Lonely Planet New Zealand's Best Trips , livre ebook

CONTENTS

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to New Zealand
New Zealand Classic Trips
New Zealand Highlights
If You Like…
Need to Know
Auckland City Guide
Wellington City Guide
Christchurch City Guide
Queenstown City Guide

ON THE ROAD

AUCKLAND & THE NORTH
1 Northland & the Bay of Islands
2 East & West Coast Explorer
3 Coromandel Peninsula
4 Waiheke Island Escape
ROTORUA & THE CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND
5 Taranaki Wanderer
6 Tongariro National Park Loop
7 Thermal Discover
8 Waves & Caves to Whanganui
WELLINGTON & THE EAST COAST
9 North Island Southern Loop
10 Pacific Coast Explorer
MARLBOROUGH & NELSON
11 Kaikoura Coast
12 Sunshine & Wine
13 Tasman & Golden Bays
14 Going West: from Picton to Westport
CANTERBURY & THE WEST COAST
15 The West Coast Road
16 Alpine Pacific Triangle
17 Coast to Coast
18 Two Passes
19 Inland Scenic Route
20 Alps to Ocean
21 Southern Alps Circuit
QUEENSTOWN & THE SOUTH
22 Milford Sound Majesty
23 Central Otago Explorer
24 Southern Scenic Route
25 Otago Heritage Trail
26 East Coast Express
Driving in New Zealand

Driving in New Zealand
Driving Licence & Documents
Insurance
Hiring a Car
Buying a Vehicle in New Zealand
Bringing Your Own Vehicle
Maps
Roads & Conditions
Road Rules
Parking
Fuel
Safety
Doc Campsites & Freedom Camping
Radio

BEHIND THE SCENES
OUR WRITERS
Look out for the Classic Trips stamp on our favorite routes in this book.

1 Northland & the Bay of Islands
7 Thermal Discover
10 Pacific Coast Explorer
12 Sunshine & Wine
15 The West Coast Road
19 Inland Scenic Route
21 Southern Alps Circuit
22 Milford Sound Majesty
24 Southern Scenic Route
WELCOME TO NEW ZEALAND

It’s hard to imagine a better country for a road trip. New Zealand’s two main islands serve up a feast of mountain landscapes, sublime forests, sweeping beaches and remote fiords, and many of these places are easily reached by scenic highways and quiet country roads. Come and see NZ at your own pace, with the freedom to explore its many hidden corners.
    The 26 trips in this book will help you plan the ultimate NZ adventure – whether you want to laze on Abel Tasman beaches, tour Marlborough’s wineries, see Rotorua’s steaming volcanic wonders or tick bungy jumping off your bucket list in Queenstown.
    These trips are stacked to the max with memorable adventures and stunning scenery along the way, so settle on your start point and get planning. And if you’ve only got time for one journey, make it one of our nine Classic Trips, which transport you to the very best of NZ. Turn the page for more.

Matamata Rolling green hills of Middle Earth (Trip 7) IAN BRODIE PHOTO / GETTY IMAGES ©
NEW ZEALAND CLASSIC TRIP

What Is a Classic Trip?
All the trips in this book show you the best of New Zealand, but we’ve chosen nine as our all-time favourites. These are our Classic Trips – the ones that lead you to the best of the iconic sights, the top activities and the unique New Zealand experiences. Turn the page to see the map, and look out for the Classic Trip stamp throughout the book.

Milford Sound Majesty
Thrilling Queenstown offers breathtaking adventures amid stunning scenery.

GENESIS, KORAWEE RATCHAPAKDEE / GETTY IMAGES ©

Southern Alps Circuit
Lake Tekapo forms a serene surround for the Church of the Good Shepherd.

ALEX MISIEWICZ / GETTY IMAGES ©

Northland & the Bay of Islands
World-class diving in the crystal-clear water of the Poor Knights Islands.

SIMON BRADFIELD / GETTY IMAGES ©

NEW ZEALAND HIGHLIGHTS

New Zealand’s best sights and experiences, and the road trips that will take you there.
Bay of Islands
History, culture and marine adventures combine on Trip 1: Northland & the Bay of Islands . Amble amid colonial history around genteel Russell, before cruising around the islands. At the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, modern New Zealand echoes amid warm Māori welcomes and cultural performances, and the new Museum of Waitangi presents the story of the 1840 agreement underpinning this country’s past, present and future.
Trip click here

Bay of Islands Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Paihia RAFAEL BEN-ARI / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©
Akaroa & Banks Peninsula
French-flavoured Akaroa bends around a pretty harbour on Banks Peninsula, with the world’s rarest dolphin frolicking offshore. The Summit Rd above snakes around the rim of an ancient volcano while winding detours lead to hidden bays. Take Trip 26: East Coast Express to discover surprises on land and sea.
Trip click here

Queenstown
Queenstown may be the birthplace of bungy jumping, but there’s way more to this place than leaping off a bridge attached to a rubber band. Against a backdrop of jagged mountains and a snake-shaped lake, travellers on Trip 23: Central Otago Explorer can hike, bike, raft or ride a ridiculously fun luge, then dine in cosmopolitan restaurants or party in some of NZ’s best bars.
Trips click here click here click here click here

Queenstown Rafting on the Shotover River WILL SALTER / GETTY IMAGES ©

Rotorua
Infused with the aroma of sulphur, Rotorua’s geothermal activity is central to its identity. Amid the steaming geysers and boiling mud pools of Whakarewarewa and Te Puia, traditional Māori culture is showcased proudly, and the nearby Redwoods forest is a verdant haven for walking and mountain biking. Trip 7: Thermal Discoverer will take you to other volcanic wonders nearby.
Trip click here

Rotorua Lady Knox Geyser, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland CHRIS MELLOR / GETTY IMAGES ©

BEST ROADS FOR DRIVING
SH35 (Pacific Coast Hwy) Negotiate the North Island’s remote East Cape. Trip click here
SH6 (Fox Glacier to Haast) Cop eyefuls of lake, ocean and rainforest scenery. Trips click here click here
SH73 (Arthur’s Pass) A neck-cricking journey crossing the Southern Alps. Trips click here click here
SH8 (Inland Scenic Rte) Skirt the mountains and traverse the Mackenzie Country. Trips click here click here
SH94 (Te Anau–Milford Hwy) A mountain and lake wonderland ending with a huge reveal. Trip click here
The West Coast
Hemmed in by the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps, this long, skinny region is wild all the way. Trip 15: The West Coast Road runs its length, from Oparara’s arches within Kahurangi National Park, to Jackson Bay on the edge of World Heritage wilderness. In between are wonders such as Punakaiki Rocks and the glaciers, Franz Josef and Fox.
Trips click here click here click here click here

Milford Sound
Fingers crossed you’ll drive Trip 22: Milford Sound Majesty during clear weather when its collage of verdant cliffs, pointy peaks and cobalt waters is at its best. More likely though is the classic Fiordland scenario of mist and rain, with Mitre Peak revealed slowly through the atmospheric haze. But no matter: more water means better waterfalls, so either way you win.
Trip click here

Milford Sound Cruising on Milford Sound HOWARD WALKER / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

BEST NATIONAL PARKS
Fiordland World Heritage–listed wilderness – the world the way it used to be. Trips click here click here
Aoraki/Mt Cook New Zealand’s highest mountain along with glaciers, tarns and alpine gardens. Trips click here click here click here
Abel Tasman Sublime beaches and lush coastal forest. Trips click here click here
Tongariro Excellent hiking and biking amid volcanic scenery. Trips click here click here

Central Plateau
The North Island’s central heart is defined by the three volcanic peaks of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. On Trip 6: Tongariro National Park Loop take time out to tackle the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – one of the world’s finest one-day hikes – or base yourself in National Park Village or Ohakune for mountain biking adventures.
Trips click here click here

Central Plateau Emerald Lakes along the Tongariro Alpine Crossing FIDSEY / GETTY IMAGES ©

Mackenzie Country
Home to such major sights as Lake Tekapo and Aoraki/Mt Cook, the Mackenzie Country is the star of Trip 19: Inland Scenic Route . This high-country basin – ringed by mountain ranges and infilled with golden tussock and surreal blue lakes – offers plenty of action, too, including tramping, biking, horse trekking, scenic flights and stargazing.
Trips click here click here click here

Waiheke Island
The welcome sign reads ‘Slow Down. You’re Here’, and most visitors quickly oblige. Rural roads meander to sophisticated vineyard restaurants with stellar views back to Auckland, and Waiheke’s more bohemian recent past echoes in art galleries and craft shops. On Trip 4: Waiheke Island Escape , set a course for beautiful Man O’ War Bay.
Trip click here

Waiheke Island Man O’ War vineyard ROBIN BUSH / GETTY IMAGES ©

Kaikoura
First settled by Māori with their taste for seafood, Kaikoura (meaning ‘to eat crayfish’) is a great spot for both consuming and communing with marine life. Crayfish is still king, but on fishing tours you can hook into other edible wonders of the deep. Whales, dolphins and seals are definitely off the menu, but on Trip 11: Kaikoura Coast you can take a boat tour or flight to see them.
Trips click here click here

Kaikoura Sperm whale KIM WESTERSKOV / GETTY IMAGES ©
Waitomo Caves
On Trip 8: Waves & Caves to Whanganui , get out from behind the wheel to descend into NZ’s spectacular underworld. Go with the flow with on a relaxed guided tour through the Waitomo Glowworm Caves – the highlight is an ethereally silent boat ride on an underground river – or up the excitement level by tubing, abseiling and zip-lining amid the subterranean Stygian gloom.
Trip click here

The Catlins
Unknown territory even for many New Zealanders, the rugged Catlin’s coast is a diverse and interesting procession of isolated bays and coves, dramatic landforms such as waterfalls, caves and blowholes, and opportunities to swim or surf with dolphins at Curio Bay and walk to windswept Slope