Frommer's New Zealand

By Jessica Lockhart

Frommer’s has amassed a loyal following of millions who have successfully used its guides for more than 60 years. Arthur and Pauline Frommer are a publicity-making machine.

Between writing syndicated newspaper columns, blogs, weekly radio shows and constant public appearances, Arthur writes introductions to many of the guides, while Pauline oversees the line as Editorial Director and author of the two best-selling guides to New York City.
Frommer’s authors are noted journalists, known for providing high-quality research and reliable, yet opinionated colorful reviews. Most of the authors live in the area they cover to ensure that the books lead travelers on the most authentic journeys possible. Because they are “embedded” in these locations, they also are able to turn up money-saving advice, for travel in all price ranges that many other guidebook series miss.

Reviews include websites,closest public transportation, hours and exact pricing
Most books feature a detachable map
All new Frommer guidebooks are set in 10 pt. type, larger than most other guides
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The guides are featured and link to key retailers and IndieBound for fulfillment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: FrommerMedia
• Release date: Sep 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9781628875300

Book preview

1

The Best of New Zealand

L ast, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart, wrote English novelist Rudyard Kipling when describing Auckland after a visit to New Zealand/Aotearoa in 1891. His observation has been echoed by many who have visited the country in the years since. About the size of the United Kingdom, but with a population of only five million as compared with 66 million in the UK, it’s a country that punches above its own weight.

Let’s talk diversity. New Zealand is like a cleverly wrapped gift that continually reveals surprises. There are heart-stopping thrills for adventure seekers. Ecotourists have national parks, penguin colonies, marine parks (whales, dolphins, sea lions) and forest walkways to explore. The landscape can change from gently charming to towering majesty within an hour’s driving time. You might find yourself surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks and glaciers, you could be deep within a complex subterranean cave system, lost in a lush rainforest, boutique shopping in a buzzy city, or making your way across a stark volcanic valley punctuated by cones rising high above the horizon.

The strong culinary scene may come as a surprise. New Zealand’s relative isolation has resulted in a food industry that emphasized the hyper-local long before it was ever a fad. NZ produces some of the world’s finest seafood, produce, and award-winning wine, beer, and spirits—not to mention internationally recognized chefs. That’s not to say it’s all fine dining: Nothing beats getting takeaway fish and chips from a beachside food truck, a Kiwi classic.

The country is also becoming world-renowned for its innovative sustainable tourism practices. This commitment goes beyond the Tiaki Promise, a commitment all visitors are asked to make to protect its biodiversity and culture (p. 572). In a response to concerns about overtourism, the NZ government has vowed to shift to a regenerative tourism model. And New Zealanders are proud of their origin story. Hardly a hamlet or town exists that doesn’t have its own small but polished history museum. This is in addition to big-city treasure houses, such as Dunedin’s Toitū Otago Settlers Museum (p. 531). Increasingly, there’s also a greater (and much-deserved) emphasis on celebrating Māori history pre-colonization, including that of the seafaring Polynesian explorers who first landed on Aotearoa’s shores approximately 800 years ago. Attractions like Northland’s Manea Footprints of Kupe (p. 152) and apps like Tupapa in Tairāwhiti Gisborne (p. 267) are sharing these important stories.

For a small country, the challenging geography (mountains, rivers, sea crossings) means many miles must be traveled to reach the best attractions. Fortunately, the travel links are easy. National airline Air New Zealand is backed up by smaller regional airlines, the InterCity coach system connects business centers with practically every visitor attraction, and in-between are busy shuttle buses and scenic train lines transporting visitors to popular destinations.

But while the places you visit, the hotels you sleep in, and the adventures you have will shape your experience of Aotearoa (the Māori word for New Zealand, which translates roughly to the land of the long white cloud), what you will remember most is the warm and genuine welcome of the people you meet. Kiwis are eager to share their home and their stories—but they’re just excited to hear yours. There’s a Māori proverb that captures this sentiment well, and it’s one you should carry with you on your travels:

Māku e kii atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? Well, let me tell you: It is people, it is people, it is people. 

The most authentic New Zealand Experiences

Try a Kiwi-invented sport: New Zealanders are creative bunch, who have invented a range of unusual and incredibly fun and adrenaline-pumping activities. You can thank Kiwis for jetboating, Zorbing, blocarting, and riverbugging. Take from your pick of weird and wonderful activities in Rotorua (chapter 7) or Queenstown, the country’s adventure capital (chapter 14).

A daredevil takes to the air at AJ Hacket Bungee Taupo.

Yes, this is the farm from the Lord of the Rings films at Hobbiton. But many other farms in New Zealand are just as picturesque.

Visit a Māori marae: Experience the hongi (the formal nose-to-nose Māori greeting), see deeply moving kapa haka (song-and-dance) performances, and eat from a traditional underground hāngī (oven). Do this in Bay of Plenty or Rotorua as part of an organized tour experience or seek permission to visit one of the dozens of East Cape marae (village commons).

See a city rise again: There are few places in the world where you can see in one city block the devastation of an earthquake and the beauty of a city rebuilt. A renewed Christchurch is taking shape, and the results are impressive. See chapter 13.

Take a farm tour: The only thing more impressive than seeing farmers shear sheep is watching their whip-smart cattle dogs in action rounding up the flocks. Farm stays across the country offer tours of their massive properties, including at the Ruapehu’s remote Blue Duck Station (p. 260).

The best New Zealand Nature Experiences

Look for glowworms: Waitomo’s caves (p. 170) are lit up by the ethereal blue-green phosphorescence of these cool little critters. But you can actually find them in groves, forests, and caves across the country, including on a twilight kayak tour with Riverside Adventures outside Cambridge (p. 169).

See endemic NZ wildlife flourishing: Invasive stoats and rats have negatively affected the country’s native wildlife, but efforts to save this unique ecosystem are underway in the country’s incredible predator-free wildlife sanctuaries, where you can hear and see what Aotearoa must have been like when the Polynesian explorers first arrived. Dunedin’s Orokonui Ecosanctuary, Wellington’s Zealandia, and the Bay of Plenty’s Moutohorā/Whale Island, are all home to rare native birds, including kiwi. You can find foraging kiwi on Rakiura/Stewart Island (p. 559) or visit the only mainland breed colony of royal albatrosses in the world (p. 533). Penguins are found in many coastal crannies, including in Oamaru, where kororā/little penguins puts on a nightly show as they rush up from the sea to nesting places (p. 517). And last but not least, wave off thousands of godwits and gannets at Farewell Spit (p. 384).

The worm-saliva draped walls and ceilings of the Waitomo caves look like miniature galaxies.

Soak in waters heated by geothermal activity: New Zealand is renowned for its volcanic activity, resulting in hidden hot pools across the North Island. While much of this activity is centered in Taupō and Rotorua, you can dig your own hot pool in the sand on Hot Water Beach (p. 179) in the Coromandel, or just outside the fishing village of Kāwhia in the Waikato (p. 174).

Stargaze in the darkest skies: Stars, galaxies, and planets look close enough to touch when a knowledgeable guide is to hand to identify and point them out in the clear night skies of International Dark Sky Reserves. See Tekapo and Aoraki/Mount Cook in the Mackenzie Country in chapter 15.

Learn what it means to tramp: For such a small country, NZ boasts an enormous amount of backcountry—and Kiwis absolutely love getting out for a tramp (Kiwi for hike). Wherever you are, there’s a hike or bike ride worth doing (which we’ve highlight in each regional chapter’s Outdoor Pursuits section), offering views and experiences you won’t get from the window a car. The best hikes in the country are categorized as Great Walks, while the best bike rides are called Great Rides. See chapter 17 for details on both.

New Zealand’s best Architectural Landmarks

North Island

Auckland Museum (Auckland): Auckland’s monumental museum lies on the rim of an ancient volcano enveloped in parks and gardens. (The museum’s colonnades are said to be a near-replica of the Greek Parthenon.) A newer dome entrance in the Atrium shows off contemporary New Zealand architecture. See p. 75.

St. Mary’s Church (Tikitiki, East Cape): This ornate Māori church was built in 1924 to honor the soldiers of Ngāti Porou who lost their lives in World War I. The interior is a masterpiece of intricate Māori design, the carvings by local Ngāti Porou. See p. 270.

Hamilton Gardens goes deeply into surrealism—and it’s delightful.

Hundertwasser Art Centre & Wairau Art Gallery (Whangārei, Northland): Thirty years in the making, this museum sheds light on the life and legacy of Austrian-Kiwi artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. He believed the straight line was godless, so this building is a lopsided blur of color, with not a straight line to be found. See p. 140.

Hamilton Gardens (Waikato): These botanic gardens are a marvel of landscape architecture. The 54-hectare (133-acre) space offers up fantasy environments and buildings such as a Surrealist Garden that will make you feel like you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole, and an Italian Renaissance section that looks like it was airlifted from Tuscany. See p. 167.

Napier’s Art Deco Downtown (Hawke’s Bay): This seaside city was forced to reinvent itself in 1931 after an earthquake razed the city. It rose again, with 140 new buildings constructed in the Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles in vogue at the time. Today this collection of buildings is considered one of the best preserved, most handsome Art Deco neighborhoods on the planet. See p. 278.

South Island

The Christchurch Transitional Cardboard Cathedral (234 Hereford St., Christchurch): When the original Christ Church Cathedral was badly damaged in the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011, the Anglican diocese came up with a temporary solution: the Transitional Cathedral. Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ibu, it is constructed largely of cardboard and light timbers, most visible in the exterior walls of huge cardboard tubes. The interior of the cathedral is bathed in the natural light streaming between the tubes. See p. 428.

The Arts Centre (30 Worcester Blvd., Christchurch): Designed by architects Benjamin Mountford and Hurst Seager and built in 1876 as an education facility, this pleasing collection of neo-Gothic buildings is clustered around a lovely quadrangle. In 1973 it became the Christchurch Arts Centre, housing artist studios, theaters, a dance school, galleries, shops, cafes, and restaurants. Badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake, it has undergone a NZ$20-million restoration, and today much of the facility has reopened. See p. 423.

The Christchurch Transitional Cardboard Cathedral is a masterwork of innovation and spirituality.

Oamaru’s Victorian Precinct (Harbour/Tyne sts., Oamaru): This cluster of 19th- and early-20th-century streets, ornate limestone buildings, and warehouses has been expertly restored and today is a vibrant area for gallery-hopping, shopping, nightlife and dining. A short walk away, the 1907 Oamaru Opera House, has a dizzyingly beautiful interior with elaborate plastering, gilding galore, and an Edwardian proscenium arch. Try to catch a performance here, if you can. See p. 515.

Dunedin Railway Station (Anzac Ave., Dunedin): Opened in 1906, this impressive decorative building was described by its architect as Flemish Renaissance. We’re a long way from Belgium, but you have to love such a flamboyant face for a port cargo railway station. See p. 526.

The best Places to Stay in New Zealand

Country-wide

Canopy Camping: This collection of privately owned, wonderfully comfortable cabins, glamping tents, and holiday homes are what many Kiwis choose for their own holidays. The vast majority are set on farmland and feature somewhere to cook (although that can range from a full kitchen to just a camp stove or BBQ area) and such niceties as outdoor bathtubs or wood-fired hot tubs. Some of their more unusual offerings include a hobbit house in the Waikato, a hotel tucked into a boat in Whanganui, and the opportunity to glamp inside Auckland’s Eden rugby stadium. Prices are mid-range.

North Island

Treetops Lodge & Estate (Horohoro): For privacy and posh, this luxury lodge is hard to beat. Its vast grounds include an 800-year-old forest, trout streams, and lakes. Go horseback riding, fish for trout, or dine on Michelin-starred meals. See p. 224.

Who knew an isolated sheep station could be this glamorous? Welcome to Wharekauhau Country Estate.

Chateau Tongariro Hotel (Whakapapa Village): This grand dame and New Zealand icon enjoys a choice perch at the base of Mount Ruapehu. It’s solidly gracious, with lobby and lounges full of plump armchairs and sparkling chandeliers. See p. 259.

Ahu Ahu Beach Villas (Oakura): This lovely beach accommodation of four units and three family villas was crafted from all manner of recycled and repurposed bits and pieces—100-year-old French clay tiles, power poles, driftwood. They’re as amazing as their location, overlooking the Tasman Sea. See p. 302.

Wharekauhau Country Estate (Featherstone): The current Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Kate) stayed at this 2,000-hectare (5,000-acre) working sheep station, with views out over Palliser Bay. This award-winning estate offers royals and non-royals alike loads of luxury and comfort. See p. 350.

Lake Taupō Holiday Resort (Taupō): The best accommodation deals in NZ come courtesy of campgrounds, known here as holiday resorts or holiday parks. Not just a place to park your RV or pitch your tent, they typically feature self-contained accommodation, including cabins and motel rooms, and countless facilities geared to families. The Lake Taupō Holiday Resort is a shining example, with its heated outdoor pool (complete with swim-up bar and grotto); volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts; and all sorts of wheeled toys for rentals. See p. 239.

South Island

14th Lane Hotel (Blenheim): Formerly a pub, this building was originally earmarked to become a hostel. Instead, it’s been transformed into an eight-room boutique hotel in the heart of Blenheim with eight spacious, bright, and airy rooms that provide the ideal reprieve after a day at Marlborough’s wineries. See p. 366.

Maruia River Retreat (Murchison): Run by two yoga teachers, this wellness retreat’s seven private villas are set within a 500-acre estate of nature estate, the perfect setting for a literal interpretation of forest bathing. See p. 393.

Observatory Hotel (Christchurch): You’ll think you’re staying in Harry Potter’s Hogwarts in this new boutique property located within the historic Arts Centre buildings. See p. 434.

The Theatre Royal Hotel (Kumara): Enjoying a stylish resurgence, the Theatre Royal Hotel was rescued from dishevelment and restored to its Victorian glory days, with deliciously cozy ensuite rooms, a busy bar, a good restaurant, and for budget travelers, a hostel section across the street. There’s nary a hint of ghostly miners, flash floozies, or music-hall actors, but you can’t have everything. See p. 404.

SkyScape (Mackenzie): On this family-owned high-country beef and cattle station, you’ll be able to lay back and look at the stars in your all-glass abode. See p. 511.

The best Restaurants in New Zealand

North Island

Sid at the French Café (Auckland): The accolades and awards keep coming for an eatery where exquisitely prepared food meets impeccable service in a smartly designed modern-farmhouse setting. See p. 112.

Blue Duck Station’s Chef’s Table Experience (Whakahoro, Ruapehu): Whakahoro (pop. 8) has become a go-to culinary pilgrimage destination thanks to its Chef’s Table Experience, which begins with a 2-hour ATV safari to look for blue ducks in the waterfalls, followed by a 10-course degustation overlooking Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks. See p. 260.

Cured fish with apples and edible sea snails at Sid at the French Café.

Craggy Range (Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay): This winery showcases the region’s best ingredients, including local fish, lamb and venison, with most of its produce grown on-site. See p. 290.

Hiakai (Wellington): Fine dining you can only experience in NZ, Hiaki is run by Māori-Samoan chef Monique Fiso. Her take on take on Māori cuisine landed her a spot on Netflix’s The Final Table series, which profiles the world’s top chefs. See p. 333.

Patrick’s Boutique Bakery (Rotorua): A local favorite, this classic Kiwi bakery offers few frills and only two outdoor tables. But it offers some of the best breads, pastries, and salads that you’ll find for under NZ$10 in the country. See p. 225.

Wallingford Homestead (Central Hawke’s Bay): Headed by chef Chris Stockdale (who was named one to watch in the 2022 NZ Cuisine Awards), this spot serves up classic and beautifully plated slow food in a historic country setting. Plan your visit for when the property’s 1,700 truffle trees are being harvested. See p. 286.

South Island

Arbour (Blenheim): We love it for its culinary finesse, use of seasonal ingredients, and wine-matching flair. See p. 367.

Grizzly Baked Goods (Christchurch): Melt-in-your mouth bear claws and filling bagel sandwiches are served at this hole-in-the-wall takeout spot, which always sells-out early. See p. 439.

Hokitika Sandwich Company (Hokitika): The magic formula here is fresh everything: freshly baked bread (once they run out, they stop making sandwiches for the day); local meats, cheeses and greens; and condiments made in-house daily. See p. 410.

Jester Café (Tasman): Beyond the very good food, this family-friendly has a number of attractions to keep the wee ones busy while you dine, including a playground filled with hand-carved wooden creatures. See p. 373.

Tussock Hill Vineyard (Cashmere, Christchurch): High in the Port Hills, this restaurant’s food and wine is as good as its view, offering unique twists on Kiwi classics, such as onion dip and pavlova. See p. 440.

The best Cultural Experiences & Guided Tours

North Island

Footprints Waipoua (Hokianga, Northland): A twilight tour with this Māori-owned tour operator through the Waipoua Forest—home to 2,000-year-old giant kauri trees—is an evening spent immersed in myth and culture. See p. 153.

The Legendary Black Water Rafting Company (Waitomo): This underground tubing adventure will see you jumping off waterfalls backwards in the dark and floating on your back along an underground river lit only by glowworms. See p. 173.

Mount Tarawera (Rotorua): In 1886, this volcano erupted, engulfing the beautiful Pink and White Terraces, the birthplace of NZ’s tourism industry. Today, you can climb inside its rainbow-hued crater, which has to be seen to be believed. Tour operator Kaitaki Adventures will take you there and make sure you get home safely. See p. 209.

South Island

Outwest Tours’ Johnny’s Journey (Westport): A West Coast local, Johnny lives in a shack in the bush with no running water or electricity. He’s not alone, though; he has a red deer named Guinness, pigs, and goats for company. Over roughly 3 hours, the former deer culler shares stories from his life and takes visitors on a tour of his expansive bush property. See p. 390.

Tours to Mount Tarawera take you inside the crater of what once was one of the most destructive volcanoes on Earth.

Tales from Darkest Dunedin (Dunedin): Yes, you’ll wander through a cemetery, but this isn’t a ghost tour. Instead, guide Gregor Campbell is a historian who takes visitors to where the city’s most famous founders are buried, recounting their sad and sometimes scandalous life stories. See p. 533.

The Pelorus Mail Boat Cruise (Marlborough): Spend a day cruising the waters of the Pelorus Sounds and helping to deliver mail and supplies to the local residents—and their friendly dogs—in boat-in-only locations. See p. 357.

Waka Abel Tasman (Kaiteriteri, Nelson): Board a traditional double-hulled waka (canoe) and spend half a day exploring the coastline near Split Apple Rock while learning more about Māori culture. See p. 382.

Watch This Space (Christchurch): Thanks to this charitable trust, an art historian and street artist will guide you around the city’s streets, explaining the history’s heritage and plans for the future. See p. 429.

The best Cycle Trails in New Zealand

Alps to Ocean (310km, 6 days): A sweeping landscape is viewed from behind the handlebars along this trail, which runs from the Tasman Valley in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park to Oamaru’s Victorian Harbor Precinct. The mountains nudging Aoraki/Mount Cook are gigantic and jagged. The lakes are huge and about 50 shades of blue, and the trail rides on and on past rivers and plains and villages, cliffs of clay, hydro dams and ancient drawings in limestone caves. Accommodation includes former schoolhouses, country cottages, restored railway sheds, and farm lodges.

Where trains once chugged, cyclists can now zoom, taking in some of the most dramatic vistas on the South Island, accessible via the Otago Central Rail Trail.

Otago Central Rail Trail (150km, 1–5 days): This visually striking ride follows an old train track bed through the glorious Central Otago countryside. It’s like being in a landscape painting, though rail bridges and a tunnel or two add a touch of drama. At the end of each day you’re rewarded with a restaurant or pub and a charming place to lay down your head (and bicycle).

Lake Dunstan Trail (55km, 1 day): One of New Zealand’s newest trails is also one of its best, running from historic Clyde to just-as-historic Cromwell. It too, is technically in Central Otago, but offers up a dramatically different landscape than the Otago Central Rail trail, as it skirts around the edges of the overwhelmingly blue Lake Dunstan.

The best Museums in New Zealand

North Island

Auckland Museum (Auckland): This top-flight museum holds the largest collection of Māori and Polynesian artifacts in the world, plus an interactive volcano gallery and a lovely sculpture walk. See p. 75.

New Zealand Maritime Museum (Auckland): Located right on the harbor, this museum contains working displays and exhibitions documenting 1,000 years of New Zealand maritime history. Watch traditional boat craftsmen, learn about America’s Cup history, and take a breezy harbor ride on a heritage sailing ship. See p. 83.

Tawhiti Museum (Hawera): Former art teacher Nigel Ogle created cunning life-size exhibits and scale models that encapsulate the history of Taranaki. Take a ride around the museum environs on the Tawhiti Bush Railway, a little logging train. See p. 298.

Te Papa (Wellington): New Zealand’s national museum has been the capital’s top attraction since it opened in 1998. It brings fun into the museum experience with interactive technology and world-class exhibitions that eloquently tell the story of Aotearoa—its art, culture, history, and environment. See p. 320.

South Island

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre (near Blenheim): This is a must-visit for anyone with an interest in aviation, WWI, or history in general. Who knew those early flyboys had so many aircraft at their disposal, or that so many clever chaps could manufacture these planes, let alone fly them? Fascinating, funny, and inspirational. See p. 363.

Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery (Dunedin): At once creepy and fascinating, this is a weird and wonderful private collection of bones, cultural objects, and ethnological art curated by artist Bruce Mahalski. See p. 527.

The Lost Gypsy (the Catlins): Artist and inventor Blair Somerville showcases his whimsical automatons here, including large-scale kinetic sculptures like a bicycle-powered television. See p. 545.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum (Dunedin): This museum not only focuses on how our great-grannies lived and worked, but it pays attention to 20th-century details as well. Vintage washing machine anyone? Or a Buick? Plan on a couple of hours, maybe more, as every corner of this museum has interesting objects and exhibitions. See p. 531.

Bill Richardson’s Transport World (Invercargill): So who knew old trucks could hold so much interest for so many people? Transport World displays vehicles sourced not only from local Invercargill sheds, but incredible treasures discovered in the U.S. as well, including Henry Ford’s first cars right up to the Model T. See p. 549.

Found objects are brought to new life at the Lost Gypsy, an eccentric charmer of a museum.

The best Beaches in New Zealand

North Island

Waiheke Island’s Onetangi Bay: Stand on the bay’s wide stretch of golden sand, and you can see for miles. On a clear day, throw yourself down into the sand and gaze at the steep pinnacles of Aotea/Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier, off in the hazy distance. There might even be a few glimpses of the Coromandel in between deliciously warm swims. See p. 124.

Karikari Peninsula’s Beaches: This is the Far North at its subtropical best, where endless sweeps of sparkling white sand are lapped by crystal-clear, azure-blue waters. And from Tokerau Beach to Rangiputa to Matai Bay, you may have miles of it to yourself for beachcombing, sunbathing, and swimming (with care). See p. 156.

South Island

Tāhunanui (Nelson): The sea is shallow and warm here, with gentle waves and a good-for-families beach with attached activities: bumper cars, paddleboarding, and a skating rink. See p. 373.

Marahau to Tōtaranui (Abel Tasman National Park): The sand here is golden unlike that of the South Island’s east coast, where it is universally beige. The beaches are tucked between rocky (often limestone) outcrops and bush that reaches almost to the tide mark. These strands are hard to beat for sheer romanticism. See p. 380.

Windswept and wonderful Wharariki is kismet for beachcombers.

Wharariki (Golden Bay): This is a walking beach, not a beach for swimming. Wild seas pound it, giant sandhills are shaped by the strong winds off the Tasman Seas, and all is drama. It is a wilderness place with dramatic caves and quiet rock pools. See p. 384.

2

New Zealand in CONTEXT

Kia ora, welcome to New Zealand/Aotearoa. Get used to this greeting because you will hear it—and likely use it—plenty during your New Zealand experience. It means hello as a greeting, or go well as a farewell. This chapter is designed to help you understand more about New Zealand’s fascinating culture, language, history, and people.

Looking Back: New Zealand History

POLYNESIAN EXPLORERS As a visitor to New Zealand, you’ll hear widely varying (and not always linear) oral traditions about the arrival of the first Polynesian explorers. No one version is authoritative, but one of the most common concerns the explorer Kupe. According to some tribal stories, he was the first Polynesian to arrive, sailing from Hawaiki, the traditional place of Māori origin. (The exact location of Hawaiki also isn’t necessarily clear. It could be a real place, or simply a spiritual location.) Other legends discuss a fleet of seven canoes that arrived during the great migration to key locations across Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand, which translates to land of the long white cloud).

From an archeological perspective, evidence indicates that Aotearoa’s first permanent settlers came here no later than 1300, likely travelling from East Polynesia (specifically the Society Islands, the southern Cook Islands, and the Austral Islands in French Polynesia). At least 40 legendary wakas (or double-hulled sailing canoes) are documented in oral histories, which may have arrived over a period of decades or even, potentially, centuries. This was no small feat; the Polynesians relied on ancient navigational aids—such as the stars, birds, and clouds—to travel thousands of miles to their new home.

Early Māori Settlement It wasn’t until the mid-14th century that Māori arrived in great numbers, with dogs and rats also making the voyage. These settlers found abundant seafood and wildlife (including the moa, an ostrich-like, flightless bird that was hunted to extinction within a few centuries), which they supplemented with tropical plants like taro, yams, and kūmara (sweet potato) they’d brought from home. The cultivation of these imported vegetables and animals gradually led to an agricultural society in which Māori lived in permanent villages based on a central marae (village common or courtyard) and whare runanga (meeting house). This is where the distinctive Māori art forms of woodcarving and tattooing evolved.

It’s important to note that Māori did not identify as a collective group, or see themselves as living within a unified nation. In fact, the term Māori didn’t come into use until the arrival of Europeans. There were different iwi (peoples or tribes) and relations between them were governed by the concepts of mana (status) and utu (reciprocity). Conflict would break out when tribes competed for resources or land, or when an individual or tribe wanted to increase their mana. Utu (payback) was also a part of the ethos surrounding conflicts and compromises. The importance of these cultural values systems is critical to understanding the first interactions between the Europeans and the Māori.

Abel Tasman & Dutch Discovery The first recorded sighting of New Zealand by Europeans occurred in December 1642. Abel Tasman was scouting territory for the Dutch East India Company and spied the west coast of the South Island. He entered Golden Bay, and met the Māori before even reaching land. As his two ships anchored, two waka paddled out to inspect the ships and challenged the intruders with trumpet blasts, possibly to frighten away what they perceived as dangerous spirits. In response, the Dutch fired a cannon, provoking an angry response. The next day, Māori attacked and killed four sailors. Tasman retreated and, failing to find a suitable landing spot, sailed on to Tonga and Fiji. For many years to come, Golden Bay would be known as Murderer’s Bay thanks to this incident.

CAPTAIN COOK When Captain James Cook left England in 1768 on the Endeavour, he carried orders from King George III to sail south in search of the continent reported by Abel Tasman. If he found it uninhabited, he was to plant the English flag and claim it for the king; if not, he was to take possession of convenient situations, but only with the consent of the Indigenous people.

On October 6, 1769, Nicholas Young, 12-year-old son of the ship’s surgeon, spotted New Zealand from his perch in the mast. Naming the headland (in the Gisborne area) Young Nick’s Head, Cook sailed into the bay and anchored. With the help of a young Tahitian priest, Tupaia (who had sailed with the crew as a guide and interpreter), Cook tried to make contact with Māori, but to disastrous results. Like the Indigenous people in Golden Bay over 125 years earlier, the local iwi (tribe), Ngāti Oneone, were confused by the strange vessel, reportedly believing it might be a giant bird or a floating island. So, it’s not surprising that when the Europeans approached, they were greeted by Māori in what experts say was a ceremonial challenge. Having never seen a haka (a ceremonial war dance) before, the Europeans believed they were under attack. They shot and killed Te Maro, a Ngāti Oneone leader. In the ensuing days, several more conflicts and skirmishes broke out, resulting in the death of at least nine more Māori, including the chief, Te Rakau. After less than a week in the area, Cook departed, unable to secure food and water for his men.

Disappointed, Cook claimed the country for King George, and named the bay Poverty Bay because, as he noted in his journal, it afforded us not one thing we wanted. Sailing north, he rounded the tip of the North Island and went on to circumnavigate both islands. During the next 6 months, he accurately charted the country, missing only Milford Sound’s entrance (which is virtually invisible from the open sea) and the fact that Stewart Island was not part of the mainland.

EUROPEAN SETTLERS Arrive In the latter half of the 18th century, sealers and whalers discovered rich hunting grounds. Traders and merchants moved in next, attracted by New Zealand’s flax, its abundance of trees for shipbuilding, and the lucrative trading of muskets and other European goods with the Māori. In their wake, great forests were felled, and bushlands disappeared.

Contact between Europeans and Māori became more frequent, and most, if not all, encounters were peaceful.

In the early 1830s, missionaries arrived, and began putting the Māori language in writing (largely for the purpose of translating and printing the Bible), establishing mission schools, and upgrading agricultural methods using plows and windmills.

Back in Britain, the newly formed New Zealand Company began sending ships to buy land from the Māori and establish permanent settlements. Between 1839 and 1843, the New Zealand Company sent out 57 ships carrying 19,000 settlers, the nucleus of the permanent British population. The arrival of all these immigrants had a devastating impact on Māori culture, leading to the erosion of many traditional practices. The introduction of diseases against which the Māori had no immunity, and alcohol, was as destructive, as was the sale of weapons to the Māori, which intensified intertribal warfare, setting off the Musket Wars of the 1810s, 1820s and 1830s. In 1769, the Māori population is estimated to have been about 100,000. By 1896, it had plunged to just 42,000.

Racial tensions intensified, as did intertribal warfare, and immoral behavior amongst the new European arrivals. Kororāreka (modern-day Russell in the Bay of Islands) was known as the hellhole of the Pacific for its brothels and violence. The British government came under pressure to intervene, so in 1833, it placed NZ under the jurisdiction of New South Wales, with British Resident James Busby to keep law and order. Unfortunately, with little support and no means of enforcing his authority, Busby was completely ineffective.

The Treaty of Waitangi The acquisition and trading of land across cultures led to more violence and conflict, and concerns were expressed back in Britain by humanitarians about the effects of colonization on the Indigenous people.

To control the new settlers, regulate land transactions, and to protect Māori, the British government made the decision to annex New Zealand, and in 1839, Captain William Hobson was sent by the government to sort out these concerns. Hobson arranged for an assembly of 40 chiefs at the Busby residence in the Bay of Islands. There, on February 6, 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed after lengthy debate. Another 500 chiefs added their names when the treaty was circulated around the country.

Unfortunately, there were two versions of the Treaty—one in English and one in te reo Māori (the Māori language) and they weren’t exact translations. In the English version, the treaty guaranteed Māori all the rights and privileges of British subjects in exchange for their acknowledgment of British sovereignty, while granting the Crown exclusive rights to buy land from the Māori. In the te reo Māori version, Māori were guaranteed self-governance—two promises that don’t necessarily align.

So instead of easing tensions, the Treaty of Waitangi ushered in one of the bloodiest periods in New Zealand’s history, with many of the conflicts centered around the forced sale of Māori land. Over the next 20 years, thousands—mainly Māori—would lose their lives in fierce battles. The British finally emerged the victors, but the seizure of Māori land continues to be the subject of debate today.

From Waitangi to the Present In the 1860s, gold was discovered on the South Island’s West Coast. The ensuing gold rush opened up huge tracts of Central Otago, and Cobb & Co, a stagecoach company, began to link the major towns from Christchurch south, eventually adding coach service across Arthur’s Pass to the gold fields of Westland. By the end of the 1860s, gold-rich Dunedin was by far the largest city in the country. Advances in rail transport flourished during this period, and, New Zealand entered a period of lively economic activity that was to see it through the 1870s and 1880s.

Whaling, too, changed the face of New Zealand during this time bringing an influx of international whalers along with traders, more missionaries, and the development of onshore whaling stations, and new housing settlements. Many whalers left their ships to marry into Māori families—the fact that there are many Māori families today with Scandinavian names is part of that legacy.

In 1892, the introduction of the first refrigerated shipment of lamb to England heralded a new era in beef and lamb exports.

History was made a year later when NZ became the first country in the world to allow women to vote.

In 1914, 100,000 New Zealanders joined the Australia–New Zealand Army Corps to fight in World War I, and New Zealand lost more soldiers per capita than any other nation.

Next, the Depression of the 1930’s struck, and, as it did around the planet, it brought unemployment, work camps and riots. As the country was climbing out of that tragedy, another one struck, and Kiwi soldiers returned to battle in 1939 with the advent of World War II.

In 1947 the Statute of Westminster gave New Zealand full independence from Britain. For many, the 1950s were a golden era. The economy had long since settled, men were back from war, and, for the first time, New Zealand’s population hit two million. Threats were few and achievements began piling up: Edmund Hillary became the first man to climb Mount Everest, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II was the first royal visitor, and the Auckland Harbour Bridge heralded a new age of modernity when it opened in 1959.

But by some measures, New Zealand was not as developed as many other western nations. Case in point: It wasn’t until 1960 that the first television transmission took place! In addition, the country’s economy had depended on wool, dairy, and meat exports with protected, unlimited access to British markets. That changed when Britain entered the European Common Market in the 1970s. New Zealand was forced to diversify and do business with many other countries, but it completed that hurdle and by the mid-1980s, meat, wool, and dairy products accounted for just under 50% of export income.

The mid-1980s also heralded the complete deregulation of the domestic economy. It took a decade of struggle for many industries to come to terms with the changes. (This is the main reason its infamous sheep numbers dropped from 70 million in 1982 to the present low of around 26 million.) The stern belt-tightening ultimately bore fruit, and by 1993, the economy was flourishing.

In the late ’80s, a shift to skills-based immigration resulted in increased multi-culturalism, with more immigrants arriving from the wider Pacific (including Samoa and Tonga), Korea, Thailand, India and China. The economy has also been transformed. Less than 10 years ago, it was still heavily reliant on primary industries, including forestry, fishing and agriculture. While these exports still play a major role in the country’s GDP, the nation’s top industries are now professional scientific and technical services; manufacturing; healthcare; construction; tourism; and education and training.

COVID-19 Response In March 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the New Zealand government responded with an elimination strategy, intended to shut out the disease. Borders were closed—and would remain so for more than 2 years—with returning citizens and residents required to complete a mandatory 2-week hotel quarantine. It was considered, at the time, one of the world’s strictest lockdowns.

The strategy proved effective, and the country avoided the first wave of COVID-19. While it has had its critics, the government’s response resulted in one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 mortalities in the world. Although many industries were hit hard—particularly tourism and hospitality—the economy was relatively protected and recovered rapidly, with low rates of unemployment documented throughout the pandemic.

Over time, New Zealand’s Covid strategy has transitioned from one of total elimination to mitigation.

New Zealand Today

New Zealand is a young nation, growing and changing rapidly, with multiculturalism playing a major role in the way Kiwis live. In 1987, when the concern was biculturism, a tribunal was set up to address Māori issues dating from the settlement years (1839–43). A balance of that land was returned to Māori ownership, and many tribes have established lucrative business and corporate entities in the seafood, forestry, farming, and tourism industries. Acknowledgement of the effects of colonization on the Māori has continued since then. After nearly becoming extinct, te reo Māori was named an official language in New Zealand (along with New Zealand sign language) in 1987. And on June 24, 2022, Matariki (the Māori New Year) was named an official public holiday.

New Zealand today welcomes immigrants from all corners of the globe and they enrich the nation—be it in education, music, hospitality, or agriculture. Our cultural heart beats strongly, adding vibrancy to daily life. New Zealand artists, writers, musicians, actors, and filmmakers have developed an enthusiastic international audience.

Art & Architecture

Art New Zealand’s artistic roots are a mix of European tradition and Pacific, especially Māori, influences. In some ways the two are quite different. The early Europeans favored landscapes and figurative art, often painting subjects from literature. In contrast, the Māori traditions of carving and tattooing were used as a means of creating records of genealogy, recording historical events, and sharing knowledge.

Among the most famous older Kiwi works (you may encounter them on your travels) are Gottfried Lindauer’s late-19th-century paintings of prominent Māori chiefs, warriors and women, and landscape art by Augustus Earle (1793–1838). Historic Māori weaving and carving, the latter done in wood, bone and greenstone, are prized today, and considered masterworks in their own rights.

Recommended reading & listening

Want to know more about the events that shaped NZ’s culture and value systems? The Penguin History of New Zealand has been a best-seller since its original 2004 publication for good reason. Written by award-winning Kiwi historian Michael King in a balanced and incredibly readable format, it covers everything from the country’s geological formation up until the early 21st century, while also dispelling common historical myths.

Looking for a way to make your flight time pass faster? Radio New Zealand’s podcast The Aotearoa History Show delivers the goods in bite-sized episodes of 25 minutes or less. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-aotearoa-history-show

Art isn’t just viewable in the country’s galleries and museums. It can be found spraypainted on the side of buildings and down alleyways, in maraes (Māori village commons or courtyards) and on the faces and bodies of Māori, with tā moko (Māori tattoos) currently experiencing a resurgence. As well, in the 20th century, New Zealand became a haven for artists and makers, with many setting up shop in enclaves within the Nelson/Tasman, Coromandel, Northland and Whanganui regions. Potter Barry Brickell’s Driving Creek Railway in the Coromandel (p. 181), and visual artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s public toilets in Kawakawa (p. 138), are two of the country’s most contemporary art attractions.

Architecture When the first settlers arrived, the only structures were the Māori-built raupo (reed) whare (houses). The British quickly felled trees and began building very English little cottages (and later bigger houses and mansions). As wealth in the new colony increased, so did the stature and durability of the buildings. New Zealand’s first substantial buildings were erected by missionaries in the Bay of Islands around 1814. You can still visit Kemp House and the Stone Store in Kerikeri (p. 150), both constructed in a Georgian style that set the tone for much that was to come.

St. Faith’s Church in Ohinemutu, Rotorua, sits on the shores of a geothermal lake.

Today in the wealthier suburbs of Auckland (Remuera, Parnell, Mount Eden, Devonport); Wellington (Thorndon, Mount Victoria); Christchurch (Fendalton, Merivale); and Dunedin (Māori Hill) you’ll still find many fine large Georgian-style and Victorian homes. Christchurch and Dunedin are known for their Victorian Gothic architecture. Central Hawke’s Bay and the South Island still have huge homesteads from this period. If you’re lucky, you may get to stay in some that have been converted into lodges or upmarket bed-and-breakfast accommodations. One example, as is Canterbury’s Otahuna Lodge (p. 434). One of the finest examples of Queen Anne architecture in Australasia, it’s been beautifully restored and converted into a luxury lodge.

Throughout the country, from tiny towns to large cities, there are also hundreds of examples of excellent ecclesiastical architecture worth visiting. In the more remote areas of Northland and East Cape, you’ll find exquisite little Māori churches, including St. Faith’s Church in Ohinemutu, Rotorua (p. 219), and St. Mary’s at Tikitiki on East Cape (p. 270). Both feature intricate carving and tukutuku paneling that you won’t see anywhere else in the world.

Architecture buffs should also seek out Napier and the wider Hawke’s Bay for the finest collections of Art Deco and Spanish mission architecture outside of Miami. Central Napier was rebuilt almost entirely in Art Deco style after the massive 1931 earthquake that obliterated the city. And in Oamaru in the South Island, you’ll find an impressive collection of classical and Renaissance buildings complete with Corinthian pillars.

Contemporary architecture—both domestic and commercial—is increasingly finding a New Zealand voice. Buildings are being constructed to reflect the landscape, with stunning examples found across the country. Pitched roofs, locally sourced timber, folded forms, and an emphasis on sustainability dictate much of the country’s current architectural trends. Geographic isolation has also resulted is making use of what’s at hand, which is why you’ll see plenty of homes, offices and even storefronts built out of shipping containers.

Canterbury’s 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, for example, were an opportunity for Christchurch to reinvent itself. While you’ll still see evidence of the disaster in vacant buildings and empty lots, you’ll also find stunning new earthquake-proof buildings, such as the Tūranga public library (p. 428). Hospitality also offers up some of the finest examples of what New Zealand architecture can look like. Wineries, too, are at the leading edge of New Zealand contemporary architecture. Fine examples include Cable Bay (Waiheke Island; see p. 126), Craggy Range (Hawke’s Bay, see p. 290), and Elephant Hill (Hawke’s Bay; see p. 281).

Books & Films

BOOKS Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) put New Zealand on the literary map with her still-admired short stories set in New Zealand (although she spent most of her adult life in Europe). Among contemporary fiction writers, Keri Hulme won the prestigious Booker McConnell Prize for The Bone People in 1985; the late Janet Frame became famous for Owls Do Cry, An Angel at My Table, and several others; Owen Marshall is perhaps our finest living short-story writer; and the late Barry Crump is a legend of a completely unique, raw, backcountry style, with books A Good Keen Man and Hang On a Minute Mate.

Top Māori writers include Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, and Alan Duff. In addition, Maurice Gee, Maurice Shadbolt, Fiona Kidman, and Lauris Edmond all warrant attention. Some newer books we’d recommend include The New Zealand Wars Trilogy by Maurice Shadbolt (David Ling Publishing Limited, 2005); and The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (Little, Brown and Company, 2013).

FILM In 2022, filmmaker Jane Campion won an Academy Award for Best Director for her 2021 film The Power of the Dog. It wasn’t the first time she’s been recognized for her work; in 1993, her film The Piano was nominated for nine Academy Awards. (Star Anna Paquin, of Wellington, won one for Best Supporting Actress.)

Director Peter Jackson grabbed headlines when he secured Hollywood funding for Lord of the Rings. His Heavenly Creatures (1994) was the winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy went on to win a cluster of Oscars. Jackson has since added to his success with The Hobbit and the 2022 The Rings of Power series. Jackson’s special effects company, Wētā Workshop, is open to visitors in Wellington (p. 324), with another tourist attraction in Auckland (p. 80).

Two of Māori author Alan Duff’s novels have also been made into successful films; Once Were Warriors and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted shocked audiences with their true-to-life violent portrayal of Māori gang society. Niki Caro’s Whale Rider in 2002 (based on the Witi Ihimaera book) won international acclaim. And in 2020, Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries was turned into a miniseries.

One of the sets from the Lord of the Rings films, now a tourist attraction called Hobbiton.

Filmmaker and actor Taika Waititi, who wrote and directed Flight of the Conchords, has earned international acclaim with Jojo Rabbit, Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Thor: Ragnorak, some of which are set in NZ.

International filmmakers are also attracted to the country’s diverse landscapes. New Zealand has played backdrop to Wolverine, 2018’s A Wrinkle in Time, Disney’s live-action Mulan, and The Lovely Bones. Much of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was filmed in the South Island, while Tom Cruise filmed Samurai in the North Island’s Taranaki district.

Eating & Drinking

New Zealand hasn’t had a long tradition of service in restaurants. For many young people, being a server is a reluctantly sought holiday job to earn money for university studies—and it sometimes shows. However, many polytechnics now offer proper training and there’s a gradual swing toward a belief that hospitality can be a career option, not just a seasonal ordeal.

Service glitches are more noticeable in smaller provincial centers. Some of that can be attributed to a lack of suitable local employees; there’s been a post-pandemic labor shortage. Areas such as the West Coast face the reality of young people moving out to the cities; and major tourist centers like Queenstown tend to have a very transient population of restaurant employees.

New Zealand restaurants are either licensed to serve alcohol or BYO (bring your own); some are both. BYO of course is cheaper, as you don’t have to pay the restaurant’s surcharge on the wine, though some BYO establishments charge a corkage fee (usually NZ$3–NZ$8) for opening the wine bottle. Note: BYO means wine only, not beer or any other alcoholic beverages.

Tipping is not customary. When you look at menu prices, it’s important to keep in mind that tax and gratuities are essentially factored into the total cost of your meal, with servers being paid a living wage. (Minimum wage is NZ$21.20.) With that being said, if you’d like to show appreciation for good service, particularly at a fine dining establishment, gratuities are appreciated.

Dining hours vary from one eatery to another. You can expect cafes to open between 6am and 9am and close as early as 2pm. (You may have a hard time getting a good coffee after 3pm.) Cafes typically serve cabinet food (premade sandwiches and the like), alongside hot breakfast and lunches. If you’re working remotely while you travel, be aware that the culture of treating cafes like coworking spaces generally doesn’t exist. That’s not to say laptops are off-limits; it just means that if you sit at a table for a long time without ordering food, you’re likely overstaying your welcome.

Except for the major cities, you may have difficulty finding a meal between the hours of 3pm and 5pm, which is when kitchens are generally closed.

Finally, most restaurants outside of major cities have reduced hours during the winter months, with hours changing seasonally. I’ve done my best within this guide to indicate accurate hours for each business, but it pays to double-check opening times before arrival. For business hours, Facebook and Instagram pages tend to be a more reliable source of info than websites, which are updated less often.

Food

New Zealand is a land of edible bounty: Canterbury lamb; Central Otago pinot noir; Bluff and Nelson oysters; Nelson scallops; Kaikōura crayfish; West Coast whitebait; South Island venison; Marlborough green-lipped mussels; Akaroa salmon; Stewart Island blue cod; Central Otago cherries and apricots—and you shouldn’t miss any of it. With so much fresh produce, seafood and meat grown and produced in-country, the emphasis tends to be on locally sourced and in-season ingredients. Throughout this guidebook, I’ve included examples of dishes restaurants might serve, but often menus change based on seasonality. Dietary needs (including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free foods) are generally well catered for, although you may find this is less the case in rural settings, particularly on the South Island.

You’re also more likely to eat at independently owned restaurants rather than chains, particularly outside of the major urban centers. The trend is towards upscale food in relaxed, contemporary settings, with share plates growing as a dining trend. For quick or moderately priced casual meals, you can visit a café to peruse its cabinet food (which often includes sandwiches, salads, pastries, and quiches) or hit up a local bakery for a savory pie.

While you’ll find plenty of examples of dishes that are hangovers from NZ’s British colonial past (lamb roasts being a prime example), modern New Zealand cuisine tends to focus on combining fresh local ingredients with Pacific or Asian cooking techniques. In the country’s main cities, you’ll also have access to Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, and Italian cuisines, to name a few. The one category New Zealand seems to struggle with? Mexican. (You’ll find it, but it’s always a gamble.)

On top of the usual restaurant and cafe experiences, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you miss trying a few iconic Kiwi meals, including fish and chips. Many still offer the meal—deep-fried battered fish and fat potato fries—wrapped in newspaper. The individually sized meat pie is another Kiwi favorite, although its name is a bit of a misnomer—increasingly, you’ll find veggie versions of this dish. Every convenience store, service station and bakery in the country has a pie warmer.

Long evenings tend to lend themselves to eating outdoors, making the barbecue a summer favorite. It invariably includes sausages (not hot dogs) and steak, accompanied by salads. It may also include barbecued fish, scallops, crayfish straight from the ocean.

Last but certainly not least, the traditional Māori hāngī, where food is cooked underground, is a must-do experience. Traditionally, it involves lighting a fire and putting large stones in the embers to heat. Simultaneously, a large pit is dug. The heated rocks are then transferred into the pit, covered with wet sacking and/or wet newspapers. Prepared lamb, chicken, pork, fish, shellfish, and vegetables (most commonly sweet potato, pumpkin, and cabbage) are wrapped in leaves, placed in flax baskets (now made of wire or mesh), and lowered into the cooking pit, covered with more newspaper and earth, and left to steam. The moist, tender, melt-in-your-mouth food is lifted a few hours later.

Fish and chips graced a New Zealand postage stamp in 1994, a nod to the dish’s iconic status.

With its distinctive smoky flavors, hāngī food is not to everyone’s taste. If you’d like to give it a try, ask at visitor centers for tour operators who include a hāngī. You’ll find this readily in Rotorua, where hāngī meals are commonly offered as part of a cultural performance package.

But Māori food isn’t limited to hāngī. Across the country, chefs are embracing and reinterpreting native ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, including in a fine dining context. (Look no further than Wellington’s celebrated Hiakai [p. 333] to see what I mean, or Mount Maunganui’s Izakai [p. 204], which serves Japanese food with a Māori twist.) Recipes may include tītī (muttonbird), horopito (a pepper tree), pikopiko (fern shoots), kawakawa, kūmara (sweet potato), pāua (abalone), or kina (sea urchin). Whitebait (a type of delicate fish, considered to be the caviar of NZ) is another popular ingredient, but since four out of five whitebait species are endangered we don’t encourage visitors to order it.

Price categories for eating in New Zealand are as follows: Inexpensive (up to NZ$150), Moderate (NZ$151–NZ$300), and Expensive (NZ$301 and more).

Drink

In 2000, New Zealand’s wine exports totaled around NZ$100 million; by 2020, they’d hit $2 billion. That’s rapid growth by anyone’s standards, and as you drive around New Zealand you’ll probably wonder if there’ll be any farmland left without flourishing vines in another 10 years.

It was a very different story 30 to 40 years ago when the nation’s vineyards and wineries were restricted to a few long-standing operations in West Auckland and Hawke’s Bay. That all changed in the 1990s when a British wine critic tagged New Zealand sauvignon blanc as arguably the best in the world. Since then, the growth in the wine industry has been unbelievable. There are now 10 major winegrowing regions spanning latitudes 36 to 45 and the entire length of the country. That makes for some diverse growing conditions and some very distinct wine styles. Turns out we can just about grow anything here, although it is pinot noir and sauvignon blancs that have made the country famous internationally. There is also growing recognition of NZ’s chardonnay, méthode traditionelle sparkling wines, rieslings, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot—all of which have cemented New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of world-class wines.

honest eats

Across New Zealand, it’s not uncommon to see honesty boxes located at farm gates. Selling everything from avocados, kiwis, and feijoas to fresh bread and bouquets of flowers, these roadside stalls are usually unattended and operate on the honor system. Drop your cash in a lockbox and help yourself to whatever you please. It always pays to have some gold coins on-hand for a quick road-trip treat.

Major wineries in all the wine regions have been highlighted throughout the guide and can be found along the Wine Trail (www.classicwinetrail.co.nz).

To say that New Zealand is a nation of beer drinkers is an understatement. Beer arrived with the European settlers, but despite its long history, there was a time when the beer scene was dominated by just a few major breweries (Lion and DB, for example). But in the last 20 years, there’s been a proliferation of microbreweries all over the country. You can travel from one end of the country to the other and never drink the same beer twice. To name just a few top brewers there’s Hallertau in Auckland (p. 114); McCashin’s in Nelson (where the hop-growing industry thrives; p. 379) and Monteith’s in Greymouth (p. 405). Craft beer tours (self-guided and guided) are particularly popular in Wellington.

The spirits industry is also seeing a massive growth with an influx of new micro distilleries. Fifteen years ago, there were as few as a dozen; today there’s upwards of 130. Gin is, by far, the most popular spirit being produced, often with native botanicals. The good news? That also means that a booming whisky industry isn’t far off. (Many distillers make gin to maintain profitability while they wait for their whiskies to age.)

In the non-alcoholic category, one must-try is the ever-popular Lemon & Paeroa. Ever since therapeutic spring water was discovered in the little Thames Valley town of Paeroa in the 19th century, it’s been a huge hit. Now we have many new players (too many to list) bringing us a whole range of new soft drink and kombucha flavors, such as feijoa.

Coffee is the other revolution. Although instant coffee is still found in homes and hotels, NZ has been transformed into a nation of caffeine addicts. There are countless roasting companies in most cities and cafes serving excellent espresso are on every corner. If New Zealanders are going to frequent a franchise, they’re loyal to a New Zealand-based operation (there’s no Starbucks here). Brands to look for are Allpress, Coffee Supreme, Atomic, Ozone, L’affare, and Rocket. Organic and fair-trade coffee is readily available in the larger cities and towns.

When to Visit

New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere; therefore, all seasons are the opposite of those in North America, Europe, and other Northern Hemisphere locations.

There really isn’t a bad time to travel to New Zealand, with some important caveats. First, most Kiwis take their annual holidays between Christmas and February 1, putting pressuring on accommodation and attractions across the country. This is also true for other school holiday periods