What cities and places do you recommend I see while in New Zealand?

Christchurch makes a nice base for South Island travel. Actually, kicking off the trip by enjoying some good settling-in time in Christchurch itself is probably a good idea. The city has a placid, mellow feel about it, a bit of an English touch. I like it very much there.

There are some things that make sense as daytrips from Christchurch, such as Akaroa (a beautiful, French village on the Banks Peninsula) or Hanmer Springs (hot, naturally heated pools with mountains on the horizon, lovely to soak and just take in the scenery).

My other favorites here are the Blue Pools on the way from Wanaka to the West Coast, an idyllic restaurant called "The Clay Cliffs" in Omarama where I stop every time I drive around in that area, and Lake Tekapo, especially for stargazing. The Ahuriri River between Omarama and Cromwell creates an amazing landscape, actually my favorite of them all, with dry tussock valleys and beautiful, tree studded river banks. I love just cruising along that stretch of road, stopping every now and then to sit by the river.

Another excellent "camp" to put up for a while is Queenstown.

I could live there permanently, it's amazing. Alternatively, if you like it quieter in that area, try Arrowtown as a base. It has a lovely atmosphere, in front of its backdrop of high mountains, especially when the autumn colours are on.

Yet another great base for tours would be Te Anau. From there, tours go all the time to Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, and the glowworm caves, which are wonderful.

I would also consider a few days around Dunedin. It has the most dreamy, dramatic, hidden beaches, and excellent nightlife. I'd certainly see Tunnel Beach, Long Beach, Allan's Beach (on the Otago Peninsula, where the penguins and the seals and sea lions and albatrosses are, and can be seen, too), and do a walk of the Okia Flats with its natural pyramids.

Further up north, Oamaru is a town full of character and characters. Victorian festivals with amazing costumes and real steam tractors, haunted whiskey distillery with a nice restaurant and tour of the facilities, sandstone carving studios, etc.

That pretty much sums up my own New Zealand for me, but I live in the midst of all these things, which are relatively far south, and there's so much more further north, too that I wouldn't know about yet.

Enjoy your tour.

I went last year - mainly the north island - I loved the whole east coast - Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Bay of Islands.

If you are in to floral photography - you need to go the the botanical gardens in Christchurch - they had the most beautiful roses I have ever seen.

On top of what has been said i suggest head to the mountains and down the west coast to milford sound and make it a circle trip