General: New Zealand

Advantages: Amazing country!1
Disadvantages: Weather unpredictable

New Zealand is such an amazing country I have truly fallen in love with it! After 6 weeks of traveling the North and the South Island I fill very happy that I covered most of what this country has to offer. I am going to give a brief over view of New Zealand as I am planning some more in depth reviews about each place. I hope this will give you an idea of how long you need in each place, the highlights and the best advice for getting around etc Traveling ...
...you, camper vans and cars are the best way as you get to create your own journey stopping along the way from place to place, just make sure you get a good guide book so you know where to go etc. I don't drive so I opted to go with magic bus Tours which is a hop on hop off bus service, Magic bus where the cheapest option and I was more than satisfied with the service they provided. Similar companies include Stray and the Kiwi Experience. How Much ... Read review

Advantages: Kiwi welcomes you to Aoteoroa - Land of the Long White Cloud
Disadvantages: Long way from anywhere, don't let this put you off

Kia-ora. Welcome to my place...... Fished up by Maui, a Maori God, in never-never-land tales, New Zealand is a true paradise, in the South Pacific. The myth tells that he stepped all over bush-clad land; leaving crystal-clear lakes in his footsteps, glistening in cool-green native bush, amid massive, rugged mountains, some so virginal they stand today, unconquered by man. In the millions of years that this beautiful country has evolved it has seen ...
...200 years ago - so it is a new country in civilised history. It's thought that the Maori arrived in their wakas (canoes) around 1000 years ago, from an area you won't find on any map but it is loosely called Hawaiki. Maori legend tells of Kupe, the first warrior, finding The Land of the Long White Cloud - Aotearoa (Maori) or New Zealand, and the tribes following to settle in the land they have occupied ever since. Troubles came when the Europeans ... Read review

Advantages: Great Scenery, lots to do
Disadvantages: long bus rides to see the whole area

New Zealand is the youngest country on earth, it was the last major landmass to be discovered. Its history has both Maori and European heritage. There are still amazing Maori historic sites to be found some dating back almost a thousand years. When I visited New Zealand in July I decided to take an organised tour as I had limited time. I travelled with a group of other like minded travellers and we were transported around on a bus with two tour ...
...They organised my accommodation and recommended tours to go on in each place we visited. Also most meals were included. The tour overall cost me The Advantages on taking a Connections Tour • It took hassle out of having to navigate and plan the trip. • You travelled with like minded travellers. • Were recommended sights you might have missed. • You travelled in comfortable buses which were very clean • Stayed in great ... Read review

Advantages: Great culture, lovely people
Disadvantages: A bit quiet in places for those that like a hectic nightlife!

The title is rubbish but I thought it would get your attention...:0) Journey to New Zealand On the 8th of May 2004 I and 4 friends flew to New Zealand for the final week of our holiday. We had already visited Thailand for 4 days and had experienced very mixed weather in wonderful Australia for 3 weeks…what would New Zealand hold in store for us… General Stuff New Zealand (NZ), as I’m sure you will all be aware, is located to the south east of ...
...one land mass as most people assume. NZ is made up of two islands with extraordinarily brilliant names, North Island and South Island. I visited North Island and will keep this Review to the areas I visited and the experiences I had – in the hope that someone out there will find it useful! There are two major cities in North Island, Wellington (to the south of the island) and Auckland (in the north). The numbers of visitors coming to NZ in recent ... Read review

Advantages: Beautiful scenery, friendly people, fantastic!
Disadvantages: Long way away from anywhere, weather (sometimes!!)

My first impressions of New Zealand were what a beautiful country it is! With a population of around 4 million in total, it is very untouched and natural, and even though Europeans moved in they still keep a lot of the Maori names and I got the feeling they respect their predecessors, a lot more so than Australia with the Aboriginal people. It is actually located across 2 of the earth's tectonic plates so earthquakes are frequent (although severe ...
...off visiting!) and you can see how the ice age, glaciers and volcanoes have shaped the environment with the abundant mountains, lakes and glaciers. With lush green grass due to the large amount of annual rainfall, this really is a wonderful place to visit if you like to be outdoors and enjoy scenery. With a UK passport, you do not need a visa if you are visiting for less than 3 months, as long as you can prove you are leaving within 3 months (i.e. ... Read review