So You Want to Visit New Zealand

New Zealand is made up of 2 big islands: North Island and South Island. Auckland is somewhere at the northern part of the the North Island. Wellington, the capital is somewhere at the bottom part of the North Island. Most of the places that we've been to here at the North Island has a beach, a walking trail (hiking and walking is the same thing) and most likely a playground. All these places we've just Googled. It's interesting the level of detail that people put out there for you to consume. We also relied on our GPS navigator to take us to these places. Popular places that Aucklanders seem to visit often during school holidays are Whangarei, Rotorua, Taupo and Coromandel. We haven't been to the South Island but have mostly explored Auckland and nearby towns.

They say that the South Island is like a different country that's why we still have a couple of things to do here from our bucket list:

• go on a road trip to the South Island
• take one of the scenic train journeys (when the kids are older)
• go to Lake Tekapo for the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis)
• go to Milford Sound
• go hiking or tramping in one of the family-friendly trails at South Island. 

Fans of the Hobbit and LOTR movies visit at least one of the 23 sites where the movies took place. These are spread around NZ. I've only been to Hobbiton, which is 3 hours away from Auckland. Nearby is Taupo, which is a jump off point to Tongariro Crossing, where Mordor is. I have thought about doing this crossing which is a day hike but maybe when the kids are older.

So to my friends and family who want to visit New Zealand, I'd say give it at least 2 weeks. New Zealand has lots of free scenic attractions. The country is also popular for its extreme adventures (bungy jump, skydiving, etc.) and this is one of the safest places that you can do it. Also, New Zealand is a drive-able country. It is very common for tourists to rent a car and drive themselves around. Transport options, local tours, accommodation, etc. can be booked directly. Tourism is one of the biggest industries here so expect the locals, or most of the tourist towns to be looking after you.

Your primary expenses would be Visit Visa fees if applicable (see immigration.govt.nz), airfare, transport, accommodation and food. Do some research on the things that you like to do and then take it from there. You should be able to work your way through transport, tours and accommodation.