I only got to visit the South Island + Wellington, I'd love to visit the North Island properly next time.

I loved the isolated beaches on the north west coast of the South Island, we stayed in a guesthouse that was a house to ourselves rising above the palmy forest. Gorgeous bird sounds. I wanted to move there, I was amazed at how undeveloped it was. Mind you, after a couple of dozen sandfly bites, I was reconsidering :P