Plan Your Trip
Outdoor Pursuits
New Zealand is the outdoors burger with the lot – it’d be almost criminal to tramp here and not take to a trail on a bicycle, tackle some white water, or leap from something big and scary. Here we bring you a range of readily accessible outdoor activities that will complement your hikes and tramps.
Best Skydive Drop Zones
Queenstown
Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers
Taupo
Bay of Islands
Top White-Water Rafting Trips
Tongariro River, Taupo
Kaituna River, Rotorua
Shotover Canyon, Queenstown
Rangitikei River, Taihape
Buller Gorge, Murchison
Top Mountain-Biking Tracks
Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua
Old Ghost Road, Westport
Queen Charlotte Track, Marlborough
West Coast Wilderness Trail, Hokitika
Alps 2 Ocean, South Canterbury
Bird-Watching
A diverse and fascinating array of birds may be seen in the wild, with many resident (or regularly returning) populations that are well protected and indeed promoted by high-profile visitor attractions. Examples include the Royal Albatross Centre on the Otago Peninsula; the godwits of Farewell Spit in Golden Bay; and the kotuku (white heron) sanctuary at Whataroa on the West Coast.
NZ does a great line in island sanctuaries and, increasingly, ‘mainland islands’ – reserves encircled by predator-proof fences. Such enclaves include Tiritiri Matangi island near Auckland, Ulva Island near Stewart Island, Kapiti Island near Wellington, and Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds. Visitor-friendly ‘mainland islands’ include Maungatautari near Hamilton, and Zealandia in Wellington.
Another opportunity to gain insight into NZ bird species and their conservation is at numerous captive-breeding facilities, including the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef Glacier, where rowi – the rarest of all kiwi species – are hatched. Another such kiwi hatchery is Rainbow Springs, in Rotorua.
For a selection of some of the wonderful birds you may encounter on the tracks and elsewhere, refer to our bird-spotting guide.
Fishing
Introduced in the 19th century, brown and rainbow trout have thrived in NZ’s lakes and waterways and attract keen anglers from around the world. Many walking tracks follow rivers or skirt lakes, giving trampers ample opportunity to catch supper. Lake Waikaremoana and the Greenstone Caples Track are memorable places to try your luck. Licences (daily adult/youth $20/5, whole season adult/youth $163/25) are essential and can be bought at outdoor/fishing shops, visitor centres or online at Fish and Game New Zealand (www.fishandgame.org.nz), where you’ll also find information on when, where and how to fish.
Sea-fishing options are bountiful too, whether casting off the beach or rocks, or reeling fish in from a kayak or chartered boat. Delicious snapper, cod, tarakihi and groper are all on the menu, but know your limits and release all undersize fish. Fishing rules and guidelines are available from www.fish.govt.nz, while www.fishing.net.nz can hook you up with charters and guides, as will i-SITE visitor centres nationwide.
Horse Trekking
Horse treks in NZ offer a chance to explore some remarkable landscapes – from farms to forests and along rivers and beaches. Rides range from one-hour jaunts (from around $60) to week-long, fully supported treks.
On the North Island, Taupo, the Coromandel Peninsula, Waitomo, Pakiri, Ninety Mile Beach, Rotorua, the Bay of Plenty and East Cape are top places for an equine encounter. There are plenty of options in the South Island, too, ranging from beachy trips in Golden Bay and adventures around mountain foothills near Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo, Queenstown and Glenorchy – as a bonus, you can canter through several Lord of the Rings filming locations. Spectacular treks are offered from Punakaiki into Paparoa National Park. For info and operator listings, check out True NZ Horse Trekking (www.truenz.co.nz/horsetrekking).
Sea Kayaking
Sea kayaking offers a wonderful perspective of the coastline and gets you close to marine wildlife you may otherwise never see. Meanwhile tandem kayaks, aka ‘divorce boats’, present a different kind of challenge.
There are ample places to get paddling. Hotspots include Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands, the Bay of Islands and Coromandel Peninsula, Marlborough Sounds (from Picton) and Abel Tasman National Park. Kaikoura is exceptional for wildlife spotting, and Fiordland for dazzling scenery. Wellington is noteworthy for offering the chance to paddle a traditional Māori waka (canoe).
Mountain Biking
Jaw-dropping mountains interlaced with farm tracks and old railway lines...it would be hard to design better mountain-biking terrain than NZ. The New Zealand Cycle Trail (www.nzcycletrail.com), some 2500km of tracks, helped mountain biking grow from a weekend sport to a national craze. Its popularity among outdoors enthusiasts of a certain age (and the potential for gear one-upmanship) has led mountain biking to be dubbed ‘the new golf’. But no age group is immune, and the variety of trails in NZ brings a choice of gentle pootles in meadows to multiday cycle tours, half-day downhill-thrill rides to challenging week-long MTB adventures.
Mountain-bike parks – most with various trail grades and skills areas (and handy bike hire, usually) – are great for trying mountain biking NZ style. The most famous is Rotorua’s Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest, but among legions of others are Wellington’s Makara Peak, Auckland’s Woodhill Forest and Queenstown’s downhill park, fed by the Skyline Gondola.
Classic trails include the 42 Traverse around Tongariro National Park, the Rameka on Takaka Hill and the trails around Christchurch’s Port Hills – but this is just the tip of the iceberg. An increasing number of DOC hiking trails are being converted to dual use – such as the tricky but epic Heaphy Track and challenging, history-rich Old Ghost Road – but mountain biking is often restricted to low season due to hiker numbers. Track damage is also an issue, so check with DOC before starting out.
Your clue that there’s some great biking around is the presence of bike-hire outfits. Bowl on up and pick their brains. Most likely cycle-obsessed themselves, they’ll soon point you in the direction of a ride appropriate to your level. The go-to book is Classic New Zealand Mountain Bike Rides (from bookshops, bike shops and www.kennett.co.nz).
If cycle touring is more your pace, check out the Pedallers’ Paradise booklets by Nigel Rushton (www.paradise-press.co.nz). Changeable weather and road conditions mean that cycle touring is less of a craze but there are remarkable road journeys, such as the Southern Scenic Route in the deep south.
Mountaineering
NZ has a proud mountaineering history − this was, after all, the home of Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008), who, along with Tenzing Norgay, was the first mountaineer confirmed to summit Mt Everest.
The Southern Alps are studded with amazing climbs. The Aoraki/Mt Cook region is outstanding; but there are other zones extending throughout the spine of the South Island from the Kaikoura Ranges and the Nelson Lakes peaks all the way through to the hotbeds of Mt Aspiring National Park and Fiordland. Be warned, though: this is rugged and often remote stuff, and climber deaths are a regular occurrence. Even confident climbers are strongly advised to seek out a local guide, whatever the route.
The Christchurch-based New Zealand Alpine Club (www.alpineclub.org.nz) has background, news and useful links, and produces the annual NZAC Alpine Journal and quarterly The Climber magazine. It also has details on upcoming climbing courses.
TAKING THE LEAP
Bungy jumping was made famous by Kiwi AJ Hackett’s 1987 plunge from the Eiffel Tower, after which he teamed up with champion NZ skier Henry van Asch to turn the endeavour into an accessible pursuit for anyone.
Today their original home base of Queenstown is a spiderweb of bungy cords, including the AJ Hackett’s triad: the 134m Nevis Bungy (the highest in NZ); the 43m Kawarau Bungy (the original); and the Ledge Bungy (at the highest altitude – diving off a 400m-high platform). There’s another scenic jump at Thrillseekers Canyon near Hanmer Springs. On the North Island, head to Taihape, Rotorua or Auckland, although the most scenic jump is over the Waikato River in Taupo. Huge rope swings offer variation on the theme; head to Queenstown’s Shotover Canyon or Nevis Swing for that swooshy buzz.
With some of the most scenic skydiving jump zones in the world, New Zealand is a fantastic place to take a leap. First-time skydivers can knock off this bucket-list item with a tandem jump, strapped to a qualified instructor, experiencing up to 75 seconds of free fall before the chute opens. The thrill is worth every dollar, from $249 for a 9000ft jump to $559 for NZ’s highest free-fall jump (a nerve-jangling 19,000ft, on offer in Franz Josef). Extra costs apply for a DVD or photographs capturing your mid-air terror/delight.
A surprisingly gentle but still thrilling way to take to the skies, paragliding involves setting sail from a hillside or clifftop under a parachute-like wing. Hang gliding is similar but with a smaller, rigid wing. Most flights are conducted in tandem with a master pilot, although it’s also possible to get lessons to go it alone. To give it a whirl, try a tandem flight in Queenstown, Wanaka, Nelson, Motueka, Hawke’s Bay, Christchurch or Auckland.
Rock Climbing
Time to chalk up your fingers and don some natty little rubber shoes. On the North Island, popular rock-climbing areas include Whanganui Bay, Kinloch, Kawakawa Bay and Motuoapa near Lake Taupo; Mangatepopo Valley and Whakapapa Gorge on the Central Plateau; Humphries Castle and Warwick Castle on Mt Taranaki; and Piarere and popular Wharepapa South in the Waikato.
On the South Island, try the Port Hills area above Christchurch or Castle Hill on the road to Arthur’s Pass. West of Nelson, the marble and limestone mountains of Golden Bay and Takaka Hill provide prime climbing. Other options are Long Beach (north of Dunedin), and Mihiwaka and Lovers Leap on the Otago Peninsula.
Raining? You’ll find indoor climbing walls all around the country, including at Rotorua, Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, Taupo, Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton.
Climb New Zealand (www.climb.co.nz) has the low-down on the gnarliest overhangs around NZ, plus access and instruction info. Needless to say, instruction is a must for all but the most-seasoned climbing pros.
Caving
Caving (aka spelunking) opportunities abound in NZ’s honeycombed karst (limestone) regions. You’ll find local clubs and organised tours around Auckland, Waitomo, Whangarei, Charleston and Karamea. Golden Bay also has some mammoth caves. Waitomo is home to ‘black-water rafting’: like white-water rafting but inside a pitch-black cave!
For comprehensive information including details of specific areas and clubs, see the website of the New Zealand Speleological Society (www.caves.org.nz).
Scuba Diving & Snorkelling
NZ is just as enchanting under the waves, with warm waters in the north, interesting sea life all over and some impressive shipwrecks. The flag-bearer is the Poor Knights Islands, where subtropical currents carry and encourage a vibrant mix of sea life. Also rich with marine life is the wreck of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior, which slumbers beneath the Cavalli Islands (reached from Matauri Bay).
Other notable sites for scuba and snorkelling include the Bay of Islands, Hauraki Gulf, Goat Island and Gisborne’s Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve. In the Marlborough Sounds, the MS Mikhail Lermontov is one of the world’s largest diveable cruise-ship wrecks. In Fiordland, experienced divers can head for Dusky Sound, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, which have clear conditions and the occasional friendly fur seal or dolphin. Snorkellers should check out the reefs of Taputeranga Marine Reserve (Wellington) and wildlife-rich Waiheke Island.
Expect to pay anywhere from $160 for a short, introductory, pool-based scuba course, and around $600 for a four-day, PADI-approved, ocean-dive course. One-off organised boat- and land-based dives start at around $170.
Clean seas and diving-safety advocates New Zealand Underwater Association (www.nzunderwater.org.nz) website has safety info, diving tips, gear maintenance advice and more.
Skiing & Snowboarding
New Zealand is a premier southern-hemisphere destination for snow bunnies, where wintry pursuits span all levels: family-friendly ski areas, cross-country (Nordic) skiing, daredevil snowboarding terrain and pulse-quickening heliskiing. The NZ ski season varies between areas but it’s generally mid-June through September, though it can run as late as mid-October.
The variety of locations and conditions makes it difficult to rate NZ’s ski fields in any particular order. Some people like to be near Queenstown’s party scene or Mt Ruapehu’s volcanic landscapes; others prefer the quality high-altitude runs on Mt Hutt, uncrowded Rainbow or less-stressed club skiing areas. Club areas are publicly accessible and usually less crowded and cheaper than commercial fields, even though nonmembers pay a higher fee.
New Zealand’s commercial ski areas aren’t generally set up as ‘resorts’ with chalets, lodges or hotels. Rather, accommodation and après-ski carousing are often in surrounding towns, connected with the slopes via daily shuttles. It’s a bonus if you want to sample a few different ski areas, as you can base yourself in one town and day trip to a few different resorts. Many club areas have lodges where you can stay, subject to availability.
Visitor information centres in NZ, and Tourism New Zealand (www.newzealand.com) internationally, have info on the various ski areas and can make bookings and organise packages. Lift passes usually cost $65 to $120 per adult per day (half price for kids) but more for major resorts. Lesson-and-lift packages are available at most areas. Ski and snowboard equipment rental starts at around $50 a day (cheaper for multiday hire). Private/group lessons start at around $120/60 per hour (adult/child).
Surfing
Big swells, golden sand, uncrowded beaches...are you scrambling for a surf board yet? NZ’s surf scene is world class, and the long coastline means there’s heaps of variety for beginners and experienced surfers: point breaks, reefs, rocky shelves, hollow sandy beach breaks, and islands with swells from all points of the compass. If you’re willing to travel off the beaten track, you can score waves all to yourself. A number of hostels and holiday parks double as surf schools and gear-rental outfits, making it easy to roll straight from bed to beach.
Regardless of the season, you’ll need a wet suit and some weather research. Water temperatures and climate vary greatly from north to south. In summer on the North Island you can get away with a spring suit and boardies; on the South Island, a 2mm–3mm steamer. In winter on the North Island use a 2mm–3mm steamer, and on the South Island a 3mm–5mm with extras like a hood and booties. Be rip tide aware: don’t fight strong currents that sweep you away from the shore and swim parallel to the beach to get beyond the rip’s reach before making your way back to land.
Surfing New Zealand (www.surfingnz.co.nz) has a list of approved surf schools where you can learn to catch waves, along with a calendar of competitions and events where you can go slack-jawed at the pros.
White-Water Rafting, Canoeing & Kayaking
Epic mountain ranges and associated rainfall mean there’s no shortage of great rivers to raft, nor any shortage of operators ready to get you into the rapids. Rivers are graded from I to VI (VI meaning they can’t be safely rafted), with operators often running a couple of different trips to suit ability and age (rougher stretches are usually limited to rafters aged 13 or older).
Queenstown’s Shotover and Kawarau Rivers are deservedly popular, but the Rangitata (Geraldine), Buller (Murchison) and the Arnold and Waiho rate just as highly. For a multiday epic, check out the Landsborough. The central North Island dishes up plenty, including the popular Tongariro, Rangitikei, Mohaka and Wairoa. There are also the Kaituna Cascades near Rotorua, the highlight of which is the 7m drop at Okere Falls.
Kayaking and canoeing are rampant, particularly on friendly lake waters, although there are still plenty of places to paddle the rapids, including some relatively easy stuff on the Whanganui ‘Great Walk’. The river conservation nonprofit New Zealand Rafting Association (www.nz-rafting.co.nz); provides river gradings and listings of rafting operators.
Jetboating
The jetboat was invented in NZ by an engineer from Fairlie – Bill Hamilton (1899–1978) – who wanted a boat that could navigate shallow, local rivers. He credited his eventual success to Archimedes, but as most jetboat drivers will inevitably tell you, Kiwi Bill is the hero of the jetboat story.
River jetboat tours can be found throughout NZ, and while much is made of the hair-raising 360-degree spins that see passengers drenched and grinning from ear to ear, they are really just a sideshow. Just as Bill would have it, jetboat journeys take you deep into wilderness you could otherwise never see, and as such they offer one of NZ’s most rewarding tour experiences. In Haast and Whataroa, jetboat tours plunge visitors into pristine wilderness, aflutter with birds.
Big-ticket trips such as Queenstown’s Shotover, Kawarau and Dart all live up to the hype. But the quieter achievers will blow your skirt up just as high. Check out the Buller and Wilkin in Mt Aspiring National Park, and the Whanganui – one of the most magical A-to-B jetboat trips of them all.