Earlier this year in March, I had the chance to fly out to New Zealand for a business trip. Here are some places you have to visit if you’re going out to New Zealand.
Did you know that one of the things New Zealand is most well known for is their wine? According to Road Trip:
New Zealand boasts over 10 wine regions and various sub-regions spread mostly around the eastern coastlines of both the North and South Islands. Each region has its distinct soils and climatic conditions which create a diverse range of New Zealand wines for tasters to sample.
Queenstown
Jill and I spent the first couple of days of our trip to Queenstown. We decided to stay at QT Queenstown off Brunswick street. Queenstown is mostly known for being an outdoor adventure playground. There are many outdoor activities that Queenstown offers, such as skydiving.
In Queenstown, we originally planned to fly in and go on a little boat right for a tour of Milford Sound; however, due to the wind, we ended up going to wineries instead. We also went to a yoga studio and got a massage.
Tip: Because New Zealand is very safe, they air on the side of safety so chances are if you want to fly and it’s windy, you can’t.
The next day, we went to Lake Wanaka, (check out this list of 10 things to do in Wanaka!) then we hiked Roy’s Peak Trail for roughly 5 hours. If you’re interested in hiking Roy’s Peak Trail, the trail is closed for lambing from October to mid-November each year. Something to keep in mind when planning your New Zealand trip!
After, the hike, we stopped at Wanaka Tree Park. Soon after, we headed off to Resurgence Eco Lodge in Nelson.
Cardrona Bra Fence
In Central Otago, you will find the controversial Cardrona Bra Fence. The bra fence began around 1999 and was rebranded in 2005 to help raise breast cancer awareness. There was a box for donations at the site. It’s on one of the most popular tourist route from Queenstown to Wanaka
Nelson
Nelson is known to be one of the sunniest cities in New Zealand. If you’re looking for the perfect spot to explore the outdoors, Nelson is the best city for you! In Nelson, we went on an 8-hour hike. Resurgence Eco lounge is literally in the middle of nowhere so we relaxed and looked forward to our 4-course community table dinners each night. We met people from all over the world, other countries are great because so many of them do community style eating so you get to know interesting people from all walks of life.
Taupo
The next day, we went to Taupo and stayed at the Hilton Lake Taupo. We went kayaking at Lake Taupo for three hours to Rock Carvings. The following day, we went on a 2-hour hike to a waterfall and looked at some beautiful geothermal geysers and parks. Afterward, we drove one hour to Rotorua for a mud bath at Hells Gate Geothermal Park.
The next following morning, we drove to Glow Worm Caves, which took an hour and a half. Later, we went to black water rafting in the caves. Then ended the day with the drive to Auckland.
Auckland
We ended our New Zealand trip to Auckland. Auckland is by far the biggest city in New Zealand, with around 1.5 million people. Which is one-third of New Zealand’s population!
