Let’s face it, there is nothing worse than an uncomfortable pair of shoes when you travel.

You can still get great shoe bargains at the end of the summer here:

New Zealand basics:
Shopping
New Zealand blends Maori and European heritages to create a totally unique culture. You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting souvenirs of your trip.
We have recommended the wool products already, and ever popular is anything with the silver fern pattern on it, one of the symbols of New Zealand, All Black gear, and anything from pauau shell, a colorful shellfish that is also yummy to eat, usually made up into fritters.
Other favorites to take back are carvings of natural materials, and unusual jewelry made from shells, and the fabulous and now carefully restricted native jade, in both green and black, carved in fabulous designs like swirls and spirals, each with its own unique meaning.
If you shop at the Jade Factory, which has many outlets thoughout the country, you can’t go too far wrong, and they often have special sales and closeouts on certain lines. They can also give you information on the various Maori patterns you see, which mean protection, luck, and so on.

Wining and Dining
The food is incredibly fresh, and seafood is a must. As of course is lamb if you like it. The wine industry is booming, having grown to about 4 times what it was in the past 20 years or so and showing no sign of slowing down. The New Zealand people enjoy the best things in life, and appreciate them to. Prices range from inexpensive to a small fortune, depending on what you eat and where. Cities are obviously  more pricey.
One thing you must have is their hot chocolate, often served with unusual marshmallows. Since I don’t drink coffee, and herbals teas are in a bit of short supply in their equivalent of starbucks, I think I had cocoa in every single place I visited, and each one was better than then next!
Don’t forget to have the New Zealand green mussels-I got a dozen shelled in a little plastic tub ready to eat for less than $3NZ-gorgeous! Supermarkets are good value for all your food needs at the backpackers, for breakfast and lunch, especially if you want to take a packed lunch. If you want a hot one, well, there does not seem to be any such thing as bad fish and chips in New Zealand. The fish is amazing, with so many choices, make a pooint of trying everything. Oh, and the oysters and clams, yum!
Accommodation
As I said, I stayed in backpackers, in order to have more cash for lots of other things, and really, you can’t go too far wrong. People of all ages, included lively octagenarians, stay in them, so my fears about being too old because not a student any more were put to rest.
They all have laundry facilities, full kitchens, and while they might be a bit more run down and dirty in cities, you will be spending so little time in your room it does not really matter.
Everyone is every friendly and helpful, and it is a great way to meet people if you are travelling on your own.
For more fancy hotel accommodation, check with the tourist board, or book online.
Getting around
In the cities, the public transportation is plentiful and cheap. You can usually get an all day pass and Auckland has a great loop bus that comes every five minutes and you can go round and round seeing all the sites and hop off when you need to.

http://www.totaltravel.co.nz/travel/north-island/auckland/auckland/transport/buses/city-circuit

has a map and timetables.
For longer journeys, there are a variety of coach and tour companies, and many of them cooperate with the Intercity line. As I said, the flexipass which starts with a certain number of hours, which you can add on to, is ideal. Everyone in every tourist board is exceptionally helpful, so you should have no trouble getting around on your trip of a lifetime, New Zealand.

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BACK TO AUCKLAND
After my circuit of the North Island, with a day trip to the south, I headed back to Auckland for my plane home. But there was still a ton to do! And not much time.
The Sky Tower, like the Space Needle in Seattle, is the hub of Auckland.

http://www.skycitydarwin.com.au/skycity/auckland/sky-tower/sky-tower_home.cfm

At 328 metres, Sky Tower is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere, offering breath-taking views for more than 80 kilometres in every direction.
Underneath is the main bus station, while the Tower itself houses restaurants, cinemas, and a bungee.
Next stop is Auckland Domain, acres of rolling green just about in the heart of the city.
Auckland Museum is housed in one of New Zealand’s best-known heritage buildings. Located in the Auckland domain, with spectacular views of the city and harbour, the Museum also serves as a war memorial, with galleries telling the story of New Zealanders at war.
Auckland Museum is also home to the most comprehensive collection of Maori Taonga (treasures) and Pacific artefacts in New Zealand.
Overall, the Museum provides a window on New Zealand’s cultural, social and natural history, and includes the award-winning Discovery Centres – “Weird and Wonderful” and “Treasures and Tales” – places for fun and exploration of the natural world and human culture for children of all ages.
The Maori treasures and the building itself are truly fascinating, and a day will fly by here.
If you don’t want to eat in the museum itself, walk into Parnell, an historic village ideal for shopping and sophisticated socializing. It is a hilly area, and a walk downhill back into the city.
Or you can circle round and round all the main sights in Auckland on the Loop bus, which runs frequently and goes past many of the major attractions, plus the university, Sky Tower, and the Britomart station, where you can get a local bus out to any of the lovely suburbs of Auckland, or the train south to Wellington, an 11 hour journey.
Last but not least, no trip to New Zealand and Auckland would be complete without a visit to http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/home/

Kelly Tarlton’s is a wonderland of snow, ice and amazing underwater sights. Explore the wilds of Antarctica and the natural treasures of the ocean depths in our Underwater World – and beyond.

You can get one of the buses from the Britomart center and ask the driver to let you know where to get off. The scerney up the coast of Waitemata harbor is so gorgeous you might miss your stop like I did!

One place I will definitely go is Kaikora, to do whale watching. Whales migrate around New Zealand’s islands in set patterns, even going in and out of the Cook Strait, so if you want to see right whales, sperm, or humpback, this is your place to do it. There are also killer whale, and orcas, and dolphins.

http://www.naturallykaikoura.co.nz/kaikoura/WhaleWatch/

Off the Kaikoura coastline is a marine environment so rich in nutrients that it attracts some of the most magnificent creatures with which we share our planet. At the top of the list is the Giant Sperm Whale that can grow up to 20 metres and weigh over 50 tons. These whales can be seen all year round making Kaikoura one of the most popular whale watching locations in the world.

In addition to the Sperm Whale a number of other species may be seen, depending on the season, as they follow their migratory route.

This unique marine experience also provides an opportunity to sight New Zealand Fur Seals, Dusky Dolphins, the rare and endangered Hectors Dolphins, and a wide variety of seabirds including the Royal Albatross.
Once you have had your whaling adventure, you can head back to Picton. It is near the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. You can walk the most amazing nature trails, swim with dolphins, visit the Seahorse Aquarium and the maritime museum, a fascinating step into the whaling industry which still thrived in the area until the 1950s.
One thing is for certain, there is a huge number of things to do and see in New Zealand, and once you have visited you can’t wait to go back. I had two glorious weeks, and it was nowhere near enough.
If you want the best of all worlds on your vacation, sun, surf, nature and culture, plan a vacation to New Zealand.

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