Recommendations from My Trip in November 2019
Are you planning a trip to New Zealand? Here are some popular and some slightly out-of-the-ordinary tips to help you with your travel planning!
1. Budget as much time as possible for your trip. It still won’t be long enough.
New Zealand may be a relatively small country, but there is still way too much to see. I spent just under two weeks there, and I know I should have stayed for much longer. First of all, travel will eat up a lot of your time. Unless you live in Australia, the flight to New Zealand is going to be pretty freaking long. And then, you probably won’t want to stay in just one place. NZ has so many beautiful sights spread out across the country, on both the North and South Island. If I were to go back, I’d probably want to go for three weeks, if not more. Two is just barely enough, but you can still try to pack in a lot in that time.
2. Visit Queenstown
I think that Queenstown might just be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. This gorgeous city has the most expensive real estate in all of NZ, as our tour guide told us. And I can see why. This place is a tourist hot spot for an excellent reason. The scenery is absolutely astonishing. Honestly, I almost cried when we landed at the airport because I was so amazed. Queenstown is surrounded by mountains and is right on a beautiful lake. There are plenty of nice restaurants, shopping, and other tourist activities to fill up your time. I would have loved to stay here longer.
3. Go to a winery or–better yet—go on a wine tour
This is one of the great activities there is to do in Queenstown, although there are vineyards in many other parts of NZ as well. Before coming to New Zealand, I already knew that NZ was known for their Sauvignon Blanc, but I didn’t know that they were also known for Pinot Noir and a few other varieties as well. I went on a wine tour in the area around Queenstown, visiting 5 vineyards. First of all, every vineyard was just stunning, surrounded by mountains and lush greenery. I really would have enjoyed the tour even without the wine, although the wine itself was good as well. And it was really interesting to learn more about the country and its wines at each different stop along the tour.
4. Drive out of the city
You will probably have to leave the city at some point in order to do a lot of New Zealand’s popular activities. However, if you weren’t planning to leave Auckland, or Queenstown, or Christchurch or whatever city you may be staying in, you really should. New Zealand has the most beautiful roadside scenery. And there are many attractions, like Hobbiton and tons of natural landmarks, that will require you to drive a ways out of the city. During my trip, we ended up driving from Queenstown to Christchurch. We were very slow since we kept stopping to take pictures, and it ended up taking over 10 hours. But we saw so many beautiful places that it really didn’t seem that long.
5. Prepare for different types of weather
Especially if you are planning to go to both the North and the South Island. The South Island is actually rather close to Antarctica…so it can get quite cold, especially at night, even though the overall climate is rather moderate and the North Island is a bit more tropical feeling. I went to November (late Spring in NZ) and Auckland (on the North Island) was quite warm, generally in the 70’s. Meanwhile, temperatures in Queenstown and Christchurch (South Island) were more like 50’s and 60’s, and even colder at night. Also, it’s important to note that NZ does get a good amount of rain. And, if you’ll be hiking in the mountain, you should definitely be prepared for the cold. This can make packing a little tough since, depending on the time of year, you may need to bring shorts, t-shirts, and also long pants and warm jackets. And definitely make sure to bring appropriate clothes for hiking (make swimming too)!
6. Bring lots of sunscreen
This is a must for New Zealand. As you may know, there is a hole in the ozone layer above New Zealand and Australia (although it is healing). But this still means that you will have less natural protection from the sun there. And since NZ is so freaking beautiful, you will probably want to be outside a lot. Thus, you will need a lot of sunscreen to prevent sunburn and skin damage. I know you may want to get a gorgeous tan while you’re on vacation, but I implore you to take care of your skin. Premature skin aging and skin cancer just aren’t worth it, in my opinion. If you need other skincare recommendations for New Zealand, check out my travel skincare routine here.
7. Buy your manuka honey at the grocery store
This is a tip that we picked up from a tour guide. Manuka honey is a big commodity in NZ because its renowned for its healing properties. You will see it on sale everywhere, especially in touristy locations and gift shops. However, it can be very expensive, depending on the grade that you want. But, if you check out a local grocery story, you will probably be able to find the same products for much cheaper! And while you’re at the grocery store, you should also pick up some New Zealand olive oil. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s not like regular olive oil. It’s better, and it’s very hard to come by outside of NZ. You might also want to pick up some wine while you’re at it…so definitely make sure you have extra space in your checked luggage!
8. Kiwis are cool, but be prepared for disappointment
Perhaps you would like to see the national bird of NZ while you are there? In NZ, you will probably come across a ton a kiwi-themed things, but yet, you will probably never come across an actual kiwi, at least not in the wild. Kiwis are both endangered and nocturnal so even native New Zealanders have rarely seen one. If you’d like to see a kiwi you’re going to have to go to a zoo. Personally, I went to the wildlife reserve in Christchurch and saw a kiwi there. Now, I’m really glad I got to see a kiwi—they are really funny creatures and really fun to watch—but, I also hardly got to see it. Since the kiwi is nocturnal, the exhibit was really dark, and I could only see the bird’s outline. Also, there was only one of them in the exhibit at the time. You may have a different experience depending on where you go, just be prepared.
9. Check out the parks and botanical gardens
New Zealand’s many plants and landscapes are truly spectacular, and if you would like to get a good dose of them all in one contained space, I’d highly recommend going to some of the many parks and botanical gardens around the country. Auckland has a few beautiful ones. But I think my favorite was in Christchurch, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. It is a large garden with so many types of flowers, trees, and plants. The rose garden is especially spectacular. If you’re looking to spend a quiet day in the city, checking out one of these beautiful spots could be a nice way to spend it.
10. Bring an extra memory card for your camera, or two
Besides all the places I have already mentioned, I’m sure you will come across many other gorgeous photo-worthy locations on your trip to New Zealand. And thus, don’t forget to bring an extra memory card for your camera (like I did). You will probably want to take hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures. Of course, it’s important to note that New Zealand’s beauty will always look better in person, at least in my opinion, it just can’t be completely captured in a photograph. So make sure you enjoy your trip, wonder at all that you see, and collect some amazing memories.
final tips
There really is too much to do! So here are a few quick recommendations I have for planning a trip to New Zealand: Visit Hobbiton (even if you’re not a LotR fan); go see a volcano (like Rangitoto Island); go on a hike; see a glacier (like Franz Joseph Glacier), see Milford Sound (my tour of this was cancelled sadly); try an adventure sport (my sister went bungee jumping!); eat lots of good Asian food; try a NZ meat pie; buy some beautifully soft Merino wool (or just touch it longingly).
