Mount Eden (One Tree Hill) is an incredible, amazing view of the Auckland skyline. Just as I got to the top of the hill it started raining and a rainbow came out over the skyline, Beautiful! The best way to see a big city is from a distance. You gotta Go!

Hey I think u guys should totaly go to Piha beach and hike to the top (or as far as they let u go) of Lion Rock... and go to One Tree Hill AND Mount Eaden, they are all really cool places, and I can tell u from Experience. And you should go to to the sky tower and bungee jump from the top! (well its some sort of bungee jumping :-P )

Auckland is so awesome! Have a blast!

~Laura~

hey whats up?
this is bobby from boston. im really big on the music scene in new zealand, specifically the interest in homegrown hip-hop. from what ive seen, hip-hop is pretty big there among the youths and new zealand has produced a lot of local artists. look into it. Acts such as Scribe, P-money, Frontline and the Dawnraid Records camp are some of the bigger names. have fun.

BlackWater Rafting in Rotorua,
Taupo Bungee and a huge waterfall that's just a short hike from the Bungee area,
Zorbing in Taupo, Craters of the Moon in Taupo.

They are all kinda close to Auckland, we took an overnight trip from Auckland to Rotorua and Taupo.

First of 5 below is too expensive for your budget, as it was mine... but you can get some footage of the place before they open.. they let us take photos from the outside for free and we got to see the coats, hats, and boots..

You should head north from auckland all the way to the northern tip Cape Reinga it is one of the most beautiful sites in New Zealand.. also you can go sledding down massive sand dunes the size of mammoth ski slopes for five bucks locals will rent you a boogie board and you can all take turns to save dough (you will go faster then you think.. be careful) also on 90 mile beach you can drive cars up the beach even make donuts in the sand. On the way back down stop in the Waipoua forest for some of the widest trees the Te Matua Ngahere is over 5m in diameter (pretty awesome) GOOD LUCK

I agree with Iboopsie, Cape Reinga and 90 mile beach are good destinations to check out. I so wish I could send you photos of my trip! I spent quite a bit of time in NZ (3 months) and it was the best time of my life. The Bay of Islands is considered to be pretty pituresque. The best thing about NZ is that you can stay in hostels for cheap, so you'll save tons of cash left over. One inexpensive fun place to just hang out is "Onetangi beach" on Onetangi Island off the coast of the city of Auckland. It's a very chill beach town (Island). Not terribly exciting, but there are small bars near the beach and lots of farmland. It's a nice place to take a break and enjoy the surf. Make sure you order Fish & Chips at a local pub!

I second the trip to Waitomo. There are all kinds of adrenaline adventures. I would highly recommend doing "Haggas Honking Holes" (//www.waitomo.co.nz/haggas.html), which has been described as Indiana Jones crossed with being flushed down the loo. I did it in '01 and it remains one of the most exciting things I've ever done. You rappel down through waterfalls in underground caves, and climb over/under stalagmites and stalactites (sp?). A little expensive, but you'll never forget it. Other options are the blackwater rafting (inner tube rafting in these underground glow worm caves), or doing the Lost World Abseil (www.waitomo.co.nz/lostworld.html), which they did on Amazing Race. It's a straight rappel down and then a ladder climb out.

Northland (the area north of Auckland) is also worth checking out. Depends on how much time you have. Whangarei is a couple of hours out and a good stop if you want to dive/snorkel "Poor Knight's Island", one of Jacques Cousteau's favorite spots. We had a surprise swim with a couple of wild dolphin there (it was not part of one of the "official" swim with dolphin trips). Further away is Bay of Islands, which offers several boat excursions into the kool-aid green bay. One was called "Day in the Bay", which offered morning official swims with dolphin, along with "boomnetting" (riding alongside the boat hanging onto a net). Later the boat took us to the famous "hole in the rock".

On the opposite Northland coast is the Waipoua Forest, a fantastic drive through rainforests and NZ's oldest living Kauri trees. I did it in the rain, which made it seem even more lush...

Black Water Rafting in Waitomo is a must. It's only about 100 kilometers from Auckland and one of my most memorable things I did there. Essentially you kit up in a wetsuit and minders helmet... rappel 100 feet down in pitch black darkness into a cave. then you take a zip line across a huge gap, get to to an area and have some tea underground. then they throw innertubes into the underground river there and you paddle about and see massive blind eels underwater and you turn off your lights and it looks like you are outside... there are millions of glow-worms covering the ceiling. eventually... you get out of the water and hike through the cave and climb a waterfall out. just an amazing experience.

Tony,

R U an animal lover? In New Zealand there are many animals such as kiwi and deer. U think penguins only in Antarctica. Think again. These penguins are called little blue penguins. They are native to their country.

Auckland is a cool city but in my opinion does not capture NZ like some other places. However check these things out while you are there....

-Five below is expensive and you have a limited amount of time so its not worth the money you would spend from your precious budget. However, you must try 42 Below Kiwi flavored vodka. Its awesome!
-take a boat from the harbour out to Rangitoto Volcanic Island. An awesome hike with stunning views of the city and an interesting look at a dormant volcano.
-Kelly Tarltons is awesome and they might be willing to give you a behind the scenes tour.
-Globe Bar is fun
-The Kiwi International Hotel was nice and I think a decent price.
-If you can make it down to the Waitomo Caves it is spectacular.

special side notes-

Renee: Make sure while you are in NZ to check out anything Maori.

Josh: Save bungee jumping for Queenstown!! Best in the world. Zorbing is AWESOME!! If you have some time, surfing in Raglan on the Tasman sea is great and the black sand is beautiful!

If you get the chance, go to Kelly Tarltan's Antarctic Adventure. They have a really neat ride that simulates going to the Antarctic womplete with penguins. They also have a cool aquarium. Also, get a ride up to the top of the hills overlooking the city. There you will find an awesome view and the huge meteor divots from thousands of years ago. I was just there a couple of months ago and it was the best trip in my life.

Definitely go to Waitomo and do the blackwater rafting.
Blackwater

You put on a wetsuit, crawl down into the depths of a cave with an innertube, jump off the top of a waterfall into a pool, and drift down an underwater river. The experience of floating through the glow worm rooms is pure magic. Like being outside on a moonless starry night, only the constellations are all wrong.... Finally emerge back in to the daylight, chilled to the bone, and they take you back to their place for some yummy hot soup!

Hi TJS!

I just spent 6 months in NZ doing a semester abroad the past fall and I am so excited for you guys to go! It is the greatest place.

I only spent 1 night in Auckland, so I can't help you there, but I wanted to suggest taking the train from there to Welly if you don't have other travel means. It really isn't any more expensive than the buses, but it's an amazing trip. The views are amazing and it saves you from a lot of waiting around at bus stations.

quote:

Originally posted by tiffstake:
If we got souvenirs of "shaved ice" in a million different flavors... NOW THAT WOULD BE A BAR.

So once we're done with pizza and beer...do you think it'd be a good idea to do something wholesome? Maybe a stroll through Connells Bay Sculpture Park? Apparently it's full of majestic New Zealand sculptures. Boys? Now we're talkin.

Hahaha, shaved ice is awesome! I don't know about down there but here in Lawrence, KS there is an awesome shaved ice spot called Tad's snowcones. It's just in a little shack (low rent I guess) in the middle of town and like EVERYONE goes there when it's warm. It's got like 100 flavors. It's terrific. So if the travel channel ever sends you here (hiiiggghhhlllyyy unlikely), I got ya covered!

I second everyone who has suggested getting around more in the central north island. I know your time is limited but you can't pass up Rotorua. It is the heart of Maori NZ. If you make it you have to see the dances and eat hangi at Tamaki village. It is touristy, but its authentic and amazing and the food is to die for. Ohinemutu is the Maori village located right in the middle of Rotorua and there is this Maori/Anglican church with the most phenomenal etched glass window of Jesus in Maori clothing. SEE IT! Stay at the Kiwi Paka, its nice and pretty cheap.

And you MUST see the volcanoes in Taupo! You can actually swim in the crater lake on top of Mt. Nagaruhue. And Craters of the Moon thermal part is really fascinating. The best thing there for me was taking a lake cruise on the tiny Ernest Kemp to seem the Maori rock carvings. There is a Maori face carved into the rock that is about 30 ft tall. Stay at the Tiki Lodge.

If you get the chance, get a look around at the parks around the edge of the city. If you're in the center of the city, go up-up-up the hill and through the woods, and there's a nice little park there. I really liked being able to walk outside of the city just a bit and see some grass.

And about the minus 5 bar - I went to the one in Queenstown, and it was 20 to enter and hang out for 30 min and 25 to enter and get 2 drinks. Its a neat look around - try and get a peak in the windows on the side.

You've probably noticed the trend, but everybody is telling you things to do in New Zealand outside of Auckland and the other cities. I guess that's the point of traveling to New Zealand. The best activities are outside of the cities. That being said, while you're in Auckland, check out the X-base hostel. They have cheap rooms and cheap food and drinks in a good location. Waiheke Island is a very cool diversion. You could rent scooters and check out the whole island. Mt. Eden is cool, too. Just be mindfull of the cowpies at the top. You can also hike across Auckland's volcanos from the harbour in the east to the sea in the west. Take in a rugby game if you can. The All Blacks are like NBA players there. Also, try to learn the rules of cricket and get into a game with the locals.

hi, been to n zed 3 times...mostly in auckland...true the south is more visual, however I like the bars of auckland...one is mo's on wolfe and hobson...a very small and cozy bar..with a photo of hemingway and castro..another place to check out that has a lot of beaches (nude) lol...is and im spelling it wrong is wahikkie island...about a 30min ferry ride from auckland...winerys and great beaches....another down town spot is the civic theater all redone and used in the filming of king kong....check out this site it was a poetry group I saw in nz...poetry and writing seem to be a passion of the people ... http://beautifullosers.co.nz/site/shane-hollands-beatspeakes/

I have been to NZ numerous times. My husband is actually from there and so I asked hom what he thought. We both agreed that if you can get to Rotorua which is about 3hours south of Auckland by car it would be worth your travel. First of all one of the most NZ things you can experience is a NZ Maori hangi. We saw the Tamaki Maori Village. It is kind of like a luau. It is a dinner show that explains the Maori culture through the ceremonial and warrior dancing. A hangi is a feast that is cooked in the ground under hot rocks. You will experience some of the best NZ seafood. THe only thing is that it can be pricey, but very worth it. Atleast research on the net. Try to see if you can get a deal with your group. Also, there is the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. It is volcanic activity. It is very cool. You will see 1.8km of hot pools and lava, sulfur pools, and natural geysers. Have fun with the Kiwis. Go All Blacks!!