2 Weeks in New Zealand: 15 Epic Things to Do on the North & South Islands
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Two weeks in New Zealand is plenty of time to experience the natural beauty and unique customs. From movie sets, to wildlife viewing, geothermal baths, and Maori culture, these epic experiences will have you wanting to come back again.
First: Why Visit Both Islands?
The North and South Island are vastly different- not just in temperature, but in scenery, experiences, and overall vibes. While you could easily spend two weeks exploring just one island, we chose to hit the highlights of both. Achieving this much in a short window was made possible by including 3 in country flights.
👉🏻Pro-tip: When your short on time, but high on ambition, choosing at the fastest (which isn’t always the cheapest) transportation option will help you maximize what you’re able to do.
Of course, when planning any adventure, wildlife is a top priority to us, so we chose to hop around a bit in the pursuit of the best wildlife opportunities.
North Island: The North Island is warmer and looks almost tropical with its lush green hills. To us, it resembled a slightly chillier version of Hawaii.
South Island: The South Island is definitely chillier. While on the South Island it felt like we were in a beautiful Nordic adventure land- fjords, glaciers, and epic mountain views.
North Island Highlights (Days 1–3)
Hobbiton
Is Hobbiton worth is? Absolutely. While it is ever so slightly touristy, it’s still such a cool experience. They have really put a lot of effort into maintaining the integrity of the set, the experience, and integrating the New Zealand heritage. It must be booked as a guided tour, which truly ensures you get the best view points, photo ops, and stories.
Joc has adamantly refused to give the LOTR series a try, but even a non-LOTR lover like her enjoyed the experience (I believe she did agree to watch the movies after, but we’re still waiting).
Waitmo caves
If you’ve read any of our other posts, you have likely seen Joc talk mention her Pinterest bucket list. This is probably the sole reason she wanted to come to New Zealand- THE GLOW WORMS.
There are a few different options for how you can experience this unique bioluminescence phenomenon- by boat or by innertube. Seeing as we were visiting in the early spring, we anticipated the water to still be chilly and opted for the boat, but next time we will do the innertube!
The tour begins by a guided walk through the caves, complete with an explanation of how the bioluminescence works. Then you board a boat and are guided through the water while the worms twinkle above you. You should not miss this experience… I mean worms are gross, but in this case, they’re *romantic*
Rotorua hot springs
Have you ever considered the smell or rotten eggs relaxing? Neither have we. BUT, this might just change your mind. Walk through the bubbling geothermic park, then relax in the mud spa.
This area has been used medicinally by the Maori people for quite some time. While we can’t say that we felt any different, it sure was nice to relax our tight muscles after that 14hour flight.
The sulfur smell will remain in your suit, so definitely don’t bring your favorite swim suit. They told us it would come out with a specific detergent, but that was not the case for us. There are swim suits available for rent, should you wish to rent a swimsuit.
Tamaki Maori culture tour
Culture is incredibly important to us when we travel and this was probably one of our favorite experiences. New Zealand is incredible in the blend that they have with the Maori people. Coming from the US and our freckled history with our own indigenous people, it was so wholesome to see how the cultures blended with respect for one another.
This experience was formatted similar to a Luau in Hawaii- it included a show, an example of a cultural ceremony, a lesson on Maori cooking methods, and a fantastic authentic meal. The night ended with Q&A session where nothing was off limits (but there were definitely some questions that could have been more tactful).
This is run by a local Maori family and you could really tell that they were passionate about educating others and preserving their culture… we are big fans of this!
Brunch at Hill House Café
We had just landed in Auckland after 14+ hours of flying and we were HUNGRY HANGRY. Zach, being the calm in a storm of hanger, was quick to start the “best brunch places” google.We’re not typically the biggest fans of google results for food, but this knocked it out of the park.
Not only was the food amazing, but the café is located in a beautiful park complete with walking trails and epic views of the city. It was the perfect way to start our journey in Auckland and would make an excellent place for brunch any day of the week. We highly recommend the cheddar scone.
Mount Eden
The highest volcanic peak in mainland Auckland. To be honest, even after going, I am still not sure it’s real.
The strikingly green grass was otherworldly. The epic views from the summit make all the steps up worth it. There are hiking trails throughout the area and it is very well maintained. Absolutely a “must see” during a day in Auckland.
South Island Highlights (Days 4–14)
Marlborough sound Dolphin, penguin, birding cruise
If there’s a chance to see birds, you better believe that Zach, our bird nerd, will sign us up. Joc is a big penguin & dolphin fan, so this really suited us both. We booked this experience with E-Ko tours .
We started in Picton and went through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds to the Motuara island bird sanctuary. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife and local conservation efforts. Since we fancy ourselves to be wildlife naturalists, this was a really cool and unique experience.
We cruised through the sounds while dolphins played underneath us- a cool experience because we didn’t approach them, they were curious about us. This is a little off the beaten path, so you will be avoiding crowds and is easily drivable from Kaikōura, the whale hotspot.
Stargazing Lake Tapeko
To be completely honest, this was not on the OG itinerary. We ended up needing to spend more time in Lake Tapeko due to weather and booked this last minute. It ended up being a HUGE success.
Lake Tapeko is one of the best areas in the world for stargazing due to its lack of stray light. We cozied up with the provided blankets and were mesmerized by what we saw. We have never seen so many stars in our lives. They also brought in heavy duty telescopes which even allowed us to see a Saturn (it really looks like the pictures!!).
Go Tepako Farms Tour
Again, this didn’t make the OG itinerary, but this off the beaten path activity was so fun. Lamb are incredibly common in NZ, in fact, there is a “lambing season” when the new babies are born. Unfortunately, this season can close down a lot of hiking paths, but luckily for us, we visited this farm and got to feed the baby orphaned lambs.
We first went on a tour of the area and learned all about the farming practices and wool collection. We learned about the importance of the farms and how this remote area of NZ functions (they have one electricity source).
While this isn’t full of adrenaline, it’s a wholesome activity that really gives you a better understanding of the life in NZ outside of the big cities. These type of cultural experiences are really important to us and we believe they help us grow. Plus, did I mention we fed the baby lambs?
Kaikōura whale watching
Kaikōura is a picturesque coastal town known for its abundant wildlife. This area is well known for sperm whales, which typically prefer very deep waters. Because of a shelf located just off shore, the waters tend to be very deep, making it the perfect area to spot them not far off land.
Although the primary attraction is the sperm whales, this area is also known to have other whale friends like humpback whales, blue whales, southern right whales, and even orcas. While you may spot these other whales on a tour, that is more seasonally dependent.
Sperm whales, Orca whales, Hectors dolphins, and Dusky dolphins can be spotted year-round, but humpback & southern right whales are best spotted June-August.We were lucky enough to have some great sightings of sperm whales and some hectors dolphins. Although we were holding out hope for an Orca or two, it wasn’t our day.
If you’re not too chicken (like us) they also have whale watching flights. I imagine this would be AMAZING. If we could ever get the courage, we would definitely go back just for this.
Hooker Valley Track in Mount Cook/Aoraki
This is the most popular trek in Aoraki/ Mount Cook National Park. With 3 epic suspension bridges, Mueller Glacier views, and Mount Cook looming in the background, this will have you feeling like you’re in the midst of a crazy alpine adventure.
Because of the alpine nature of the area, weather changes incredibly fast. Although this trek isn’t the most physically demanding, be prepared for the elements.
During our time int the Mount Cook NP area, we had crazy storms. We did finally get some okay-ish weather to try this hike (aka insane wind and some rain), but we were still only complete ½ the trek safely. Better safe than sorry… and we will go back to try again!
Penguin viewing Otago Peninsula
Penguins? Say less. Here you watch from a platform as the Little Blue Penguins (that’s their actual name) come home to their nests for the evenings. With the help of master spotters, you will see them form rafts coming into shore and then be in awe as they waddle past you to their homes.
We had a little bit of a traumatic experience here as nature was…well, naturing. A predator tried to take one of the tiny guys, but luckily the penguin successfully escaped.
Although slightly traumatic, it speaks to the naturalist perspective and not interfering. They did tell us that they had never seen that happen before, so unless you’re unlucky like us, you should just be able to make heart-eyes at tiny penguins for the evening.
Milford sound Cruising
The vast fjord lands with endless waterfalls and pure moody magic. If you’re coming to NZ, this is likely already on your list, but if it’s not…it should be!
If you happened to be here while it’s raining, that’s when the waterfalls really shine. Keep in mind, it’s all the more chance to get wet, so dress accordingly (aka bring a poncho).
If you’re here when its sunny, you will get to see the beautiful fjords bursting out of the water. Either way, it’s a winning experience.It is also possible to book a multi-day cruise through the Milford sound, but we felt a day cruise was plenty
Isthmus peak hike
As I mentioned above, during lambing season, certain trails are closed (looking at you, Roy’s peak). Because of that, we ended up here. While, I cannot compare this to Roy’s peak, I can tell you that it’s one of the most beautiful hikes we have ever done.
With stunning views over Wanaka and Hawea the whole way up, this 10 mile hike will take your breath away… in more ways than one.
We would say that this hike difficulty is moderate, with 1,000m elevation gain, but the real doozy is the length. If 10 miles isn’t for you, don’t worry, there are various viewpoints where you can stop and call it quits, but still get epic views.
Dunedin wildlife Safari
More wildlife? Don’t roll your eyes just yet… there are MORE PENGUINS.
On this tour, you will head out to Cape Saunders for a look at various wildlife habitats, one being the Yellow-Eyed Penguins. On this half day tour, you will also get the chance to see NZ Fur seals (warning: they are smelly), albatross, and NZ sea lions.
The best part about this tour is it is completely different from the other tours above. You will see different (stunning) landscapes, new wildlife, and we really enjoyed our time with the two chill bros who guided our day.
Final Thoughts: Is 2 Weeks in New Zealand Enough?
Two weeks is enough to make you absolutely fall in love New Zealand and leave you longing to come back.
Will you see everything? No. However, if you use these 15 recommendations as a guide, you will see some of the best natural and cultural highlights that New Zealand has to offer.
