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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
Paihia is actually known as the bay of islands and is a warm coastal town. The bay has 144 islands and is beautiful.
Taupos a very cool place - I would definitely recommend at least 3 days there. It has lots of free walks and stuff to do.
Waiheke Island … I love it with all my heart, my home away from home.
Coromandel Town … The coromandel is often overlooked as it's off the main back packing route, but it was my favourite place so far. Its absolutely stunning and unspoilt, we stayed up in colville on a farm which had lots of bush walks and was great -- the beaches are lovely and the water is crystal clear. There's not many shops when you get away from the town centres so take your own food. It's best to go in summer to make the most of the beaches. Make sure to visit Cathedrale Cove and Hotwater beach on the way back down.
Rotorua … Awesome place for Maori and NZ culture and history, but other than that a little boring for my tastes. Zorbing is a must do though!
Waitomo … This is a great area to relax in a beutiful countryside location. Take a trip to the local pub and ask the locals what there is to do. You'll be surprised how a day can turn into a week!! Just relax and go with the flow!
Mitimiti … It is the coolest secluded place and I am proud to say I am from there.
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