[draguer]

New Zealand rightfully doesn’t get a lot of attention for game on this forum but I thought I ought to add to the body of information. I have lived here most of my life and will be leaving permanently in a month. I have travelled around most of the country and been out in most places so will give a brief breakdown of the country.

Travel: Three hours from Australia, about ten hours from LA. There is not a lot of competition for flights coming into New Zealand from Asia or the US so fares tend to be quite expensive.

New Zealand has poor public transport so you should probably hire a car to get around or you will be taking buses between cities and public transport in the cities is generally not up to the standard or frequencies of Europe and main centres in the US. Domestic flights are reasonably cheap however.

Cost: Quite expensive, going out eating and drinking will generally be slightly more costly than in the US. Expect to pay 5USD for a beer (8USD in higher end places) or around 25USD for a meal in a cheap restaurant. Hotels are quite expensive although most popular tourist spots will have backpackers which would generally be about 35USD per night for a dorm bed. Air BnB is growing and many young foreign travellers go camping due to the abundance of places to do it.

Other: The government has recently brought in new drinking laws which forbid bars from letting people enter after 1 am and forces them to shut at 3 am. This has negative consequences for nightlife. As you can see I have not given the country a glowing reference so far, and these reasons on top of greater opportunities for work and life experience is why I and many others are leaving the country after university (I remember hearing that as a percentage NZ has the second highest diaspora of university graduates after Ireland). Apart from Auckland in the far North it can be very cold in the winter. The South Island is hit by snow one or two times per year normally, more as you go further South or near the mountains.

Girls: New Zealand is a predominantly European country however there is the indigenous Maori population, who has much more of a presence in the North Island. Typical New Zealand white girls look like the ones below. Most are of English heritage so you can expect the associated look with occasional variations. New Zealand girls are big drinkers and do often lack femininity. They dress poorly compared to European girls. New Zealand has much of the social trends happening in the US and one of the worse obesity rates in the world (you rarely see these people on nights out though), however I would say generally the girls are quite pleasant and open to approaches whether in nightlife or on the street. NZ women are usually rated as some of the most promiscuous in the world - don't come here expecting to find a wife! They enjoy meeting foreigners and you might encounter less snarkiness overall than in the US. The more desirable girls generally like the masculine rugby player sort of look so if you fit that category you will do well. More intellectual cultured types who do well in Europe might get less love out here however there is definitely a market for it. There are differences between the cities which I will touch on below.




There is also a large number of Asian students and immigrants and in some places a decent amount of European working holiday types.
The indigenous population is generally not attractive and particularly has problems with poverty and obesity.

Cities

Auckland



I have not spent a great deal of time here so I won’t go into great detail. Auckland is NZ’s biggest and most economically important city. It is the most racially integrated and here you will find the highest Maori, Pacific and Asian populations. In the CBD the European population is now the minority. Auckland has a sub-tropical climate so is pleasant most of the year.

Viaduct



Here you find in my (inexperienced) opinion the best spot for nightlife in Auckland. It might be more expensive than other places however it will have the highest quality girls and is a nice environment. Having only been there once I can’t comment on specific bars however as you can see it is quite enclosed so you can bar hop until you find a sweet spot.

Britomart



A stone’s throw from the Viaduct, it attracts a similar crowd. Of note is the Britomart Country Club, its them lives up to its name and it has a good indoor outdoor flow conducive for mingling.

Ponsonby This is a more trendy high-end area and has a strong restaurant and bar scene. Ponsonby Social Club is sure to have some talent.

Wellington



New Zealand’s political capital. While Auckland has more of a hustle vibe (though still admittedly provincial on a global scale), Wellington has more of a bohemian alternative scene. Hipsterville. It is the liberal stronghold of New Zealand. Post-coitus a girl in Wellington rolled over to me and said “Obviously I’m a socialist”. Go easy on any red pill thoughts here, they will generally not be well received. The city is quite compact and easy to get around. There are other good places beyond what I’ve mentioned however I don’t remember all the names, the city is so compact you can easily get a feel for what’s going on by walking around.

Cuba Street - This is an iconic street in Wellington filled with street performers and is generally quite busy. At night it is hosts most of the more hipster and alternative scene mixed with normal types , there are definitely some hot girls here. If you want drugs you wouldn’t have to search to hard here.

Good Luck – One of my favorite bars, underground and quite small but good for meeting girls. Early 20s crowd.

Hotel Bristol – Student bar with grungy vibe. Cheap drinks mean everyone is smashed but the girls are generally sloppy.

Mighty Mighty – usually a older crowd, toward late 20s as opposed to other places on Cuba. Usually live music and easy to mingle.

Southern Cross Garden Bar– Great in summer, I imagine not so good in winter (Wellington has miserable winters). Huge bar with flowing outdoor area and aesthetically very impressive. Generally a more professional crowd than the other places mentioned.

Courtney Place – Around the corner from Cuba Street (I told you Wellington was compact) and a more mainstream crowd. It’s worth mentioning here that NZ has a problem with alcohol related violence so be vigilant here.

Good Luck – Cheap. Bargain bin pussy (credit to Tuth for that line).

Public – Typical generic club, very inferior to what you’ll find overseas. Decent girls though.

The Establishment – same as above.

Dragonfly- better for dates. Chill bar with nice aesthetics, normally tight groups here so it wouldn’t strike me as a great place to meet people.

Mishmosh- compact little bar with friendly crowd.

Bangalore Polo Club- cool place to start your night, however later it tends to get filled with wall victims.

Nelson/Golden Bay Area.




I have to give this place a shout out. In summer it is packed with European backpackers and campers. You could have a great time out here for a few weeks on the cheap.

Christchurch



Pass on this. It was hit by an earthquake badly in 2011 which killed 183 people. This wiped out most of the CBD and essentially all the best nightlife venues. Due to local politics BS little progress has been made 3 years on. I will put some options below but really I wouldn’t bother going. New bars have opened up beyond what I have however the nightlife options are all so spread out it makes for a shitty experience.

The Foundry – student bar usually busy on Thursdays or Saturdays, shut when term is not in session.

Baretta – classy bar with best quality of girls you’ll find in Christchurch.

Revival Bar – Busy on weekends.

Lake Tekapo




Not a game spot, but come here for the scenery, as well as some of the best star gazing in the world. Thermal pools too.

Queenstown



My favourite place in New Zealand. Great skiing, filled with foreign tourists who are generally of higher quality than NZ girls and a beautiful location. Strong tourist presence means there is good nightlife all year round, regardless of the day of the week (unlike all the other cities).

Winnie Bagoes – Pizza restaurant that becomes a high energy bar packed with people. The roof opens to the stars.

Pogue Mahones – Similar vibe, Irish bar.

Buffalo Club- rowdy vibe. Wet t-shirt competitions. Ladies dancing on the bar. Raging fire. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

World Bar – big backpacker vibe (indeed like everywhere in Queenstown) and good environment for meeting people.

Altitude – similar (I’ve only been to Queenstown on bender weekends so all the bars are a bit of a blur). When you’re there it’s easy to work out where the best places are).

Minus 5C Ice Bar – gimmicky bar made of ice, not worth the $20 or so entry.

Fergburger – eat here, some of the best burgers in the world.

-------------------------------------------------------
That should do for now. There are some other places that pick up over the New Years Break, Gisborne, Wanaka etc however I’ve procrastinated enough on my work so that should do it! If you have any questions fire away.

D

[peterthephoenix]

Good to see another Kiwi on the forum!

[draguer]

Whoops I forgot Dunedin.

It's a student town about four hours south of Christchurch, it can get pretty wild in the student ghetto with parties, Lord of the Flies sort of shit.

[cooledcannon]

Hey man, thanks for the datasheet.

I live in Auckland, so this is probably embarrassing that you know more about auckland nightlife than I do. Which venues in particular do you recommend? I would assume some of the ones in the Viaduct. I really havent been outside much so I definitely would appreciate help on this. Im 17, so the less "strict" ones are ideal because I look 19-20+, if I can manage to sneak in without ID, or at least hang around outside. Also not really nightlife related but any cool events and stuff, Im interested in.

Its interesting to see that public transport is supposedly bad. In Auckland, its about $2-5 NZ to bus around the city for a few kilometers, so I thought it was okay. I should travel to other places where the public transport is way better.

Have you been to Mt Ruapehu? Is it as good as queenstown? I should travel to queenstown, heard raving reviews about it, having only been to Ruapehu.

NZ has such great outdoor activities, or so Ive heard. Ive gone to the waitomo caves, and the west coast(auckland) beaches, and the luge/gondolas in Rotorua. Do you have any good recommendations?

[draguer]

Wait until you're 18 buddy. All the bars around the Viaduct require you to be dressed well to get in, so there's none that would let you in underage and it wouldn't be worth the hassle. Just hit the gym hard for the next few months, put your cash aside to buy some nice clothes and when you're 18 you'll be golden.

I haven't been to Mt Ruapehu so can't comment on it, I imagine it's quite a bit quieter than Queenstown.

North Island: Lake Taupo, The far north of the North Island, Gisborne beaches.

South Island: Marlborough Sounds, Kaikoura, Hamner Springs, bungee jumping and snow sports in Queenstown, Fiordland for scenery.

Wikitravel has that sort of info.

In the last few years I haven't holidayed in NZ alot, I have been going to SE Asia where my money goes further and there's better nightlife options.

[Deluge]

In Australia Kiwi girls have a reputation for being uglier than Aussie girls and also sluttier. Do you think this stereotype is true?

There's obviously a fuckload of Kiwi's here (which is mind-blowing considering how tiny your population is) but they tend to blend in as an invisible minority so it's hard for me to tell personally.

[draguer]

The stereotype is true. A lot of visitors have commented that the men are good looking and the women aren't, the media have even picked up on this.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/life-style/3084367/...-the-women

Nearly one fifth of New Zealand passport holders live overseas, most in Australia.

[Chaos]

Great post. New Zealand is my undisputed nr 1 favourite country in the Western world.
I hired a car and travelled through both North and South Island.
I visited all these cities you mentioned + a bunch of others.

I really dig the nature in NZ. If anyone dig that kind of stuff NZ must be the paradise on earth.
Man, such wonderful surfing spots. I almost immigrated to your country!
The landscape pf NZ blew me away bigtime.

My highlights were.

- Jumping from Auckland tower.
- Chilling on beaches in Tauranga and MT Manganui?
- Smoked trout at Lake Taupo
- driving around all days and enjoying the scenery.
- Beaches in Nelson
- eating juicy steaks and lamb racks at some random restaurants.
- white water tafting in Queenstown
- surfing at Raglan and other places
- sleeping at a old prison cell in Christchurch.
- boat cruise in Milford Sound
- hiking and driving to Mount Cook and Mt Taranaki.
- eating the legendary fergburger in Queenstown.
+ tons of other things I don't remember.

And of course I remember that I visited the worst stripclub in the world in Auckland!
Tons of old landwhales and cows. I don't know why this kiwi dragged me in to that place!

I also remember in Auckland on a night out and I couldn't find a decent place.
Then I just went with the flow to what seemed to be the most crowded place in Auckland. Tons of people there.
The place was called " Family Bar" or something. I went inside and ordered a beer and it didn't take long to realise that it was some kind of gay or transsexual club because the place was full of drag queens and other kinds of weirdos! Lol!

New Zealand is full of surprises.
I regret I was so greedy when I was there.
I should have done more extreme things in Queenstown. Especially skydiving.

[Chaos]

Yeah and I accidentally bumped into Flavor Flav during that night in Auckland!
That was funny.

[draguer]

Hahaha I imagine that was on K-Road. They congregate there I think.

I'm glad to hear you had a good time, you've done some things I haven't done! Though that's always the way when you meet travellers.

The nature is indeed fantastic. While this data sheet may have come across negative at points as it was game focused, the range and quality of scenery in New Zealand is unspoiled and spectacular. Sometimes we can take it for granted.

In Christchurch for example you could go surfing in the city or be skiing only 1.5 hours drive away.

[Chaos]

Yeah, if the local ladies were on the same level as the landscape and nature, then NZ would be one of the best places in the world.

Man, I dig that pleasant weather in the North. Never too hot and never to cold. Always jeans and tshirt weather. Not to mention that there is nothing that can harm you in the nature so you can screw around in any bush you want. I wouldn't do that in Australia!

[369eyedea]

(05-29-2014 06:59 PM)cooledcannon Wrote:  

I live in Auckland, so this is probably embarrassing that you know more about auckland nightlife than I do. Which venues in particular do you recommend? I would assume some of the ones in the Viaduct. I really havent been outside much so I definitely would appreciate help on this. Im 17, so the less "strict" ones are ideal because I look 19-20+, if I can manage to sneak in without ID, or at least hang around outside. Also not really nightlife related but any cool events and stuff, Im interested in.

You can try get into nightclub when your 17, use fake id. But just wait until bday and its easier. I never found the dresscode so strict, just be tidy. The better clothes you wear, the smoother your pick up will be.
Nz girls aren't so difficult if you've got half a brain. But feels like not such an achievement. I concur with comments of draguer about them. When one visits a different country, you'll notice the difference. Even in Australia (certain places). But still good quality to be had.

Best nightclubs i've been to in Auckland:

1885 Britomart - easy hook up. pick target. make sure she is inebriated (you will be too). i usually do Brazilian style game. taxis are outside. Taxis are expensive but compensate for living in the burbs.

Snapdragon Viaduct. Hot girls. You can get in for free if you go through the back of Goldfinch, which is often free or cheaper. Not bad itself (gfinch)

Lenin - student crowd, backpackers, and more. I should explore more in the future.

Carpark - Quite shit, but i strike lucky here for some reason.

Others:
Cassette 9
Fort Street Union

[UnW]

I went to NZ late last year, Queenstown around November is packed with lots of European tourists on working holidays for the summer. Lots of potential and a very scenic city too.

[Hazaer]

Wellington seems like a good destination for a long weekend during the summer. What would be the best month to travel to Wellington? Any summer festivals one should consider?

In terms of game, how is the ease of converting approaches to dates to bangs. Some comparison to places like Auckland (supposed to be the toughest place in NZ) and Brisbane (supposed to be one of the easier places in Aus) will be good in making a decision. A breakdown on gaming the locals vs backpackers would be helpful.

Cheers.

[Hazaer]

^Anybody in Wellington late Jan to early Feb? Cheers

[bleaknight]

I thought I'd add my insights to Auckland night life.

Lenin : Best on a wednesday night, cheap drinks due to student nights. Hardly any locals, you'll find lots of latin americans and thais. Alright (bearable) music if you're into hip-hop and some top 40 hits

Bungalow : also a wednesday night kind of club, even stronger presence of latin americans. From my time there, they usually play latin music.

Face : The best asian club hands down, weekend is the time to go, however it's open on wednesdays for student nights, pretty good talent, but i personally can't stand the k-pop vibe. Defo worth a visit if you got yellow fever.

Cassette 9 : Pretty average from my experience. Music can get pretty good from time to time. Mix of local crowd and travellers. There used to be a lot of french working this joint, not sure how it is now.

Sweatshop brew kitchen : my personal favorite, mostly local crowd since it's not really central. Pretty good hip hop scene. Above average talent. Completely rammed on fri night, pretty good on sat night too. Closes at 2am unfortunately.

family bar : the gay bar in town, lots of straight ladies frequent this place however, pretty damn good music if you ask me. Better go with your gay mate for protection lol

Longroom : Fanciest spot in town. Make sure you are wearing a pair of dress shoes and collared shirt for entry. Highest caucasian talent frequent this spot. Music wise it competes with sweatshop IMO.

Bar 101 : student watering hole. Cheap drinks even on weekends. Plays justin bieber-esque music. Very young crowd.

Kong : Packed in the weekend. Strong maori presence, plays hip hop. Not a bad spot

Hype : Similar to kong, 100% maori crowd.

1885 : Known to have the best music, depends on personal preference. Plays trap/hip hop. I haven't been here for ages, but when I went there was decent talent.

That's it for now. Ratios in these places fluctuate in my experience.

[Hazaer]

(05-29-2014 06:06 PM)draguer Wrote:  

Wellington





Cuba Street - This is an iconic street in Wellington filled with street performers and is generally quite busy. At night it is hosts most of the more hipster and alternative scene mixed with normal types , there are definitely some hot girls here. If you want drugs you wouldn’t have to search to hard here.

Good Luck – One of my favorite bars, underground and quite small but good for meeting girls. Early 20s crowd.

Hotel Bristol – Student bar with grungy vibe. Cheap drinks mean everyone is smashed but the girls are generally sloppy.

Mighty Mighty – usually a older crowd, toward late 20s as opposed to other places on Cuba. Usually live music and easy to mingle.

Southern Cross Garden Bar– Great in summer, I imagine not so good in winter (Wellington has miserable winters). Huge bar with flowing outdoor area and aesthetically very impressive. Generally a more professional crowd than the other places mentioned.

Courtney Place – Around the corner from Cuba Street (I told you Wellington was compact) and a more mainstream crowd. It’s worth mentioning here that NZ has a problem with alcohol related violence so be vigilant here.

Good Luck – Cheap. Bargain bin pussy (credit to Tuth for that line).

Public – Typical generic club, very inferior to what you’ll find overseas. Decent girls though.

The Establishment – same as above.

Dragonfly- better for dates. Chill bar with nice aesthetics, normally tight groups here so it wouldn’t strike me as a great place to meet people.

Mishmosh- compact little bar with friendly crowd.

Bangalore Polo Club- cool place to start your night, however later it tends to get filled with wall victims.

Hey guys, I would be hitting up wellington this summer. If rolling solo, is the list of the above mentioned places still relevant and recommended?

Are there any backpacker bars worth going to in wellington?

Cheers.

[Savage]

(01-30-2018 04:38 AM)Hazaer Wrote:  

Hey guys, I would be hitting up wellington this summer. If rolling solo, is the list of the above mentioned places still relevant and recommended?

Are there any backpacker bars worth going to in wellington?

Cheers.

From that list I think only Southern Cross, Dragonfly, Establishment and Bristol are still around. The first two probably wouldn't be any good solo.

For backpacker bars check out Basement Bar on Cambridge terrace. It is under the Base backpackers hostel. There are a quite a lot of bars down that end of Courtney place and that is still where most of the nightlife happens. The bars on Cuba street are a bit more spread out and have more of a hipster / alternative vibe.

By this summer to you mean during New Zealand summer (now)? I will probably be in the area so if you want to meet up for a beer PM me.

[CodyB]

(05-30-2014 02:46 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

Yeah, if the local ladies were on the same level as the landscape and nature, then NZ would be one of the best places in the world.

Well they're both rugged and overhwhelming, so they do have that in common?

[Hazaer]

PMed. Are any of those venues good on non-primetime weekend nights? Like Thursdays, Sun, Mon and Tue?
Cheers

[nzd]

The landscape is also overrated. In Auckland right now, any good clubs?

[The Catalyst]

(02-12-2018 06:26 PM)nzd Wrote:  

The landscape is also overrated.

It's above average I guess.

It's very Kiwi to be delusionally positive about NZ. View their opinions through this lens and you'll be fine.

[nzd]

^most of them never been to Europe so they have no idea. Are you from Auckland? What days should I go to the clubs and bars for ONS and which one is good? Not sure if it's worth to try tonight

[The Catalyst]

I'm from Auckland yes. I don't know actually. I would assume Wednesday and Friday/Saturday, and the ideal ones would be something like The Roxy or Bar 101. I really dislike nightgame though.

[Cambodian Creamsicle]

Cuckland NZ