Ways To Be A "Kiwi"

• Love sport, follow sport, talk about sport, maybe even have a go at it.
• Have a weekend picnic, or enjoy a barbecue at the beach, or anywhere, just go!
• Go to the bush, or the river, or the mountain.
• Travel by car (driving on the left!) or 4WD most places. Bikes are for the energetic: what a splendid way to see the country!
• Have lunch at a café and make new Kiwi friends.
• Watch an All Blacks rugby game and see why they are national heroes.
• Don't discuss religion but do discuss politicians - blame everything bad on them.
• "Shout" a Kiwi a beer. A friendly way to thank Kiwis is to "shout" them (or buy them) a drink.
• Don't talk between 8:00 and 8:05 on Saturday night. That's when the national Lotto is drawn.
• Slap on the sunscreen. Your skin can burn extremely quickly in the fierce summer sun here.

Places To Have Lunch

• Bell Pepper Blues (Moderately priced) Address: 474 Princes Street, Dunedin Phone: 03 474 0973. Modern interesting selection.
• Boulcott Street Bistro (Moderately priced) Address: 99 Boulcott Street, Wellington Phone: 04 499 4199. International bistro selections.
• Cin Cin on Quay (Moderately priced) Address: 99 Quay Street, Auckland Phone: 09 307 6966. Busy waterfront café.
• City Bistro (Expensive) Address: 101 Wakefield Street, Wellington Phone: 04 801 8828. Popular American bistro dishes.
• Gibbston Valley Winery (Moderately priced) Address: Queenstown- Cromwell SH6 (24km from Queenstown) Phone: 03 442 6910. Light lunches in a southern vineyard.
• Iguaçu (Moderately priced) Address: 269 Parnell Road, Auckland Phone: 09 358 4804. Trendy cuisine.
• one red dog (Moderately priced) Address: 151 Ponsonby Road, Auckland Phone: 09 360 1068. The best pizzas in Ponsonby.
• Palazzo del Marinaio (Moderately priced) Address: Shades Arcade, City Mall, Cashel Street, Christchurch Phone: 03 365 4640. Seafood and other dishes.
• Parkroyal (Moderately priced) Address: Corner Kilmore & Durham streets, Christchurch Phone: 03 365 7799. Light and elegant in this hotel atrium.
• The Portage Hotel (Moderately priced) Address: Beachcomber Cruises, Picton Phone: 03 573 4309. A launch cruise and views.

Top Activities

• Bird-watching: from November through to February take a tour to see white herons roost near Whataroa in Westland.
• Four-wheel-drive Safari: follow an old stage-coach road on the Dunstan Trail, out of Alexandra.
• Just Looking: Kelly Tarlton's Antartic Experience and Underwater World, in Auckland.
• Golfing: there are over 300 courses!
• Maori Experience: visit a marae or eat a hangi.
• Swimming: brilliant beaches, rivers and lakes everywhere
• Skiing: try Coronet Peak, near Queenstown.
• Trout Fishing: open season year-round at Taupo.
• Walking: from Arataki Visitor Centre in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges for an experience of the New Zealand bush.
• Wine Trail: tour the Marlborough vineyards.

Adventure Activities

• Big game fishing: Bay of Islands.
• Bungy-jumping: Queenstown.
• Canoeing: Whanganui River.
• Glacier walking: Fox Glacier.
• Hang gliding: around Queenstown.
• Horse riding: Arrowtown's old gold-mining trail.
• Hunting: Taupo's Kaimanawa Ranges.
• Jet-boating: Queenstown's Shotover River jet-boat.
• White-water rafting: Try Wairoa River near Tauranga.
• Wilderness walking: the Whirinaki Forest; Milford Track.