This is a collection of some things we did in New Zealand. It's not an itinerary, just things we thought were cool and suggest trying if you have time.
Food
McDonald's in New Zealand is genuinely good and cheap. We went constantly. Breakfast, frozen drinks, ice cream, combo meals. I love the Big Brekkie Burger. I wish the US had it.
Orbit at the Sky Tower in Auckland. The restaurant rotates so you get a full view of the city during dinner. The steak was the best steak I'd ever had. The fries were also amazing. Just a perfect meal. Book a reservation.
Fergburger in Queenstown. Order over the phone for pickup so you don't wait in line for 30+ minutes. The fries were amazing.
Fairlie Bakehouse on the way to Lake Tekapo. Steak pies, cookies, brownies, hot cross buns. Everything was really good. It was packed at noon so go early or be patient.
Sheffield Pie Shop between Arthur's Pass and Christchurch. Steak and cheese pie.
The Store in Kekerengu on the drive from Picton to Kaikoura. Right on the water. We had a steak and cheese pie, coffee, and a peppermint slice. Really pretty spot.
ChiChis in Christchurch. Best pasta. The leek and bacon in a cream sauce was amazing.
The Stoaker Room in Wanaka. We liked it so much we went twice.
Charlie Brown crepes in Wanaka.
Full of Beans in Franz Josef for lunch. Huge portions.
Ally Emporium in Wanaka. Amazing breakfast sandwich and coffee. Delicious.
South Westland Salmon Farm Cafe. A cute cafe in the middle of nowhere on the drive to Franz Josef. Also a salmon farm.
Denny's in Auckland is wild. They had dal, butter chicken, and teriyaki noodles on the menu. We went at 5:30 AM and our receipt said customer number 3.
Steak and cheese pies in general. Get them everywhere. Every bakery has them and they're all good.
Hikes
Roy's Peak in Wanaka. About 6 hours. The elevation is steep right from the start and we had no idea if we were going to make it. We did. We even went to the actual summit past the viewpoint where most people stop. Coming down was almost harder than going up. Knees, toes, everything hurts. Worth it.
Hooker Valley Track at Mt Cook. A must do. Mt Cook in general was amazing and the Hermitage was a really nice place to stay.
Rangitoto Summit Track in Auckland. Take the ferry over, hike an hour and a half up to the summit and the lava caves. It's steep at the end but worth pushing through.
Mt Grey near Christchurch. About 6 hours and 9 miles. We went down the other track which was long and sucked on the way down. We were dead by the end.
Lake Matheson Walk near Fox Glacier. About an hour. This is the picturesque view of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman that you see on all the magazines and magnets. The cafe at the end has snacks and gifts.
Aurora Track near Cromwell on the way to Queenstown. Old mining town with mining holes and a gold mine entrance. Really cool. About an hour, steep at the end.
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway. Seals. Beautiful views of the water and mountains.
Mt Victoria in Wellington. Quick morning climb with city views.
Activities
Franz Josef heli hike. Helicopter up, two hours hiking on the glacier. We crawled through an ice cave on our hands and knees. The clouds moved in right after our group finished and they cancelled the next one. We got really lucky. Honestly it's cooler to say you did it than it was to actually do it. If you go, would suggest the ice climbing option instead as it might be more of a challenge.
Milford Sound by small plane from Wanaka. We called Southern Alps Air last minute and got on a flight. One of us got to sit up front each way. The flight was beautiful, the boat cruise was beautiful, we saw dolphins. Worth the extra money for the small plane experience over driving.
Whale watching in Kaikoura. We saw four sperm whales and a bunch of dolphins. Book in advance.
Zorbing in Rotorua. We were the only people there and did all four tracks. This was a highlight. We wish we did it again.
Skyline luge. Both Rotorua and Queenstown have one. The gondola ride up is great and the luge is amazing. Rotorua had bigger tracks, Queenstown had a better buffet.
Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua. Do it at night. Get the fastpass, the regular line was very long and we only waited a few minutes. Good that it was dark because you couldn't see how high up you were.
Punting on the Avon in Christchurch. 30 minutes, learned a bunch of random facts about ducks, eels, trees, and statues.
Wellington Cable Car up to the Botanical Gardens. Walk down through the gardens after.
Zealandia in Wellington. Walk through and see the birds and the tuatara. It's a hike to get back to the cable car after though, very steep hill.
Scenic drives
Crown Range Road from Queenstown to Wanaka. Up over a mountain. Beautiful the entire way. Stop at the summit for the view (cold and windy).
The drive from Picton to Kaikoura along the coast. Stop at the lookouts. We saw seals at Ohau Point.
The drive to Mt Cook. Just breathtaking. Lake Pukaki is an unreal color.
Lindis Pass on the way to Queenstown.
The west coast from Haast to Franz Josef. Beautiful but very windy road. One of us nearly threw up.
Practical stuff
Rent a locator beacon from Macpac for your hikes on the South Island. Pick it up in Wellington, drop it off in Christchurch.
New World, 4 Square, and Woolworths are your grocery stores. Hit them up for water and snacks regularly.
Haka House hostels are solid budget stays. Clean, good locations, laundry facilities.
The Bra Fence in Cardrona on Crown Range Road. It's exactly what it sounds like.