The Heaphy Track is best known for its beauty and diversity. For 77 kilometresit crosses a range of landscapes in the Kahurangi National Park, from thejunction of the Brown and Aorere Rivers, over expansive tussock downs to thelush forests and roaring sea of the West Coast.The track usually takes 5 days. It is classified as a walking track, being wellformed and suitable for most people. All rivers and major streams are bridged.The Heaphy Track is one of New Zealand's "Great Walks".

I guess you already know about the fact they drive left in NZ. But one thing worth mentioning is one of their 'give way' rules, which is quite unique for NZ apparently (they don't do it in Australia, nor Hong Kong, Singapore. Don't know about UK.) In simple terms, it is the following: " At intersections, give way 'yield' to all traffic crossing or approaching from the right." If you want to turn left, but the car from the other direction also wants to turn to his right (the same road y....

If you have a GSM mobile phone, you can use it in NZ too. For local calls (like confirming your excursion bookings, etc...), you could buy a prepay connection pack from Telecom NZ or Vodaphone. A Vodaphone starter pack (with your own number) is NZ$ 35, pre-loaded with (a miserable) $5. You can add a $20 pre-pay recharge to get around. You could use roaming with your current home account, but that would be ridiculously expensive (I guess).

The most important rule about walking in New Zealand is please leave the gates as you find them, i.e. close them as soon as you’ve walked through them, or leave them open if the landowner has left them that way.

You might have booked a scenic flight, boat trip,… which are weather dependent. The weather is very unpredictable! Try to have a bad weather replacement activity in case the trip gets cancelled. And try to have at least 2 days at those locations, so you might be able to do the trip the next day… We had 4 out of 7 excursions cancelled because of the weather.

Really good quality and very inexpensive camper vans for trips to the South Island. Younger campers especially will appreciate it...the vans are older but sturdy, full of all the necessities (really, EVERYTHING) and the extras are out of this world (MOUNTAIN BIKES!!) It's just one local guy with 6 vans, so phone ahead for reservations. He's very helpful, will pick up and drop off at the airport. Reasonable rates, scaled by season, just as good as the big commercial companies. Better, ....

Farewell Spit is a bird sanctuary, wetland and nature reserve of international importance. Walking is permitted out to approximately three kilometres. This loop walk, out the inside and back the outside, takes about three hours. The Farewell Spit Visitor Centre and Cafe is also the beginning of several other magnificent coastal walks Westwards. Several days are needed to truly experience this area. For those who prefer a less energetic look, there are informative four wheel drive tours travellin....

A long natural sandspit separating the wild west coast from placid Golden Bay. A world heritage site so access by organised 4wd tours only. Two operators based in Collingwood. Miles of mud flats exposed at low tide support many thousands of migratory waders such as godwits and knots from October to march.

Wonderful in fine weather! Can be travelled in bad - but!

Cable bay beach in on a thin strip of stones when Tasman bay on one side and Delaware Cable Bay estuary on the other. It's a nice remote spot to have a picnic that most tourists don't find. There is a 2 1/2 - 3hr walkway through the property (one-way) administered by DoC that passes through a 120 hectare native QE11 Covenant on the farm. The family was approached by Lands & Survey regarding, public access through the farm over 20 yrs ago. It seemed the way to go as in those days every week....