Anna & Michael

The New Zealand National Aquarium is supposedly one of the best in the world. We would love to spend part of the day enjoying the beauty and learning about the sea creatures who reside in this part of the world.

On our first full day in Auckland, we would to take a dinner cruise around to some of Auckland's most beautiful attractions on their world-famous harbour.

We will be dining at Echo Bistro in Brisbane, Australia on their last night of our trip. We are excited to end the trip on a romantic note at a beautiful restaurant.

On our first night in Napier, we made reservations at Terroir Restaurant. Terroir is a French restaurant (Mike's favorite!) that comes highly recommended. This restaurant is also a winery that recommends their own wines along with the entree of your choice.

On our first night in Rotorua, New Zealand, we planned a romantic dinner at Capers Epicurean. Capers is highly recommended by Fodor's travel and it looks like a fun experience!

When we got engaged, Mike had an artist create a ring-box shaped like a drum since Anna is a music teacher. Inside the drum a recording of Anna's 5th grade percussion ensemble played. The piece they were playing was created from a Maori chant called a "Haka". Hakas are traditional Maori declarations that date back hundreds of years and also can be observed by the New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks, who perform it at every game. At this dinner, we will travel to a Maori village and observe a Haka performance while eating traditional New Zealand food.

After spending a week in New Zealand, we will travel to Brisbane, Australia to check something off of Mike's bucket list: seeing the Great Barrier Reef. We would like to spend a day in transparent canoes and snorkeling at one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. This would be a tour to remember!

While in Brisbane, Australia, we would love to visit the Koala sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to 130 koalas that we can hold and/or feed! Both of us can "bearly" handle the cuteness!

In Rotorua, New Zealand there is a natural hot springs spa unlike any other in the world. We would love to spend part of the day relaxing in the natural springs and admiring the natural beauty of New Zealand.

Made famous in Rotorua, New Zealand, Zorbing is a fun activity where you get to observe the beauty of New Zealand from inside of an inflatable ball. Inside the ball you can go down adrenaline-pumping drops or relaxing nature paths. This is a bucket-list check for Anna!