/* eslint-disable */ // Auto-generated destination data — new-zealand window.NEW_ZEALAND_DATA = { "chrome": { "hero": { "kicker": "HowTo:Travel · Oceania · Aotearoa New Zealand", "h1Lines": [ "Two islands,", "a thousand weathers,", "and no snakes" ], "issueLabel": "Issue Nº 47 · Country guide · Updated April 2026", "lede": "New Zealand is a country that decided volcanoes, glaciers, fjords and beaches should share the same landmass. The North Island runs hot — geothermal pools, subtropical forests, wine country on volcanic soil. The South Island runs cold — alps, turquoise lakes, roads that end at the sea. Drive slowly. The distances lie.", "stats": "16 regions · 2 islands · 5 cities · 6 great drives · 268,021 km²", "metaRows": [ { "k": "Currency", "v": "New Zealand dollar (NZD)" }, { "k": "Plug type", "v": "Type I (angled three-pin)" }, { "k": "Visa for US/UK/EU", "v": "Waiver (90 days)" }, { "k": "Best for first-timers", "v": "Central Otago + Bay of Islands" }, { "k": "Language", "v": "English, te reo Māori" } ], "frames": [ { "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1507699622108-4be3abd695ad?w=600&auto=format", "cap": "Milford Sound · 44°S" }, { "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1469474968028-56623f02e42e?w=600&auto=format", "cap": "Lake Tekapo · 44°S" }, { "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1589802829985-817e51171b92?w=600&auto=format", "cap": "Cathedral Cove · 36°S" } ] }, "anchor": { "label": "In this guide", "items": [ { "id": "intro", "label": "Letter" }, { "id": "macros", "label": "Zones" }, { "id": "regions", "label": "Regions" }, { "id": "drives", "label": "Drives" }, { "id": "cities", "label": "Cities" }, { "id": "trains", "label": "Trains" }, { "id": "when", "label": "When" }, { "id": "food", "label": "Food" }, { "id": "festivals", "label": "Festivals" }, { "id": "language", "label": "Phrases" }, { "id": "neighborhoods", "label": "Neighborhoods" }, { "id": "faq", "label": "Questions" } ] }, "intro": { "lead": "This is not the middle of nowhere — it's the edge of everywhere else. Two islands floating in the Pacific, three hours ahead of Sydney, twenty-four hours behind London, and temperamentally closer to Scandinavia than Australia. The light here is different. Sharper. The kind of light that makes photographers pack an extra memory card. You'll notice it first over the Southern Alps at 7am, or across the Hauraki Gulf at sunset, or through the canopy in Fiordland when the rain finally stops. New Zealand doesn't do subtlety. It does dramatic landforms, microclimates every forty kilometres, and weather that changes while you're looking at it. The North Island is volcanic, warm, Polynesian. The South Island is alpine, cool, European in mood. Between them: a strait named after a captain, and a ferry that takes three hours.", "side": "We spent eighteen months driving both islands — summer in Central Otago, winter in Rotorua, spring along the West Coast. Every drive ended at a vineyard or a beach. This guide is the result: where to sleep, what to eat, which roads matter. The New Zealand you won't find on an adventure-tour brochure.", "credit": "— The editors · Wellington · March 2026" }, "signoff": { "h2": "One last thing", "body": "New Zealand rewards the slow traveller. The person who takes the gravel road, who stops at the roadside honesty box, who learns three words of te reo before landing. Rent a car. Sleep in small towns. Order the whitebait fritter. And if someone offers you a flat white at a servo in the middle of nowhere, say yes — it will be better than anything you had in the city.", "credit": "— The editors" } }, "macros": [ { "id": "north", "name": "Te Ika-a-Māui (North Island)", "tint": "#D4583C", "blurb": "Volcanic plateaus, geothermal springs, Māori heartland, subtropical beaches, and wine country on ancient lava flows" }, { "id": "south", "name": "Te Waipounamu (South Island)", "tint": "#3A7CA5", "blurb": "Southern Alps, glacial lakes, fjords, gravel roads, pinot noir, and weather that demands respect" } ], "regions": [ { "id": "northland", "name": "Northland", "capital": "Whangārei", "macro": "north", "hue": "#E8794A", "knownFor": "Kauri forests, Bay of Islands", "area": 13941, "pop": 0.194, "signature": "Subtropical beaches, Māori history, and the place where the Pacific meets the Tasman", "best": "Dec–Mar" }, { "id": "auckland", "name": "Auckland", "capital": "Auckland", "macro": "north", "hue": "#C85C3D", "knownFor": "City of sails, volcanic cones", "area": 4894, "pop": 1.72, "signature": "Forty-eight volcanic cones, two harbours, and more boats per capita than anywhere else", "best": "Jan–Apr, Nov–Dec" }, { "id": "waikato", "name": "Waikato", "capital": "Hamilton", "macro": "north", "hue": "#9C6644", "knownFor": "Hobbiton, surf beaches, dairy country", "area": 25598, "pop": 0.51, "signature": "River country, black-sand surf breaks, and rolling green hills that doubled for the Shire", "best": "Oct–Apr" }, { "id": "bayofplenty", "name": "Bay of Plenty", "capital": "Tauranga", "macro": "north", "hue": "#E89150", "knownFor": "Kiwifruit, White Island, surf", "area": 12231, "pop": 0.345, "signature": "Sunshine capital, kiwifruit orchards, and an active volcano you can visit by boat", "best": "Nov–Apr" }, { "id": "hawkesbay", "name": "Hawke's Bay", "capital": "Napier", "macro": "north", "hue": "#A85850", "knownFor": "Art Deco, wine, warm autumns", "area": 14164, "pop": 0.179, "signature": "Art Deco architecture, syrah and chardonnay, and weather stolen from the Mediterranean", "best": "Feb–May" }, { "id": "taranaki", "name": "Taranaki", "capital": "New Plymouth", "macro": "north", "hue": "#6B8C7A", "knownFor": "Mount Taranaki, surf, dairy", "area": 7258, "pop": 0.126, "signature": "A perfect volcanic cone, black-sand surf, and the wettest region in the country", "best": "Dec–Mar" }, { "id": "wellington", "name": "Wellington", "capital": "Wellington", "macro": "north", "hue": "#5A7A8C", "knownFor": "Capital, coffee, wind", "area": 8124, "pop": 0.543, "signature": "Wind, coffee, parliamentary politics, and the best flat whites per square kilometre", "best": "Nov–Apr" }, { "id": "marlborough", "name": "Marlborough", "capital": "Blenheim", "macro": "south", "hue": "#7A9A5E", "knownFor": "Sauvignon blanc, Sounds, sun", "area": 12484, "pop": 0.051, "signature": "Sauvignon blanc capital, drowned valleys, and three hundred days of sun a year", "best": "Jan–Apr" }, { "id": "nelson", "name": "Nelson Tasman", "capital": "Nelson", "macro": "south", "hue": "#D4A65D", "knownFor": "Sunshine, craft beer, Abel Tasman", "area": 9786, "pop": 0.107, "signature": "Golden beaches, turquoise bays, and the sunniest corner of the South Island", "best": "Dec–Mar" }, { "id": "westcoast", "name": "West Coast", "capital": "Greymouth", "macro": "south", "hue": "#4A6F6A", "knownFor": "Glaciers, rain, jade, solitude", "area": 23276, "pop": 0.033, "signature": "Glaciers, rainforest, pounamu (jade), and more annual rainfall than you thought possible", "best": "Nov–Mar" }, { "id": "canterbury", "name": "Canterbury", "capital": "Christchurch", "macro": "south", "hue": "#9EADB5", "knownFor": "Alps, gardens, Aoraki", "area": 45346, "pop": 0.651, "signature": "Southern Alps, braided rivers, Mackenzie Basin skies, and the tallest peak in Australasia", "best": "Nov–Apr" }, { "id": "otago", "name": "Otago", "capital": "Dunedin", "macro": "south", "hue": "#8A7A6F", "knownFor": "Pinot noir, gold history, lakes", "area": 31988, "pop": 0.246, "signature": "Central Otago pinot, glacial lakes, Scottish heritage, and the driest wine region in the country", "best": "Mar–May, Nov–Jan" }, { "id": "southland", "name": "Southland", "capital": "Invercargill", "macro": "south", "hue": "#5C6D7A", "knownFor": "Fiordland, oysters, wind", "area": 34347, "pop": 0.103, "signature": "Fiordland's fjords, Bluff oysters, Rakiura (Stewart Island), and the bottom of the world", "best": "Dec–Mar" } ], "drives": [ { "id": "milford", "num": "01", "name": "Te Anau to Milford Sound", "nameEm": "Fiordland", "region": "Southland", "regionId": "southland", "from": "Te Anau", "to": "Milford Sound", "km": 119, "hours": 2.5, "elevMax": 940, "elevMin": 0, "season": "Dec–Mar (often closed in winter)", "surface": "Sealed, one-lane Homer Tunnel", "car": "Any. Don't rush it", "blurb": "The drive everyone does, and the drive that earns its reputation. Mirror Lakes at dawn, the Homer Tunnel dripping with snowmelt, then the descent into Milford with waterfalls on both sides. Book the cruise at the end — the sound is the point. Return the same day or sleep in Te Anau and drive it again at a different hour.", "stops": [ "Mirror Lakes (reflections, 7am)", "Homer Tunnel (single-lane, 1.2km)", "The Chasm (10-minute walk)", "Milford Sound (cruise essential)" ], "tip": "Drive it twice — once at dawn, once at dusk. The light is completely different.", "profile": [ 200, 320, 480, 620, 820, 940, 740, 520, 280, 120, 0 ] }, { "id": "haast", "num": "02", "name": "Haast Pass to Wānaka", "nameEm": "West Coast to Otago", "region": "West Coast / Otago", "regionId": "westcoast", "from": "Haast", "to": "Wānaka", "km": 145, "hours": 2.5, "elevMax": 563, "elevMin": 5, "season": "Year-round (snow possible Jun–Sep)", "surface": "Sealed, winding", "car": "Something with good brakes", "blurb": "Rainforest to tussock in ninety minutes. Start on the wet West Coast, climb through beech forest, cross the pass at 563m, then drop into the Otago high country — gold and dry and blue. The transition is abrupt. Blue Pools (thirty-minute detour) is mandatory. End at Wānaka, sleep lakeside, wake up to snow-capped Aspiring.", "stops": [ "Blue Pools Track (swing bridge, glacial water)", "Haast Pass lookout (563m)", "Neck (Wānaka lookout)", "Wānaka lakefront" ], "tip": "Stop at Blue Pools. The water is unreal turquoise — bring a wide lens.", "profile": [ 5, 80, 180, 320, 480, 563, 520, 420, 340, 300, 280 ] }, { "id": "crown-range", "num": "03", "name": "Queenstown to Wānaka via Crown Range", "nameEm": "High pass", "region": "Otago", "regionId": "otago", "from": "Queenstown", "to": "Wānaka", "km": 89, "hours": 1.5, "elevMax": 1121, "elevMin": 310, "season": "Oct–Apr (winter chains required)", "surface": "Sealed but steep", "car": "Manual if you have one", "blurb": "The highest paved road in New Zealand. Climb out of Queenstown through Arrowtown (stop for coffee), then hairpin up to 1121m with views over the Remarkables. The descent into Wānaka is fast and open. Cardrona Hotel (1863) is halfway — order the pie, sit outside. Winter: chains mandatory, road closes in heavy snow.", "stops": [ "Arrowtown (autumn leaves, coffee)", "Crown Range summit (1121m, lookout)", "Cardrona Hotel (pie, 1863)", "Wānaka" ], "tip": "Do it in autumn (April). Arrowtown turns gold and the pass is perfect.", "profile": [ 310, 420, 580, 750, 920, 1121, 1050, 880, 650, 480, 300 ] }, { "id": "coromandel", "num": "04", "name": "Thames to Whitianga", "nameEm": "Coromandel loop", "region": "Waikato", "regionId": "waikato", "from": "Thames", "to": "Whitianga", "km": 115, "hours": 2.5, "elevMax": 300, "elevMin": 0, "season": "Year-round (best Dec–Mar)", "surface": "Sealed, winding coastal", "car": "Small is better", "blurb": "Pohutukawa coast, white-sand bays, and the road that hugs the peninsula. Start in Thames, climb through native bush, drop to Coromandel town (smoked fish, forty-five minutes). Continue south to Whitianga via the 309 Road (gravel, kauri grove, waterfall). Sleep in Whitianga, dig your own hot pool at Hot Water Beach at low tide the next morning.", "stops": [ "Coromandel town (smoked fish)", "309 Road (kauri grove, waterfall)", "Whitianga", "Hot Water Beach (low tide, bring a spade)" ], "tip": "Check tide times for Hot Water Beach. Two hours either side of low tide or you're digging ocean.", "profile": [ 0, 80, 180, 300, 280, 220, 180, 140, 100, 60, 0 ] }, { "id": "forgotten-highway", "num": "05", "name": "Stratford to Taumarunui", "nameEm": "SH43 — Forgotten World", "region": "Taranaki / Waikato", "regionId": "taranaki", "from": "Stratford", "to": "Taumarunui", "km": 155, "hours": 3, "elevMax": 630, "elevMin": 90, "season": "Year-round", "surface": "Part gravel, remote", "car": "AWD or high-clearance recommended", "blurb": "The loneliest road in the North Island. Gravel stretches, dense bush, no cell service, and a single-lane tunnel you drive through in the dark (Moki Tunnel — 180m, unlit, built 1936). Whangamōmona (population twelve) is halfway — stop for a pie and fuel. The town declared independence in 1989 and elected a goat as president. This road takes you nowhere important, which is the point.", "stops": [ "Moki Tunnel (180m, unlit, single-lane)", "Whangamōmona Hotel (pie, fuel, republic)", "Taumarunui (end)" ], "tip": "Fill up in Stratford. There's one petrol pump between there and Taumarunui.", "profile": [ 90, 180, 320, 480, 630, 580, 520, 440, 360, 260, 150 ] }, { "id": "cape-reinga", "num": "06", "name": "Kaitaia to Te Rerenga Wairua", "nameEm": "Cape Reinga", "region": "Northland", "regionId": "northland", "from": "Kaitaia", "to": "Cape Reinga", "km": 111, "hours": 2, "elevMax": 180, "elevMin": 0, "season": "Year-round (summer best)", "surface": "Sealed to Waitiki, then gravel", "car": "AWD only (rental contracts often exclude this road)", "blurb": "The top of the North Island. Sacred to Māori as the leaping-off point for spirits (Te Rerenga Wairua). Drive north from Kaitaia, pass Ninety Mile Beach (locals drive it — you shouldn't), continue to the lighthouse. The Tasman meets the Pacific here in a visible line of colliding currents. Respect the cultural significance — this is not just a photo stop.", "stops": [ "Waitiki Landing (last sealed road)", "Te Paki sand dunes (optional, 4WD)", "Cape Reinga lighthouse", "Tapotupotu Bay (swim on return)" ], "tip": "Respect Te Rerenga Wairua — it's sacred. Don't eat food at the cape itself.", "profile": [ 0, 40, 90, 140, 180, 160, 120, 80, 50, 20, 0 ] } ], "cities": [ { "name": "Auckland", "pop": 1.72, "region": "Auckland", "regionId": "auckland", "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506968430-ee6F2f4b5420?w=900&auto=format", "days": "2-3", "mood": "Harbours, volcanoes, Pacific sprawl", "best": "Jan–Apr, Nov–Dec", "quote": "Walk a volcanic cone at sunset. Rangitoto or Mount Eden. The whole city spreads below." }, { "name": "Wellington", "pop": 0.543, "region": "Wellington", "regionId": "wellington", "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1568330450072-8285c61f74b7?w=900&auto=format", "days": "2", "mood": "Wind, coffee, culture, parliament", "best": "Nov–Apr", "quote": "Te Papa in the morning, Cuba Street for lunch, cable car at dusk. Wind guaranteed." }, { "name": "Christchurch", "pop": 0.381, "region": "Canterbury", "regionId": "canterbury", "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1571371735007-f0bd4dbf0c63?w=900&auto=format", "days": "2", "mood": "Gardens, rebuild, Southern Alps backdrop", "best": "Nov–Mar", "quote": "Botanic Gardens, then drive an hour to the alps. Best of both." }, { "name": "Queenstown", "pop": 0.053, "region": "Otago", "regionId": "otago", "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1542376586-b6d1bf7a4bf1?w=900&auto=format", "days": "3", "mood": "Adventure capital, lake views, tourist energy", "best": "Mar–May (autumn), Dec–Feb", "quote": "Skip the bungy. Drive Glenorchy, eat at Rātā, walk the Queenstown Hill Time Walk at dawn." }, { "name": "Dunedin", "pop": 0.134, "region": "Otago", "regionId": "otago", "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1589802829985-817e51171b92?w=900&auto=format", "days": "2", "mood": "Scottish bones, student energy, albatross", "best": "Nov–Mar", "quote": "Baldwin Street (don't), Otago Peninsula (do), Speight's Brewery (maybe)." }, { "name": "Rotorua", "pop": 0.078, "region": "Bay of Plenty", "regionId": "bayofplenty", "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1612429282352-2863d66cb2e3?w=900&auto=format", "days": "2", "mood": "Geothermal, Māori culture, sulphur smell", "best": "Year-round", "quote": "Embrace the sulphur. Polynesian Spa at night, Whakarewarewa in the morning, hāngi for dinner." }, { "name": "Nelson", "pop": 0.052, "region": "Nelson Tasman", "regionId": "nelson", "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1540623117989-e014ccbb7f2f?w=900&auto=format", "days": "2-3", "mood": "Sun, craft beer, art, Abel Tasman gateway", "best": "Dec–Mar", "quote": "Base for Abel Tasman. Saturday market, craft beer at Founders, golden hour at Tahunanui Beach." } ], "trains": [ { "route": "Christchurch → Greymouth", "time": "4h 30m", "op": "TranzAlpine", "note": "Southern Alps crossing — one of the world's great train rides" }, { "route": "Auckland → Wellington", "time": "11h", "op": "Northern Explorer", "note": "North Island traverse, volcanic plateau, Tongariro views" }, { "route": "Picton → Christchurch", "time": "5h 20m", "op": "Coastal Pacific", "note": "Coastal route, Kaikōura seals, Pacific views (seasonal, Oct–Apr)" }, { "route": "Dunedin → Pukerangi", "time": "4h return", "op": "Taieri Gorge Railway", "note": "Historic railway, gorge views, viaducts (heritage, not transport)" }, { "route": "Wellington → Auckland", "time": "11h", "op": "Northern Explorer", "note": "Reverse route — same train, start from the capital" } ], "when": [ { "m": "Jan", "n": "Peak summer. Auckland beaches packed, Northland hot, everywhere expensive. Book ahead.", "s": "High season. Queenstown full, Central Otago perfect, glaciers accessible. Long daylight." }, { "m": "Feb", "n": "Still summer, slightly quieter. Hawke's Bay harvest begins. Best weather of the year.", "s": "Peak continues. Wānaka crowds, Lake Tekapo lupins, Marlborough harvest. Hot and dry." }, { "m": "Mar", "n": "Autumn starts. Fewer crowds, warm days, cool nights. Taranaki surf excellent.", "s": "Autumn glory. Central Otago turns gold, pinot harvest, best month of the year. Quieter." }, { "m": "Apr", "n": "True autumn. Hawke's Bay wine festivals, Rotorua pleasant, Bay of Islands still warm.", "s": "Peak autumn. Arrowtown gold, Queenstown beautiful, fewer tourists. Jacket weather." }, { "m": "May", "n": "Shoulder season. Wellington windy, Auckland mild, everywhere cheaper. Wet in places.", "s": "Late autumn. Snow arrives on alps, roads still open, lakes quiet. Good value." }, { "m": "Jun", "n": "Winter. Rotorua geothermal pools perfect, North Island ski fields open, short days.", "s": "Ski season starts. Queenstown, Wānaka busy with skiers. West Coast wet. Alpine passes close." }, { "m": "Jul", "n": "Coldest month. Rotorua ski/spa combo popular. Coromandel quiet. Wellington brutal wind.", "s": "Peak ski season. Queenstown expensive, Remarkables packed, Milford Road often closed." }, { "m": "Aug", "n": "Late winter. Days lengthen, North Island ski tails off, spring hints appear in Northland.", "s": "Ski season continues. Cheaper than July, snow still good, roads still tricky. Very cold." }, { "m": "Sep", "n": "Early spring. Lambs everywhere, daffodils in Taranaki, Wellington cultural season starts.", "s": "Spring arrives. Snow melts on passes, roads reopen, tourism slow. Good month to visit." }, { "m": "Oct", "n": "Spring proper. Auckland warms, Northland beaches empty, everything blooms. Lovely month.", "s": "Late spring. Abel Tasman opens, Milford accessible, Mackenzie Basin blue. Underrated." }, { "m": "Nov", "n": "Pre-summer. Bay of Plenty warm, Hawke's Bay perfect, North Island gorgeous. Not yet crowded.", "s": "Early summer. Lupins at Tekapo, Queenstown warming, roads all open. Great shoulder month." }, { "m": "Dec", "n": "Summer begins. Schools out mid-month, prices rise, beaches fill. Book accommodation now.", "s": "High season starts. Queenstown New Year's expensive, everywhere busy after Christmas." } ], "food": [ { "dish": "Fish and chips", "where": "Nationwide", "regionId": "auckland", "note": "Not just any fish and chips — snapper or tarakihi, fried in beef dripping, wrapped in paper, eaten on the beach at dusk", "emoji": "🐟", "span": 1 }, { "dish": "Whitebait fritter", "where": "West Coast", "regionId": "westcoast", "note": "Tiny translucent fish, whole, in an egg pancake. West Coast delicacy. Spring only. Served plain, maybe with lemon, never with sauce.", "emoji": "🥞", "span": 1 }, { "dish": "Bluff oysters", "where": "Southland", "regionId": "southland", "note": "March to August only. Sweet, briny, served raw with lemon. Smaller than Pacific oysters, twice the flavour. Order a dozen.", "emoji": "🦪", "span": 1 }, { "dish": "Hāngi", "where": "Rotorua / Māori regions", "regionId": "bayofplenty", "note": "Food cooked underground in a pit oven — meat, kūmara (sweet potato), vegetables, steamed in earth for hours. Earthy, smoky, communal.", "emoji": "🍖", "span": 2 }, { "dish": "Pavlova", "where": "Nationwide", "regionId": "wellington", "note": "Meringue base, whipped cream, kiwifruit and passionfruit. Australia claims it too. New Zealand does it better. Summer dessert.", "emoji": "🍰", "span": 1 }, { "dish": "Hokey pokey ice cream", "where": "Nationwide", "regionId": "auckland", "note": "Vanilla ice cream studded with honeycomb toffee chunks. National ice cream flavour. Tip Top is the brand. Childhood in a cone.", "emoji": "🍦", "span": 1 }, { "dish": "Green-lipped mussels", "where": "Marlborough Sounds", "regionId": "marlborough", "note": "Huge, sweet, steamed with white wine and garlic. Only found in New Zealand waters. Havelock is the mussel capital.", "emoji": "🦪", "span": 1 }, { "dish": "Rewena bread (Māori bread)", "where": "Rotorua / Māori communities", "regionId": "bayofplenty", "note": "Sourdough made with potato starter, slightly sweet, dense. Māori tradition. Best toasted with butter and honey.", "emoji": "🍞", "span": 1 } ], "festivals": [ { "num": "01", "name": "Pasifika Festival", "where": "Auckland", "when": "March", "text": "Pacific Island cultures converge in Western Springs — music, dance, food from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands. Free entry, full day, bring an appetite. New Zealand's Pacific identity on display.", "regionId": "auckland" }, { "num": "02", "name": "Marlborough Wine & Food Festival", "where": "Blenheim", "when": "February", "text": "Sauvignon blanc capital celebrates its grape. Forty wineries, live music, chef demos, all outdoors in the vines. Tickets sell out in minutes. Book January or weep.", "regionId": "marlborough" }, { "num": "03", "name": "Matariki (Māori New Year)", "where": "Nationwide", "when": "June / July", "text": "Māori New Year, marked by the rising of the Pleiades star cluster. Public holiday since 2022. Festivals, hāngi feasts, storytelling, cultural performances across the country.", "regionId": "auckland" }, { "num": "04", "name": "Wildfoods Festival", "where": "Hokitika, West Coast", "when": "March", "text": "The strangest food festival in the country. Huhu grubs, wild boar, venison, possum pies, whitebait everything. West Coast eccentricity at its finest. Not for the faint of palate.", "regionId": "westcoast" }, { "num": "05", "name": "World of WearableArt (WOW)", "where": "Wellington", "when": "September / October", "text": "Fashion meets sculpture meets theatre. Designers create absurd, wearable art pieces, models parade them on stage. Sold-out shows, international designers, Wellington at its most creative.", "regionId": "wellington" }, { "num": "06", "name": "Queenstown Winter Festival", "where": "Queenstown", "when": "June / July", "text": "Ten days of winter mayhem — ski races, comedy, live music, street parades, fireworks over the lake. Peak winter, peak Queenstown energy. Book accommodation six months ahead.", "regionId": "otago" } ], "language": [ { "lc": "Kia ora", "tr": "Hello / Thank you / Good health", "note": "The greeting everyone knows. Use it freely — entering a shop, passing on a trail, answering the phone. Te reo is an official language." }, { "lc": "Haere mai", "tr": "Welcome", "note": "Invitation, greeting, come in. You'll hear this at pōwhiri (welcoming ceremonies) and on marae. Acknowledge it with a nod." }, { "lc": "Aroha", "tr": "Love / Compassion", "note": "Deeper than English 'love' — empathy, care, connection. Place names often include it (Aroha Island). Use it sincerely or not at all." }, { "lc": "Mana", "tr": "Prestige / Authority / Spiritual power", "note": "Earned respect, not given. A person or place can have mana. Disrespecting a sacred site diminishes your mana. Serious concept." }, { "lc": "Kai", "tr": "Food", "note": "Simple word, everywhere. Kai moana (seafood), kai time (mealtime). You'll see it on menus, road signs, casual conversation." }, { "lc": "Whanau", "tr": "Family / Extended family", "note": "Not just blood relatives — your people, your crew, your chosen family. Community matters here." }, { "lc": "Sweet as", "tr": "All good / No worries / Sounds great", "note": "Kiwi English, not Māori, but you'll hear it fifty times a day. Relaxed affirmation. Pronunciation: 'sweet ez'." }, { "lc": "Yeah, nah", "tr": "No (but gently)", "note": "Kiwi idiom. Means 'no' but softened. 'Nah, yeah' means yes. 'Yeah, nah, yeah' means maybe. You'll get the hang of it." } ], "neighborhoods": [ { "num": "01", "name": "Ponsonby", "nameEm": "Grey Lynn", "city": "Auckland", "regionId": "auckland", "text": "Ponsonby Road for brunch and boutiques, Grey Lynn for cheaper coffee and actual Aucklanders. The inner-west pair — gentrified but still interesting. Farmers' markets Saturday mornings.", "why": "Best brunch per square kilometre" }, { "num": "02", "name": "Mount Victoria", "nameEm": "Oriental Bay", "city": "Wellington", "regionId": "wellington", "text": "Mount Vic for the lookout and the cafés on Majoribanks, Oriental Bay for the waterfront promenade and the flats white. Walk between them in twenty minutes. Wind guaranteed both places.", "why": "Lookout + harbour in one walk" }, { "num": "03", "name": "Addington", "nameEm": "Riccarton", "city": "Christchurch", "regionId": "canterbury", "text": "Addington's the craft beer and warehouse-conversion quarter — breweries, bagels, Sunday markets. Riccarton is student energy, cheap eats, Riccarton Bush (kahikatea forest, 600 years old, ten-minute walk).", "why": "Craft beer + ancient forest" }, { "num": "04", "name": "Queenstown Hill", "nameEm": "Fernhill", "city": "Queenstown", "regionId": "otago", "text": "Above the tourist centre, below Ben Lomond. Residential, quiet, the Time Walk trail starts here (90 minutes return, sunrise essential). Fernhill is where locals live when they can afford it.", "why": "Sunrise hike, no tourists" }, { "num": "05", "name": "North Dunedin", "nameEm": "Roslyn", "city": "Dunedin", "regionId": "otago", "text": "North Dunedin is student central — Otago University, scarfies, flats, cheap Thai. Roslyn is the hill suburb — views over the city, heritage villas, the Botanic Garden. Opposite energies, both essential.", "why": "Student chaos or hilltop calm" }, { "num": "06", "name": "Ohinemutu", "nameEm": "Kuirau Park", "city": "Rotorua", "regionId": "bayofplenty", "text": "Ohinemutu is the lakeside Māori village — carved meeting house, geothermal vents in backyards, St Faith's Church (Māori Christ on the water). Kuirau Park: free thermal pools, mud, steam. Both central, both real.", "why": "Māori village + free hot pools" }, { "num": "07", "name": "Tahunanui", "nameEm": "The Wood", "city": "Nelson", "regionId": "nelson", "text": "Tahunanui Beach is Nelson's playground — long sand, sunset swims, fish and chips on the grass. The Wood (Maitai Valley) is where you walk off the fish and chips — river, native bush, twenty minutes from town.", "why": "Beach + bush in one afternoon" }, { "num": "08", "name": "Parnell", "nameEm": "Newmarket", "city": "Auckland", "regionId": "auckland", "text": "Parnell is heritage villas, rose gardens, Auckland Museum, brunch on a slope. Newmarket is retail — Nuffield Street for boutiques, Broadway for department stores. Parnell's prettier, Newmarket's more useful.", "why": "Old money meets new shops" } ], "faq": [ { "q": "Do I need a car?", "a": "Yes. Public transport works in Auckland and Wellington; everywhere else you're stuck without wheels. Distances are deceptive — what looks like two hours on the map takes four in reality. Roads are winding, often single-lane, and the scenery will make you stop every twenty minutes. Book a car before you land. Manual transmission is cheaper and more fun on mountain passes." }, { "q": "North Island or South Island?", "a": "First-timers: both, if you have three weeks. Two weeks: pick one. North Island is geothermal, Māori culture, warmer, more populated. South Island is alps, fjords, lakes, pinot noir, colder, more dramatic. If forced to choose: South Island for landscapes, North Island for culture. Or just come back — everyone does." }, { "q": "When should I avoid New Zealand?", "a": "Late December to mid-January: peak summer, everything booked, prices doubled, beaches packed. Late June to August: ski season crowds in Queenstown, Milford Road often closed, short cold days. Best windows: March–April (autumn, fewer people, golden light) or November (spring, everything blooming, roads open, not yet expensive)." }, { "q": "How long do I need?", "a": "Minimum two weeks for one island done properly. Three weeks for both islands without rushing. Four weeks to actually see it — drive the gravel roads, sleep in small towns, eat at places with no website. A week is a tease. Ten days is the bare minimum for South Island highlights only. Don't try to do both islands in less than eighteen days." }, { "q": "Is it expensive?", "a": "Yes. Accommodation, car hire, and food are all pricier than Australia or Europe. A decent hotel runs NZD 180–300/night. Petrol is expensive, meals out run NZD 25–45, wine is cheaper than you'd expect. Save money by self-catering (supermarkets are good), camping (if that's your thing), and travelling shoulder season. Skip Queenstown if you're on a budget." }, { "q": "What about Māori culture?", "a": "Te reo Māori is an official language — you'll see it on road signs, hear it in greetings, notice it in place names (Aotearoa = 'land of the long white cloud'). Respect sacred sites (tapu), don't sit on tables (they're for food, not bodies), and if you're invited to a pōwhiri (welcoming ceremony) on a marae, follow the protocol. Rotorua and the East Cape are cultural heartlands." }, { "q": "Dangerous animals?", "a": "None. No snakes, no dangerous spiders, no large predators, no malaria, no rabies. The katipō spider is venomous but rare and shy. Sandflies on the West Coast are the only real menace — bring repellent or suffer. Otherwise New Zealand is absurdly safe. The biggest danger is underestimating driving times and missing your accommodation check-in." }, { "q": "Can I drink the tap water?", "a": "Yes, everywhere. Some of the best tap water in the world — straight from mountain catchments in many towns. Rotorua smells of sulphur but the water is safe (it's the geothermal vents, not the taps). Fill your bottle freely. Skip the bottled water unless you enjoy wasting money and plastic." } ] };