15 NZ BUBBLE BUSTERS
Get ready for Trans-Tasman travel with Kiwi Brett Atkinson’s guide to the hits across the ditch
I’ve seen the All Blacks beat the Wallabies in Sydney, and witnessed the Wallabies knock off New Zealand rugby’s finest in Wellington, but after multiple Australian journeys exploring Western Australia, Tasmania, Outback New South Wales and the Murray River for Lonely Planet, I’ve come to the conclusion we’re actually all on the same team.
By my reckoning, no two countries are closer, and across the ditch in New Zealand, we Kiwis have really been missing our Aussie cousins. When that Trans-Tasman bubble opens up, New Zealand has plenty for you to visit to further strengthen our essential Anzac bonds.
IDEAL FOR Roadtripping empty nesters
Warmed by a subtropical microclimate, Northland combines insights into New Zealand’s Indigenous Māori culture and colonial history, and the coastal thrills of the Bay of Islands. Discover Aotearoa’s shared heritage at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, cruise through the spectacular Hole in the Rock, and embark on a spiritual journey with Footprints’ Māori guides amid the centuries-old kauri trees of the Waipoua Forest. The new Manea Footprints of Kupe experience showcases the ocean-crossing journeys of the legendary Polynesian explorer Kupe.
2 AUCKLAND IDEAL FOR
Fans of urban culture
New Zealand’s biggest and most cosmopolitan city offers the country’s most eclectic dining scene. Standouts include Gochu’s modern Korean flavours and Ahi’s blend of fine dining and Indigenous ingredients in the new Commercial Bay precinct, while raffish Karangahape Road combines street art with the hip Tel Aviv style of
East Street Hall. Nearby, Tautai is a gallery and performance space showcasing contemporary Māori and Pasifika art and culture. Waiheke Island’s vineyard restaurants, meanwhile, are easily reached on a 45-minute ferry ride.
3 COROMANDEL PENINSULA IDEAL FOR
Beach fans and active travellers
Framed by the southern Pacific, the Coromandel is a favourite holiday getaway for Aucklanders. Negotiate winding coastal roads enlivened by the scarlet blooms of pohutukawa trees, explore Cathedral Cove and the surrounding Te Whanganui-A-Hei-Marine Reserve by boat or kayak, or bike the Hauraki Rail Trail through the sylvan glade of Karangahake Gorge.
4 ROTORUA & THE CENTRAL PLATEAU
IDEAL FOR Active families Explore Mount Tarawera’s geothermal terrain by 4WD or helicopter, learn about Māori art and culture at Te Puia in Rotorua, and get active with the family on the Redwoods Treewalk or Canopy Tours’ forest zipline. Mount Ruapehu’s profile as a snowsports centre segues to the warmer weather hiking challenge of the neighbouring Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
5 WAITOMO CAVES IDEAL FOR Younger adventure travellers
Discover New Zealand’s reputation as an adventure sports hub amid the subterranean caverns of the Waitomo region. Blackwater rafting combines floating along an underground river in an inner tube with leaping off a pitch-black waterfall, while Waitomo Adventures’ Lost World activities include abseiling and underground ziplines. It’s an easy 75minute drive northeast for Middle Earth movie magic at the Hobbiton film set.
6 HAWKE’S BAY
IDEAL FOR Food and wine buffs Welcome to a sunny region of wine, cider, farmers’ markets and great eating. Dining highlights amid the 1930s Art Deco oceanside architecture of Napier include Bistronomy and Pacifica, while the spectacular leviathan bulk of
Te Mata Peak looms above Craggy Range’s winery restaurant. The best of New Zealand’s craft cider scene include relaxed taprooms at Zeffer and Three Wise Birds.
7 WELLINGTON IDEAL FOR
Food lovers and craft-beer fans
New Zealand’s compact harbourside capital features one of the world’s best urban craft-beer scenes – don’t miss innovative brews from Garage Project, Heyday and Fork & Brewer – and the interactive displays at the country’s spectacular national museum of Te Papa are also essential viewing. Book (well) ahead for innovative fine dining infused with traditional Māori ingredients at Hiakai, and experience Lord of the Rings cinematic wizardry at the Weta Cave.
8 TASMAN & MARLBOROUGH IDEAL FOR
Food-focused and active travellers
Negotiate the remote coastal coves of Abel Tasman National Park on foot or by kayak, or take to two wheels to explore the Great Taste Trail’s menu of orchards, vineyards and brewery taprooms. Adjacent Marlborough is the heartland of New Zealand’s wine industry, with globally famous wineries including Cloudy Bay, Nautilus Estate and Wither Hills.
Exploring by bike along vine-framed byways is a popular option.
9 KAIKŌURA
IDEAL FOR Wildlife fans
The Kaikōura submarine canyon off the rugged east coast of the South Island is a superb place to experience marine and birdlife. Whales, fur seals and dolphins are all regular visitors to feast in Kaikōura’s cool, nutrient-rich waters, while penguins and albatrosses are also regularly seen on trips by helicopter, excursion boats or kayak. 10
Travellers seeking classic experiences Across the South Island’s rugged mountainous spine, the icy highlights of the West Coast stretch from near the Tasman Sea to the foothills of the Southern Alps. Opportunities to explore two of the planet’s most accessible glaciers include bush-clad walking and mountainbiking trails, and heli-hike adventures that land high on ice-fields explore turquoisehued ice caves. Scenic flights also take in Aoraki/Mount Cook, at 3,724m New Zealand’s highest peak.
FOX & FRANZ JOSEF GLACIERS IDEAL FOR 11 CHRISTCHURCH Food lovers and street-art fans
The post-earthquake regeneration of the South Island’s biggest city continues amid the street art and laneways of the SALT District, the multi-cuisine street-food opportunities of the Riverside Market, and innovative dining destinations including Inati, Earl and Gatherings. Detour for daytrips to explore the raffish port town of Lyttelton, or the Frenchheritage and harbour spectacle of Akaroa.
12 DUNEDIN IDEAL FOR
Nature fans and art seekers
Dunedin is New Zealand’s most historic city, and was once the country’s richest thanks to gold, wool and sheep exports. Now the 19th-century heritage buildings of the Warehouse Precinct are enlivened by contemporary street art and cosmopolitan cafes and bars. Nearby, seals, sea lions, albatrosses and the endangered hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin) are all easily spotted on the rugged Otago Peninsula.
13 QUEENSTOWN IDEAL FOR
Families and younger independent travellers
Stellar lake and mountain scenery is the backdrop for scaring yourself silly around New Zealand’s adventure-sports capital. Experiences include bungy jumping, canyoning, and the zero-to-100km an hour blast of Oxbow Adventure Co’s new jet sprint boats. Relive the day’s thrills exploring Queenstown’s lively bar scene or in the classy restaurants framed by Arrowtown’s heritage vibe.
14 CENTRAL OTAGO IDEAL FOR Wine aficionados and cycling fans
Cycle through gold-mining history along the Otago Central Rail Trail, recharging and relaxing at heritage pubs en route, and also explore one of New Zealand’s finest wine regions. Pinot noir is the star here, best enjoyed around the stony and hardworking terroir of the Bannockburn and Bendigo subregions. Kiwi actor Sam Neill is also regarded as a Central Otago local, with his Two Paddocks vineyards turning out excellent pinot noir and riesling.
15 FIORDLAND IDEAL FOR Bucket-list travellers and hikers
New Zealand’s most spectacular meeting of land and sea occurs in this region of remote forest-shrouded sounds trimmed by quicksilver waterfalls. Explore Milford Sound by kayak or on a day cruise, or embark on an overnight or multi-day experience negotiating more isolated Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound. Fiordland also hosts the Milford Track and the Routeburn Track, two of New Zealand’s Great Walks.