http://blink4626069.friendlinkup.com/ Experiencing New Zealand en http://blink4626069.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/23/summary-recommendations.html The trip was amazingly adventurous as well as so much fun.  Shawn as well as I thought it would be a good idea to give a thumbnail sketch of our opinion on each place we visited as well as recommendations on behalf of those of you who plan to visit New Zealand in the future.  Our experiences were awesome as well as on behalf of the an estimated all part the weather was beautiful; however it’s at all times great to have alternatives in case Mother Nature throws you a curve ball. As Americans we are all limited by time when traveling as well as unfortunately our vacation holidays can’t be more akin to the European standard about 6 weeks/year.  If you have 1 week or less, then spend it all on the South Island.  It was a total blessing on behalf of our friends to provide this suggestion as well as I was very thankful.  Queenstown is so awesome as well as you are able to gain access to numerous areas as well as tons of activities.  If you plan one day in advance on behalf of your activities (maybe 2 days in advance on the weekend), then you can pack everything in you could possibly desire to do in one week. Some MUST DOs include: 1) Something adventurous (luge, bungy jump, sky dive, off-road 4-wheeling, jet boating, white water rafting, para-gliding, or river surfing). 2) Take in the scenery by going on behalf of a hike (there are several trails ranging from easy 1.5 hour hikes - challenging 6 hour hikes) or go on behalf of a jog around Lake Wakatipu’s lovely gravel trail (both FREE options). 3) Eat well- New Zealand is known on behalf of it’s lamb as well as venison (and the beef was brilliant as well), so visit PRIME (right on the harbor) as well as indulge.  I also recommend to treat yourself to some gelato at Patagonia Chocolates (also on the harbor in Queenstown) - plus they are one of the few places with free wireless internet with the purchase of some gelato! 4) Visit Milford Sound (day trip).  The landscape is truly remarkable as well as photo-worthy.  If you don’t mind spending the additional money, then endeavour the bus - fly package where you travel there on a bus as well as travel residence on a plane (weather permitting).  **NOTE** Milford Sound is said to be more awesome when it is raining because of the fact that there are literally hundreds of waterfalls that appear as a result, so if you’re feeling like your options are limited because of the fact that of the weather… book Milford on behalf of that rainy day! Other ‘can’t miss’ Southern destinations we heard about include: Stewart Island (population ~ 400), Dunedin, as well as Doubtful Sound. Christchurch was like any other small city, except it had great Chilli Pesto Bread (thanks Winnie Bagoes!) as well as good culture with its numerous cathedrals throughout.  My recommendation when setting up accommodation in a city is to manufacture sure to research day trips nearby.  We were hit with 2 out of 3 full days of rain in our time in Christchurch, which limited our possibilities.  The highlights were definitely the Rugby Super 14 season opening game, Crusaders vs. Brumbies as well as getting some beach time in Sumner. Other options we heard were highly regarded when visiting Christchurch was to visit wine country in Marlborough as well as trying to manufacture it over to the Franz Joseph & Fox Glaciers as well as Mt. Cook (might require more than a day trip on behalf of these). Auckland is New Zealand’s biggest city as well as there was more to see than Christchurch, but day trips from Auckland were numerous as well.  We chose to take day trips to Piha to learn how to surf (which was awesome) as well as to the Bay of Islands (3 hours each way). The weather at the Bay of Islands was horrible as well as we were stranded with nothing to do but eat, drink, as well as shop.  I suggest scoping out the 5 day forecast when you arrive in Auckland as well as manufacture the trip to the Bay of Islands as well as stay on behalf of a couple of nights, so you can enjoy all of the water activities that are available. If the weather does not cooperate, a good alternative is to go Black Water Rafting in Waitomo or Cayoning in Piha (half as well as full day trips available). Some suggestions in Auckland include: visiting the Sky Tower (equipped with a hotel, 2 restaurants, as well as a casino), enjoying the brilliant seafood available at the local restaurants, taking a ferry to and hiking one of the numerous volcanic islands, and visiting War Memorial Museum.  Suggested restaurants include The Occidental as well as the Harbourside Seafood Bar & Grill. Another area of interest that other travelers had visited on the North Island was Cape Reinga (the Northern an estimated all part of the North Island). I hope our blog has provided ideas, fun, as well as a bit of comedy to each of you.  I would be happy to provide additional clarity on any questions you might have or additional recommendations. Thank you on behalf of following us, Scott Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:52:28 -0400 blink4626069