Whether you want to pit your wits against a Black Marlin or stalk deer in rugged wilderness, New Zealand offers a great range of fishing and hunting opportunities.

Big game fishing is an unforgettable thrill. The sheltered waters of the Bay of Islands are renowned world-wide for their Marlin, Kingfish and Swordfish – this was the place that put New Zealand game fishing on the map in the early twentieth century, thanks to famed Western writer Zane Grey. Striped Marlin grow bigger in these waters than anywhere else in the world, averaging around one hundred kilos. No licence is required for big game fishing, but chartering a boat with an experienced skipper is the way to go.

Opportunities to fish for trophy-sized Brown and Rainbow Trout are available throughout the country: try the lakes of Rotorua and Taupo, and the rivers of Canterbury and Southland. Salmon fishing is also on offer in Canterbury and on the West Coast. A licence is required for trout fishing and regulations govern quantity of fish and minimum catch sizes. Licences can be obtained from New Zealand sports shops – see www.fishandgame.org.nz for detailed regulations – but it’s best to hire a professional guide who can help you out with local knowledge.

If you would rather hunt on land, New Zealand offers some of the world’s finest waterfowl or trophy hunting. Hunting is encouraged to keep numbers of artificially introduced species in check and preserve native wildlife, but permits are required. These can be obtained from regional Department of Conservation offices. Visitors should hire the services of a professional hunting guide – New Zealand’s wilderness areas are physically demanding and high country weather is unpredictable.

For more information, see www.fishnhunt.co.nz or www.fishandgame.org.nz.