Newcastle, New South Wales, I take it? :)

Newcastle is about 3 hours north of Sydney, so I think at worst you could either train or fly to Sydney, then fly east to New Zealand from there—Auckland being the most common destination as it’s almost due east exactly from Sydney.

Um, what to do in New Zealand? A couple of things, I guess. :)

What are you interested in doing? And what do you expect to be able to do there?

South Island … what do you like to do?

Sample itinerary working counter-clockwise from Christchurch and back, covering the top portion of the island:

1. Kaikoura 2 days
2. Nelson 6 days (use as a “base”)
3. Greymouth 2 days
4. Franz Josef Glacier 4 days
5. Hokitika 2 days
6. Christchurch (B+B) 4 days

The possibilities are pretty endless. Jim’s South Island intinerary is just one of many, if that gives you an idea. The south part of the South Island has many places to explore too, especially the Otago Peninsula. There’s even an island south of the South Island called Stewart Island.

And there’s just as many things in the North Island.. it’s less mountain-ey, but more kaleidoscopic. Rotorua is a good base city for the main natural attractions in the North Island, but Auckland and the peninsula north of it is just amazing tropical beach-land that seems endless. And that’s not even mentioning Wellington, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Again, very tip of the iceberg here.

When you fly into Auckland, rent a car and get out of there. Depending on how many people you are with, it might be very beneficial to rent a car rather than rely on buses and trains. Buses and trains have limited schedules and are a pain to plan ahead. Renting cars can be extremely cheap and very convenient. Depending on how much time you have, you’ll want to have a general idea of where you want to go before you get there. Renting a car allows you to stop off at any random beautiful view and have a look and take a picture, or to tunnel in a mile off the highway and see an amazing waterfall. My friends who took buses were tired, frustrated, and missed a lot. And in the end, I spent less.
I recommend allocating 2/3 of your time to the South Island and 1/3 to the North. If you are there during a warm time of the year, the top of the North Island around Northland, Bay of Islands, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty can be extremely nice and equally beautiful. This is the place to surf, swim, fish, etc. Rotorua is worth a day or two, but that’s it. Taupo is gorgeous and a must. Kayak and skydive here.
On the South, my favorite places (in this order) were Kaikoura, Abel Tasman for hiking, Wanaka, Fox glacier and Franz Josef (and Lake Matheson), Queenstown, Dunedin – particularly the Coromandel Peninsula where I saw penguins and sea lions. Other places worth a look – Punakaiki, Christchurch, Wellington (where I lived and absolutely loved the beauty and night life) and wine tours in both Marlborough and Martinborough.
There’s so much more… How much time and how many people with? how much money do you have to spend, etc.

plane and the south islands very wicked, i especially like nelson and… abel tasman

Hi, I would recommend two places:
1. If you want adventure visit Rotorua, they have mountain biking, kayaking, bungy, all other adventure-type activities, and very cultural. Check out www.nzone.biz
They also have a beautiful wildlife park called Paradise Valley.
2. I strongly recommend Bay of Islands – Paihia in particular, it’s such an awesome place, and take a “swim with the dolphins” tour, it’s dolphin guaranteed! It’s a day tour costs about $90NZ and it’s a whole day trip, going swimming with dolphins then snorkling at one of the surrounding islands, all gear provided.
Cheers hope that helps.

I’m mostly familiar with the South Island…Dunedin is a lovely little city and a great jumping off point for Milford Sound and the other attractions in that area. You may want to go jet-boating in Queenstown, or fly-fishing in the area. I like hiking.

Have a wonderful time!