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New Zealand Snapshot

The most pleasant time for travelling throughout New Zealand is summer (December to February); however, this is also the busiest period, especially during school holidays (late December to late January). Winter can get very cold with frequent snowfall - but this is the perfect time to travel if you’re looking to ski or snowboard, particularly in the South Island.
  • Auckland weather chart
  • Christchurch weather chart
  • Queenstown weather chart

Eating and Drinking in New Zealand

  • Wine & Beer: Producing a huge variety of top quality wines, visitors will have fun visiting vineyards and cellar doors all around the country. But it’s not all about the wine in New Zealand - microbreweries are well represented too. So be sure to savour a boutique brew before you leave.
  • Seafood: New Zealanders are spoilt for choice when it comes to seafood. Being an island nation has its advantages – fresh prawns, lobster, mussels and oysters are in abundance all year round. For those on a budget, fish and chips on the beach provide a seafood fix at an affordable price.
  • Lamb: With sheep playing a huge part in New Zealand’s agricultural economy, it’s no wonder succulent lamb can be found in most restaurants. If you’re a meat lover, don’t leave New Zealand without tasting the lamb.
  • Kiwi Fruit: It comes as no surprise that New Zealand grows a lot of kiwifruit. Try it fresh from a market stall or fruiterer, cut up in fruit salad, in desserts like pavlova or even as a jam.
  • Pavlova: Even though the creator of this desert is hotly contested by their trans-Tasman cousins, the pavlova - a dessert with a meringue-like base and topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit - was the invention of a Wellington chef to honour Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova's tour of Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. A trip to New Zealand is not complete without indulging in a slice of this national icon.
  • Fresh New Zealand Oysters
  • Kiwi fruit

Intrepid believes that one of the best ways of experiencing a country is by eating! Whether you're sampling street food, savouring a cheap eat or indulging in a banquet, there are endless options to choose from wherever you are in the world. With award-winning wineries, cool bars, indulgent restaurants and a multitude of farmers' markets, eating in New Zealand is a real treat.

Shopping in New Zealand

  • Tasty Treats: New Zealand is home to many producers of fine food. Home grown wine, olive oil, honey, jam and avocado oil are among the best picks.
  • Wool: With a huge sheep population, the quality and variety of wool is superb in New Zealand. From hand knitted jumpers (jerseys to the locals) to sheepskin rugs and top quality knitting yarn, it’s easy to find a warm and woolly souvenir
  • Art & Handicrafts: From ceramic bowls to metal sculptures, woodcarvings to greenstone jewellery, you'll find traditional Maori techniques and influences in many of New Zealand’s art and crafts. Try to find authentic, locally made items rather than imported (and inferior!) goods.
  • Bright white wooly sheep waiting to be sheered

With a nice little mix of malls, boutiques, galleries, fresh produce markets, cellar doors and providores, New Zealand has enough variety to keep most keen shoppers happy. Look beyond the tourist shops selling stuffed toys and flags and dig a little deeper to find unique art, locally-made crafts and gourmet goods.

It’s a good idea to check with your local customs officials to ensure that you are able to bring certain items back into your home country. Australia and New Zealand generally have strict quarantine laws.

Accommodation

Travelling with Intrepid is a little bit different. We endeavour to provide travellers with an authentic experience to remember, so we try to keep accommodation as unique and traditional as possible.

When travelling with us in New Zealand you may find yourself staying in a:

  • Homestead

  • Experience good old-fashioned New Zealand hospitality while staying at a character-filled homestead.

  • Overnight Cruise Boat

  • One of the most relaxing ways to experience New Zealand’s natural world is aboard an overnight boat. Spot wildlife and admire the scenery during the day, and drift off to sleep at night.

  • Waipoua Kauri Forest Lodge

  • Sleep among the towering giants of the Waipoua Kauri Forest in a comfortable forest lodge.

Transport

Intrepid believes half the fun of experiencing a new country is getting there, and getting around once there! Where possible, Intrepid uses local transport options and traditional modes of transport - which usually carry less of an environmental impact, support small local operators and are heaps more fun.

Depending on which trip you're on while in New Zealand, you may find yourself travelling by:
Kayaking group enjoying the mesmerising canyons of New Zealand

  • Kayak

  • The only interruptions to the tranquility of New Zealand’s waterways come courtesy of the dolphins, penguins and seals that sometime show interest as you kayak through their backyard.
Iconic Cablecar in travelling through Wellington in New Zealand

  • Cable Car

  • Queenstown’s lofty Skyline Gondola offers awe-inspiring views of this scenic region.

Shortlist

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New Zealand at a glance

  • 5
  • Wellington (population 370,000)
  • 4.2 million
  • English, Maori
  • NZD
  • (GMT+12:00) Auckland, Wellington
  • Type I (Australian/New Zealand & Chinese/Argentine 2/3-pin)
  • +64

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