An American’s Guide to New Zealand

I’m creating this post because it was something I had trouble finding when I was planning my trip to New Zealand. So, without further ado, here are the things I wish I would have known before visiting New Zealand as an American.

Planning for the long flight

My flight was 13 hours from San Francisco to Auckland. That’s a long time to sit on a plane! A couple things I was very glad to have:

• Noise-canceling headphones (duh)
• Compression socks: I had zero swelling in my legs and feet when I arrived, which is rare for me
• Snacks: I personally do not like plane food, so I was happy to have some snacks for the long flight
• You are not allowed to bring any type of food into New Zealand, so keep that in mind. You will have to throw it away once you arrive.

What about money?

I did not exchange money once while in New Zealand. This was so convenient because everywhere we went, they took cards. The one exception to this was a cash-only taxi we took to the airport – it was 20 dollars cheaper to pay cash, so we found an ATM in a safe area and exchanged money for that.

Should I rent a car?

They do drive on the opposite side of the road in New Zealand, so you have to be willing to try that.

As far as renting a car, it really depends on where you plan on going. We explored Auckland for a few days and definitely did not need our own car. Everything is walkable and there is no need to drive there. The traffic is horrible, so it would not be quicker to do this and they don’t have a ton of parking. They also have a lot of Ubers, so if you need a ride, you can easily do that.

In Queenstown, we signed up for tours that were walkable from our centrally located hotel, or that had shuttles. We did not rent our own car. We had amazing experiences and felt like we could easily walk around Queenstown. But, I have many friends who have rented camper vans because their main objective was to hike and camp around all of the South Island. So, there are great options available if that is your hope.

Driving in New Zealand

Some notes about driving on the South Island, especially in and around Queenstown. It is a mountain town, much more than I realized. That means there are lots of winding roads that can get very steep. I would have been scared to drive myself and was glad I was not behind the wheel. People also take their time in New Zealand, so take the time on Google Maps and add at least 10 minutes for every hour-long drive.

Dealing with the time change

The time change is pretty drastic for Americans. Something that really helped me adjust was not napping once we arrived in New Zealand. Instead, we went and dropped baggage at the hotel, changed into clean clothes, ate breakfast and went out for the day. This really helped my body to adjust to the new time zone.

Is the food good?

Yes! Despite hearing otherwise, I really enjoyed the food in New Zealand. We were lucky to have a lot of our meals planned out for us and luckily they picked great restaurants! Here are a few favorites:

• The yogurt! It is different and amazing. Do not miss it. My favorite flavor I found was coconut. They are extremely passionate about their dairy products in New Zealand, and this one really is better than any other yogurt I’ve tried.
• Auckland restaurants: The Brit Pub & Eatery. Yes, I picked it because it’s my name, but the food was great! It also had a very fun atmosphere and is in a nice, fun part of town to walk around. We loved walking around the harbor, there are lots and lots of cute restaurants right on the water that looked fun.
• Just like their website says, Tui Hills is nestled in the bush-covered Waitakeres, and offers a native garden setting like no other, from the Tuis in the trees to the food, wine, and hospitality – all just 30 minutes from central Auckland.

Queenstown Food & Restaurants

Queenstown has a lot of dining options for how tiny of a town it really is. We loved a lot of places. Here are a few favorites:

• Devil Burger INSTEAD of Fergburger. These places have a very similar menu and when we asked locals their favorite place to get a burger, they all said Devil Burger. It was delicious! Fries were our favorite.
• Stoneridge Estate is a beautiful winery right outside Queenstown. It is gorgeous!! The dinner we had at the estate was Lord of the Rings themed. It was not cheesy and was such a lovely venue to wander around (and I don’t even drink wine!).
• Winnie’s Gourmet Pizza Bar Our favorite place to get pizza in Queenstown. It has a cute vibe and we loved sitting on the balcony.
• Public Restaurant & Bar this place is right on the water in Queenstown and had great eats! We noticed one of the dishes we saw repeatedly on menus was spicy cauliflower. It’s fried and served with spicy sauce. They also had a delicious camembert cheese board.
• Patagonia Chocolates this was our go-to for ice cream in New Zealand. Delicious flavors and worth the extra price. Our favorite thing to do was to eat our ice cream on the beach at sunset.

Queenstown Activities

Queenstown is the cutest little town and has so much to offer. We only spent four days there and could have stayed longer. It’s a magical corner of the world and I would love to go back. Here are a few activities that we loved:

Hike Queenstown Hill

• We were told this was the easiest hike in Queenstown. We thought we were fit and ready to go, but just a heads up, we were pouring sweat by the time we got to the top!
• It was completely worth it. The views are better than you can imagine and it was such a nice place to hang out on top and just enjoy the peace.
• Time: It took us about 3 hours roundtrip. We stayed at the top for a while and enjoyed the view, you could definitely do it faster.
• Animals: there are no wild animals! It is so crazy. The only wild animals you will see are either birds or possums. It is so quiet and peaceful.
• Bring bug spray. I got quite a few bug bites and wished I would have done this.

Queenstown Gondola & Luge

This is a must-do while you’re in Queenstown.

• We walked up to the gondola three different times because we kept missing the opening times for the luge.
• You don’t need to book in advance, the line was always short.
• The gondola ride is short – about 5 minutes long.
• Luging is so much fun! You actually are allowed to go very fast, so be prepared for that.
• We bought a pass for 2 rides, but if we would have had more time I would have done more. It’s really, really fun.

Walk around the Lake Wakatipu

• This lake is stunning!
• I loved walking around the lake at sunset because it is stunning
• It’s also a great place to go running. Clean air and amazing views – it doesn’t get any better than that.

Steamboat + Walter Peak Farms

This might have been my favorite thing we did in Queenstown! Walter Peak Farm is so utterly charming. The grounds are gorgeous with blooming flowers everywhere.

• Catch the ferry at either lunch or dinner.
• The ferry ride takes quite a while 45 minutes – 1 hour
• The food at Walter Peak Farm is great, especially if you are a meat lover.
• They do a sheep shearing presentation after dinner and it’s fascinating!
• I learned that sheep naturally have lanolin in their wool and on their skin. So, sheep shearers have very soft skin ha!
• They also do a sheep herding demonstration that is fascinating. Sheep are a huge thing in New Zealand, so it was very interesting to learn about that part of the culture.

Adventures in New Zealand

Milford Sound

This was a huge disappointment, but we were not able to visit Milford Sound. Due to crazy flooding (they got 3 feet of rain in 24 hours), there were lots of landslides and roads were closed. They were also not allowing people to take helicopter rides in, so we did not have any options.

Doubtful Sound

Instead of Milford Sound, we were able to visit Doubtful Sound. Since I have never visited Milford Sound I really can’t compare, but I can tell you it was an excellent experience I will never forget. We went on a boat ride through Doubtful Sound and it really felt like we were the only ones out there. A couple notes about it:

• It is a day trip. Plan a full day.
• The ride to Doubtful Sound is long.
• The boat ride is unbelievable. Waterfalls everywhere and just the most beautiful green mountains and hills surrounding you.
• The color of the water in New Zealand is something special. It is different than anything I’ve ever seen before and just breathtakingly beautiful.

Dart River Safari

I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but the Dart River Safari was such a beautiful glimpse into the natural landscape of New Zealand. A couple things to know:

• You ride on a jet boat or you can do kayak/canoe tours as well.
• Since we went on the jet boat, you are given a giant raincoat and life jacket.
• Wear sunglasses! You go fast on the jet boat and your eyes will be so much happier if you wear eye protection.
• Bring a camera! You will slow down and even able to get out of the boat at a few points, so make sure you have something to take photos with.
• If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, this is the activity for you! We were shown lots of different areas where they filmed the Lord of the Rings movies.

Honorable Mention: Shotover Jet Tour

If Will and Kate do it, I probably will too! This jet boat tour is way faster and high- paced than the Dart River safari. You are only on the boat for 30 minutes, so it’s also a lot quicker. I also have to mention how cute their gift shop is, I’m still regretting not buying a bunch of things!

Weather in New Zealand

The weather is just as wild as everyone told me it would be! I visited in February, which is the warmest time of year in New Zealand. Things I would definitely pack:

• A light, puffy coat. You won’t regret it! I wore my coat several times.
• A light jacket that’s not as warm as your puffy coat.
• Long-sleeved shirts. This was a great option that I ended up wearing multiple times.
• Athletic shoes. I wore mine almost every day because New Zealand is an active place and we were doing active things.
• Walking shoes. Just nice to have something other than your athletic shoes to wear to wander around in.
• Flip flops. I bought some while I was there and wore them several times.
• These joggers from Amazon. They are the comfiest, best travel pants I’ve ever had. Perfect for long flights and for adventuring! I could wear them to hike or out to dinner and everything in between.

I absolutely loved New Zealand! It is an absolutely magical place that has been so well taken care of and preserved. I would love to go back and visit someday. Please let me know if you have any questions, I would love to answer them.