Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Indulge in
Nelson's
fine local food and wine, then wind your way eastwards to
Picton
via
the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive. Cruise through the Marlborough Sounds, then hit the
Queen Charlotte Track
while your bags are ferried ahead of you by water taxi. Take a res-
torative tour of Marlborough's world-class wineries. Complete your loop back to Christch-
urch via
Kaikoura
, where you can whale-watch, bird-watch and swim with seals and dol-
phins, before embarking on your last South Island tramp, the Kaikoura Coast Track.
Fly to
Rotorua
to soak up some Maori culture and a good dose of sulphur at the region's
many geothermal delights, then venture into mystical
Te Urewera National Park
to com-
plete the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk. Be sure to take time to row on pristine Lake
Waikareiti if at all possible. Head southwards to art deco
Napier
in sunny Hawke's Bay.
Gorge yourself on the region's ample produce, then burn off the calories on its flat (!) cyc-
ling trails. Onward to Taupo, the lakeside resort just a stone's throw from
Tongariro Na-
tional Park
and the legendary Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Check out the twinkling glow-
worms of
Waitomo Caves
before heading to
Auckland
, where day tramps abound - out to
volcanic Rangitoto Island or Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf, or the Hillary Trail on
the rugged east coast just an hour from downtown.
