Any suggestions for my New Zealand itinerary?

The wife and I will be doing the north island next month. The itinerary below is already set and lodging booked, but interested in any suggestions on things to do/see in the areas (the wife is interested in stores, museums & sites; I’m interested in cultural landmarks and outdoor activities - hiking & biking), restaurants (I’m a pescetarian), breweries or wineries (open to any interesting wineries, but especially interested in Pinot Noir). We will have a rental car for most of the trip with some intra-island flights.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

2 days in Auckland
3 days on Coromandel Peninsula (staying in Whitianga)
2 days in Taupo
2 days in Tongariro Nat’l Park (doing Tongarino Alpine Crossing)
2 days in Napier (one day visiting Hawke’s Bay wineries; lunch at Craggy Range Winery; also likely visiting Te Mata and Stonecroft)
1 day in Martinborough (likely to visit Ata Rangi, Martinborough Vineyard, Escarpment & Dry River)
3 days in Wellington

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oceania-australia-new-zealand-south-pacific-461/

Read the linked forum. Tons of information. You can also use the search box on the right for more specific information (on Flyertalk and WineBerserkes).

Pretty manic, but the standard of NZ accommodation was pretty high last time we visited, so finding places en-route isn’t as bad an option as some places.

Taupo is nice and has a relaxed feel. Scenic cellars used to have a huge downstairs vintage cellar to sift through.

Napier has the most wonderful architecture due to being levelled by an earthquake 80 years ago. I love the place and it’s arguably the finest wine region in NZ

Martinborough town is surprisingly flat, so easy to navigate. Do consider slotting in a lesser known producer in as well, as there can be some good stuff outside the ‘names’

Wellington has transformed itself, from being a little dead 20 years ago, to being very vibrant with one of the world’s great coffee scenes - we failed to find a place serving anything but very good coffee, and that included some fairly standard cafes. Regional Wines & Spirits near the basin reserve is well worth a look for wines. I’m told the national museum is very good indeed.

Overall it looks a little rushed, and it’s worth challenging whether the days represent full days, or also take in travel time. If the latter, then some of these slots may be much too small. e.g. Napier to Martinborough is a long enough drive, so if leaving Napier in the morning, it would be more like half a day in Martinborough, plus you’d be very tired. 4 wineries in half a day just sounds like it wouldn’t do them justice.

Might also be worth (when in Hawkes Bay) looking at Church Road (despite it being the huge Montana/whatever they’re called now), plus Mission Estate which both offer significant history. In the case of Mission, they also still have a rather unusual set up, but the quality of the Jewelstone range can be very high indeed.

Do also try the various fish, many of which will be as new to you as they were to me. Shopping in a fishmongers had me flabbergasted for the variety and wonderful value for money. The fish and chips are also typically very good, and typically cooked fresh to order. For lunch, well worth considering one of the many pie shops that are often very high standard with a big range of fillings - a very tasty and filling pit-stop option.

Finally do take the time to stop and chat to people in the smaller towns, as they are often very willing to chat and take a genuine interest in visitors - not in the way of tourist-farming, but out of very natural interest.

regards
Ian

Thanks Ian - a lot of great advice. Days are exclusive of drive times & we will be flying between some destinations (e.g., Napier to Wellington).

Glad to hear about the Wellington coffee scene. I’m spoiled living in the Pacific NW so will be nice to enjoy the finest of NZ. Will definitely leave time to explore lesser known wineries (plus the many breweries I have on my list).

We enjoyed Hawke’s Bay, including lunch at Terroir restaurant at Craggy Range. The setting is stunning and the food is good. We also had a tour/tasting at Te Mata, which was nice. I would recommend Trinity Hill as another option for a visit.

In Napier, I recommend Mister D restaurant. It is a hip, casual spot with delicious food and a great selection of wines by the glass.

Hi Scott,

I only just saw this thread, or I would have written earlier. Your trip can’t be too far away, can it?

As has been said, your trip looks hectic, but I’m sure you’ll have a great time. The recommendations and comments in this thread are good (especially about the Wellington coffee and Te Papa, our local museum).

I had been meaning, one day, to post on WBs on Napier and Martinborough more comprehensively but have you seen post 18 on Consistently NZ's best pinot noir ... ? - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers about Napier? Any way, you seem to be on the right track.

Re Martinborough, Escarpment and Dry River aren’t generally open to the public, unless you’ve pre-organised something. If you haven’t I can give you email details for Escarpment because I know the people there well.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Napier, Martinborough or Wellington. Also, if you have a free night in Wellington, I might be able to organise with friends a tasting of some good NZ pinot noir for you both!

Cheers, Howard

Thanks Scott & Howard. We will be heading over late next week. Very much looking forward to it.

I had seen the thread Howard mentioned & that helped inform winery choices as I am not familiar with NZ wine outside of those widely available in the US (eg, Cloudy Bay, Kim Crawford). I’m excited to try the smaller boutique wines. I arranged apps at Dry River and Escarpment.

Thanks Howard for the possible Wellington tasting offer. Let me talk over with the wife and I’ll PM you.