Places I want to see

[aligoestonz]

After wading through many holiday brochures, travel books, and several bus and train timetables, I think I've managed to narrow down which places I'm going to visit.

North Island
Auckland - bright lights, big city
Rotorua - volcanic area
Palmerston North / Ashurst - visiting Alais
Wellington - NZ capital

Comments

[amphibious_one]

Wow! Hope you enjoy New Zealand...

Definitely visit Christchurch. Of course, I am biased (as I live just near there) but it's a great city regardless. It has some wonderful old buildings and some great tourist attractions. Hagley Park is the third largest park in the world, and is very beautiful. The Botanical Gardens nearby are also worth seeing. The Arts Center is worth a visit, as is the Cathedral. And the best part of all is the tram.

If you've seen the film 'Heavenly Creatures' (directed by Peter Jackson) I'd recommend paying the old Girls' High building a visit. That's now called the Cranmer Center, and some shots of it were used in the film.

If you can, I'd certainly recommend paying the West Coast a visit. Not only does it have the greatest natural attractions in NZ (glaciers, the pancake rocks...) but the bush there is incredibly beautiful and untouched.

Christchurch

[aligoestonz]

Yep, having done a bit more reading I'm looking forward to Christchurch. I'll be there towards the end of the holidday, so mooching around in the parks or botanical gardens sounds ideal. Nothing too taxing. Weather permitting, punting down the river would be fun too. And if my finances hold out I've promised myself dinner on the tram.