How to Visit New Zealand Properly Without Spending a Fortune

New Zealand has some of the best "wow" properties in the world for the high-end traveler, but they come at a steep price. For someone looking to experience the magic of this destination without spending $2,000 per person per night, it can be a bit daunting. Here are some tips for seeing the most iconic landscapes in New Zealand while staying at hotels a notch down from the "superlodges," with a couple splurges along the way. This itinerary allows you to enjoy the splendid diversity of scenery: ocean, beaches, mountains, lakes and rivers, farmland, old-growth forest and vineyards.

Know Before You Go: Pick your timing carefully. High-season rates can be bracing, and a trip during the winter holidays incurs surcharges. I am partial to April for several reasons. First, the room rates at most hotels drop significantly April 1, but the weather is still warm enough for hiking and outdoor activities. (It's like a crisp fall day in New York.) Second, the fall leaves in Queenstown, Arrowtown and Wānaka in particular are spectacular, especially the poplars and willows, both of which turn bright yellow. Finally, the crowds lessen so you don't have to fight for reservations at either hotels or restaurants.

1. Start your trip with two nights on Waiheke.

If Nantucket and Napa had a baby, it would be Waiheke, an island off the coast of Auckland reached by ferry. It's cool, funky and artsy, with beaches, rolling hills, art galleries and wineries to visit. Stay at the Boatshed, a charming, reasonably priced bed-and-breakfast. Rent a Jeep through the property for NZ$175 per day, all in, and explore. Have lunch at the gorgeous Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant. Stroll through the two-acre Sacred Blessing Sanctuary Garden and admire the roses amid sculptures by local artists.

2. Fly down to Rotorua for a dose of local Maori culture.

Stay at Kinloch Wilderness Retreat. Go to Maori heritage complex Te Puia, see Maori master carvers at work, watch the largest geyser in the Southern hemisphere erupt 30 feet in the air and wander on pathways between the technicolor geothermal pools. Afterward, do the nearby Redwoods Tree Walk, with walkways suspended 75 feet in the air through the redwood forest. If you are in the mood for some pampering, check out Wai Ariki, a grand hot springs and spa complex.

3. Fly down to Queenstown and spend a week parked there.

This is the hub of alpine magic in New Zealand, with craggy mountains, endless blue lakes and plentiful outdoor activities. There are some solid hotels that are under $1,000 per night, including the Sofitel Queenstown, which has a great location right in town. You can easily spend a week hiking here, eating at all the wonderful restaurants, biking or doing wine tastings. (See our favorite Queenstown hikes.) For golfers, there is a lovely local course, the Queenstown Golf Club, where you can play 18 holes in the shoulder season for only NZ$110; views are beautiful and greens speedy. Have Turkish eggs for breakfast at Yonder and fresh local fish for dinner at SODA. Do the tasting menu at the farm-to-table Sherwood Queenstown.

4. Rent a car and explore around Queenstown.

Drive to Glenorchy and take a jet boat up the Dart River or do a day hike on the iconic Routeburn Track through old-growth beech forest. Stop at Mrs Woolly's General Store on the way home and sample the local specialty: Fairlie Bakehouse meat pies encased in puff pastry (sample two different ones, the venison and the mince, for science).

5. Drive to Arrowtown, an adorable and beautifully preserved historic gold rush town.

Hike Sawpit Gully counterclockwise, admire the fall leaves and then have lunch at the Dishery. Afterwards, wander through town and stop in Arrowtown Stonework for carved pounamu (local jade that they carve in a workshop on the premises) and the back room of Black Teal Bay for a compact but utterly perfect book selection. Alternatively, walk the five-mile loop around Lake Hayes, then have lunch at the sublime Mora Wines & Artisan Kitchen.

6. Drive to Wanaka for the day.

The road snakes up and over a mountain pass, with lots of switchbacks, but the views are sensational, especially in fall, when the stately golden poplars are arrestingly beautiful. Stop by the historic Cardrona Hotel for photos. Bring a picnic lunch and hike the Rob Roy Glacier (watch for a few streams to ford with your car, avoid on rainy days) or Rocky Mountain Track and Diamond Lake. Walk along the promenade by Lake Wanaka. In town, head to Crumb Bakehouse for the best-ever salted chocolate chip cookies. On the way back to Queenstown after a long day of hiking, call in your burger order to Fergburger, which allows you to skip the line.

7. Next, fly up to Christchurch and do a multi-night road trip.

Stop for a night or two in a tree-house room at Hapuku in Kaikoura. Go whale watching and do a cooking class at Hapuku Kitchen, set at a charming private home. Then drive to Blenheim, stay at the Marlborough and visit some wineries, including Cloudy Bay Vineyards, known for its sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. Afterward, continue on to Nelson.

8. Carve out a full day in Nelson for Abel Tasman.

This dazzlingly beautiful and completely unspoiled wilderness reserve with yellow-sand beaches and water that is a thousand shades of aqua blue is a must. Do a boat ride (private or shared) to Apple Tree Bay, then hike five miles along the trail (part of the Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of the Great Walks of New Zealand). End at Anchorage Beach for a picnic and maybe a spontaneous swim. Then splurge on a helicopter ride back to Nelson, so you can really admire the majesty of the landscape from above.

Indagare Tip: In Nelson, a hidden gem is renting out a single bedroom at the four-bedroom Villa Okoro, which has gorgeous modern interiors, fabulous views and a chef who previously worked at Per Se. For a less expensive option, try the quaint Pihopa.

9. Continue your road trip south.

Unwind with two nights of peaceful recharging at Maruia River Retreat in the rainforest. Soak in their hot tub by the river, listen to the sound of the birds, have a massage, do some yoga and contemplate your trip and your life. Don't leave the property, just chill and relish the stillness and quiet.

10. Drive back to Christchurch.

End on a splurge with a night at Flockhill Lodge, a private estate on 36,000 acres near Arthur’s Pass. Do the Limestone Boulders hike, amid otherworldly rock formations, and the farm tour to see the sheep being mustered by the Heading and Huntaway dogs. Be sure to sit at the counter at Sugarloaf, the on-site restaurant, for the chef’s tasting menu. Exquisite, hyper-local food is prepared before you over an open fire by chef Taylor Cullen, one of the top chefs in New Zealand.

Alternatively, end with a night at Otahuna Lodge, a country-house hotel, along with a garden tour and cooking class with chef Jimmy McIntyre, who is a national treasure.