Summer polls: Where NZ goes for the summer holidays

Peter and Catherine Shanks prepare to head for Kaiteriteri Beach near Nelson where they have holidayed for the past 19 years. Picture / Simon Baker

Nelson is the hottest summer holiday spot while Wellington holds the unenviable title of least popular destination, according to a Herald-DigiPoll (to see the full results, click on the 'More Pictures' link above).

As New Zealanders head off for a well-earned break, the survey reveals how we rate the domestic holiday options.

Business banking manager Peter Shanks, like thousands of other Kiwis, enjoys nothing more than escaping the office to a barbecue, a cool beer and friends and family.

And he is among more than one in 10 who voted Nelson as the top summer holiday destination in the poll.

The survey asked 800 people nationally to name the best place within New Zealand for a summer break.

When Mr Shanks, originally an Aucklander who now works for ANZ in Christchurch, heads to Kaiteriteri this week, it will be the 19th consecutive year he and wife Catherine have holidayed in the same spot.

"It's just idyllic. Magnificent beaches, a safe environment, warm water for swimming and the friends we have built up there over the years. Yes, you can get similar beaches in other places, but this is the absolute gemstone."

Latest Tourism Research Council figures show there were 1.88 million international and domestic visitors to Nelson in 2004 and they spent more than $400 million.

It is forecast that visitor numbers will be up to 2.2 million a year by 2011. The big draws tend to be the national parks and the golden sand beaches.

Coromandel and Northland, which came second and third in the poll, have similar beaches. Almost 10 per cent preferred Coromandel, while 8.2 per cent opted to head north.

However, among Aucklanders Coromandel was the clear favourite, polling 15.5 per cent of the vote. Nelson rated only as sixth, behind the Bay of Islands, Rotorua and Queenstown.

Coromandel gets more visitors each year than Nelson - 2.19 million in 2004, with a predicted 2.51 million by 2011.

Thames Coromandel District Council Mayor Philippa Barriball said it was a popular destination because, unlike other holiday favourites, it had barely changed. "It's the land before time. You can come here, step back, and remember those childhood dreams."

Coromandel has been the traditional place for a Kiwi holiday and has different beaches to cater for everyone. It was also a large enough area that it was rarely crowded.

"There's native bush, an abundance of birdlife, beautiful beaches and clear water," said Ms Barriball.

"Essentially, it is our natural environment."

At the bottom end of the Herald survey scale was Wellington. Just 0.3 per cent of people picked it as the place to spend summer.

But Positively Wellington Tourism chief executive Tim Cossar said the capital was not a beach destination and was not marketed for summer holidays.

"I'm not sitting here offended by it. I understand why people want to go to the beach. I do myself at this time of year."

Wellington was the place for a "vibrant inner-city weekend experience" and performed well in that tourist niche with domestic visitors accounting for four million guest nights in 2005, Mr Cossar said.

"A lot of our programme kicks off in late summer and we don't struggle to get people here at those times."

Wellington was closely followed in the least popular stakes by the West Coast, with 0.7 per cent and Waiheke Island with 1.1 per cent nationwide.

Waiheke fared better among Aucklanders with 3.2 per cent saying it was their top choice.

Greg Howe, chief executive of West Coast Tourism, said there was a perception that the West Coast got more rain than anywhere else in the world, let alone New Zealand.

That put people off, but statistically the area got the same amount of sunshine as Christchurch, he said.

"Also, summer is the busiest time for international visitors so it can be oversubscribed to the extent that domestic visitors can't get in."

The West Coast was hugely popular as the scenery epitomised international perceptions of New Zealand.

"With the likes of the glaciers and Pancake Rocks, we've got a pretty good formula for tourists to come in droves," Mr Howe said.

National favourites

* Nelson 11.4pc
* Coromandel 9.9pc
* Northland 8.2pc

Auckland favourites

* Coromandel 15.5pc
* Northland 13.2pc
* Bay of Islands 9.1pc

Less popular

* Wellington 0.3pc
* West Coast 0.7pc
* Waiheke 1.1pc