aceboy44

I would like to visit New Zealand for 10 days, but looking at information regarding tourism in New Zealand, I see nothing but pure nature and/or normal activities like diving, bunge jumping, sky diving, etc.

I'm not going to experience 30 hours of flying and transiting to New Zealand if the trip ain't worth it for me so can you guys tell me exactly what can I do/see in New Zealand?

I pretty much enjoyed spending 9 days in Hong Kong and 4 days in Bangkok and I'm thinking of weather going back to Hong Kong to further explore it or visit New Zealand.

Things which entertained me in Hong Kong were helicopter flying, riding in the metro, riding the 360 pang cable car, riding the Hop-on Hop-off bus, and riding ferries to go to islands such as Cheung Chau Island, Lamma Island, etc.

I will be traveling solo so will I enjoy New Zealand? Or will it be boring for me?

Tax Dude

My personal opinion is that if "pure nature" doesn't interest you, you will be bored.

aceboy44

Pure nature is what I'm looking for, but a 7 - 10 days trip of just "pure nature" will definitely bore me.

I will not purchase a ticket in business class for a 30 hours journey one way just to "enjoy pure nature!" Totally not worth it

Calliopeflyer

Well, a lot of the nature there is pretty different from most anywhere else in the world, IMO, but in addition to that......

I definitely enjoyed the Te Papa museum in Wellington, it has a lot of nice public art, and I liked Wellington a lot (wish I'd spent more than 1.5 days there). It's a lovely city. Auckland, on the other hand, I didn't much care for. One of the places I didn't have time to visit was the Agrodome, which is a sheep farm demo sort of attraction - auctions, sheep dog demos, sheep shearing, etc.

If the timing of my trip had been right, I would have loved to have seen an All Blacks game, but they weren't playing when I was there The same for some sheep dog trials, which I'd love to see but weren't there when I was. And something which holds no interest to me but was a big hit with some travelers I met was the vineyards and wine area of the North Island.

However........New Zealand is a small and very uncrowded country. There aren't going to be a lot of different attractions for different tastes in any specific area. It's so far from a major metropolis like Hong Kong or Bangkok, that if you are looking to be entertained in one like you were in the other, it's a lost cause, IMO. It's not all "pure nature", but you've got to do a lot of traveling to move around from one to the other (I did a 10 day road trip on the North Island, FWIW, and would love to go back for more).

aceboy44

Well, a business class ticket alone for the round-trip (30 hours journey for one way with Cathay Pacific) would cost me approximately 1,300 KWD, so I'm not really sure if it's worth spending this amount of money on an air fare for a vacation when I can't be certain that I would enjoy my trip to New Zealand....... Especially when I'm traveling solo

I really want to visit New Zealand, but I'm not even sure how to take the train and travel from one city to another....... The information posted online is not as good as information about Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc...... so, even the results of my online research regarding New Zealand is not encouraging me to go there....

Philatravelgirl

Depends on time of year and weather IMO. It's spectacular nature, wine and adventure. I started two days in Wellington then ferry for ten days in the South Island.
Ferry to the Trans Coastal train to Christchurch then Trans Alpine train to Greymouth (visit pancake rocks). Then jumped on the Magic Bus (think called Kiwi something now) which does a loop of the island and a kind of hop on hop off bus in each city. I hopped off for two days at Franz Josef glacier helicopter to the top for hiking. I kayaked on the lake booked direct on the bus. Most of the people on bus were backpackers at hostels I was lone flashpacker staying at hotels.
Really enjoyed Real Journeys tour of Doubtful Sound then stayed overnight in Te Anu (has a lovely private screen room cinema with special movie of the landscapes). Bus to Milford Sound and fly back to Queenstown (to avoid 5 hrs bus ride - my bags did the bus).
Dunedin to see the coast, lighthouse and penguins. Has a Modern Art museum.
I had a busy ten days in the South Island - a mix of adventure (shotover boat, go karts, planes, trains, helicopters, six seat plane ride over the mountains, kayak, etc) great wine and dining and stunning nature.
There's more sheep than people so it's never going to be as exciting and up tempo teeming like Hong Kong or Bangkok. It's definitely a more chill pace.

Kiwi Flyer

There are not many options for travelling by train in NZ. Just a couple of commuter trains in Auckland and Wellington, an unreliable all day train between Auckland and Wellington, more scenic train between Christchurch and Greymouth on the South Island and the odd short tourist/steam train.

However, flying between cities is easy. Every large town has an airport. Also good busses between the main cities and all the tourist spots.

The flight into Queenstown is particularly recommended - flies through mountain passes and tight turns to land. The flight out is not quite as good. Also fantastic flight between Queenstown and Milford Sound (very small aircraft) as an alternative to the long bus ride.

There are 3-4 hour ferry rides between the main islands (Wellington to Picton). The mailboat in Marlborough Sounds is also interesting. Or for shorter ferry rides there are commuter ferries in Wellington and Auckland (and some slightly longer ones in Auckland also).

Calliopeflyer

Now I'm confused......you really want to go, but you're not sure you'll have a good time? Those two ideas don't mix in my mind. If you really want to go but don't think you afford it, I understand. And if you aren't sure you want to go because you're not sure you'll have a good time, I understand. But what you've said makes no sense to me.

Not great bus or train options in NZ (based on my own research), which is why I rented a car. I was also traveling solo, and don't know anyone in NZ. You could also fly, but I like road trips

aBroadAbroad

Perhaps you would be better off scheduling your 10 days in one of the big, metropolitan Australian cities, with a 2-3 day excursion to NZ built into that trip.

aceboy44

I'm unsure about the trip since I may not have a good time. I can afford the trip, but I think other places are much better for me.

Thinking about alternatives, I thought about visiting South Korea and/or Japan, but I was told neither of these two countries speak English, and I have already visited Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Srilanka....... I'm not sure what other countries I can visit where I will have a good time by having people speaking fluent English..... I'm think that the Maldives Islands (Male) will bore me since it's an isolated island.....

Even in Europe people do not speak English besides the UK of course..... I have been to France and Turkey and people there didn't speak English. I was told that people in Germany do not speak English

tupungato

I'd say New Zealand is a destination for pure nature, breathtaking views, hiking, photography. Like Norway. If you need more variety, other destination might be better.

aceboy44

I adore and appreciate pure nature, however, as a solo traveler who will spend 30 hours flying and transiting on this trip (one-way) I'm not sure if I want to travel alone to enjoy pure nature. Maybe if some one who will come with me to keep me company I may consider it but to go alone with not much to do compared to Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur, I'm not really sure if it's worth the trouble of visiting there.

Put yourself in my shoes, would you travel 30 hours one way solo traveling just to enjoy nature? Good for you if you do, but for me it's not worth it. There are plenty of good places for nature such as Srilanka, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hong Kong

Calliopeflyer

I have been in your shoes, and did travel half way around the world solo to visit New Zealand. Would do it again too. I've also traveled a quarter of the way around the world solo to visit non-English speaking countries, but you and are want different things. That's OK.


You seem to be trying to convince us to tell you that you shouldn't go. Whether or not you go is up to you.....we'll just make suggestions about what you might do when you're there, but you make the decision.

Hubbabridge

Don't go: you will not like it.

im-headed-west

I've done 30+ hours many times to get to AU/NZ to go hiking / outdoors adventuring ... and MANY do it every year !Thanks
:back patting myself:
I'm guessing you're overwhelmed by all the unknowns associated with going to NZ as well as do it solo which takes this trip more out of your comfort zone.

I think aBroadAbroad is on the right track. I'd recommend you split the 10 day trip up between two stops ... Sydney Australia and one big NZ city. Sydney is very much like the big urban cities you're comfortable with. After travelling KWI-SYD, you could regroup in Sydney as well as spend a few days exploring one of the World's great cities ... say 3 or 4 of your 10 days. Then from SYD, fly to one big New Zealand city ... Auckland for a more citylike experience or Queenstown for a more "natural"/scenic experience. You could do day trips from either city where the trip vendor would be responsible for getting you to/from places or you could rent a car and do day trips yourself.