If you're travelling all the way to NZ, we hope you'll make a bit of a holiday of it! We've pulled together some of our favourite places in Auckland, a few easy trips further afield, and some ideas for anyone planning a bigger New Zealand adventure.

Eat your way around the city

Auckland has an incredible food scene and we highly recommend making the most of it while you're here.

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A few of our favourites are Gemmayze Street on K Road for Lebanese, Amano in Britomart for Italian (and the bakery next door for coffee and pastries), and Crave in Morningside for brunch.

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Spend a day on Waiheke Island

If you have a spare day, this would be our number one recommendation. Catch the ferry over from downtown Auckland, hire e-bikes and spend the day exploring the island, beaches and vineyards.

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Stop at Mudbrick for lunch or a glass of wine with one of the best views back towards Auckland, before making your way back to the ferry. It's a very good way to spend a summer day.

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Explore the waterfront

Start around Britomart and wander down towards the Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter. There are plenty of places to stop for a drink or something to eat along the way.

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Head to the beach

Auckland is surrounded by water, so you're never particularly far from a beach. If you have a car and a little more time, head west to see Auckland's wild black-sand beaches. Piha is the famous one, but the whole west coast is beautiful.

If you've got a few extra days and a car, there's plenty worth exploring beyond Auckland.

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Tauranga & Mount Maunganui - around 2.5 - 3 hours

One of our favourite parts of the North Island. Spend the day at Mount Maunganui, walk up or around Mauao, swim at the beach and grab something to eat along the waterfront. It's especially good in summer and worth staying for a night or two.

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Coromandel - around 2.5 - 3 hours

Beautiful beaches, little coastal towns and classic NZ summer. Give yourself at least a night or two rather than trying to squeeze it into a day trip.

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Hobbiton - around 2 hours

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, this is your moment. Even if you're not, it's a beautiful part of the Waikato and easy to stop at on the way to Tauranga or Rotorua.

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Rotorua - around 3 hours

One of the best places to experience Māori culture and New Zealand's geothermal landscape - geysers, hot pools, bubbling mud and the unmistakable Rotorua smell. Worth staying overnight.

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Taupō - around 3.5 hours

A huge lake in the middle of the North Island, surrounded by some of the country's best scenery. It's an easy next stop after Rotorua if you're turning a few days away into a road trip.

If you're coming from overseas, we'd really encourage you to see more of New Zealand while you're here.

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For a few extra days, we'd stay around Auckland and do Waiheke plus one trip north or south.

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With a week, you could road trip from Auckland through the Coromandel, Rotorua and Taupō before looping back.

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With two weeks or more, we'd seriously consider flying down to the South Island rather than trying to drive the whole country. Queenstown, Wānaka, Fiordland, Aoraki/Mount Cook and the surrounding landscapes are a completely different side of New Zealand and absolutely worth the trip.

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And one final piece of advice: New Zealand is much bigger than it looks on a map. Don't try to see the entire country in a week. Pick a few places, take your time and enjoy them.