New Zealand: Wild Coasts & Alpine Climbs — Self-Launched

Land at Auckland Airport and take the Skybus (about NZ$20 / £9) or the cheaper AirportLink bus into the CBD. Check into a central hostel dorm around Fort Street or Karangahape Road. Spend the afternoon walking the waterfront and Viaduct Harbour, then do a supermarket shop for breakfast supplies. Optional: America's Cup sailing experience from the Viaduct (approx £100) or the Maritime Museum (£12).

🚌Skybus from AKL airport, ~£9

🛏Central Auckland hostel dorm (e.g. YHA Auckland City or Haka Lodge)

• →Viaduct Harbour walk
• →Supermarket shop
• →Optional America's Cup sailing

Take an InterCity bus from Auckland to Hamilton or Raglan (approx NZ$30-45 / £15-22, 2.5-3 hrs). If you're on the direct Raglan service it drops you in town; otherwise change at Hamilton. Ask your hostel to help you arrange a short taxi or shuttle to Bridal Veil Falls (10 mins walk to the 55m waterfall through native bush). This afternoon hire a sea kayak in Raglan harbour (approx NZ$60-80 / £28-38) and paddle the estuary. Stay two nights at a Raglan hostel in the surf/arts town.

🚌InterCity bus Auckland–Raglan, ~£18

🛏Raglan hostel dorm (e.g. Raglan Backpackers)

• →Bridal Veil Falls walk
• →Raglan harbour sea kayaking

Raglan is one of the world's most famous left-hand point breaks. Book a beginner group surf lesson direct with one of the local surf schools on the main street (approx NZ$90-110 / £42-52, includes board and wetsuit). The rest of the day is yours — walk to Manu Bay to watch the pros, grab a flat white in town, and enjoy the laid-back coastal vibe. Sunset at the Raglan wharf is a must.

🚌Walking / local bus

🛏Raglan hostel dorm

• →Beginner surf lesson
• →Manu Bay viewpoint
• →Raglan wharf sunset

Take the InterCity bus Raglan–Waitomo (about 2 hrs) and book a Waitomo glowworm cave tour direct — the classic Tumu Tumu Toobing or Spellbound Glowworm tour runs NZ$99 / £45, or do the free Waitomo Valley Walk if you're keeping costs down. Continue by bus to Rotorua (another 1.5 hrs, approx £15). In the evening book the Te Puia geothermal valley night experience (approx NZ$60-90 / £28-42) for bubbling mud pools and a Maori cultural performance.

🚌InterCity buses Raglan–Waitomo–Rotorua, ~£32

🛏Rotorua hostel dorm (e.g. Haka Lodge Rotorua)

• →Waitomo glowworm cave tour
• →Te Puia geothermal valley night experience

Spend a free morning in Rotorua — walk the Whakarewarewa Redwoods forest tracks for free, or book a whitewater rafting trip (approx NZ$135 / £63) on the Kaituna River with its 7m waterfall drop. In the afternoon take the InterCity bus to Taupo (1.5 hrs, approx £10). Stop at Huka Falls — the short riverside walk from the Huka Falls car park is free and spectacular. In the late afternoon, join a Lake Taupo sailboat cruise (approx NZ$75-95 / £35-45) or simply swim at the lakefront hot water beach.

🚌InterCity bus Rotorua–Taupo, ~£10

🛏Taupo hostel dorm

• →Redwoods forest walk
• →Optional Kaituna rafting
• →Huka Falls
• →Lake Taupo sailboat trip

Take the InterCity bus Taupo to Wellington (about 5 hrs, approx NZ$50 / £23) or the scenic Northern Explorer train if you want the views. Arrive early afternoon and visit the free-to-enter Te Papa National Museum (a small charge applies for some exhibitions), then ride the Wellington Cable Car (NZ$6-12 / £3-6) up to the Botanic Gardens. Walk Oriental Parade at sunset and head out in Courtenay Place for the big night out.

🚌InterCity bus Taupo–Wellington, ~£23

🛏Wellington hostel dorm (e.g. Haka Lodge Wellington)

• →Te Papa Museum
• →Wellington Cable Car
• →Oriental Parade walk
• →Night out in Courtenay Place

Catch the Interislander ferry from Wellington to Picton across the Cook Strait (approx NZ$65-90 / £30-42, 3.5 hrs) — stand on deck for the Marlborough Sounds. Hire a car in Picton or take the InterCity bus to Nelson and then a local shuttle to Marahau (about 2 hrs). Settle into a basic lodge or hostel at the gateway to Abel Tasman. Book your Aqua Taxi forward for tomorrow morning.

🚌Interislander ferry + bus/shuttle Picton–Marahau, ~£55

🛏Marahau basic lodge / hostel dorm

• →Interislander ferry Cook Strait crossing
• →Marlborough Sounds views

Book the Aqua Taxi from Marahau to Anchorage direct (approx NZ$40-50 / £19-23 one way) — the same service the tour uses. Walk back to Marahau at your own pace along the coastal track (about 12km, 4-5 hrs), stopping at golden sand beaches like Apple Tree Bay and Anchorage for swims and lunch. Optional add-ons: a guided kayak-and-walk combo (NZ$230 / £107) or canyoning (NZ$280 / £130).

🚌Aqua Taxi water taxi, ~£21

🛏Marahau basic lodge / hostel dorm

• →Aqua Taxi to Anchorage
• →Abel Tasman coastal track walk
• →Beach swims

Drive or take the InterCity bus south down the West Coast to Westport (approx 3 hrs, £20). Stopping at Cape Foulwind to see the fur seal colony is easiest with a hire car — if you're on the bus, get off at Westport and take a local taxi out to the seal colony (about 15 mins each way). Westport is an old coal town with a good craft brewery and a couple of decent hostels.

🚌Bus or rental car Abel Tasman–Westport, ~£20

🛏Westport hostel dorm

• →Cape Foulwind seal colony
• →Westport town wander

Continue south along the coast, stopping at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and blowholes — the short loop track is free. If you're on the bus, book a spot on a West Coast shuttle that includes the Punakaiki stop. Continue on to Franz Josef (about 4 hrs total from Westport, approx £30). Once there, walk the free Franz Josef Glacier Valley track to the terminal moraine viewpoint before dark.

🚌West Coast bus/shuttle, ~£30

🛏Franz Josef hostel dorm (e.g. Rainforest Retreat)

• →Punakaiki Pancake Rocks
• →Franz Josef Glacier Valley free walk

A full free day in glacier country. Options: a helicopter scenic flight with snow landing (NZ$385-655 / £180-305), a guided heli-hike onto the glacier (approx NZ$650 / £300), kayaking on Lake Mapourika (NZ$149-169 / £70-79), or free hiking on the Roberts Point, Alex Knob or Lake Matheson tracks — Lake Matheson's mirror reflections at dawn are unmissable and free. All flights can be cancelled for weather, so book flexible slots.

🚌Walking / hostel shuttle

🛏Franz Josef hostel dorm

• →Optional heli scenic flight
• →Lake Matheson walk
• →Roberts Point track (optional)

Drive or bus from Franz Josef over Haast Pass to Wanaka (about 3.5 hrs, approx £35), with the classic stops: Knights Point lookout, the Blue Pools, and of course the #ThatWanakaTree. Continue to Queenstown (another hour or so). Queenstown is your base for the next few days of adrenaline — sort out your bookings this evening (bungee, jet boat, canyon swing, skydive).

🚌Bus or rental car via Haast Pass, ~£35

🛏Queenstown hostel dorm (e.g. Haka Lodge Queenstown)

• →Haast Pass viewpoints
• →Blue Pools walk
• →Wanaka Tree photo stop

Pick your poison: bungee jumping at Kawarau Bridge (NZ$320-805 / £150-380), the Shotover Canyon Swing (NZ$295-590 / £140-280), skydiving (NZ$449-549 / £210-260) or a Shotover jet boat ride (NZ$179 / £84). Book direct through the operators online or at the Queenstown i-SITE. If you'd rather keep it cheap, ride the Tiki Trail up to Bob's Peak for free, or take the Skyline Gondola (NZ$66 / £31) for the luge and views. Dinner at Fergburger is obligatory.

🚌Walking / local bus

🛏Queenstown hostel dorm

• →Optional bungee, skydive or canyon swing
• →Tiki Trail or Skyline Gondola
• →Fergburger

Second free day in the adventure capital — do whatever you didn't get to yesterday. Options include a Gibbston Valley vineyard tour (NZ$189-265 / £88-122), a day trip to Arrowtown for the historic gold-rush village, or a lakefront walk around Queenstown Gardens. Book your Milford Sound day trip for tomorrow with a local operator.

🚌Walking / local bus

🛏Queenstown hostel dorm

• →Optional vineyard tour
• →Arrowtown day trip
• →Queenstown Gardens

Do a Milford Sound day trip with cruise from Queenstown — a coach-and-cruise combo with a local operator costs around NZ$304 / £140 including the boat. The drive through Fiordland via Te Anau and the Homer Tunnel is spectacular (allow 4.5 hrs each way, or break the trip in Te Anau). Watch for keas at the tunnel and keep an eye out for dolphins and seals on the cruise.

🚌Coach to Milford Sound + cruise, ~£55 (cruise+transport combo total £140)

🛏Queenstown or Te Anau hostel dorm

• →Milford Sound cruise
• →Fiordland National Park drive
• →Homer Tunnel

Bus or drive from Queenstown to Lake Tekapo (about 3 hrs, approx £25) with stops at Lake Pukaki's impossibly turquoise waters. Continue on to Mt Cook Village (another 1.5 hrs). Walk the Hooker Valley Track (10km return, free, 3 hrs) for the best views of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Optional: soak in the Tekapo Hot Springs (NZ$40+ / £18+) or visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.

🚌Bus Queenstown–Tekapo–Mt Cook, ~£30

🛏Mt Cook Village hostel / basic lodge dorm

• →Lake Pukaki viewpoint
• →Hooker Valley Track
• →Optional Tekapo Hot Springs

Spend the morning doing another Mt Cook walk (Kea Point or the Tasman Glacier View track are both short and free), then head back to Lake Tekapo. Hire a bike and ride around Lake Tekapo for the afternoon. Tonight, book a Dark Sky Project stargazing session (NZ$129-219 / £60-102) — Tekapo is an International Dark Sky Reserve and the night skies are unreal.

🚌Bus Mt Cook–Tekapo, ~£15

🛏Lake Tekapo hostel dorm

• →Kea Point or Tasman Glacier walk
• →Lake Tekapo bike ride
• →Dark Sky Project stargazing

Bus or drive from Lake Tekapo to Christchurch (about 3.5 hrs, approx £25). Spend the afternoon exploring the post-earthquake rebuild — the Transitional Cathedral, the Riverside Market food hall (great cheap eats) and the Botanic Gardens. If you're doing the Kaikoura dolphin tour, book it for tomorrow and travel up this evening instead.

🚌Bus Lake Tekapo–Christchurch, ~£25

🛏Christchurch hostel dorm

• →Riverside Market
• →Transitional Cathedral
• →Botanic Gardens

Take the InterCity bus or the scenic Coastal Pacific train from Christchurch to Kaikoura (about 2.5 hrs, approx NZ$35-55 / £16-25). Book a Dusky Dolphin swim or watch direct with one of the Kaikoura operators (approx NZ$135 / £63, with 20-40 minutes in the water when conditions allow). Optional whale watching flights or boats (NZ$175-250 / £80-115). Kaikoura's peninsula walkway at sunset is free.

🚌Bus or Coastal Pacific train Christchurch–Kaikoura, ~£22

🛏Kaikoura hostel dorm

• →Dusky dolphin swim
• →Kaikoura Peninsula walkway

Bus or train north to Picton (about 2 hrs), then take the Interislander ferry across the Cook Strait back to Wellington (approx £40). The whole journey takes most of the day. Arrive in Wellington in the evening, check into your hostel and go for a last-night dinner and drink in Cuba Street. Pick up any last-minute souvenirs.

🚌Bus/train + Interislander ferry to Wellington, ~£60

🛏Wellington hostel dorm

• →Coastal Pacific or bus to Picton
• →Cook Strait ferry
• →Cuba Street night out

No activities planned today — head to Wellington Airport for your onward flight, or extend your stay with a few extra days in the capital. If you have a late flight, use the morning for a final walk along the waterfront or a return visit to Te Papa. Air New Zealand and Jetstar fly Wellington to Auckland and Christchurch for onward connections.

🚌Airport bus or taxi to WLG, ~£5-10

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Waterfront walk
• →Final Te Papa visit (optional)