What to do in New Zealand in 8 days?

[spacemonkey]

Being a complete muppet I didn't sort a work visa out for Australia so have to go to New Zealand next week for 8 days. It's not really long enough to buy a guide book, obviously i'll have a look on the t'internet but thought I would ask if any urbanites have some good tips or cool things to see!?

Ta muchely. :)

oh and the extra plane fare means it's going to be on an extremely tight budget, the cheaper or freer the better!

[Fruitloop]

Where are you landing? Auckland?

[HAL9000]

Some newzealand pics

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61808487@N00/sets/276431/

All the pics are south island. I'm into hill walking and the great outdoor, if you like doing that sort of thing, PM me and I can suggest a few places.

[gabi]

chill out around lake taupo - u wont have time to get down to the south island, so hitch down from auckers (its really easy hitchin here), buy a tent, and just relax around there... not in taupo itself but around the southern coast of the lake i'd recommend... beautiful.

then plot ways to stay (and avoid oz if possible, awful place ;) )

[Sunray]

I'm there in, oh, 10 hours time.

Christchurch and around...

[rubbershoes]

white island off the east coast of north island is worth a visit

[llantwit]

I'm there in, oh, 10 hours time.

Christchurch and around...

Ask around the hostels (Foley Towers is quite nice) to see if any backpackers can spare a space in their van/car, or just hitch out, I reckon. I don't really rate Christchurch, although it's OK, it's nowt special. Too much like bloody Cambridge for my liking (although the food court in the Arts Centre is cheap and good, the main art gallery is pretty good, and there's a branch of the National film Archive in the arts centre place where you can sit on a sofa and watch NZ made films for free (Peter Jackson stuff, Goodbye Porkpie, Once were Warriors, and a film about the protests surrounding a Springbok rugby tour with lots of mad street-fighting between cops and lefties)).
Nice places within a day's hitching distance from Christchurch:

Kaikoura - nice coastal town with whalewatching, some decent pubs, and a good music scene (see the wicked Salmonella Dub if they're playing!).
Hanmer Springs - hot springs complex. Relaxing, and v. quiet. some good walking, too.
Over Arthur's Pass (wickedly lovely road) to Hokitika or Greymouth for some laid back west-coast fun in some lovely homely pubs, and some rugged coastline with loads of nice hiking.

More like two days from Christchurch, you've got:

Wanaka: Lakeside alpine beuty and loads of stuff to do - mountain biking isn't too expensive, and there are som great trails here.
Queenstown: more lovely scenery, lakes, mountains, good walks, and more ways to spend all your money whilst endangering your life than anywhere else I've ever been.
Nelson/Queen Charlotte Sound: Lovely fiords and then a cool little town with a laid-back feel and decent nightlife.

Much closer to Christchurch there's the Banks Peninsula, which is lovely, too, although a the towns are a bit twee (esp. Akaroa - which has got some oscure link to France, and all the shops have french names).

[llantwit]

Shit, just noticed the date on yr last post and realised you're prolly about to leave already, after I just wrote all that!
:o

[Sunray]

Haha, not I am in NZ, but as its getting into their Autumn and I am not geared up for here, it bloody freezing, so I am heading back to India for a month on the 8th instead Warm there. Thanks for the advice though.

[llantwit]

Haha, not I am in NZ, but as its getting into their Autumn and I am not geared up for here, it bloody freezing, so I am heading back to India for a month on the 8th instead Warm there. Thanks for the advice though.
Green with envy.