20 of the best new things to do in New Zealand this summer (2023)

FAQs

What do people do in New Zealand? ›

If you're after New Zealand's famous adventure activities and extreme sports, you can choose from bungy jumping, jet boating, skydiving or zip lining. Or relax and take it easy at beautiful hot pools, cultural attractions and art galleries.

New Zealand is one of the most gorgeous countries on earth, and even with its modest size, it packs a lot of history, culture, and attractions for us to experience. New Zealand is known for its stunning national parks, dynamic Māori culture, incredible hiking trails, and world-class skiing and surfing.

1. Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound, South Island. A World Heritage Site, Fiordland National Park protects some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. Glaciers sculpted this dramatic landscape, carving the famous fjords of Milford, Dusky, and Doubtful Sounds.

The greatest benefits of living in New Zealand are the sunny weather, the diverse natural landscape, and the stress-free lifestyle. The following list will break down the rest of the pros and cons of living in the land of the Kiwis.

New Zealanders often blur the boundaries when it comes to leisure activities around the home. Favourites include gardening, sewing and home maintenance. Meanwhile popular pastimes such as watching TV and socialising are almost always just for fun.

July is mid-winter in New Zealand, which means cool and damp in most of the north, and cold, damp or snowy in the south. It's not peak season unless you're into skiing, and then you're in luck.

Māori culture is a very central part of life here and this includes Māori food, language, and customs. Even if you're just living here for a short time, it's important that you know, understand and respect Māori customs and how to interact in Māori culture.

Kia ora can be used to say hello, express gratitude, send love and make a connection. Kia ora is a warm and welcoming greeting you'll hear throughout New Zealand and comes from the indigenous Māori language.

The kiwifruit is perhaps the most famous New Zealand fruit. Also known as the Chinese gooseberry or simply the kiwi, it has a brown fuzzy skin with green or yellow flesh inside.

What should I not miss in New Zealand? ›

At 268,021 km sq, Colorado has almost exactly the same land mass as New Zealand - and that's not the only similarity. Like Aotearoa, the US state's main drawcard for tourists is that it's home to keen adventurers and some of the world's most diverse, beautiful scenery.

So how much does it cost to go to New Zealand? For a two week itinerary, you can expect to pay about $4,070 per person. This is a pretty significant amount of money to spend on a vacation.

1: Hokey Pokey Icecream. It's not a slice but you can't write a list of NZ treats without mentioning the much loved Hokey Pokey ice cream. Hokey Pokey is vanilla ice cream with a bucketload of honeycomb toffee bits throughout.

A typical New Zealand breakfast is simple. Kiwis start off with cereal and toast accompanied by a cup of coffee, tea, freshly made orange juice, or local milk. Unlike Americans, cooked breakfast is not very common except during the weekends.

Why are New Zealanders called Kiwis? The name 'kiwi' comes from the curious little flightless bird that is unique to New Zealand.

Morena- (Good) morning! Nau mai - Welcome! Come!

While I am all for quarters over semesters, the one great thing is the mid-semester break.

Sweet as- “This road trip is sweet as” This phrase is probably the most common NZ slang phrase.

What is found in New Zealand only? ›

You can stay for up to 2 years on a Vistor Visa if you are over 66 years old and have NZD $750,000 to invest in New Zealand. You also need an additional NZD $500,000 to live on and an annual income of NZD $60,000 or more.

Generally, the maximum stay holding a Visitor Visa is 9 months. We usually only allow visitors to stay for 9 months in an 18-month period. To work this out, we look at the last day that you intend to be in New Zealand (e.g. 1 July 2020) and count back 18 months from there (e.g. 1 January 2019).

If you are interested in moving to New Zealand, or to come here to work for a while, there are different visa options you can consider. if you're aged 18-30, a working holiday visas can give you up to 23 months in New Zealand. work visas let you live and work here for a set period and some can lead to residence.

T shirts and linen shirts, shorts, light jeans and summer dresses: Summer in New Zealand calls for casual cuts that won't cling to you as the weather warms up. Sandals/Thongs: Down here we call them “jandals”! Perfect for beach days or lounging round the pool.

High and low season in New Zealand

The low season (June–Oct) is the cheapest time to travel, however prices remain high at resort towns with ski fields. In other areas some attractions will be closed, though most major attractions remain open year-round.

New Zealand's summer months are December to February, bringing high temperatures and sunshine. Days are long and sunny, nights are mild. Summer is an excellent time for walking in the bush and a variety of other outdoor activities.

New Zealanders (also known as Kiwis) are often viewed as being friendly, inventive, outgoing and welcoming people. They are generally calm and may initially seem slightly more reserved and polite in comparison to other English-speakers. However, their culture is still highly informal and relaxed.

What is disrespectful in Māori culture? ›

This formal custom is very important and taken seriously by Māori. It is highly disrespectful to eat, drink or talk amongst others during the welcome.

New Zealand does not have a specific national dress. Customary Māori clothing is the only form of dress that is distinctive to New Zealand. Kahu (cloaks) give significant mana and honour to official occasions, such as royal tours and state funerals.

Exports The top exports of New Zealand are Concentrated Milk ($5.92B), Sheep and Goat Meat ($2.57B), Frozen Bovine Meat ($2.1B), Rough Wood ($2.05B), and Butter ($1.89B), exporting mostly to China ($10.9B), Australia ($5.17B), United States ($4.35B), Japan ($2.34B), and South Korea ($1.12B).

On the sixth of February, Waitangi Day takes place, undoubtedly one of the most important events in New Zealand, as it is the National Holiday. During the celebrations, speeches are held in the different Kiwi communities. Ceremonies and traditional dance and song events are also organised.

The economy of New Zealand is a highly developed free-market economy. It is the 51st-largest national economy in the world when measured by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and the 63rd-largest in the world when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP).

The foundation of New Zealand's economy is the export of agricultural commodities such as dairy products, meat, forest products, fruit and vegetables, and wine. Dairy is the lead export commodity – in 2021 New Zealand dairy exports totaled approximately US$12 billion.

New Zealand exports more dairy products, lamb and venison than any other country, and is among the leading exporters of beef, kiwifruit, apples and seafood.

With no land predators, except for birds of prey, birds in New Zealand evolved into a mix of flightless birds and melodic forest birds. As a result, you may find that many birds in New Zealand are likely to come to check you out when hiking in the forests as they don't see you as a threat.