great scenery and secluded little beach towns.

What do you mean less people, I didn't think anyone lived in the South Island

I was there for 4 weeks last feb and tried to do as much as possible, I'd say the guided walk on Fox Glacier was the best thing I did, just an amazing environment to be in. If I was going back I'd definitely step it up to the ice climbing option, saw others doing this and it looked great.

If you're in to tramping I'd say read up and try to find less well known options, as the DOC great walks, while beautiful, are too full of people and too sanitised in terms of challenge.

Most importantly, stop at every bakery you see, they are all brilliant!

Fish and chips here:

It's at Jackson Bay on the West coast of the South Island just where the road heads inland towards the Haast Pass. It's about 20-30km down the a dead end road but it's unmissable. You can also ride a jet boat off that road Arawhata or Waiatoto river (you could in 2003) that's not one of the Queenstown tourist boats.

+1 for dolphin encounter. Huge pods of wild dolphins surrounding you and swimming right up to your face. Amazing.

Jacksons bay is a very nice spot indeed that top photo of mine was near there.

Stick mainly to south if you can:

Milford / Doubtful Sound
Sea kayaking in Abel Tasman NP – http://seakayak.co.nz/
Fox or Franz Josef glaciers
Lake Matheson (get up early and go to watch the sun rise – google images it)
Nevis bungy / canyon swing or many other ways to hurl yourself off things in Queentown
Dart River jetboat then kayak back – http://www.dartriver.co.nz/

On the north island:

White Island (active volcano with a lake so acidic it has a negative ph) – http://www.whiteisland.co.nz/
Waitomo "lost world" abseil / cave trip – http://www.waitomo.co.nz/
Whitewater rafting down a 21ft waterfall – http://www.kaitunacascades.co.nz/indexbe51.html?page=kaituna
If you dive, Poor Knights and the Rainbow Warrior wreck are well worth a visit.

That's all stuff I've done and can recommend from a couple of trips (except the Nevis bungy – I've done the Auckland bridge one though!)

Worth a look at the kiwi AA's "101 must-do" site as well, plenty more ideas there – http://www.aatravel.co.nz/101/

Have a wonder around our web site and it will give u a good look at the WestCoast of the south island.The activities page has some good mtb pics and walks in the region.www.breakers.co.nz

I spent 2months in NZ in 2000, its an amazing country.
get the kennet bros book of mtb trails which will help you find trails wherever you are.
personally I'd say milford sound, even tho its a bugga of a drive.

We went there for 4week honeymoon in October 2009. Would go back tomorrow if I could.
Here's what we did and it was all good.
-Mt Manganui is lovely, great cafes
-Rotorua redwoods for MTB routes; absolutely stunning location and bike hire too
-Rotorua Maori cultural stuff – Te Puia
-Tongariro Crossing
-Canadian canoeing on Whanganui River
-Huka falls, volcanic stuff and Taupo are worth a day or two
-Sea kayaking in Queen Charlotte using these guys
-Fox & Franz Josef glaciers
-Wanaka for some peace a& quiet after you've been to Queenstown for some mad adrenaline stuff – mad 1800m guided DH routes available
-Milford sound
-Routeburn trail
-Lake Tekapo
-Mount Cook village

We loved all of it but the highlight was walking the Routeburn then meeting the coach to drop down to Milford Sound. Pre-arranged cruise around the sound with nice lunch and some cheeky wine. Will never forget it.
Great place, great people. You'll love it

Contact me if you need descriptions or photos of these places we went to.

Bluff, you'll love it.

Where are you flying into, and out of ? Bear in mind Oct can have some random weather which may or may not bother you. For some reason a few of our visitors recently have expressed surprise that the weather, in winter, can be sh1t. Its not like on the adverts you know.

Bu tto answer your qu – Coromandel is lovely, Waikaremoana is nice as well in an out of the way sort of vibe, Wellington of course is the best city, Rotorua, Taupo, plateau of course inc Tongariro crossing, ride in Taup, Vegas and Tree Trunk Gge but leave someone at your vehicle if you like your posessions. Nelson, Abel Tasman, West coast – go to where Coasting is – beautiful, Hoki Gorge etc all good. I had such a good AR race in 2004 and 2005 there except for the bits where i was nosediving my boat into the beach, that was less fun..Queenstown, Wanaka, fly to Milford is my advice, faster and nicer. Dolphin swim at Kaikoura is very cool too even though i hate to admit that. You might get your own free version in the Abel Tas if you are lucky.
Have fun.

Am seriously contemplating this: http://www.fat-tyre.co.nz/dirtyweekend.htm as a holiday, maybe something to work into the ol' honeymoon?

Lived there for a year and loved it…

just my 5p worth..

Tongariro Crossing & Kayaking (hundreds of places to do this) are well worth it

Milford sound and franz joseph IMO were over hyped tourist traps.

Milford sound is a LONG WAY from the nearest MAIN town (if you take the dead te anau out of the equation) IF you do go to milford do not do the one day trip from Queenstown, its a ball breaker, I would advise to either A- stay in te anau OR stay at the hotel down in milford sound.

Franz Joseph – i did the half day walk and it was ok but was not "OH MY GOD THATS AMAZING" if you have the cash take the helicopter.

i thought Wanaka was too dead, queenstown is full of 'dudes' but still worth it, get the cable car tot he top of the mountain and the view down is amazing.

Lake Tekapo is veyr nice and chilled, there are some tiny lodges you can/could hire at the time a stones throw form the lake.

Taupo is pretty cool aswell

its just amazing driving round the country.

enjoy!

ps- i'd hire a car then get the AA guide book and book b&b's etc ahead of your route,

I agree on the Milford Sound day trips. We did the overnight on Doubtful Sound, fitted in nicely with our little loop around the south of the south island. Leave Te Anau lunchtime, back the following lunchtime. Plenty of time on board to see lots, go kayaking or out in a small tender, head out to the sea. Decent meal, kip and up in time to watch the sun rise.

Long drive even to Te Aanu from Queenstown though and we were in a car, in a camper it would take even longer and if you're going up to Milford Sound there's still a fair way from there.

Angallis – where is that? Looks a lot like Kaikoura (spent three weeks there – LOVED it) and also looks a lot like a campsite owners Landcruiser – we got to know him really well.

Essentials IMO:

Haas pass
Queenstown
Kayaking in Milford Sound (we loved it despite the comment above)
Kaikoura
Mt Cooke

Agree that the glaciers are a bit disappointing.

Fantastic country though – wish it was nearer!

the first pic is on some side road on the way to Jacksons bay, second one with the beach is Kaikoura, the others are in and around Raglan where my brother lives with his wife, dog, three sheep, chickens and two landcruisers!!

Check out biking the Queen Charlotte if you are not taking bikes you can hire good spec bikes locally. They take you out in a boat drop you off at the start of the trail and you have 2/3 days of singletrack back to Picton along the sounds, I dont think there is one time that the sea is out of view! Amazing views great trails and there are backpackers to stay at on the trail… I miss NZ they do outdoors so well

Angallis – cool. Absolutely loved that area. I surf (ahem – a bit obvious!) and the waves there were amazing for three weeks non stop. Also climbed Mt Fyffe, did the dolphin and whale thing and ate amazing food. Our guest book comments are still on the campsites main sign board apparently! He had an old LC like that one and owned a mountain nearby!

Also "did" Raglan which was great – waves were excellent and the atmosphere was awesome.

A great place!