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The adventure seeker’s 12-day guide to New Zealand

Lara Picone Lara Picone
For pulse-quickening experiences and intrepid escapes, New Zealand’s often wild and always wonderful islands offer the ultimate in adventure travel.

The pristine and dramatic beauty of New Zealand/Aotearoa’s magnificent landscapes have always beckoned adventure-craving travellers. From head-first bungee plunges and landing on a glacier to abseiling caverns by the light of a thousand glow worms and downward descents on two wheels, the country is a playground for thrill hunters. 

Follow our 12-day trip from north to south for a sample of that addictive adrenaline rush that has us flocking across the Tasman at every chance.

Days one and two: Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau

Welcome to the City of Sails. This coastal, North Island city offers more than nautical adventure for the experience-thirsty tourist. With islands, beaches and (thankfully dormant) volcanic cones to explore, there’s easily a week of discoveries to enjoy, but on our taste-testing trip, skim the top off with a handful of highlights.

Don’t miss:

Sky Tower
If heights are your thing, ascend to Sky Tower and experience the thrilling Skywalk or, for absolute thrill-seekers, the Skyjump, which will see you take a heart-stopping leap from the 328-metre-tall building.

Auckland's Sky Tower.
Look up at Auckland’s Sky Tower.

Kayak to Rangitoto Island
More on the gentle end of the adventure scale, take a guided sea kayak excursion out to Auckland’s largest dormant volcano.

Enjoy the Waitakere Ranges
Bring your hiking boots for a trek through this regional park that takes in rainforest and coast and dazzles with the dramatic Karekare Falls.

Waitakere Ranges
Hike through the regional park at Waitakere Ranges.

Stay:

New Zealand’s first Five Green Star Hotel, The Hotel Britomart is certainly one of Auckland’s sleekest and newest hotels. Ultra-stylish, it’s the ideal place to unwind after a day of adventure. 

Hotel Britomart in Auckland
Stay at Hotel Britomart for a getaway in downtown waterfront Auckland.

Day three: Bay of Islands

Journey a little over three hours north from Auckland to find yourself at the stunning Bay of Islands. This sub-tropical micro-region comprises 144 islands, fascinating cultural sites, a cluster of charming towns, and incredible marine adventures. From pristine forests to offshore islands and marine reserves, it’s a veritable playground.

Don’t miss:

Take a dive
Join a tour to the Poor Knights Islands to experience the beautiful and diverse underwater life of this marine reserve.

Dive or snorkel at Poor Knights Islands.
Join a tour to the Poor Knights Islands.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Discover this significant site through two museums, guided tours and Māori cultural performances, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Waitangi Treaty Grounds is Aotearoa New Zealand’s most important historic site.

Ocean Adventure boat ride
Elevate the heart rate with a speedy trip to local attraction The Hole in the Rock with Ocean Adventure. This is certainly the quickest way to take in the beauty of the bay!

Stay:

Punctuate your visit to the Bay of Islands with a little luxury and stay at the superb Eagles Nest.

Eagles Nest Bay of Islands
Stay at the superb Eagles Nest.

Day four: Hokianga

Venture west from the Bay of Islands and switch up adventure in the sea for fun on the sand. Hokianga is famous for its giant sand dunes, which invite a day of sandboarding for the speed-chasers among us. Don’t miss a stop at the Waipou Forest along the way. 

Hokianga sand dunes
Hokianga is famous for its giant sand dunes.

Don’t miss: 

Mighty Tane Mahuta
This majestic Kauri tree in the Waipou Forest is thought to be the world’s largest living tree of its kind. It’s worth a detour to take in its ancient splendour.

Mighty Tane Mahuta
Mighty Tane Mahuta has been known to reduce visitors to tears.

Sandboard fun
Pre-schoolers to (willing and able) pensioners can enjoy the downhill thrill of sandboarding with Hokianga Express Charters.

Sandboard down Hokianga's famous sand dunes.
Tackle Hokianga’s famous sand dunes.

Jetski safari
If you’ve had enough sandboarding, hop on an Awesome Adventures jetski for a guided safari around Hokianga Harbour. 

Stay:

After a day on the dunes, return to Auckland to rest your weary bones before continuing south tomorrow.

Day five: Rotorua via Waitomo

Your final destination for today will be the thermal resort town of Rotorua, but the four-hour drive from Auckland is punctuated with a stop at the incredible glowworm-lit Waitomo Caves.

Glow worms illuminate the Waitomo Caves
Drift through the glowworm-lit Waitomo Caves. (Image: Waitomo Caves Discovery Center)

Don’t miss: 

Waitomo Caves boat tour
With your way lit by friendly glow worms, this dreamy drift through limestone formations has been 30-million years in the making.

Abseil Waitomo Caves
If a boat tour is altogether too sedate for your adventuring heart, you can switch up the pace with a rock climbing and abseiling or black water rafting tour with Waitomo Adventures & Day Spa.

Stay:

Even thrill-seekers need a little RNR, so check into Solitaire Lodge for a top-up of pampering.

Day six: Rotorua

Rotorua offers both sides of the coin to travellers. For the less daring, indulgence awaits at the naturally heated mineral pools at Polynesian Spa. For those looking to quicken a pulse, there’s the opportunity for mountain biking, bungee jumping and zip-lining. Meet in the middle to discover the area’s geothermal attractions, such as Pōhutu Geyser, Hell’s Gate and Waigmangu Volcanic Valley.

Polynesian Spa
Relax at Polynesian Spa.

Don’t miss:

Luge and zip
If your idea of a good time is hurtling through a forest at great speed, you’ll need to visit Skyline Rotorua for a day of fast and furious fun.

Skyline Rotorua
Take in the views with Skyline Rotorua.

Hit the trails
For more high-speed hurtling down mountains, head to Whakarewarewa Forest, or ‘The Redwoods’, for some two-wheeled mountain-biking adrenaline.

Mountain bike The Redwoods.
Mountain bike The Redwoods.

Days seven and eight: Queenstown

Head back to Auckland to catch a flight to the South Island hotspot of Queenstown. Come winter this is a haven of snowy adventure, but even without the white stuff, there’s plenty to hasten the heart rate, from jet-boating to bungee jumping and skydiving.

Don’t miss:

Jet-boating
Skim the surface of crystal Lake Wakatipu at white-knuckle speeds. There are plenty of operators with a licence to thrill.

Bungee jumping
Adventurers don’t come to Queenstown without launching off a height. Head to the world’s first commercial bungee site at Kawarau River.

Bungee jump at Kawarau River
Kawarau River was the world’s first commercial bungee site.

Or jump from the sky
Jumping off a bridge a bit tame for you? Plunge from the sky instead.

Stay: 

For a streamlined, sustainable hotel, the smart mi-pad on Henry Street has you covered.

mi-pad on Henry Street
Stay at the smart mi-pad on Henry Street.

Weekly travel news, experiences
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Day nine: Milford Sound/Piopiotahi day trip

A 35-minute scenic flight from Queenstown will land you at the incomparable Milford Sound, where you can spend the day marvelling at glacial beauty and otherworldly waterfalls. Join a cruise or choose your own adventure.

Milford Sound at sunrise
The mighty Milford Sound.

Don’t miss: 

Kayak the sound
Adventure isn’t always robust. A serene paddle around this dramatic and pristine landscape will make you feel like an intrepid explorer.

Hike it
The Milford Sound Track may not be on the cards this trip (bucket list that one for later), but you can still get your hike on with the 3.4-kilometre Key Summit Track, which rewards with views of Fiordland National Park.

Hike Milford Sound
Experience Milford Sound from the floor on a hike.

Stay: 

Return to your Queenstown accommodation or linger longer at Milford Sound Lodge.

Milford Sound Lodge.
It’s not hard to linger longer at Milford Sound Lodge.

Day 10: Franz Josef Glacier

Imagine reaching out to feel the icy-smooth, glassy surface of a glacier. You can do just that at the Franz Josef Glacier, just over a four-hour drive from Queenstown. It’s a very approachable walk to the base of this chilly natural attraction.

Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier is a four-hour drive from Queenstown.

Don’t miss:

Take a heli-hike
As far as treasured travel memories go, landing on a glacier in a helicopter has to rank quite highly. The sheer beauty of this icy wonderland will leave you breathless, and that’s before you even land!

Stop at Lake Wanaka
On your way to Franz Josef, stop for a quick paddleboard atop Lake Wanaka, or saddle up for a horseback saunter into the surrounding wilderness.

Kayak Lake Wanaka.
There are plenty of adventures to be had atop Lake Wanaka.

Stay:

A cosy Airbnb such as Gibb’s Guesthouse will serve you well for post-glacial defrosting.

Day 11 and 12: Christchurch/Ōtautahi via Greymouth

Break up the five-hour drive from Franz Josef to Christchurch with an interlude at former gold-mining town Greymouth or a brisk walk at Arthur’s Pass National Park, before traversing the Canterbury Plains to the vibrant, ever-changing ‘Garden City’.

Arthur’s Pass National Park.
Explore the sights of Arthur’s Pass National Park.

Must-see: 

Devil’s Punchbowl Falls
The alpine beauty of Arthur’s Pass, with its beech forests and ice-cloaked peaks and valleys, deserves a little pause on your journey. Take a brief one-hour-return hike to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls to soak in the alps.

International Antarctic Centre
True adventurers will love a stop at Christchurch’s International Antarctic Centre, where you can enter a storm dome and take a ride on an amphibious Antarctic vehicle.

Take a punt
After the thrills of the previous 11 days, wind down to wrap up your last day in New Zealand with a leisurely punt down Avon River, or end the trip with a party bike pub crawl with Beer Cycle.

Punt the Avon River
Move at a leisurely pace down Avon River.

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Lara Picone
Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    Continue
    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

    In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

    In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

    Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

    At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

    While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

    It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

    2. Better sleep options

    Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room
    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

    The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

    3. More ways to move

    woman hiking around queenstown new zealand
    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

    At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

    Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

    4. Better connections

    Novotel Sharm El Sheikh
    Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

    One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

    Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

    A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

    5. Location is everything

    Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld
    Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

    All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

    Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

    12-Day Adventure Guide to New Zealand | International Traveller