My Favourite New Zealand Cities

Although several of my favourite places in New Zealand weren’t major cities, but rather smaller and sometimes more rural towns, I have always loved a good city vibe. I’m just one of those girls.

Don’t get me wrong, lounging on a beach all day can be fun, but to me there is nothing more exhilarating than visiting a new city, hearing the hustle and bustle of daily life and feeling excited about exploring its food, bars and attractions.

Because of, or perhaps despite, this, there were only a small handful of New Zealand cities that captured my attention and that I would gladly re-visit, all for different reasons. It will probably surprise many that Wellington is not on this list and that’s for the simple reason that I didn’t like it all that much. For me, it was just “meh”, even though I tried really hard to love it. In the end, I felt like the only place with any life was Cuba Street and even that underwhelmed me. So, needless to say, it doesn’t make an appearance on my top New Zealand cities post. But these places do…

Auckland

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times (ok, maybe only twice) – I will defend Auckland to any of the naysayers until I’m blue in the face. It’s fun, it’s hilly (which makes for great views) and there are so many cool coffee shops and bars to hang out in that you could walk the streets for a year and probably never go in the same one twice.

What to do in Auckland:

• Climb Mt. Eden
• Go shopping at Britomart
• Take the ferry to Waiheke Island
• Check out the view from the Sky Tower
• Grab a burger at the White Lady
• Wander around the neighbourhoods of Ponsonby and Parnell
• See and be seen in the bars and restaurants around the harbour

Dunedin

We stayed in Dunedin for around 10 nights, which was a long time when you look at our itinerary and how long we stayed in other places. I absolutely love this university city and its restaurants and bars; not to mention that it’s only a bus ride away from the stunning landscape of the Otago Peninsula.

What to do in Dunedin:

• Eat too much chocolate at the Cadbury Chocolate Factory
• Attempt to climb the world’s tallest street (Baldwin Street)
• Walk around the grand railway station
• Stuff yourself with cheap Asian food
• Enjoy a drink (and maybe a tour) in Speight’s Brewery
• Take the bus to the beach and the outdoor swimming pool

Nelson

Nelson was one of those places that I loved from the minute I arrived and yet I can’t really put my finger on why, exactly. Maybe it was one of those “right time, right place” situations, coming to the city right after our WWOOF experience and wanting to relax and unwind. It also didn’t hurt that we stayed in a great hostel that served chocolate pudding every evening. What can I say? I’m easily pleased.

What to do in Nelson:

• Take a day trip to Abel Tasman National Park and do some hiking/kayaking
• Snap some pictures of the modern Christ Church Cathedral
• Cycle out to the beach
• Eat a delicious brunch at Morrison St Cafe

Are any of these cities your favourites too? Or do you think I’m just plain crazy for not including Wellington? And before anyone says it – Queenstown isn’t a city otherwise I would have included it 😉