BudgetTravel

New Zealand is green. I can't say it enough. The greenness of New Zealand eases the mind and soothes the eyeballs. Honestly-is there anywhere greener? New Zealand is so pristine, so mythic, that the makers of The Lord of the Rings transformed it into Middle Earth simply by adding a hobbit here, an orc there. The nation is so magisterial that folks call it "Godzone"- as in "God's own country."

How could a spot this lovely be such a well-kept secret? Forget what you haven't heard about New Zealand. Among English-speaking countries, it's the safest, prettiest, and purest. And now that one Kiwi dollar is worth about 45¢ in U.S. money, if you stick to modest amenities, expenses can skim US$30 a day. Spotless B&Bs, run by preternaturally perky people, charge US$15 to US$20, and since meals cost around US$6, anyone can afford to dine like royalty. So even with airfare (US$900 is a good price from Los Angeles), two weeks here can run US$1,300 to US$1,500-less than explorations of many European capitals.

The principal sights of New Zealand, a temperate country found two hours by air east of Australia, stretch along 1,000 miles on two narrow islands. Most Americans, confined to two-week vacations, must limit their visits to a few areas. That's easier said than done, considering the stunning range available-from the forbidding mountains and glaciers of the South Island to the geothermal oddities and harbor towns of the more populous North Island. I've spent a goodly amount of time in this godly country, and this is what I would choose.

Auckland

The first views of this jade paradise appear out of the blue South Pacific. From North America, everyone lands on the North Island, in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city. About 30 percent of the country's 3.8 million citizens dwell here, but it's still a lovely, livable place. Cupping the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland is speared by the sleek SkyTower (1,075 feet tall) and thousands of masts, hence the nickname "City of Sails."

New Zealand's washable plastic cash is fun to use but tough to spend-everything's so cheap. Among the attractions are the Auckland Museum (a nominal US$2), the America's Cup at the Maritime Museum (US$5), ferries to pleasant island suburbs (from US$3 round-trip at the harbor), and 45 minutes west in Piha and Karekare, blissfully wild rain forest and beaches (where The Piano was filmed). For 45¢, the Link bus loops through Auckland's best areas: the CBD (for Queen Street shopping and the fetching quay), Parnell (for galleries and bistros), Karangahape Road (or "K-Road," for budget eats), and Ponsonby (for yuppie restaurants)-but none of them are the reason you came.

No one visits New Zealand for city life. People make the journey for one of earth's last great, untouched paradises-mossy rivers, primordial fern groves, air dense with clean oxygen. The sooner you leave Auckland, the more you'll see.

Sleeping

Auckland has the country's highest costs, but that's not saying much. The best-value lodging is ideally reached on wheels (a five-minute drive/ten-minute bus ride from downtown along Highway 1) on the Great South Road, which hosts a spate of family-run motels costing around US$35 per room, including Ritz Greenlane (149 Great South Rd., 09/523-5530), Oak Tree Lodge (104 Great South Rd., 09/524-2211), and Tudor Court Motor Lodge (108 Great South Rd., 09/523-1069). If you don't have a car, the central Aspen House B&B (62 Emily Pl., 09/379-6633, aspenhouse.co.nz) has basic rooms with shared baths on a lovely city park; US$21 single room, US$30 double room. Your most Spartan option is the new Auckland International YHA (1-35 Turner St., 09/302-8200, yhaakint@yha.org.nz): one of the quieter hostels, off the main shopping street; US$9 dorm, US$24 double with shared bath, US$31 double with private bath. But my top choice is Great Ponsonby B&B (30 Ponsonby Ter., 09/376-5989, ponsonbybnb.co.nz), a colorful, homelike favorite including gourmet breakfast; US$65 double rooms with kitchenettes.

Eating

Given the blissful exchange rate, little will stress your budget. Good choices are on Ponsonby Road, Parnell Road, High Street, and K-Road. You may wish to eat with Auckland's flourishing Asian community along Queen Street at K-Road, where a row of ten busy restaurants charge US$2-US$3.50 for authentic and flavorful Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine. Elsewhere in town, Di Mare (5/251 Parnell Rd., 09/300- 3260) is a seafood wonder tucked in a brick courtyard; its seafood chowder (US$4) is a meal in itself; fish of the day is US$6.

The Bay of Islands