New Zealand

Oh my, this brings back great memories. In 2015 ( edited to correct) we spent 2 +weeks on the South Island. The relevant part for you would be the last week, when we spent two nights in Dunedin to see the university, where a friend had spent a sabbatical year teaching at the medical school. We particularly enjoyed the botanical garden.

From there we went to spend a day and night in Clyde so we could bike the Otago rail trail. We stayed at a charming bed and breakfast and had a great day riding bike on the Riverside trail. I highly recommend Oliver’s for lodging:

https://www.olivers.co.nz/

Then on to Queenstown, where we turned in our rental car and prepared for our 4-night inn to inn guided trek on the Milford Track, ending at Milford Sound with an overnight in the lodge there, and a cruise on the Sound the following day before the return to Queenstown. This 30+mile trek was the highlight of our New Zealand trip, despite all the rain, and Zi highly recommend it if you enjoy hiking.

https://www.ultimatehikes.co.nz/multi-day-guided-walks/milford-track

There is only the one company that does the inn to inn trek; otherwise you can Dona self-guided walk staying in the huts and carrying your own meals and supplies, but that takes lots of advance planning, and considerable luck in scoring the hut reservations.

https://www.olivers.co.nz/

@Lola, you have an incredible memory able to project forward into the future what you have done.

Oh my, this brings back great memories. In 2025 we spent 2 +weeks on the South Island. The relevant part for you would be the last week, when we spent two nights in Dunedin

I jest :). The typo did make me chuckle 🤭 😆

Thank you for the that information! Do you know how far in advance you have to reserve the milford trek?

We really enjoyed Abel Tasman NP- we went hiking and kayaking. I don't have specifics as it was 8 or so years ago, but we loved the area.

Hello, I have lived in NZ all my life. Lots of nice spots not too far from Dunedin. Start by exploring the Otago Peninsular in Dunedin. 9 days is not long so maybe look at places close to Dunedin. Have a look at the Catlins area south of Dunedin. If you like nature it is beautiful and a wild unspoilt coastline. What time of year though? Queenstown is an obvious option, lot's or shorter or longer day walks in that area, spectacular scenery and wineries if you like wine. good for bike riding too on bike trails. Wanaka also gorgeous too both on lakes. Te Anau is pretty. You could also do a trip to Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound. Milford can be done in a day trip from Queenstown but a long day. Possibly you could get up to Mount Cook area and walk a bit of the Hooker Valley. With so litttle time I would pick the places in the region of Otago probably, a beautiful and popular destination or maybe Catlins if Summer or warmer season if you like to be more off the beaten track. Feel free to ask me any more questions. Where are you coming from? Cheers and hope you enjoy NZ.

We did a week tour of the North Island that ended in Wellington. We then spend two more days in that wonderful city. That was nine days and we didn't even do the South Island.

If you want to do the whole country, you need more than 9 days.

All good advice from Julie.
I would echo her comments about the nearby Otago peninsula - just a short drive from Dunedin. It's gorgeous (as is the whole country quite frankly) and has a number of terrific hikes of varying distances and degrees of difficulty depending on just how avid you are. Might add that there are several places out there where you can visit penguin colonies for close encounters with the little guys. We booked with this company but there are others as I recall.
A one-way car rental from Dunedin to Queenstown would be my suggestion too if it's to be your first visit. The trailheads for some of NZ's Great Walks (Milford, Routebourne, etc.) are close by, where you can do some very nice day hikes without having to commit to a multi-day trek.
Hopefully your trip will be in the NZ summer. If so, be aware that things have started to get a bit crowded in popular locations (including Queenstown) during the Chinese New Year celebration which typically lasts from around mid-January to early March. Lots of tourists from mainland China, Singapore, and Taiwan can fill up some of the smaller towns well in advance. Best to book well ahead during that period to avoid disappointment.
In some coastal areas black flies can be a real problem... and a real pain. About the only thing we found that would keep them off us was industrial strength DEET, though you can inquire locally to see if there's something less toxic that works.
It's a beautiful country and you can't go wrong no matter where you go, but the area around Queenstown/ Te Anau has always been our personal favorite.

I did a month solo trip around the South Island about 10 years ago, and my two favorite places were the Otago Peninsula and the Catlins. Probably an unpopular opinion, but I was underwhelmed with Milford Sound (but I am admittedly someone who prefers lesser-known places). I took a tour on the Otago Peninsula to see a penguin colony. There was a food truck on the peninsula that sold fish and chips that was so good! It’s been awhile so I don’t remember the name. But the guy who worked there laughed because I literally went there every night for my dinner.

And the Catlins was absolutely amazing! Gorgeous coastal areas with hardly any people. Stayed in a quaint little town called Papatowai and did a walk to McLean Falls and also to the Cathedral Caves. Just thinking about all of this makes me want to go back. Have a great trip!

Here are just a few suggestions to add:
• Orokonui Ecosanctuary
• Stewart Island
• Fiordland - Milford Sound OR Doubtful Sound day trip
• Eat Southland cheese rolls
• Oamaru - Steampunk and Little Blue Penguins Colony in the evening.
• Wineries of Central Otago - Bannockburn.
• Cardrona Distillery
• Hikes on the remote West Coast
• Sea kayaking in Abel Tasman
• Whale watching in Kaikoura
• The Last Word bar in Christchurch
• Weta Workshop Wellington
• Napier Art Deco walking tour
• Waiheke Island - wine and whisky tour
• Auckland War Memorial Museum
• Giapo ice cream in Auckland 🍦

Oh man, I have trip envy! NZ was amazing in 2018! For fun, do the Shotover jet boat in Queenstown, and I loved the Ledge bungy! We also took a short flight from Queenstown on Air Milford on a prop plane, & they transported us to a ship for a 2-hour cruise of Milford. It was amazing to see it all from the sky and then the ship. This was in August, but we were blessed with great weather. Arrowtown is lovely, also.

We did a 2 week South Island trip this past November. This was our second trip there, and it is absolutely amazing. Milford sound and/or Doubtful sound are must-sees. And truly, you can't go wrong anywhere you go in the South Island. That is the good news, but I have one strong negative recommendation...

Avoid Queenstown if at all possible. Use it as an airport, but don't make the mistake of planning to stay there. New Zealanders we spoke to also advised avoiding Queenstown. I wished we had listened to them.

It's very disappointing how bad that city has become. It is very overcrowded and has surprisingly bad traffic for such a small city. It is extremely touristy and significantly overpriced relative to everywhere else in New Zealand. Parking especially is a nightmare. It is extremely hard to find parking, and CCTVs monitor and will automatically ticket your car for any infraction. Queenstown parking laws and signs are so complicated it is very easy to inadvertently make a mistake (as we discovered). You get a ticket in the mail after you get home, and there is no forgiveness.

When we were there, there was a boil water notice in place because the city's water supply had fecal contamination. It's very sad how badly the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QDLC) has mismanaged that once charming city in the past 10 years (since we were last there). It is a shame, and I sincerely hope they will turn things around in the future, but for now, as a tourist, I strongly advise avoiding it.