New Zealand

Yes — the NZeTA is a separate electronic travel authorisation, not a visa, and visa-waiver nationals must obtain it online before boarding their flight; airlines can and do deny boarding to travellers who skip this step.

Great Walks are a specific set of DOC-managed tracks with staffed huts, bunks and water along the route, bookable in advance — regular freedom hiking on New Zealand's wider trail network offers similar scenery with far less infrastructure and requires more self-sufficiency.

It works as a standalone attraction — the rebuilt, permanent set sits in genuinely scenic rolling farmland, and the tour explains the filmmaking craft behind it in enough detail to interest visitors who've never seen the films.

Expect a structured pōwhiri welcome ceremony with speeches, song and a hongi greeting — organised tours guide visitors through the protocol step by step, so no prior knowledge is required, but it is a formal experience rather than an informal walk-in.

The South Island packs in more of the dramatic scenery most first-time visitors picture — Milford Sound, Queenstown, the glaciers — while the North Island suits those prioritising Māori cultural experiences, Hobbiton and Auckland's city life; a week is realistically enough for one island done properly rather than both rushed.

Fruit-picking work in Hawke's Bay and Marlborough runs roughly November through April, so arriving in spring gives the longest run of seasonal work before winter shifts opportunities toward ski-town hospitality instead.

Declare all food, plants, animal products and outdoor gear (hiking boots, tents, fishing equipment) on arrival — New Zealand runs some of the world's strictest biosecurity controls to protect a unique ecosystem from invasive species, and undeclared items can mean an instant fine or prosecution. Clean, dry hiking boots before you pack them, and when in doubt, declare it rather than risk it.