Auckland Travel Forum

hello all.

i'll be travelling from Singapore -> Sydney -> New Zealand in december. was wondering whether it would be possible to arrive in Auckland and then travel to Christchurch? how should i go about doing that? also, where would be a good area to stay in Auckland? regarding transportation, i've read on the VT pages that public transportation relies mainly on buses, was wondering if Auckland can be easily navigated? additionally, would it be much easier to book a day tour round Auckland as opposed to travelling ourselves? where can i book such tours?

and oh! i've heard much about farm stays/tours in New Zealand, although i'm not sure if it's in Auckland. any advice regarding this?

your expertise is much appreciated. :)

I took a puddle jumper from Auckland to Christchurch. You should be able to do that fairly cheaply.

I haven't spend any time in Auckland, but I can tell you that I am totally smitten with Christchurch. It is a great city, great food, nice places to visit right within walking distance. The botanical gardens are gorgeous. You will be close to mountains and nature there. I went all over the south island and a I love, love, love Christchurch!

Hi and welcome to VT,

Auckland or Christchurch ?? It is just a matter of personal interest and preference. I do like Auckland very much. It is just more a city with some great sights (and 'off the beaten path' sights), but just 'a couple of minutes' outside the city you can explore real New Zealand.

You can make some day trips by yourself:
Devonport, Rangitoto Island and Waiheke Island.

Although we never had guided tours, you will find a lot on these websites:
http://www.activities.nz.com/auckland/auckland/day-tour/
http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/aquarium-attraction-sharks-penguins/665/Auckland+Sightseeing+Bus+Tours.aspx
http://travelnz.com/tours/auckland/index.html

You can travel by bus, or better by rental car, from Auckland to Christchurch.
I would recommend to make stops (at least) in:
Rotorua (and visit the geo thermal sights), Wellington (must see's Te Papa Museum and the Botanic Gardens with the red cable car).
And on the South Island:
Kaikoura for whale watching

happy travels
jaap

thanks for your replies. after visiting numerous travel blogs, i reckon that indeed the best way to travel is by rental cars. but the thing is, i hardly drive in Singapore, and am worried about navigating my way through from Auckland to Christchurch. there seem to be so many beautiful sights to take in from New Zealand.

for someone who doesn't have much driving experience, would it be hard to navigate your way round the country? thanks much again for your replies. :)

how long do you intend to stay in New Zealand ??
flying into Auckland and leaving from Christchurch ??

It is not difficult to navigate your way around NZ. But I wonder if it is the right thing to do if you do not have a lot of driving experience in your own country?

In Auckland you get everywhere by bus, no problem. (Just difficult in heavy traffic, and sometimes the busdrivers do not know their stops...) And also within NZ there is great bus service. If you want to know details: I have listed a lot of tips about bus traveling in NZ on my NZ page (transportation tips). Of course, it is more time consuming to travel by bus than by car.

Apart from that... I live in Christchurch and love it. But I also like Auckland. Would not want to live there because of the traffic jams but for a holiday it is great. My must-do thing in Auckland off the beaten path is Tiritiri Matangi, a fantastic little island in the Hauraki Gulf with unique and rare wildlife.

I know of some great farmstays in Canterbury and Otago, especially on Otago Peninsula. But will you travel down there to Dunedin?

If you only want to visit Auckland and not see any more of the North Island I would book a flight to Christchurch, they are really cheap (Air NZ, Qantas, Pacific Blue).

Sissi

Hi Sissi and thanks for the tip about 'Tiritiri Matangi'.

Jaap