Where to go
Auckland and the north
The largest city, built on volcanoes between two harbours, with the Bay of Islands and the Waipoua kauri forest to the north. Auckland itself is a base rather than a destination; the Hauraki Gulf islands are the reason to linger. Three days plus the north.
Rotorua and the central plateau
Geothermal activity — geysers, mud pools, the smell of sulphur — and the centre of Māori cultural tourism, done properly here rather than as performance. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing nearby is the best single day's walk in the country.
Wellington
The capital, compact and windy, with Te Papa — an outstanding national museum, free — a strong coffee and film culture, and the ferry south. Two days.
Queenstown and Fiordland
Adventure sports, lakes and mountains, with Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound beyond. Milford is spectacular and busy; Doubtful takes longer and rewards it. The road from Te Anau is one of the great drives. Four to five days.
The West Coast and the glaciers
Franz Josef and Fox glaciers, Punakaiki's pancake rocks, and a wild, wet, sparsely populated coast. Combine with the drive over Arthur's Pass or the Haast Pass.
Abel Tasman and Marlborough
At the top of the South Island: a coastal track through golden beaches, kayaking, and the Marlborough vineyards next door. The gentlest part of the country and the sunniest.
Building the itinerary
- Three stops a week, no more. Every move costs half a day at minimum, often a whole one, and you see nothing of a place where you sleep one night.
- Alternate the pace. A dense city, then two quiet days: that is what makes travelling as a couple sustainable, especially if one of you lives there and works.
- Keep a buffer day before the flight home, in the departure city. Domestic transport delays are the leading cause of missed flights.
- Ask the person who lives there what they want to show you. Guidebook itineraries and the places that matter to them rarely overlap — and the second list is the better one.
Two reflexes that change a trip
Distances deceive. On a map two points look close; on the ground, road conditions, checkpoints and terrain double or triple the time. Plan fewer stops and more time at each.
Ask before photographing anyone, and never insist. Official buildings, soldiers, airports and bridges are best avoided almost everywhere — the most banal and most avoidable source of trouble.