Discover New Zealand

There are plenty of activities, events and places to go in Auckland. For 1001 ideas on what to do in Auckland and information about parks, beaches, walkways, sport, art, dance, music and much more, visit the Auckland City Council website.

To find out more about things to do in Auckland, visit Tourism Auckland's official website.

To find out about organised outings for international students, visit iSPACE.

Get out of Auckland for the weekend and experience the many delights that the North Island has to offer. The following regions are a two to four hour drive from the city; visit their tourism websites for more information.

• Above Auckland is Northland and the beautiful Bay of Islands.
  Visit: www.northlandnz.com
   
• South-east from Auckland is the Coromandel Peninsula.
  Visit: www.thecoromandel.com
   
• The geothermal city of Rotorua is to the south.
  Visit: www.rotoruanz.com
   
• Not far from Rotorua is Taupo, including Tongariro National Park.
  Visit: www.laketauponz.com
   
• On the east coast is the sunny Bay of Plenty.
  Visit: www.bayofplentynz.com
   
• Explore caves, beaches and provincial city life in the Waikato region.
  Visit: www.waikatonz.co.nz

• Coastal fun in the Abel Tasman National Park.
  Visit: www.abeltasman.co.nz
   
• Fiords, waterfalls and lakes in Fiordland and Milford Sound.
  Visit: www.fiordland.org.nz
   
• Giant rivers of ice at Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.
  Visit: www.glaciercountry.co.nz
   
• Whale watching and seafood in Kaikoura.
  Visit: www.kaikoura.co.nz
   
• Kayaking, hiking and biking in Marlborough Sounds.
  Visit: www.marlboroughsounds.co.nz
   
• Crazy pancake rocks at Punakaiki.
  Visit: www.punakaiki.co.nz
   
• Alpine scenery and adventure in Queenstown.
  Visit: www.queenstown-nz.co.nz
   
• Mountains, rainforest and historic towns on the West Coast.
  Visit: www.west-coast.co.nz

Travel consultants from Base Travel regularly organises affordable weekends and longer holidays for small groups of international students. These trips are a great way to make new friends.

On Wednesdays from noon until 2pm, travel consultants from Base Travel will be in iSPACE to tell you about easy weekends away and great destinations for longer holidays.

Find out more on the Base Travel website

International students at The University of Auckland are entitled to a Travel and Adventure Discount Card courtesy of Base Travel, located on Level 3, Auckland Central Backpackers, corner Darby and Queen Streets.

The next time you'd like to book a trip or an activity, take this card with you to the Travel Zone and you'll get a 5% discount on all products. This card has been especially designed for international students at our University and is not available to any other students in Auckland.

Auckland is often called the City of Sails, so a sailing lesson on Waitemata Harbour is almost compulsory!

Sail NZ offers Auckland international students a fantastic sailing school experience. You'll learn the basics of how to sail a boat and also the essential rules and regulations about boating and safety. For an awesome experience contact Sail NZ or visit the Sail NZ website.

Active Earth is a tour company for adventurous people who want to experience New Zealand's world-famous national parks.

If you want to try sea kayaking, hiking, camping and caving in remote and beautiful wilderness areas of New Zealand, Active Earth can make it happen. They can even take you to places that no other companies (and few individuals) ever get to see. Groups are small - no more than 11 people.

Sometimes you’ll stay in simple lodges with good facilities; at other times accommodation is more rustic (huts and tents). For many people the nights under the stars are a magical experience.

Active Earth also offer University of Auckland students “Weekend Safaris” - hiking trips that are particularly affordable for budget-conscious individuals.

Check out the Active Earth website

Get a group together and rent a bach (holiday home) - it can be a very affordable way to get to know New Zealand. Check out these great websites:

• www.holidayhouses.co.nz
• www.bachcare.co.nz
• wwww.bluepenguin.co.nz

If you want to explore New Zealand by car or campervan, check out the cheap rates on these websites:

• www.backpackercampervans.co.nz
• www.escaperentals.co.nz
• www.acerentals.co.nz