Welcome to Go NZ. Over the next four weeks we will be giving you some expert advice on everything you could possibly want to know in advance of a trip to the wonderful islands of New Zealand. Nowhere else in the world is there such a spectacular array of varying scenery and activities in such a small country as New Zealand. Not only is there world-renowned unspoilt wilderness, there are also vibrant cities and the biggest concentration of extreme activities anywhere in the world.
Every week we will guide you to all the best destinations in both the North and South Islands. This week, we also look at the strangely under-utilised opportunity to get a working holiday visa in New Zealand. Why not stay a year in undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world?
Most travellers miss out on coming to Kaikoura, choosing instead to head straight to Christchurch, but this once sleepy fishing town has slowly been gaining an increasing flow of tourists since the 90s.
If you hope to make contact with a whale – Free Willy style – or befriend a dolphin called Flipper this is the place to do it. Boasting frequent sightings of the “Big Five” including sperm and killer whales, dolphins, seals and penguins there’s a huge choice of tours to choose from.
You can swim with dusky dolphins in an unforgettable three-hour trip (www.dolphin.co.nz) or if you’ve got bigger fish to fry check out Whale Watch Kaikoura (www.whalewatch.co.nz) who will take you on a 3 ½ hour cruise in search of whales and other wildlife.
The tour takes you on boats equipped with hydrophones, basically microphones underwater, so that you can hear any whales in the region.
If you want to hang out for a few days in a town with a chilled out, bohemian vibe, you should go to Takaka.
Centre of the Golden Bay area, Takaka is known as one of the most relaxed towns in New Zealand. A hippy heaven, its streets are lined with health food cafes, old-fashioned pubs and the local Artisans’ Shop, where craftspeople try and sell you decorated bowls and canvases that would be impossible to fit in your rucksack.
There are a number of walking tours if you’re up for getting blisters on your feet. If you can get together some energetic friends, Barefoot Guided Tours (www.bare-foot.co.nz) offer pick-up from Takaka and will take you on a six-seven hour hike to the tip of the South Island.
You’ll get to climb through sea tunnels and caves, sit surrounded by seals on the rocks and walk over swing bridges.
Once you get back feeling well and truly knackered, you can head to the local restaurant dedicated to Frank Zappa, the Dangerous Kitchen where they serve whacky gourmet pizzas like the “Southern Style” featuring Cajun chicken, brie and cranberry.
Going to New Zealand’s south island and not visiting the Fiordland National Park, is like going to London and not seeing Big Ben.
By far the most popular is Milford Sound, a 22km-long fiord surrounded by jagged peaks and cliffs that stretch up as far as 1692 metres. Most of the 14,000 annual visitors explore Milford by car, seeing as it is the only one that can be reached by road.
However, the best way to experience the immense vastness of the area is to take a boat or kayak on the sound itself.
This way you’ll get to paddle down rivers and underneath falls whilst viewing the local wildlife and spectacular scenery.
If paddling like a lunatic for four hours isn’t your thing and you can’t convince another muppet to do the hard work for you, you should check out Underwater World (www.milforddeep.co.nz) where you can descend the equivalent of four storeys under water from their floating observatory and come within a metre of the local marine life, without even getting wet.
If you fancy seeing somewhere with the same range of shit-yourself-with-fear sports as the over-crowded Queenstown, but with a more laid back and less touristy feel, you’d do well to put Wanaka on your “to see” list.
Just 100km from its popular neighbour but with the advantage of being at the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park, Wanaka offers contrasting activities all in the same place.
You can relax and sip wine at the lake, whilst improving your game on one of the golf club’s huge courses or you can choose to partake in one of the many combo adventure tours.
If you feel like getting on a mountain bike and zipping down a hill faster than the roadrunner, try one of Alpine & Heli Mountain Biking tours (www.mountainbiking.co.nz).
They will take you via helicopter up some of New Zealand’s highest mountains then guide you over snowdrifts and rocky terrain back down to earth.
New Zealand is renowned for catering for the adventurous, sporty types, providing all manner of things that you can throw yourself off, out of or down. But it also has more tranquil options, like heading north to the Bay of Islands.
Unlike the rest of the country, it’s pretty much sunny and warm all year round here and is steeped in Maori culture and surrounded by clear water, bays and beaches.
You could spend half a day sea kayaking around the 140 islands or cruise out to the Hole in the Rock – which is basically a big hole, in an even bigger rock - etched away by the wind and waves. Sunbathe on the famous ninety mile beach or swim with dolphins…
Swimming with dolphins may well have turned into a bit of a cliché activity but, damn it, there’s no point in denying yourself a childhood dream just because every Tom, Dick, Harry and EastEnders actress got there before you, is there?
I was told that Paihia (pronounced Pie-Hee-Ah) would be a perfect destination to befriend a pod of the finest Bottlenose, slinky swimmers so I paid my money and hopped on a boat ready for some dolphin-friendly fun.
Well, actually, just like I’d missed my flight to NZ – I missed the Dolphin Safari Adventure boat but thankfully a quick radio message to the captain made him turn round and come back for me. Phew! Not a good start but I was on my way.
The boat trip was breathtaking in itself, with panoramic views of the Bay of Islands from the back of the speedy vessel.
So next came the waiting. Apparently the dolphins have a mind of their own and weren’t put in the sea merely for the amusement of stupid humans who want to flail about ungallantly beside them.
No, whether you get to swim with them or not depends entirely on whether they feel like it (how rude). There are also some pretty strict rules about not being allowed in the water if there are baby dolphins in the pod.
And don’t whatever you do touch them, they don’t like it. It’s highly likely that you will get a close-up look at the creatures, even if you don’t get to swim with them, if not you will be entitled to a partial refund.
If you want hustle and bustle and 24-hour entertainment then you’re better off heading back to London than to the beautifully serene New Zealand. But if chilling out is more your thing then this is the place for you.
Pretty much all of this country is so laid back it’s horizontal, but none more so than in the Coromandel Peninsula. The area juts out into the South Pacific Ocean and is bordered by the Hauraki Gulf. It boasts the best beaches on the north island and attracts people just wanting to relax and take a momaent or ten to enjoy life. While you’re here visit the famous Hot Water Beach on the east coast, where you can dig yourself your very own bath with a spade. Thames and Coromandel Town on the west coast are also worth a visit. Both are cute little towns, steeped in history.
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