Read New Zealand as regions such as Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, not as a pin.
Auckland-Rotorua-Waitomo is the spine.
Regions
- Auckland — Auckland is stop 1 in a New Zealand map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Rotorua — Rotorua is stop 2 in a New Zealand map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Wellington — Wellington is stop 3 in a New Zealand map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Queenstown — Queenstown is stop 4 in a New Zealand map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Fiordland — Fiordland is stop 5 in a New Zealand map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Christchurch — Christchurch is stop 6 in a New Zealand map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
Routes
- Auckland-Rotorua-Waitomo — Auckland-Rotorua-Waitomo — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Christchurch-Aoraki-Queenstown-Milford — Christchurch-Aoraki-Queenstown-Milford — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Wellington-Marlborough — Wellington-Marlborough — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Te Anau-Milford — Te Anau-Milford — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
Icons
- Auckland — Why Auckland photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Rotorua — Why Rotorua photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Wellington — Why Wellington photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Queenstown — Why Queenstown photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Fiordland — Why Fiordland photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
Pairings
- Slow pair — Pair Auckland with Rotorua; drop a third stop before you add one.
- Weather pair — Do not force a wet coast and a dry highland into the same week.
- Honeymoon pair — Two city nights plus three quiet nights recover better than a trophy circuit.
Dropping the third city is usually a gain.
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