New Zealand suggestions

[PeckhamRose]

The mountainscape is mirrored in the Milford Sound. I took photos. But on that film type stuff. I really should put the negs through the scanner one day and put the lot on Flickr.

[LordshipLovely]

Just googled - it's Lake Matheson (sorry if someone already said this!).

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/scenic-highlights/national-parks-marine-reserves/scenic-highlight-details.cfm/businessid/63689.html

Over by Franz/Fox Glaciers.

[Soane]

Check out The Greenwood Guide for accommodation in New Zealand - it's a bit like the Alastair Sawday guides to charming B & Bs and hotels here.

Arrowtown is lovely - with good restaurants. The New Zealand foodie magazine Cuisine can be helpful.

The rose garden in Christchurch botanical gardens is glorious at that time of year.

Take a boat trip out on the Marlborough Sounds on a sunny day; you may be lucky enough to see whales. There are some great B & Bs, some only accessible by boat, along the shores of the Marlborough Sounds.

From experience, even in high summer, evening temperatures on South Island can be pretty chilly. It was 30 degrees C during the day in Blenheim and yet you could see your breath steaming at night.

Be warned. Christmas and New Year is peak holiday season for New Zealanders as well as overseas visitors as it's their summer holiday too, so get your accommodation sorted out well before you head for any tourist hotspots.

Have a lovely honeymoon!

[PeckhamRose]

I beg to differ about having to book. We went in the millennium and never had to book a thing. We even found somewhere on the nights of Xmas Day and New Year's even though we had to search a bit. Had we failed I guess we'd have slept out but we never had to do that.The only thing we had booked in our two months trip was the ferry north to south and south to north, and then our flight home!

[EDKiwi]

tog_in_sox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> If you've just a week in North island then I

> wouldn't hang about in Aukland as it's mostly

> urban sprawl (one of the largest in the World I

> was told but that could've been local boasting)

Sounds like local boasting to me, biggest city in NZ with 1.5million people, but not much by world standards.....being a biased south islander I would say there's not much to see there either :)

[Helen GV]

The Bay of Plenty is nice, Rotorua has already been mentioned with its mud pools and geysers and there is an active volcano just off the coast called White Island. You can fly over it and I think even land there in a helicopter... Not sure where the flights go from but think its Tauranga Airport.

Hope you have a wonderful time, your three weeks will fly by!

[tog_in_sox]

Yup I was definitely played for a sucker on the Auckland trivia :-$

The view from the Sky Tower restaurant at night is rather goodand the food not too bad either, forgot the lovely evening I spent there in gorgeous company.

If your route takes you through Mangonui then save your appetite for the Fish'n'Chips there cause it was great. I had scallops in batter then calamari and I forget the name of the tasty fish I had for afters. Batter and chips both perfectly done.

The hostel network is great there and you can either use the YHA associated handbook or try http://www.bbh.co.nz

[EDKiwi]

Fish and chips in NZ are generally pretty good, popular takeaway so usually cheap and almost always cooked to order (we tend not to do the pre-cooked, sitting under a heat lamp thing). Definetly worth a go.

[Pickle]

Mmmmmm, I agree. In 9 years of living in London I'm yet to find fish and chips that taste as good as NZ. Always one of my first stops when I go back for a holiday (paua pattie, onion sausage and chips - delicious!!). And a Jimmy's pie, can't be beaten :)

[PeckhamRose]

I 2nd or 3rd the fresh fish and chips. And oysters were in abundance in - I think - Gisborne.

I had my first oyster there and have yet to be tempted to have a second!

Saw some fabulous skies though, big skies. Do try and go gliding and see even more!

Omarama and also at Wellington Gliding Club (near Paraparaumu).

[tog_in_sox]

I do regret not doing the gliding thing down near the glaciers... Damn! Gone all misty-eyed. Someone stop the bus I wanna get off!