Activities in New Zealand

Kiwis are very keen on outdoor and adventure sports and the tourism officials have made a major effort to attract foreign visitors who feel likewise. For more information and lists of companies involved with the activities listed below contact the New Zealand Tourism Board.

Adventure Travel is popular in New Zealand. Multi-sport adventure packages (such as rafting, bungy jumping and mountain biking) can be arranged. See the adventure sports such as bungy jumping or jet-boating listed below. Dune Rides in bus-like dune buggies is offer on "Tutu Seaspray Trail" on the Taura Peninsula in Tauroa Peninsula, Ninety Mile Beach and other coastal areas. Four Wheel Drive Trips are offered in the Queenstown area and other places. Contact New Zealand Safaricentre (☎ 800-223-6046).

Gambling and Casinos: There is a Harrah's hotel and casino in Auckland. Horse racing is also popular. Gold Panning and gold digging are done at several locations in New Zealand. You need no special experience, skill or training to find gold, just perseverance and a little luck. Sheep Shows with sheep shearing and the like are held at the Agrodome in Rotorua. Wine Tasting: Wine tasting tours can be arranged in the wine-making areas are around Auckland, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Napier and Gisborne. Some have restaurants.

Scenic Railways include the 1) Driving Creek Railway, near Thames (on the Coromandel Peninsula), 2) Glenbrook Vintage Railway in Waiku (near Auckland), 3) Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, 4) the Tranz Alpine Express across the Southern Alps, and 4) the Taieri Gorge Limited Excursion train in Dunedin.

Birdwatching in New Zealand is excellent. Penguins can be seen at many places in the South Island. Large colonies of yellow-crested gannets can be seen at Kidnappers Cape (15 miles southeast of Napier) and Muriwai Beach (35 miles west of Auckland). The best places to see kiwis in the wild is on the Stewart Island (south of South Island) and Waitangi Forest (near Paihia on the northern North Island). Mount Bruce National Wildlife Center (near Masterton) is a breeding center for kiwis. Near Dunedin is the world's largest albatross colony.

Rugby is the most popular spectator sports in New Zealand by a long shot. The All Blacks, their national team, for a long time were unbeatable on an international level and the team members are national heros. Rugby is played on Saturdays during the winter. Cricket is played during the summer.

Air Sports

Air Sport s such as hang gliding, gliding, parachuting and paragliding are practiced in New Zealand. Scenic airplane flights are also offered in the major tourist towns. Parasailing (riding a parachute pulled by a boat) is offered at some of the beach and resorts and parasailing (riding a parachute after running off a hill) is offered at some mountain resorts.

Parasailing can be done by people with no experience in the sport. Paragliding (parapenting) is a cross between parachuting and hang gliding. It is more difficult than parasailing and requires some instruction but still relatively easy to learn and safe. Hang gliding is more difficult. There are schools that provide lessons in these sports. The Queenstown area offers paragliding instruction and flights off 2000-foot-high Crown Terrace for first timers.

Parachute jumping and glider sailing is usually organized from regional airports. Flightseeing and hot air ballooning trips are usually arranged in conjunction with tour companies. Queenstown and other places offer tandem parachuting in which tourist with no special training can jump with a skilled parachuter. For more information contact New Zealand Tourism Board.

Flightseeing Tours in both planes and helicopters are offered above most of New Zealand's major tourist sights. Flights to Fox, Franz Josef and Tasman glaciers with ski-equipped planes actually land on the glacier. Flightseeing tours over Milford Sound, Rotorua's geothermal pools and steaming volcanos, and White Island, the active volcano are popular. Heli-hiking, heli-rafting, heli-jetboating and heli-skiing are also possible.

Bicycling

Bicycling is a great way to see New Zealand. There are many beautiful roads in the mountains, along the coast and through the countryside. The best thing to do is get a good map, pick some country roads and stay off the main roads. Also check the wind direction (mostly from the west) to make sure you have a tailwind not a headwind.

The cycling is first rate in almost the entire country. Popular road riding areas include: 1) the Marlborough wine district near Auckland: 2) the quiet, scenic roads of the eastern North Island; and 3) the Queen Charlotte Route on the northern South Island. New Zealand cities are generally mellow enough that they can be negotiated by bicycle.

There are also tons of dirt roads ideal for mountain biking. Popular mountain biking areas include: Tongarrio, Queenstown and Taupo. It is possible to rent mountain bikes in these places. Some places like Auckland rent "attitude bikes" (bicycles with small engines attached.

Most airlines allow you take your bike for free on international flights if it is one of your two check-in items. If you bring a bike with you on a plane you have to take off the wheels, pedals, and handlebars and place the bike in a box. In some countries you can carry your bike for free on domestic flights but sometimes there is a fee.

Taking bicycles on buses and trains is sometimes a problem. Buses sometimes won't carry bicycles (if you take the wheels off, though, you can usually convince the bus driver to take them). Train employees sometimes won't carry bicycles or they ship them so that they arrive at your destination several days after you arrive. Many travelers rent a car and carry their bicycles with them in the car and do day rides.

Bungy Jumping

Bungy Jumping was reportedly invented in New Zealand and it can be done at difference places in New Zealand. The most well-known place to do the sport is Queenstown on the South Island, where people leap from 140-foot-high Kawarau Bridge and the 230-foot-high Skippers Bridge.

Most jumpers have their feet tied together and wrapped with towels and a canvas webbing harness. Operators adjust the cord, which looks like a phone cable made of thin rubber bands, for weight and often play loud rock music during the leap. Jumpers fall and bounce back nearly to the bridge and fall and bounce several times before coming to rest a few feet above the water. After the jump is complete the jumpers are told to grab a pole and are collected into a waiting raft.

The cost range from US$60 to $150. The latter includes a T-shirt, photos and a video of your jump. Tandem bungy is available in some places. In Auckland, you can leap 30 stories from the top of a building in a bungy-jumping-like sport called rapajumping.

Fly by Wire is a thrill sport offered in Paekakariki (near Wellington) in which adventurers race down a wire strung between hills in a four-meter-long rocket-like pod powered by a 24-hp engine. It goes 80mph.

Canoeing, Kayaking and White Water Rafting

Canoeing and Kayaking is done on wilderness lakes and rivers, particularly in Whanganui National Park, where a four-day canoe and camping outing with a guide costs about US$800. Experienced river people can generally rent canoes, rafts and kayaks from outfitters near popular canoeing rivers. For more information try contacting the New Zealand Tourism Board.

Sea kayaking is popular in Fiordland, Marlborough Sounds, the Bay of Islands and other places with reasonably sheltered water. In Abel Tasman National Park sea kayaks outfit with sails are available.

White Water Rafting is offered on the Wairoa River near Tauranga on the North Island and the Shotover and Kaweau Rivers near Queenstown on the South Island. These rivers are said to offer the most thrilling whitewater rides in New Zealand. More than 50 outfitters do trips on these rivers.

October to May is the traditional rafting season. Trips range from a half day to five days and vary from calm cruises on gentle water or wild rides on rivers after dams have been released.

Trips can also be done on the calm Motu river near the Bay of Plenty; and the Landsborough, Buller, Karamea and Mohikinui Rivers on the west coast of the South Island. Also see Canoeing, Kayaking and White Water Rafting.

Whitewater Sledding is a new sport where swimmers shoot the rapids with a boogie board and flippers. It can be done on the Rangaitaiki river near Whakatane.

Diving and Snorkeling

Diving and Snorkeling in New Zealand waters is good but not on the level of the Caribbean or Fiji. The water is often cold and the visibility in many places at best is around to 30 to 50 feet. What makes diving in New Zealand interesting though is you can see sea life and natural wonders found nowhere else in the world.

New Zealand has 6000 mile of coastline and the dive sites include reefs, freshwater pools, caves, wrecks, kelp forests, unique fjords and abalone beds. To get a sense of what the diving in New Zealand is like take a look at the October 1989 issue of National Geographic.

The main sites are 1) the Poor Knights, a group of islands in the Bay Islands area with reef fish and visibility up to 200 feet; 2) the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park near Auckland, the largest totally protected marine reserve in the world, encompassing 47 islands; 3) Goat Island Marine Reserve (an hour north of Auckland) with beach diving and 20-foot visibility; 4) Fiordland, with red coral forests and 40-foot black coral trees and sea life found nowhere else in the world; and 5)Stewart Island, home to kelp forests, New Zealand abalone, seal colonies and Great White sharks.

It is also possible to dive on five sub-antarctic island south and east of New Zealand. Among the numerous wreck sites ate the Rainbow Warrior, the Greenpeace ship sunk by French saboteurs, and the Russian cruise ship Mikhail Lermontove, which ran aground and sank in the Marlborough Sounds in 1986. The latter is regarded as the world's largest easily-assessable wreck.

There are PADI-member dive outfitters located in many places in New Zealand. They offer air filing, gear rentals, instruction and transportation to the diving areas. Snorkeling is usually offered on the same boat trips that take scuba divers out but snorkelers often see a lot less.

Dolphins and Whales

Dolphins can be sen in waters all around New Zealand. Visitors can swim with dolphins in the Bay of Islands on a half day outing for about US$100. The trips are sponsored by Dolphin Discoveries in Russell. Similar trips are run by Dolphin Mary Charters on the South Island near the whale watching center of Kaikoura. Divers and snorkelers can also swim with fur seals in some places. Dolphins often escort cruising and touring boats in Fiordland and other waterways.

Whale Watching is possible in the South Island town of Kaikoura (about 200 miles north of Christchurch). Visitors get close up views of sperm whales, dolphins, fur seals and other marine life. Contact Whale Watch Kaikoura Ltd., The Whaleway Station, Kaioura (☎ (3)-319-6767, fax: (3)-319--6545).

Fishing (Freshwater)

Freshwater Fishing in New Zealand offers some of the best trout, and salmon fishing in the world. Sport fishermen can enjoy flycasting and wet fly casting. New Zealand has a catch and release policy.

Freshwater fishing is usually organized through fishing outfitters in towns near major fishing rivers, streams and lakes. Fishing on your own takes some research. Since fish regulations vary from place to place, inquire about licenses and regulations at the hotels or local tourist offices.

Fly fishermen go after introduced rainbow, brook and brown trout that weigh up to 23 pounds and average around six pounds. The Tongariro River in the central part of the North Island is probably the most famous trout stream in New Zealand. Zane Grey camped at Dreadnought Pool on the Tongariro River in the 1920s. Brown trouts weighing between 12 and 16 pound are routinely caught here. In nearby Lake Rotorua fishing guides charge US$70 an hour and promise "No Fish, No Pay."

Some of the best fishing is in the back country along streams and rivers that can only be reached by helicopter. There are few fish but they tend to be large and skittish and take patience and perseverance to catch.

The summer trout season runs from October to April in most districts. Most fishermen use four- or five-pound tapered floating lines. Fishing for steelhead and rainbow trout is done on the Taupo and Rotorua with heavy gear in the winter and with deep-sinking fly lines in April-May and September-October. Fishing licenses cost around US$20 for one day, US$50 for a week, US$100 a month and US$200 for a season.

The rivers on the east coast of the South Island (the Raikaia, Waimakariri, Rangitata, Ashburton and Waitaki) are famous for salmon fishing. The salmon season runs from October to April and January through March.

Fishing (Saltwater)

Deep-sea fisherman go after swordfish, blue, black and Pacific marlin, mako, thresher and hammerhead sharks, and yellow tail and yellowin tuna. Sport fishermen can enjoy surf casting, night fishing and long line fishing and slow or fast trolling.

Deep sea fishing is usually organized through charter boat companies in the major seaside resorts in and around Whangaroa, Bay of Islands, Tutukaka, Auckland, Mercury Bay, Taurnaga, Whakatane, Marlborough Sounds, and Mayor Island. The best months for deep sea fishing are January to May.

Some of the best months for shore fishing are the colder months (March to November) when bottom fish are available. Kingfish and kahawai are the best fighters. The can be caught almost anywhere near the shore. Hapuka, cod, flounder, snapper and maomao are the tastiest fish. Snapper is usually caught n the summer. For more information see the organizations listed above under "Fishing (Freshwater)."

Golf

Golf is fairly popular in New Zealand. There are over 400 golf courses in New Zealand. Most are uncrowded and beautifully situated. Many of the world's greatest golfers, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman have played here and loved it.

The green fees are very reasonable. During the summer, December through February, many Kiwis take to the water and the courses are relatively empty. Major golf clubs usually open their greens to foreign guests and green fees are moderate. Remember to bring your handicap certificate and a copy of your U.S. club membership.

Handicapped Travel is very developed in New Zealand. The airports and many buildings in New Zealand have elevators, ramps, wide doors and special bathrooms for handicapped people. Handicapped parking spaces are clearly marked.

Hiking, Mountaineering and Parks

New Zealand is covered by mountains and forests and has 13 national parks and a couple dozen forest and maritime parks with hundreds of miles trails and paths. Hikes vary from easy strolls through the forest to challenging ridge walks. There are also towering cliffs and glacier-cover peaks for the experienced mountaineers. The choices are endless but getting to the trail heads is sometimes a problem.

Tramping and bushwalking are terms used to describe hiking in New Zealand. Major trails are often called tracks. The main hiking season is from November to March, but conditions vary greatly from place to place. The spring in September and October is nice because the mountains are still covered with snow. In the early summer and late spring wild flowers are in bloom.

The most popular hike is the Milford Track, described as the "Finest Walk in the World." Other hikes near the Milford Track include the four-day Hollyford Valley trek, which begins in a beech forest and follows a low valley to the sea, and the Routeburn Walk, which passes by Alpine meadows, waterfalls and mountain peaks.

Other popular hikes on the South Island include the three-day Kepeler Track, the three-day Abel Tasman Walk and the five-day Heaphy Hike. Ice hiking is done on Fox Glacier in the Southern Alps. The most popular hike on the North Island is Whirinaki Track and Tongariro Crossing (in Tongariro National Park).

There are over 1,000 wilderness huts in New Zealand's parks. Most of these places are four or five hours apart on the popular hiking tracks. They usually have bunks (sometimes with mattresses), water supplies and outhouses. Some contain cooking capabilities and fireplaces. About 350 of the huts are free.

Along the well-known tracks are comfortable private lodges with sleeping rooms with bunk beds, dinning-lounge-areas, delicious prepared meals, flush toilets and hot showers. All the major tracks—Milford, Hollyford, Routeburn, Greenstone and Abel Tasman in the South Island and Mount Raupehi, and Coromandel in the North Island—have these private lodges. Hikes that include overnight stays at these lodges are referred to as Guided Walks.

The use of parks free. Passes often need to be obtained from park headquarters for overnight stays in backcountry huts. Maps and directions may be obtained from local tourist offices and park headquarters. For more information on the hiking areas see the "Places to Visit" section.

Also contact the Zealand Tourism Board and ask for a booklet called “Exploring New Zealand's Parks”. It has short description of the major and national, forest and maritime parks. You can also try the Lonely Planet guides.

Horseback Riding

Horseback Riding is offered on New Zealand extensive network of nature and riding trails, which pass through farms, mountains, forests, beaches and pastures. Half-day, day- and multi-day guided rides are offered in many areas including the countryside around the Bay of Islands, Bay of Plenty, Taurnga, Waikato, Pakiri Beach, and Queenstown. Multi-day horseback treks are offered in Te Urewera National Park. Three day horse treks cost between US$300 and $500. Horse can be rented by the hour in some places.

Hunting

Hunting and Shooting Trips are organized by travel agencies and outfitters. Every weapon brought into New Zealand has to be authorized by the Advisory Officer, Police National Headquarters (P.O. Box 3017, Wellington, ☎ (4)-474-9422, Fax: (4)-474-9568). It also ??? gives permits and provide information on seasons, weapons and ammunition.

Red stag, fallow buck, sitka stag, wapiti, whitetail deer, sambar stag, tahr, chamois, boar, possum, rabbit, hare, duck, geese, quail and pheasant all can be hunted in New Zealand. There are no season for hunting but certain weather and seasonal conditions make hunting for certain animals better at some times than other times. It is possible to hunt from a helicopter in New Zealand.

Jetboating

Jetboating is a unique sport that was invented in New Zealand. Using special jet engines that shoot water out the back of boat, these crafts have no propeller and thus can maneuver in shallow water that would destroy the propeller on a normal boat. The boats are capable of going 50mph and negotiating rivers with exposed rocks and rapids.

On the South Island jet boat trips are offered on rivers out of Queenstown, Buller, Makorora and Christchurch. On the North Island trips can be done on the Rangitaiki River near the eastern Bay of Plenty and on the Wanganui River on the south side of the island.

Maori Tourism allows visitors to get a taste of Maori culture through cultural experiences and even homestays in Maori villages. The Maori experiences include: 1) visits to the Pukepoto “marae: (meeting house) near Karaia; 2) a sound and light show with a Maori theme at Waitango National Reserve; 3) Maori songs and dances performed at the Auckland War Memorial Museum; 4) visits to the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute near Rotorua; 5) Scenic flights of Maori sites in Rotorua; 6) Tumunui Twighlight Cultural Tours in Rotorua; 7) Maori feast and show with Tamaki Tours in Rotorua; and 7) a sleepover in Maori village with Tuwharetoa Tourism in Taupo.

Sailing

Sailing is one of the one most popular sports in New Zealand, which is no surprise because it has some of the world's best sailing conditions: clear waters, deep coves, dramatic headlands, sandy shores, and winds and a climate that allow year-round sailing. The most poplar areas for sailing are the Bay Islands, Hauraki Gulf (near Auckland) and Marlborough Sounds. The main sailing season is from October to April, but the conditions vary from place to place.

Both barefoot (no skipper) and full service charters are offered in New Zealand and the prices are regarded by most sailors as very reasonable. Charter and boat rental companies offer a variety of crafts ranging from ones with two berths to ones with eight berths. Rates depend on season. The daily rate for a two-berth 19-foot boat is around US$100 a day in low season, The rate for a three stateroom, 46-foot yacht is US$1000 a day in high season (November to February).

Cruisers usually come equipped with charts, navigation guides and a dinghy. Fishing tackle and snorkeling equipment can sometimes be rented. If your are planning a trip make sure you make arrangements many months in advance.

If you are planning on bringing in your own boat, there are strict laws governing the entry of boat. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and other coastal towns are Ports of Entry. Boat owners need a certificate of clearance from a previous port; 5 copies of a crew list with passport numbers, national, ages and position on board; and valid passports. Yacht owners should contact authorities by radio before they arrive and must stay on the boats until the are cleared By Health, Immigration and Customs .

Skiing and Snowboarding

Downhill skiing, cross-country (nordic) skiing, snowboarding, night skiing, paragliding, and helicopter skiing are all offered. Many Olympic skiers train in New Zealand during the Northern Hemisphere summer.

The ski season in New Zealand generally runs from June to October, but conditions vary a great deal from place to place. The heaviest snowfalls occur from mid-June to mid-August. During October the temperatures are moderate. The North Island and the South Island both have ski resorts but those on the South Island generally have better conditions and a longer ski season.

The premier ski resorts are on the South Island in the Southern Alps. They include Porter Heights and Mount Hutt (with open bowls above treeline and the longest season, late May to early November) in the central South Island near Christchurch and Coronet Peak and The Remarkables near Queenstown.

On the North Island skiers head to 7,500-foot-high Whakapapa and Turoa on 9,177-foot-high Mount Ruapehu. Helicopter skiing is offered out of Queenstown and Wanaka. Plane skiing is offered on Mt Cook's Tasman Glacier, the Southern Hemisphere's longest run.

Lift tickets are generally less expensive than those in the United States. They are much cheaper if you buy special weekly passes. Equipment such as skis, ski boots, cross country skis, snowboards, skates and toboggans can be rented at reasonable rates. Ski instruction is also available. Rental equipment is a round US$30 a day and lesson are US$30 an hour for a group lesson.

Most of the resorts have hotels which are often full during the winter. Make sure to make reservations well in advance of your arrival date. For more information contact the New Zealand Tourist Board and ask for “The Official New Zealand Ski Guide”.

Swimming and Beaches

New Zealand has many wonderful places to go swimming but the water is usually cold. Beaches on the ocean are very rough and have large waves and tricky currents that are potentially dangerous.

The best places to swim are in the calm waters in bays, coves and inlets, and the water is colder in the south than in the north. The main swimming season is from December to March. The beaches on the eastern side of the country are sunnier and have less rain than those on the west side.

It is also possible to swim in the rivers and lakes but they also tend to be cold. Most cities and resort areas have public pools in addition to the private pools at fancy hotels and resorts. Some resort hotels have heated pools which are open in the winter.