Marlborough & Nelson

For many travellers, Marlborough and Nelson will be their introduction to what South Islanders refer to as the ‘Mainland’. Having left windy Wellington, and made a white-knuckled crossing of Cook Strait, folk are often surprised to find the sun shining and the temperature 10°C warmer.

Riwaka Valley seen from Hawkes Lookout near Motueka.

©Matt Munro/Lonely Planet

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13 days / 12 nights

13 Days in New Zealand: North and South Island Adventure

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13 Days in New Zealand: North and South Island Adventure

highlights

1 Soaring over Rotorua's thermal lakes and geothermal gems on an electrifying floatplane
2 Whale watching and fur seal-spotting from up above on a Kaikōura sightseeing flight
3 Inhabiting the fantastical fiction of Middle Earth with a Hobbiton set visit