Bay of Islands and Far North Activities

Cape Reinga photo by Ben Crawford

Northland extends from Auckland, to Cape Reinga and its relaxed, sunny lifestyle stems from a subtropical climate and the myriad of unspoilt islands, bays and beaches around the coastline.
Northland also provides many activities from high energy adventure to relaxing in the sunshine on a beautiful white sand beach.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand BackPackers Travel Planner

Northland

Photo by Destination Northland

The Bay of Islands is a world renowned tourist destination, made up the townships of  Paihia, Waitangi, Russell and Kerikeri.

Paihia is base to some of the world’s best deep sea fishing charter boats as well as many other sea-borne activities offering experiences ranging from a leisurely sail, to tearing around the Bay of Islands in a jet boat.

Waitangi is where, in 1840, NZ’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.
A visit to Paihia is not complete without adding a visit to the magnificent Waitangi Treaty House and grounds which offer spectacular views over the bay.

As Paihia Beach is sheltered within the Bay of Islands harbour, it has both fine sand areas and rocky areas. Being within the harbour, the waves are very small, more like those found on a lake rather than an ocean beach.

The Bay of Islands offer shimmering, blue-green, safe waters on any of its many island beaches.

Adventure Activities

Auckland

Auckland provides a wide range of high energy and low energy activities, from Bungy Jumping or Skydiving, to relaxing in the sunshine on a calm harbour beach.

Auckland City, home to nearly one third of New Zealand’s entire population, is nestled between two beautiful harbours, the Waitemata, on the Pacific and the Manukau on the Tasman Sea.

Auckland has 48 volcanoes, 50 offshore islands, 30,000ha of native bush, and kilometres of beautiful coast.

Auckland has much to offer to traveler; with amazing geography, its warm, humid climate it has inspired a lifestyle that’s regularly ranked in the world’s top ten.

When you tire of exploring the city centre, in a short time you can be cruising to Waiheke Island to visit great vineyards, eateries and art, or one of the many other islands in the Gulf. Trekking through the Waitakere rainforest in the city’s west.
Picnicking on a volcano overlooking the city.
Lazing on one of the North Shores beaches.
Surfing or walking along the black sands of the wild west coast at Piha or Muriwai.
Sampling wines at a vineyard or enjoying a relaxing meal at one of the hundreds of cafes and restaurants the city has on offer.

Auckland has everything you need to keep you interested, from climbing the harbour bridge and bungying off it!
Sail on one of the America’s Cup yachts.
An indoor ski field, underwater aquarium, casino, harbour cruises, a vibrant night life and café culture, and so much more, you’ll never tire of the country’s largest city.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand BackPackers Travel Planner

Auckland

Located on Auckland’s North Shore, Takapuna Beach is one of Auckland’s gems. Looking out across the water to Rangitoto (Auckland’s largest volcanic island) and other Hauraki Gulf islands, it is the perfect place to take a stroll, indulge in a spot of sunbathing or swimming at this safe beach, enjoy a picnic or dine at one of Takapuna’s numerous cafes or restaurants. There is also a coastal walkway, where you can discover one of the many other beaches along the coastline.

Auckland has a string of harbour beaches on its Eastern shores.

There are harbour beaches on the southern side of the bridge, such as St Heliers and Mission Bay, and further south Bucklands Beach.

On the North Shore as string of beaches provide safe swimming and boating from Narrowneck Beach, to Takapuna beach, Milford Beach, Castor bay, Campbells Bay, Mairangi Bay, Murrays Bay, Rothesay Bay, Browns Bay, Torbay and Long Bay.

Take a stroll or a swim on Takapuna Beach
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Backpackers New Zealand

Auckland

Another of Aucklands  popular West Coast Surf Beach- approx 25 min from the CBD.

On the black sanded, wild West Coast is the popular Bethell’s Beach, only 30 Kilometres from Auckland’s CBD.
Surfers are attracted by its great waves, and activities such as parasailing and hang gliding are also popular, along with fishing from the rocks, surf casting, swimming, sunbathing and bush walks. The beach can attract quite large crowds (well, large by NZ standards!), both local and international, during the summer months to this beautiful area, but you’re sure to find a secluded spot if needed!

The Beach is on the Western side of New Zealands North Island so is exposed to big surf waves from all the way across the Tasman sea to Australia.

This gives the beach fine soft sand, and strong surf waves. This can make the surf dangerous with rip currents dragging the unwary along the coast, or even out to sea.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand BackPackers Travel Planner

Auckland

Piha Beach Another of Aucklands popular West Coast Surf Beach- approx 25 min from the CBD.

The Beach is on the Western side of New Zealands North Island so is exposed to big surf waves from all the way across the Tasman sea to Australia.

This gives the beach fine soft sand, and strong surf waves. This can make the surf dangerous with rip currents dragging the unwary along the coast, or even out to sea.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand BackPackers Travel Planner

Coromandel Activities

Coromandel has a wide variety of outdoor activities to occupy all ranges of age and fitness.

The Coromandel Peninsula lies to the east of Auckland, on the other side of the Hauraki Gulf, and has an estimated population of just under 27,000 people.

Rustic, relaxed and unspoiled, the Coromandel is one of New Zealand’s best-loved holiday destinations.
With rugged volcanic hills covered in native rainforest, and more than 400 kilometres of spectacular coastline we promise you will find the beach of your dreams.
Bush and beach are easily accessible and in the same day, you can experience the blue dazzle of the Pacific Ocean and calming greenness of the kauri forest.

On the west coast, you’ll discover a beach, cove and harbour around every bend in the road lined with pohutukawa trees (a red flowering native that is known in NZ as the Christmas Tree).

The east coast has an amazing collection of white sand and surf beaches, and an impressive, heavily forested mountain range running right through the middle of the entire peninsula.

Coromandel’s fascinating history is evident in gold mining, logging dams and ancient Maori pa’s (fortified village). The past is also visible in the colonial architecture and historical buildings that have been preserved in several towns around the region.

The natural beauty of the Coromandel has led to the area becoming a haven for artists and crafts people.
Take time to discover the many galleries and studios, or, fish, surf, dive, swim, wander along beaches, or, head into the hills and hike the trails in the forest.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Coromandel Accommodation

New Zealand Official Site

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List


.

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

photo by Bob McCree

The Coromandel Peninsula lies to the east of Auckland, on the other side of the Hauraki Gulf, and has an estimated population of just under 27,000 people.

Surrounding the entire Coromandel Peninsula are numerous beaches offering plenty of opportunity to indulge in water based activities. The West Coast is predominantly rocky with plenty of sheltered coves for snorkelling, diving, swimming or sunbathing, while the East Coast is renowned for its golden sands and excellent surf beaches. Straddling the two coasts, you’ll find native bush and plenty of opportunity to explore flora and fauna if you ever tire of surfing sunbathing, snorkelling or fishing!

Rustic, relaxed and unspoiled, the Coromandel is one of New Zealand’s best-loved holiday destinations.
With rugged volcanic hills covered in native rainforest, and more than 400 kilometres of spectacular coastline we promise you will find the beach of your dreams.
Bush and beach are easily accessible and in the same day, you can experience the blue dazzle of the Pacific Ocean and calming greenness of the kauri forest.

On the west coast, you’ll discover a beach, cove and harbour around every bend in the road lined with pohutukawa trees (a red flowering native that is known in NZ as the Christmas Tree).

The east coast has an amazing collection of white sand and surf beaches, and an impressive, heavily forested mountain range running right through the middle of the entire peninsula.

Coromandel’s fascinating history is evident in gold mining, logging dams and ancient Maori pa’s (fortified village). The past is also visible in the colonial architecture and historical buildings that have been preserved in several towns around the region.

The natural beauty of the Coromandel has led to the area becoming a haven for artists and crafts people.
Take time to discover the many galleries and studios, or, fish, surf, dive, swim, wander along beaches, or, head into the hills and hike the trails in the forest.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Backpackers New Zealand

photo by Bob McCree

The 6km of Whangamata’s white, sandy beach offers something for everyone. Considered to be one of the best surf breaks in the country it’s a must visit pilgrimage for serious surfers. At either end of this pristine beach lie estuary’s that offer a quieter, safer swimming choice.

Whangamata Beach is on the Eastern side of New Zealands North Island Coromandel Peninsula, so is exposed to big surf waves from an open ocean to the East.

This gives the beach fine soft white sand, and strong surf waves. This can sometimes make the surf dangerous with rip currents dragging the unwary along the coast, or even out to sea.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Backpackers New Zealand

Tauranga Activities

Located at the entrance to a natural harbour in the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga and the coastal areas of Mount Maunganui are always popular with visitors.

Tauranga and The Mount offer a wide variety of activities, Water activities, Adventure activities, Wildlife activities around the Bay of Plenty area of New Zealand.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

New Zealand Official Site

.

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

photo by Bob McCree

Mount Maunganui  Beach is on the Eastern side of New Zealands North Island in the Bay of Plenty, just across the Harbour from Tauranga, so is exposed to big surf waves from an open ocean to the East.

This gives the beach fine soft white sand, and strong surf waves. This can sometimes make the surf dangerous with rip currents dragging the unwary along the coast, or even out to sea.

The Harbour Beach is calm and makes safe swimming and boating.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Backpackers New Zealand

Rotorua Activities

Central North Island

Rotorua is the Geo-thermal Capital of New Zealand plus the Maori Culture Center. It offers a wide range of outdoor activities for all levels.

The area is a geothermal wonderland of geysers, boiling mud pools, and steaming craters – all accompanied by the interesting aroma of sulphur.

Surrounded by volcanoes, lakes, parks and recreational areas, it is a great place to go hiking or to view native flora and fauna. Great trout fishing, luging, skydiving and zorbing (another Kiwi invention!) are just a few of the many activities on offer.

Rotorua is also a centre where one can experience Maori culture, be it watching Pounamu (Greenstone) being handcrafted to visiting a replica Pa (Maori fortress). It is a “must visit” if you want to learn about New Zealand’s Maori heritage and culture, experience Maori Art and Maori Tattoos, or just gain an insight into maori lifestyle.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Official Site.

.

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Gisborne Activities

Gisborne and East Cape Area, a scenic and water sports paradise.

Gisborne Area

Gisborne, reaching out in to the Pacific on the eastern tip of the North Island is the first mainland place in the world to see the sun each day. It’s a mecca for surfers from around the world and a great place to indulge in gourmet dining and wine tasting. You’ll also find the Southern Hemisphere’s first commercially grown black truffles, the finest cheeses and Chardonnay to die for.

Bush fringed misty mountain lakes, beaches that have hardly changed for hundreds of years, farmland and vineyards that breathe the spirit of nature.

The further you go, the more the region will tempt you to indulge in camping, diving, fishing, hunting, swimming, surfing, hiking, trekking, visiting wineries and horse riding opportunities abound.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Hawkes Bay Activities

The Hawkes bay has a wide variety of outdoor activities to offer.

Hawkes bay

NAPIER & HASTINGS

Renowned worldwide for its 1930’s Art Deco architecture, Napier is a popular year round destination as it boasts over 2,200 hours of sunshine a year.

Visit the National Aquarium of NZ, the Hawkes Bay museum, Marineland, Cape Kidnappers – home to the world’s largest gannet colony. Stroll along Marine Parade on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, chill out in one of the 30 cafes dotted around the town centre, offering the best of local produce, or, venturing further out of town to one of the many wineries, there plenty of choice for the traveler.

Long hot summers, complimented by mild winters, provide a wide variety of delicious fresh produce. Don’t miss visiting the Hawkes Bay Farmers Market which is held every Saturday morning; relax in the atmosphere of a traditional village market where you can talk directly to the growers and taste a variety of products form handmade cheeses, bread, ice cream, fresh fruit, vegetables and gourmet meat.

With over 40 wineries in close proximity to Hastings, producing some of the best wines NZ has to offer it would be virtually a crime not to visit at least a few of them! Many of the vineyards have on-site restaurants, or picnic areas, so why not indulge in a little wine tasting followed by a relaxing meal, enjoying the best the area has to offer.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Hawkes Bay Official Site
.

New Zealand Official Site


.

New Zealand BackPackers Travel Planner

Hawkes bay

photo by Bob McCree

Napier Beach is on the Eastern side of New Zealands North Island, so is exposed to big surf waves from an open ocean to the East.

Hawkes Bay offers a splendidly diverse coastline; from rugged and stony to golden sanded. Although a number of the beaches can be dangerous, there are others that offer great surfing, swimming and fishing opportunities.

This gives the beach fine soft white sand, and strong surf waves. This can sometimes make the surf dangerous with rip currents dragging the unwary along the coast, or even out to sea.
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand BackPackers Travel Planner

New Plymouth Activities

Taranaki area

New Plymouth
Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Nelson Activities

Nelson Area

Nelson is located at the top of the South Island and has a warm sunny climate beside the sea.

From the northern end of the Southern Alps to stunning beaches, the Nelson area offers plenty to experience.

Consistently offering the highest sunshine in the country, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the unique lifestyle that Nelson has to offer.

Nelson’s economy is based mainly around seafood (with Port Nelson being the biggest fishing port in Australasia), and is known throughout NZ for its thriving art culture and numerous award winning wineries.

A visit to the area would not be complete without visiting one of the many galleries or watching master glass blowers practice their craft. Why not indulge in fishing, tramping, skydiving, sailing or one of the many other activities this town has to offer.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Nelson Activities and Attractions

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Nelson Area

photo by Bob McCree

At the top of the South Island, boasting to be the nation’s sunniest area, Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds area offers hot summers and clear winter’s days. With emerald waters and golden beaches, the waterways of Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds offer itself as a playground for water based activities. Swim, snorkel, dive, kayak, fish, sunbathe or hike in one of the most scenic and pristine parts of the country.

Nelson Beaches are on the top of New Zealands South. Some are sheltered due to the stretch of water between the two main islands, Cook Strait. Others are exposed to big surf waves from an open ocean to the West.

This gives the beach fine soft white sand, and strong surf waves. This can sometimes make the surf dangerous with rip currents dragging the unwary along the coast, or even out to sea.

Nelson is located at the top of the South Island and has a warm sunny climate beside the sea.
From the northern end of the Southern Alps to stunning beaches, the Nelson area offers plenty to experience.

Consistently offering the highest sunshine in the country, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the unique lifestyle that Nelson has to offer.

Nelson’s economy is based mainly around seafood (with Port Nelson being the biggest fishing port in Australasia), and is known throughout NZ for its thriving art culture and numerous award winning wineries.

A visit to the area would not be complete without visiting one of the many galleries or watching master glass blowers practice their craft. Why not indulge in fishing, tramping, skydiving, sailing or one of the many other activities this town has to offer.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List
New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Picton Activities

Picton Area

Picton is a picturesque waterfront town in the Marlborough region; home to award winning wineries. It is also Marlborough’s main commercial port and access to Queen Charlotte Sound.

Enjoy every possible activity form 4wd adventure to horse trekking, fishing, skydiving, hiking, sailing and all that this point of access to the Sounds has to offer.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Picton Activities and Attractions

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Kaikoura Activities

North Canterbury Area

Kaikoura has many outdoor activities, Whale Watching, Swimming with Dolphins, Sight Seeing, Water Sports etc.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Kaikoura Activities and Attractions

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Official Site

.

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Christchurch Activities

Christchurch Area

Known as The Garden City, it offers extensive inner city public, private gardens and parks, with the Avon River slowly meandering though the city centre.

Still apparent, is the that Christchurch was founded by upper class English whose influence is still apparent in the city’s architecture, the very English Christ’s College, Cathedral Square, and punting on the Avon River.

While in the city, why not visit the Antarctic Centre or take a drive out to Akaroa, New Zealand’s “French” settlement where you can enjoy a unique atmosphere, great food, fishing and eco boat trips.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Christchurch Activities and Attractions

Click on the Bar or the Arrow to Expand the listings below

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner

Christchurch Area

photo by Bob McCree

Christchurch has a series of beaches along the long sweeping Eastern side of New Zealands South Island, so is exposed to big surf waves from an open ocean to the East.
This gives the beaches fine soft white sand, and strong surf waves.
This can sometimes make the surf dangerous with rip currents dragging the unwary along the coast, or even out to sea.

Situated on the East Coast of the South Island, with a population of around 300 000, Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island

Known as The Garden City, it offers extensive inner city public, private gardens and parks, with the Avon River slowly meandering though the city centre.

Still apparent, is the that Christchurch was founded by upper class English whose influence is still apparent in the city’s architecture, the very English Christ’s College, Cathedral Square, and punting on the Avon River.

While in the city, why not visit the Antarctic Centre or take a drive out to Akaroa, New Zealand’s “French” settlement where you can enjoy a unique atmosphere, great food, fishing and eco boat trips.

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

Add to MY TRIP Favorite Places List

New Zealand Backpackers Travel Planner