Q: I am planning a honeymoon in New Zealand for December, and intend to visit Auckland, Bay of Islands, Christchurch, Queenstown and Franz Joseph. Any suggestions for romantic experiences and boutique stays?

Marco Says: New Zealand is great for honeymoons. You probably know the primary tourist attractions in the cities of your choice, so let’s start with romantic activities in and around your selections. In Auckland, take a 35-minute ferry ride to Waiheke Island, known for its beautiful vineyards, olive groves, beaches, quaint cafes and art galleries. Go on a tasting tour in some of the finest vineyards there. See ananda.co.nz for guided tours (NZD 115pp). The white sandy beaches at Oneroa, Palm Beach and Onetangi are perfect for swimming, kayaking or simply sunbathing. You can rent a beach house overnight, and mountain bikes or scooters for getting around. If you feel adventurous, Ecozip Adventures offers 200-metre dual flying fox ziplines for you and your partner (from NZD 119; ecozipadventures.co.nz). If you are Lord of the Rings fans, pay a visit to Hobbiton, the middle-Earth film set. It can be combined with the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves in a one-day tour (NZD 330; tourhobbiton.nz). A boat cruise to explore the waters of the Hauraki Gulf, home to whales and dolphins (NZD 160;awads.co.nz), is another option. If you want to swim with dolphins (on my bucketlist), Bay of Islands is the place. You’ll be allowed into the water with wild bottlenose dolphins provided there are no calves in the pod and the sea isn’t rough. Explore NZ runs a Dolphin Discoveries tour (from NZD 115; exploregroup.co.nz).

Visitors sit by Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown

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Christchurch offers many scenic cycling trails, including the 64km St James Cycle Trail. The Okuti Valley, 30min away, offers gravel mountain-biking trails. You’re embarking on an adventure together, so you could begin it with a tandem skydive. Queenstown is a great spot (from NZD 299; nzoneskydive.co.nz).

At Franz Joseph, you could take a 50-minute air safari over the snowfields and icefalls of the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, Aoraki/Mt Cook, Mt Tasman and the Tasman Glacier (from NZD 370; airsafaris.co.nz).

Coming to boutique stays, at Christchurch, consider Clearview Lodge, a five-star boutique 10minutes from the airport, with its own Pinot Noir vineyard (from NZD 395; clearviewlodge.com). In Queenstown, check out the centrally located Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel (NZD 320; queenstownparkhotel.co.nz). Eagles Nest in Bay of Islands has five private villas near the romantic Russell (from NZD 1,295; eaglesnest.co.nz). In Auckland, I’d suggest getting away from the city for a quiet stay in one of the super luxurious suites set amid a vineyard at Takatu Lodge & Vineyard, Matakana Coast (from NZD 552; takatulodge.co.nz ).