New Zealand Holiday
QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown Brunch spot: Joe's Garage
Te Anau
Westland Green Gecko
Looking for orcs...
Mirror Lakes
The Chasm, heading towards Milford Sound
A Kakapo, New Zealand's large flightless parrot
Glenorchy
The quaint Arrowtown, 20 minutes from Queenstown
Provisions of Central Otago, Arrowtown: delicious gourmet cafe and it's true what they say about their sticky buns, they're obscenely good!
Mt Difficulty Wines, Bannockburn, Central Otago Wine Country
The cutest little furry bumble bees!
NORTH ISLAND
Auckland:
Where to Stay in Auckland:
> Airbnb: We stayed in Ponsonby, a hip inner-city area 2.5kms from Auckland's CBD at an apartment very close to Ponsonby Road strip which has wonderful boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars.
Where to Eat in Auckland:
> Pintxos Auckland, Ponsonby: pintxos/tapas bar with great food and drinks
> Monsoon Poon, CBD: Hip Asian fusion restaurant, try everything!
> Fred's Cafe, Ponsonby, entrance located Franklin Rd: super cute stop-off for coffee, little snacks and people watching
What to Do in Auckland:
> Visit/walk up Mt Eden: the largest volcano in Auckland and there are great views up the top
> Waiheke Island: 30minute ferry from Auckland, great escape from the city, wonderful wineries there
> Hobbiton: 2 hour tour around the reconstructed Shire featured in Lord of the Rings, hear about the filming of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, lots of fun, even if you haven't seen the films!
SOUTH ISLAND
Queenstown:
Where to Stay in Queenstown:
> Base Backpackers: central, clear, basic
Where to Eat in Queenstown:
> Fergburger: huge burgers, huge lines, gotta try it once
> Botswana Butchery: lovely restaurant, great service, pricey but worth it
> The Bunker: the old style bar upstairs serves the best dirty gin martini's that I've had in a while, downstair at the restaurant, be surprised and delighted in the food, wine and lovely waitstaff
Things to Do in Queenstown:
> Shotover Jet: thrilling and rated no.1 adventure activity in Queenstown
> Dart Stables Horseriding: a glorious day cantering through Middle Earth country
> Skyline Gondola: breathtaking views of Queenstown
> Luge Rides: fun! As their motto says "Once is not enough"
Wanaka:
Where to Stay in Wanaka:
> Wanaka Homestead: luxury accommodation with excellent hosts
Where to Eat in Wanaka:
> Relishes Cafe: delicious meals anytime of the day!
Things to Do in Wanaka:
> Mount Iron 4.5km walk: great views of Lake Wanaka and town
> Wine region: visit the wineries in the surrounding area
I highly recommend visiting New Zealand, it is the most stunning country, more than words (or photos) can ever describe.
Lei xx