New Zealand

[luckystrike]

I am planning to visit New Zealand at the start of August next year. I only have 5 nights, and must leave for my onward journey from Auckland.  I am also aware that it's their winter time.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I should do?  I do not want to be too busy, as I'll have been on the road for all of July.  Would it be best just to base myself in and around Auckland and North Island?

Also, has anyone been to Auckland or Wellington?  What are they like?

Thanks.

[jno]

Auckland is a big sprawling place like LA - good restaurants (around centre of town and along the waterfront), accommodation from posh hotels to cheap hostels (NZ is very good for backpackers). Public transport isn't great, and there's not more than a couple of days' things to see in the town. Winter can be cool and wet. Wellington is much more compact and buzzy, though not terrifically big and has an excellent national museum, Te Papa.

I'd suggest staying in Auckland, hiring a car and getting to Rotorua (thermal region, geysers, hot pools etc); perhaps Napier for the art deco architecture or Bay of Islands for the scenery (very pretty). Wellington is attractive; South Island coast north of Christchurch is the place to see whales; Queenstown (South Island) is the home of bungee jumping; but in only 5 days you'd be flat out trying to see them unless you really really want to.

[stoo_pid]

I would agree with jno about hiring a car & travel about a bit.  In my opinion Auckland is nice (& incredibly clean!) but not that much to see & do that's particulalrly different from any other city.

Most of the breath-taking scenery is on the south island but with just five days you won't get to see it all.  If you get a chance though, the one place I would strongly recommend visiting is Kaikoura & go on a whale watching trip. Not only is it a truly amazing experience it's all locally run & virtually all of the profits go the local community (schools, etc).

http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/