Romantic Places to Visit in New Zealand - South Island
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Pretty well any time of year is the best for travel to New Zealand's South Island, but if you’re fortunate enough to enjoy your romantic getaway in New Zealand here in autumn (April-May), the dazzling foliage can be an unexpected bonus.
We'll look at the Gorgeous city of Christchurch, and also some great outdoor adventure areas such as Milford Sound and Queenstown. We'll also tell you how you can travel to the South Island of New Zealand.
Romantic ChristchurchMaureen and I both love Christchurch - it certainly is one of the most romantic places to visit in New Zealand as far as cities go. Christchurch has a quaint, old-England feel to it. Beautiful manicured lawns and parks, fine Victorian architecture and even street trams!
Even more romantic is hiring a gondola and driver for some “punting” on the Avon – a bit of Venice here in the South Pacific! For a good look at the downtown, hop on the trams and do a circuit around the city center. Christchurch also has the excellent Canterbury Museum.
See Romantic South Island New Zealand Hotels, B&B's and Inns here. Akaroa & The Banks Pennisula
How about a small New Zealand town with a Maori name but a distinct French flavor?
Akaroa is an extremely attractive community only about 80 km out of Christchurch. A great place to relax at a pub by the bay, wander the quaint streets and admire the fine colonial buildings, shops and homes. We found Akaroa to be one of the most romantic spots in New Zealand! If you’ve got a car, don’t miss the chance to get up in the hills of the Banks Peninsula above Akaroa. Find some open pasture the sheep aren’t using, stretch out a blanket, have a picnic lunch and simply soak up the awesome views!
If you can stay a night or two in Akaroa, you'd love it! There are some very romantic Akaroa Bed and Breakfast inns with affordable rates. One is the AKA-VIEW (64 3 304 8008), with spectacular views of Akaroa and the harbor, gourmet breakfasts, and some great little extras like electric blankets and a bedtime glass of port!
Or, try the Akaroa Country Lodge (64 3 304 7499), a superb colonial-style country retreat just a few minutes drive from Akaroa. Accommodations are in loft, farm cottage or French hut style, and include a private pool and cooked breakfasts every morning with home-made preserves. QueenstownQueenstown is one of the most popular places to visit in New Zealand for outdoor adventure activities. Eco tours, jet boating, skiing,rafting and even wine tasting are all within easy reach of this small but very scenic community deep in the South Island.
Milford Sound
A 22km long fjord in the far south of the South Island. Try book your boat cruise a day or two in advance as it’s one of the most popular New Zealand vacation attractions. And for good reason – gorgeous scenery, with waterfalls, canyons and famous Mitre Peak mirrored in the almost-still waters. Even though it poured rain for part of the day we went, it was remarkable!
Travel to New Zealand's South IslandAir New Zealand has lots of daily flights from Auckland to Christchurch Airport, the largest in the South Island. For direct flights from Australia, you can fly from Sydney or Melbourne to Christchurch on Air New Zealand and Qantas.
A particularly beautiful passage through the Cook Straight is the car ferry between Picton and Wellington on the North Island. The crossing takes 3 hours (2&1/4 hrs on the fast ferry), fares range from $50 NZD o/w.
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For a fun romantic afternoon, we rented a 2-seater peddleboat and slowly made our way between the ducks down the Avon River. It's one of the prettiest spots in Christchurch, with huge maple and willow trees drooping over the winding canal.