New Zealand Hostels

Taupos a very cool place - I would definitely recommend at least 3 days there. It has lots of free walks and stuff to do.

Whangarei is a lot bigger than what we thought it would be. It has a cute city centre, and alot of surrounding suburban areas. It also has a small waterfront area. It is midway between Auckland and the Bay of Islands and a good place to lodge while exploring the surrounding areas.

One of the most interesting tours I've done on my world trip was Murray Baker's volcano tour of Auckland (www.geotours.co.nz). Price is around €40-45. Also useful if you're going on to Hawaii afterwards.

Wellington is wicked. Loved it, you have to go.

Palmerston North is a beautiful place!

Methven is a small but beautiful country and ski town. It is situated between beautiful mountains and green fields. The overall atmosphere is friendly (although we didn't see many people). It is not a busy town with nightlife and lots of bars. It has a country feel to it, so if you want to get away from busy and big cities this is a great place. It has lot to offer for those who love the outdoor stuff, and of course is very busy in winter for skiing.

I live in California but was fortunate enough to visit Tokomaru Bay. It is so beautiful and peaceful. The community is friendly and courteous and makes you feel welcome. A wonderful place to relax and enjoy everything around you.

Napier is a really cute place to stay for a few days! There is loads to do including the spa (which is so cheap), the aquarium and mini-golf! There also seems to be a lot of dance classes happening - salsa was really fun. Pubs are good, but not really a clubby place! Had a really good time here!

We found Oamaru to be a happy, friendly place full of history and we look foward to shifting there in the near future. I hope we can make a positive and creative addition to the community.

I did the day hike at Tongariro National Park. It was absolutely amazing - sooo beautiful! Bring lots of water and food. It's a small town.

I've been kayaking with Golden Bay Kayaks in Abel Tasman and although it was cheaper than the other kayaking companies it was beautiful and exciting. Even though I was beginner at kayaking, I could see a lot of great views within a half day. Awesome place for swimming and remote beaches. Friendly company stuffs. Love to go there again.

I spent 6 weeks working in Glenorchy, and it was the highlight of my 6 month stay in New Zealand. I went jet boating with Dart River Safaris, and that was spectacular. I highly suggest a visit.

Twizel is a cool place. I recommend taking bikes or hiring them because it is really fun biking around Twizel.

Paihia is actually known as the Bay of Islands and is a warm coastal town. The bay has 144 islands and is beautiful.

Katikati is in the centre of no where and is at least 30 minutes away from anywhere else. Its main street has about 15 shops all of which have nothing interesting in them. Due to New Zealand's under population situation, the place is a ghost town except on Saturdays when all the overly happy people come out to annoy the small proportion of normal people, who should be smart enough to to stay in their homes.

Turangi is a killer spot for the serious outdoor enthusiast. Tongariro crossing (ranked one of the best day hikes in the world) is just up the road along with tons and tons of fishing opportunities. Just a word of warning, I heard about a lot of cars being broken into here so be mindful of your stuff, especially fishing equipment. The hostels are nothing special but they suffice well enough. Anything you can't find in Turangi, you can find in Taupo up the road. I suggest walking straight to the Tongariro river with a big tungsten bead hare and copper and chucking it into the Major Jones pool!

Te Kuiti is a beautiful town.

I was really dissapointed by Raglan. The town is REALLY small and the beach was nice, but not all the trouble that my friends and I put into getting there.

Roxburgh is a nice town with friendly people. It's very far from the next city Alexandra (40 kms).

I love Hastings so much, I stayed and worked there with my son, Kevin, in 2006 and 2007 and it was a great experience to work in the orchard farms, including a month working in a blueberry pack house. We made lots of friends from all over the world and learned some of their languages too. I really hope that one day I have the chance to go back there again or to work there again.