Backpacking in new zealand???!!

Hey guys im new to this site and recently i have decided to do some backpacking in new zealand next year.However i have absolutly no idea how to go about this,dont know how to plan doing this.Ive visited some websites etc to gain some knowledge but still in the dark.Im also thinking about travelling by myself as all my mates are tied down with permanent jobs at the moment.Please could you help me as i woul really like to do this but feel abit overwhelmed on "how" thanks guys!!!

Logically, the first step would be to travel to New Zealand. Where in the world are you?

There are two main ways of going about this. You could organize your own trip or join a guided tour.

If you organize your own trip, it would involve research where you want to go and how to get their. Plus you would have to assemble all of your own gear. With a guided tour all of that could be done for you. So... what are you looking for?

Are you interested in trekking (which is what this site is about) or in budget travel? If it's trekking, we can help with gear (see the home page of this site) and I'm sure at least a few here can help with information. Googling "trekking New Zealand" turns up quite a few sites. A guidebook will also help.

If your interest is in "backpacking" as budget travel/staying in hostels (the non-American definition), then the Lonely Planet website is a more appropriate place for you. Although a number of us have traveled widely, this site is about backpacking as wilderness trekking, the American definition of the term.

EDIT, LATER: Just found this information re NZ trekking on a local Pacific NW hiking forum.

A post on the same forum about a new NZ trail.

I actually stopped into this thread to see if any has posted about the new NZ trail.

That looks like an incredible trail. Since it's new it's open to some record setting...
I've caught myself thinking about it since the day I heard of it. I'm getting my self more and more interested.

As far as the OP's request goes, I would agree. Can't quite give advice until we know exactly what kind of "backpacking" you would like to do. I'm a member of both this and Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum and they are both great for their respective specialization. If it's non-American backpacking you want. Head over to Lonely Planet. There's TONS of info for that type of stuff over there.

Here is their website.

http://www.teararoa.org.nz/index.cfm

btw, if you haven't spent any time there, you have no idea how bad the weather can be pretty much any time of the year. I've been rained on heavily from Keri Keri on the North Island to Lake Manapouri on the South Island. Anyone planning on this trip should be prepared with good gear for all conditions, including snow and ice at Arthur's Pass, depending on when you are there.