New Zealand.
So you're heading to NZ? Let's get it right — the bit every Aussie misses.
READ QUEENSTOWN + WANAKA FREE6 regions, South Island deep
Great Walks booking war, decoded
The ski-season playbook
Campervan + self-drive routes
Fiordland + Stewart Island
All-seasons matrix + 5 itineraries
Queenstown + Wanaka, on us.
This is one section of 6 in the guide.
The most-photographed view in NZ — 1,000m climb, 6 hours return, ridge running down to Lake Wanaka with mountains framing it. The famous Instagram photo (you, arms out, ridge dropping behind) is taken from a false summit halfway up.
Tip: Closed Oct 1 – Nov 10 for lambing. Start before dawn for the photo + to beat the line at the viewpoint (yes, there's a queue). Bring layers — wind on the ridge.
Open 8am to 5am, year-round, queue out the door at 8pm and 2am. A$12-A$18 for a burger the size of your face. The 'Big Al' is the move (double beef + bacon + cheese + onion + beetroot).
Tip: Skip the dinner queue — go 3pm or 11pm. Get takeaway and eat in the queue at Patagonia Chocolates next door (better dessert anyway).
The drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy along Lake Wakatipu is one of the most photographed roads in the world. Continue past Glenorchy to Paradise — the Lord of the Rings + Wolverine + Mission Impossible filming valley.
Tip: Take 4 hours minimum (1 hour each way + 2 hours stopping). Bring lunch from Queenstown — Glenorchy has one café and one pub. Free.
Two of the most respected Pinot Noir producers in NZ. Felton Road is biodynamic + by-appointment only (book direct). Mt Difficulty is walk-in + has the cellar-door lunch with valley views. Both within 5km of each other.
Tip: A$20-A$30 per cellar-door tasting (4-6 wines). Take the Akarua / Carrick / Cellier loop for a half-day. Don't drink + drive — book a wine tour out of Cromwell.
The world's first commercial bungy jump (1988). 43m off a heritage suspension bridge into the Kawarau River. A$235 with photo + video. The original — Nevis 134m + Ledge 47m are bigger but this one started it all.
Tip: Free to watch from the viewing platform if you don't want to jump. Combine with Gibbston Valley wineries (3 minutes away) for a half-day.
Private wooden hot tubs cantilevered over a cliff, view of the Cardrona valley. A$84 per person for 90 min. Built by an Aussie couple who lived in Japan, hence the onsen branding.
Tip: Book the sunset slot 3+ weeks ahead in peak season. The 'open-roof' style means you're in steam with snow falling in winter. Worth the price for one night.
The rest of New Zealand.
This chapter, the pre-departure checklist, the budget tool and the New Zealand chat, sent to your inbox.
5,600+ members, already there.
The guide gets you planned. The chats answer the rest, usually in minutes.
What buyers told us.
Bought the Italy guide. Then the Vault. Then Pro. That's how good these are. I'm pre-ordering every guide before they exist. The community alone is worth it.
$15 is nothing, I spend more than that on a single brunch. It saved me hours of planning and made the actual trip better. Honestly I'd have paid $50 for any of these guides.
I've paid for most of the travel content out there at some point. Aussies In is the only one that reads like it was written by someone who actually travels, not a marketer. That's why I keep buying them.
Cannot express how excited I am about what Lucas and Aussies In are doing here. I've been a part of the Vietnam chat for a couple of weeks now before I head out — you hear from real Aussies experiencing the country first-hand, plus Aussies living there as locals giving you advice. I've booked my whole trip around the Vietnam guide and I'm so excited. It's made everything a blast and so easy (also made me realise I needed a visa lol).
It's given me a lot more confidence to travel and also saved me heaps of time with research. Couldn't be happier with the guide. I specifically liked the section where you talk about common scams and basic language. Will definitely help me on my trip and enjoy it more. Thanks heaps mate!
Landed in Cusco convinced we'd get last-minute Inca Trail permits and got laughed at politely by three different agencies. The guide's Salkantay pitch saved the trip. Went with Machu Picchu Team on the 5-day, groups of 12 so it felt personal, and the crystal dome at Soraypampa was the highlight, better views than my Airbnb back home. Mentioned Aussies In at booking, USD 15 off, no hoops.
Mistakes the guide saves you from.
Missing the Great Walks booking window — 5 minutes the wrong day = $0 vs the trip you flew for
Everyone who tries last-minute
Booking Milford Sound via Queenstown day-tour bus (A$200) vs drive from Te Anau (A$0)
First-time travellers
Renting a campervan over Christmas week without 4+ months notice (A$450/day vs A$220/day)
Late bookers
Skipping the e-gate queue + getting biosecurity-held for 40 min over a dirty boot
Anyone who didn't scrub
Buying a single-mountain ski pass instead of NZSki multi-pass (Coronet + Remarkables + Mt Hutt)
Anyone skiing 2+ mountains
Booking accommodation in Queenstown in July without 8+ weeks notice (A$80 dorm vs A$40)
Ski-week travellers
Paying foreign-transaction fees instead of using Wise / Up Bank (3% on every spend)
Daily on a 2-week trip
Cook Strait ferry walk-up vs booked-ahead (A$120 vehicle penalty)
Last-minute drivers in peak season
Doubtful Sound via Queenstown bus add-on vs direct from Te Anau (saves a full day)
Two-day Fiordland trips
Common questions.
Why pay A$14.99 when there's free info on Reddit + NZ Tourism?
Do I really not need a visa?
What if I don't end up going?
When should I actually go — summer or winter?
How early do I have to book the Great Walks?
Should I rent a car or a campervan?
South Island only or both islands?
I'm planning Aus winter ski (Jul) + a trip elsewhere. All-Access Pass?
Your trip, planned.
Where to go. Where to stay. What to eat. How to get around. What to skip. Every answer in one place — researched by Aussies who've actually been.