A Romantic Getaway in New Zealand - including Auckland, North & South Islands

Planning a Romantic Getaway in New Zealand

A Guide to a Great Romantic Getaway in New Zealand - Travel Info, Places to See, Romantic Lodging and More for a Memorable Romantic Vacation in New Zealand.

From the beautiful Bay of Islands to cosmopolitan Auckland to Christchurch and the scenic South Island, New Zealand has rare a mix of charm, solitude and beauty.

There are some pretty good reasons to plan a romantic getaway in New Zealand for your next overseas vacation. Maureen and I were fortunate enough to travel to both the North Island and South Island the last time we were there, and it was great. In fact, I would rate our New Zealand vacation as one of the 2 or 3 best trips we�ve ever done!

The rest of the world is starting to notice New Zealand from movies like Lord of the Rings, but that�s just flavor of the month stuff. New Zealand has never attracted huge amounts of overseas tourists, and that is part of its charm. Here are some reasons we love romantic New Zealand getaways so much:

Outstanding beauty around every turn!
A more relaxed pace of life just right for a stress-free vacation.
Lots of excellent accommodation options.
Safe, hassle-free traveling pretty much everywhere.
An excellent exchange rate with many currencies

New Zealand Vacation Sights in the North Island
We take a look at Auckland, The Bay of Islands, Roturua and other places to see in New Zealand's North Island. There's even a cable car ride with a great view of Wellington!

Romantic Places to Visit in New Zealand - South Island
Scenic highways, alpine scenery, fjords and glaciers are what to expect in the South Island. We'll also tell you about a romantic way to float down the river in Christchurch...

The Best Time for a Romantic Getaway in New Zealand

The New Zealand summer runs November to March, and that brings warm weather throughout most of the country. The Bay of Islands is the only �tropical� part of the country, and it stays pleasant even through winter. In general, the North Island is a few degrees warmer than the South.

Winter can bring some snow, but mostly to higher elevations in the South Island. You can travel and enjoy your New Zealand vacation pretty much any time of the year. It has a maritime climate, with the western sides of both islands receiving more rain than the east.

It�s good to be aware of school holidays, as that is the time many New Zealanders become travelers in their own country and accommodation can book up fast. Major school holidays run from mid-December to the end of January, and also around the usual times such as Easter and Labor Day.

Travel To and Around New Zealand

Auckland International Airport is the main gateway for overseas visitors to begin their New Zealand vacation. There are a number of different international airlines with flights and air/hotel packages to Auckland, as well as New Zealand vacation deals. Qantas, Air New Zealand, United, Singapore Airlines and JAL are some of the big ones.

For more info on cheap flights to New Zealand, click here to see our page on air travel to New Zealand.

Air New Zealand is the main national air carrier and has flights between major centers. Also, there is an extensive bus network run by several different bus lines.

Driving in New Zealand is actually pretty easy once you master the art of driving on the left (if you�re from the UK or Australia, you�ve got no problem of course!). If you�ve never done it before, it can be daunting at first! Try to start off slow, perhaps just driving around the block a few times to get the feel of steering the car from the other side. Your confidence will grow though, and pretty soon you�ll tackle the motorways with ease!

New Zealand roads are good and generally uncrowded, especially in the South Island. Driving in Auckland can get a little hectic around rush hour though.

Some driving distances:

distance from Auckland to Rotorua: 235 km
distance from Auckland to Bay of Islands: 325 km
distance from Auckland to Wellington: 657 km
distance from Auckland to Christchurch: 1100 km
distance from Auckland to Queenstown: 1575 km

Flying Times: Flight Time from Los Angeles to Auckland is 12 hours, and the flight time from Sydney, Australia to Auckland is 3 hours.

More Romantic New Zealand Getaway Info:

Experience New Zealand Travel - New Zealand vacation services and recommended accommodation guide - when it comes to travel, your experience counts.

Wishing You the Best Romantic Getaway in New Zealand!

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