Auckland
THE CITY: Auckland may be New Zealand's largest city, but beyond the inner-city hub, it still manages to feel like a friendly town. Walk around the waterfront and you'll no longer wonder why it's dubbed 'the city of sails'.
HALLOWED TURF: If the kiwi is New Zealand's national symbol, Eden Park is its shrine. New Zealand's national team haven't won the Rugby World Cup since the country last hosted it in 1987, so expectations will be running high. The 60,000-seat stadium is also home to the Hall of Legends museum. edenpark.co.nz
SLEEP: Beds in the city will be in short supply come the tournament, particularly around the final. Last-minute deals are posted on newzealand.com/rugby, but there's always the time-honoured way of seeing the country — in a camper van. britz.co.nz
TRY THIS: The Foodstore, New Zealand's first open-kitchen restaurant serving organic, locally sourced favourites from £15 for a main course. With a view of Auckland's many yachts, The Foodstore is the ideal venue for battered snapper and fat chips. thefoodstore.tv
DRINK: Sale St is for real-ale fans. Situated in a converted customs house, the award-winning bar has its own microbrewery, boasting the perfect morale-boosting stout for Brits, The Churchill. salest.co.nz
WHAT ELSE TO TACKLE: SkyWalk and Jump. Get your adrenaline fix with a 360° walk 192m off the ground. It offers a bird's-eye view of the city — and sheer terror for vertigo sufferers. The brave can then jump off, attached to a steel cable. skywalk.co.nz
FURTHER AFIELD: Less than an hour out of the city lie miles of dramatic surfing beaches, the most famous being Karekare, used as the setting in the film The Piano. Follow the Tasman Lookout Track in Piha for a wild coastal walk.
Dunedin
THE CITY: With its statue of Robbie Burns, Victorian buildings and familiar-sounding street names like St Andrew, there's no doubting Dunedin's Scottish heritage. Built off the back of the 1860s gold rush, it is home to some of the country's finest architecture, fortunately all of it within easy walking distance.
HALLOWED TURF: Built for the World Cup, Otago Stadium is the world's first fixed-roof stadium with natural grass. Uniquely for New Zealand, where stadiums are often oval-shaped to accommodate cricket, Otago is rectangular, so you'll be closer to the action.
SLEEP: Located right in the town centre, 97 Motel Moray offers simple doubles and spacious two-roomed suites that won't bust your wallet. 97motel.co.nz
TRY THIS: Owned by ex-All Black Greg Cooper, Luna bar and restaurant is located on top of Dunedin's coastal hills, offering spectacular views of the city and sea. The steak's pretty good too. lunaroslyn.co.nz/home
DRINK: Speight's Alehouse has been brewing the nation's favourite beers on the same site for 135 years. Join the tour, then head to the bar to sample some of its nine offerings. speights.co.nz
WHAT ELSE TO TACKLE: Not only is the city's grand Neo-Renaissance railway station one of the country's most historic buildings, but on the inside is the New Zealand Hall of Fame, home to sporting memorabilia from rugby to Edmund Hillary's conquest of Everest. nzhalloffame.co.nz
FURTHER AFIELD: Just ten minutes from the city is the stunning 2½-mile long St Clair beach. The chilly waters will make British surfers feel at home, while the shark bell is a reminder that this is the Pacific. The Otago Peninsula is also an important wildlife habitat, home to albatross and rare species of penguin.
Wellington
THE CITY: A pub-quiz teaser this, but Wellington, not Auckland, is New Zealand's capital city. Nestled on the south coast between the harbour and surrounding hills, 'Welly' is one of the world's coolest little capital cities.
HALLOWED TURF: Known locally as The Cake Tin thanks to its silver-coloured external wall, Wellington's 40,000-seat stadium will host Wales vs South Africa and Scotland vs Argentina, as well as two quarterfinal games.
SLEEP: Contemporary boutique Ohtel scores highly on the hip factor — it's embedded in a cliff face in an exclusive area of Oriental Bay, while the inside is furnished with collectables from the 1950s to the 70s. ohtel.com
TRY THIS: The Matterhorn. Set up on Cuba Street by two Swiss brothers in 1963 — hence the name — it is as prized for its cocktails as it is for its food. Try the Northland snapper and Cloudy Bay surf clams. matterhorn.co.nz
DRINK: Owned by ex-All Black Christian Cullen, the Four Kings Sports Bar has 70 big screens spread over four floors (fourkings.co.nz). Real-ale fans should head to Mac's Brewbar for its ten local beers. macsbrewbar.co.nz
WHAT ELSE TO TACKLE: Watch the best sailors in action or have a go yourself at The Festival of Sails (17 September-10 October). Wellington is also home to Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum, which has an exhibition on the lives and histories of Pacific peoples. nz2011.govt.nz
FURTHER AFIELD: Wellington is a gateway to South Island, three hours away by ferry. Closer to the city are gourmet and wine tours of Martinborough in the beautiful Wairarapa region. zestfoodtours.co.nz
The Rugby World Cup 2011 takes place 9 September-23 October. Visit rugbyworldcup.com.
