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Finding somewhere to stay while in New Zealand should be easy enough – unless you’re travelling at high season (December to March), when it really is advisable to book ahead. The savings can be remarkable if you travel slightly out of season – easily up to a third of what you might pay in the height of summer.

With a wide selection of options available at almost every level, from five-star luxury to boutique B&Bs and cosy home/farmstays, the country is very well equipped to meet the needs of travellers.

Travellers, however, don’t simply mean foreign visitors. New Zealand’s geographical remoteness along with its natural beauty means that its residents are, to some extent, its own best tourists. During school holidays, particularly the summer break over December and January, motels and Department of Conservation (DOC) campsites across the country fill up with families.

In general, accommodation standards are high. Whatever your budget, rooms should be comfortable and well maintained (although city centre cheapies have to cut corners somehow and it’s usually on room size and extras). You can pay as little as $50 per night, but more realistically $80 to $110 for a good B&B.

Budget-conscious travelers will find Kiwi backpacker hostels are a good alternative to main hotels. They are likely to offer individual rooms alongside dorm accommodation and maybe even a bar and/or restaurant on-site. At the other end of the scale, ‘super lodges’ have sprung up. These speciality dwellings in some of the most beautiful locations across the country, range from mountain and lakeside properties to eco-resorts and spas in native forests, offering everything from helicopter transfers to private golf-courses and award-winning fine-dining.

Qualmark (www.qualmark.co.nz) is the official hotel accreditation system and rates hotels according to the internationally recognised star system (from one to five). At the last count, more than 1,000 hotels were registered and rated using the system, but there are many, many more who remain unregistered by choice and are just as good (in some cases even better).