For information on which countries are exempt from needing visitors visa, please refer to the New Zealand Immigration Services Website.

If you require a visa you can find out how to apply for one here.

If you are not stopping in New Zealand but are merely in transit, you may still be required to have a visa. Visit here to find out how to apply for a transit visa.

Additional requirements for Visa applicants

There are some additional requirements for visitors to New Zealand requiring visas including funds, health and character. See this page for more information about additional requirements.

Wainui Falls is located in the western edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.

The path to Wainui Falls is accessible from the road via Golden Bay, so it’s ideal if you are wanting a shorter walk than trekking all the way into the park.

The walk up to the falls takes about 45 mins and follows the river up through native bush forest.

About halfway up the route, you have to cross the river via a rope bridge. The bridge is in good repair but we found a couple of walkers had not wanted to risk it and we waiting at the end of the bridge for their friends to come back from the falls. If you have a fear of heights or rope bridges this may not be the walk for you!

The falls themselves are delightful, roaring through a gap in the rock 20 or so meters above the little pool they fall into.

The Coromandel is about 2 hours drive from Auckland and is a very popular holiday destination for Aucklanders.

The peninsula has many sheltered beaches, picnic areas and camping sites and gets very busy during the holiday season. We visited around Christmas time and there we lots of families taking their vacations.

Accommodation at The Coromandel Peninsula

If you have any suggestions for accommodation on The Coromandel Peninsula, please use our Contact Us form to get in touch.

Campsites and Holiday Parks

• Bowentown Beach Holiday Park - Situated at Waihi Beach on Coromandel Peninsula.
• Karangahake River Lodge and Campervan Park - Bounded on two sites by Ohinemuri River. Offers lodge, cabins and campervan sites.

Holiday Homes and Baches

• Dacres Grant Estate - “Country Cottage” baches at Cooks Beach, Coromandel Peninsula.

Wanaka is a popular tourist destination and ski resort in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. We stayed in Wanaka for a recent ski trip to the Cardrona and Coronet Peak ski fields.

Wanaka is situated on the southern end of Lake Wanaka and has a long lake-front beach along which the town is based.

Lake Wanaka is very beautiful, especially first thing in the morning as the clouds hang lower over the still surface. The mountains are reflected giving the lake the appearance of a giant mirror.

Wanaka is a great basecamp for skiing holidays. It’s located very close to two of the major ski areas in New Zealand, Cardrona and Treble Cone. It’s also about an hours drive from Coronet Peak and Queenstown.

Accommodation in Wanaka

If you have any suggestions for accommodation in Wanaka, please use the Contact Us form to get in touch.

Holiday Homes and Baches in Wanaka

Luxury Lodges in Wanaka

Motels in Wanaka

Piha Beach is situated on the West Coast of the North Island, 28 kilometers west of Auckland. The beach is famous for great surfing and regularly holds national and international surfing championships.

The beach is a black volcanic sand beach and the surrounding volcanic rock and native bush make Piha a must see destination for visitors to New Zealand.

Although great fun, care must be taken if you are swimming or surfing on the beach as rip tides and currents make for one of the most hazardous swimming beaches in New Zealand. Above all, make sure you swim in-between the flags provided by the Surf Lifesaving Club.

Accommodation at Piha Beach

Finding a nice place to stay at Piha will make your visit even more enjoyable. Here’s some websites with Accommodation at Piha:

PihaBeach.co.nz - This site has a variety of Holiday Homes and Beach Cabins that you can book.

Things to do at Piha Beach

Surfing is what Piha is famous for! The surf is often very high and not suitable for novices. Be sure to check with the lifeguards at Piha Surf Lifesaving Club if you are new to Piha.

Fishing is a popular activity amoungst visitors to Piha Beach. There is a Piha Fishing Club which can orgainse big game fishsing and rock fishing.

Picnics in the Piha Domain, at the end of Glen Esk Road,along Byers Track or by the Lily Pond in Garden Road.

The Piha Domain contains a camping ground, the Piha Tennis club, Piha Bowling Club and the Piha Library.

Rotorua is a fascinating place with bubbling geothermal lakes, wildly coloured rock formations and bubbling pools of mud that give the town a whiff of sulphur.

Rotorua is located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand.

Rotorua has a wide range of tourist activities from ‘Zorb’ing (rolling down a hill in a see-thru blow up ball!) to taking the cable car up into the hills for a great view of the lake.

Rotorua is a tourist hot-spot both for Kiwis and visitors to New Zealand. It has been nick-named ‘Rotovegas’ due to the abundance of motels and hotels, particularly alone Fenton Street.

Map of Rotorua

The Otago Peninsula in Dunedin is a wonderful place to see wildlife. We hiked down across the sand dunes at Sandfly Bay to see the Sea Lions playing on the beach.

Sandfly Bay is named after the huge sand dunes that have ‘flown’ up the sides of the hills. Sandymount is over 200m above sea level and is still covered in sand blown up from the beach.

Here’s the view from Sandymount:

Sandfly bay has a penguin hide for viewing the rare Yellow Eyed Penguins and is also a good spot for watching the Sea Lions playing on the beach. The Sea Lions are a lot less shy than the penguins so make sure you keep your distance!

Here’a a short video of a family of Sea Lions playing on the beach:

Devonport is a beautiful village on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. Situated across the harbour from the city center, many wealthy Aucklanders have made Devonport their home.

Take the ferry from Auckland CBD and in 15 minutes you’ll step off and in to the historic village of Devonport.

There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and art galleries but we found it more fun exploring the beautiful beaches and climbing up the two ancient volcanic hills of Mount Victoria and North Head. Both hills offer spectacular views of Auckland city and out to Rangitoto and the gulf harbour.

Abel Tasman National Park is situated at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was founded in 1942 and is named after Abel Tasman, who was the first European Explorer to lay eyes on New Zealand.

We have visited Abel Tasman twice now and have a fallen in love with it’s crystal clear waters and golden sands.

The Abel Tasman Coastal Track is a great way to explore the park and follows a winding route through native bush and deserted beaches. Make sure you have checked the tidal times before starting a walk though as many routes cross river estuaries that become too deep to cross at high tide.

Other popular activities at Abel Tasman National Park include Kayaking, Camping and Nature watching. We were lucky enough to see several penguins and a host of fish clearly visible through the clear water under the water taxis.

Map of Abel Tasman National Park:

Accommodation at Abel Tasman National Park

• Awaroa Lodge
• Abel Tasman Marahau Beach Camp
• Contact Us to be listed here - it’s free!

Activities at Abel Tasman National Park

• Abel Tasman Wilson’s Experiences - Walks, Kayaking, Boats and Lodges.
• Kahurangi Walks - Guided walks in Abel Tasman National Park.

If you have any suggestions for accommodation or activities, please use the Contact Us form to get in touch.

Waiheke Island is a short (35 minutes) ferry-ride from downtown Auckland. It’s a beautiful little retreat from the busy hustle and bustle of Auckland and offers a wide range of activities for visitors.

We visited Waiheke several times whilst living in Auckland and enjoyed bathing in the sea at Oneroa Beach and supping a cool beer in the beach-side bars at Onetangi.

The center of the island is steep and covered in native trees. You can hire a bicycle and peddle up and down the winding roads visiting most of the attractions if you are willing to spend a few hours and exert a little effort.

Many kiwis have holiday homes on Waiheke and there’s a growing number of Aucklander’s who live permanently taking the ferry to work in the morning.

Oneroa is the main town on the island and is a short walk up the hill from the ferry. Oneroa has several pleasant cafes and restaraunts from which you can enjoy views over Oneroa beach and out to sea.

Map of Waiheke Island: