Before our travel, we would always do our work with the 5 considerations below:
1) Flight
2) Accommodation
3) Mode of transport
4) Destinations
5) Food
There is no fast and fuss rules to which you should consider first. For us, we love to consider the destinations like the attractions or places you want to visit. That will probably determine your whole itinerary. Looking at the number of destinations, you will know how many days you need there, that's where you can decide the flight. The other 3 are probably your last consideration after you have settled your itinerary.
If you are adventurous and not restricted, you might want to consider renting a car or campervan in New Zealand. If you are staying only in the Auckland city, a car would probably do the work as it will be a problem parking the campervan in the city area. If you are travelling out of Auckland city, the campervan may do an excellent job for your holiday.
We took up a car for the first few days of our travel in Auckland and switched to a campervan to travel southwards. We looked up on the Internet for reviews and decided to go for GoRental and Wilderness. Use this to plan your itinerary :)
Both companies will pick you up to and from Auckland Airport. At the Auckland Airport, there is a counter for tourist information. Just tell the lady you would like to call this particular company, they will let you know the extension number to reach them. It's easy there, trust me.
This is our compact blue car that comes with a bordered pink car plate that says 'Go Rental'.
This is our 2-berth campervan from Wilderness, very user-friendly. Stayed perfect with us throughout, didn't give us much problem. We eat-cook-bathe-do our business all inside this little portable home.
