My husband and I are going to NZ for 2 weeks over Thanksgiving. We plan to spend 3 days in Auckland and 5 days in Wellington. What is there to do in or around Auckland? What about in or around Wellington? Is there any place else we should try to go?
Do you plan to rent a car or rely on public transportation, day trips & tours, etc?
We would prefer tours and day trips but we could rent a car if necessary.
Assuming that this is your first trip I think a few days based in Auckland would be good, if only to get over the jet lag from the flight over. There are a number of companies doing day trips to the surrounding area, specializing in everything from Maori culture, to Lord of the Rings film sites, to history - the trip up to the treaty site at Waitangi might be interesting for you.
Further explorations would require a car, which is the way most people choose to do it. Outside of the cities driving in NZ is a breeze - even if you're not used to left-hand traffic. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick.
Personal preference here, but I wouldn't waste much time (if any) on Wellington and its surrounds. It's a matter of priorities - as nice as Wellington is it really can't compare with the beautiful landscapes that you'll find out in the countryside.
Personal preference again, but my suggestion would be to head down to the South Island for most of your stay. Most of the truly spectacular scenery you probably associate with NZ is on the South Island, particularly the area in and around Queenstown. There are direct flights from Auckland to Queenstown daily.
Christchurch is still rebuilding from the 2011 earthquakes (we were just there in February) so I'd give it a miss.
If you're into hiking several of the Great Walks are located near Queenstown as well, along with shorter treks - all of them quite scenic.
From Auckland you can head out to some of the islands by boat. We went to Waiheke Island and were very glad we did. We went kayaking and horseback riding and went to a lovely winery. Its very picturesque!
I would also suggest Rotoura (geothermal site) and if you have the time to head even further north.
We did not go to Wellington, but went to Queenstown and Christchurch.