Okay okay so we loved the campervan so much in Ausralia we decided to hire one out in New Zealand too. Similarly to Australia I would stuggle to think of a plan if we didn’t have the camper. You would literally be hopping city to city missing out all the good stuff inbetween. New Zealand was a massive highlight for us so if I end up repeating words like beautiful and amazing too much then thats the reason why.

AUCKLAND

We landed in Auckland and after we dealt with an annoying issue with our debit cards we left the airport and headed to our accomodation for the night. We stayed in One Tree Hill Homestay just outside the main city of Auckland. We picked it because it was close to the rental place but were so happy with our choice. Such a cosy place which is basically your own home for the night.

As we were so excited to get going we were up bright and early making our way to Travellers Autobarn to pick up our van. So in NZ we went for a bigger van which I was so against originally but it turned out to be the best decision. Travellers Autobarn came out the cheapest for us compared to the compact vans like we had in Aus and it was soooo much bigger. It had all the cooking and living facilities inside so it meant that on the cold New Zealand nights we didn’t have to freeze our butts off trying to cook dinner. We named our little monster Ethel.

After the obligatory stop off at the supermarket to pick up supplys and a dash into a home store to personalise the van we headed off pretty much straight away. Our first night we only drove about 80kms outside of Auckland to a free campspot (NZ is just as good as Aus with all the free camping areas) and sorted our little home for the next 5 weeks. Yes I said 5 weeks, were we crazy??? The campspot was right on the coast, literally the sea was like 5 meters away from our van.

 

COROMANDEL PENINSULA

So we tackled the north island head on. We started with a scenic drive around the Coromandel Peninsula. We got our first taste of the NZ beauty. For 80% of the drive we were literally driving the coast line with sea on one side and mountains on the other side of us. The roads were so windy around the edge it made for a great start to our journey.

After we had enough of driving the beauty we decided to stop off and explore by foot. We stopped off at the famous Catherdral Cove walk which is a 1 hr 30 min return walk that has multiple view points on the way to the main event. We were walking the cost line dipping down onto the beach bays and then heading up hills to admire the view from above. It was a scenic walk to say the least and we were rewarded with the Catherdral Cove at the end. Its located on the small white sand beach which has the rock formation that has given the place its name on one side and a small waterfall on the other. It was like a paradise so we ended up spending a couple hours relaxing on the beach before we headed back.

MATAMATA (Basically Hobbiton)

Once we had spent a few days exploring the peninsula we headed on way to see the rest of NZ. Our first stop was near a town called Matamata and I just want to say this was allllll Ryan’s doing. Matamata is a short drive from Hobbiton where all the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies were filmed. Ryan is a massive fan and has been going on about going there since we started talking about travelling to New Zealand. Me on the other hand has never seen a single Lord of the Rings film so didn’t really know what was going on half the time.

Even though I hadn’t seen any of the films it was a cool place to visit. Its weird to see a whole film set still standing like a real little village. Everything was still in its place and we were given a guided tour around getting fed info on how things were filmed. I know Ryan had a good time and my day wasn’t awful! We ended up in the little pub called the Red (or Green, i can’t remember) Dragon which is in the films appaz. It’s a cool set that shows off the New Zealand countryside well.

ROTORUA

The next stop on our roadtrip is defo one of my fav places we visted. We ended up staying 4 or 5 nights there which is a lot when you are road tripping. Theres so much to do in the area we couldn’t pull oursleves away any sooner.

The first thing we noticed about Rotorua was the smell. I’ll be honest, it doesn’t smell great. Due to the town having loads of geothermal pools the place had a slight rotten egg smell in the air because of the amount of Sulphur that is released from the water.

We arrived in the afternoon and checked out the i-site (info centre) to find out all the things we could do in the area. We picked up a bunch of leaflets and slowly narrowed it down to what we REALLY wanted to do.

Our first stop was to the Polynesin Spa which has naturally heated thermal baths you can hire out all to yourself. The little pod we were given had great views over the lake while we bathed in the warm water which apprently had healing qualities. You get half an hour which is all you need before you feel like a boiling kettle and have to get out.

As the afternoon turned grey and the rain came to visit we wanted to do something indoors. We found a 3D museum which I had heard of before but never came across one. Its the only one in the whole of New Zealand so we stopped by and spent a few hours mucking around with all the paintings getting our wacky photos.

The next day we headed to a geothermal park called Hell’s Gate which is filled with mud lakes and reservoirs that are bubbling away at all different tempatures. The area was named Hell’s Gate after someone visted many years ago and stated this must be the entance to hell. There were a few pools that were above boiling point so they are constantly vicoursly bubbling. Besides being really scientifically cool the thermal baths are also beautiful to look at. Due to all the natual chemicals in the water, the surrounding rocks, trees and water vary in colour. So you have orange trees and yellow rocks. Theres also a constant layer of steam over all the pools so you are walking around in and it has an eerie feel.

In the evening we booked to go on a Maori village experience. We had seen a few about and thought it would be a good idea to learn about the Maori culture. We were taken by coach to the village – I have to say it was one of the funniest coach journeys I’ve been on with the driver on the mic taking the piss out of all the countries around the world and saying that if you don’t play rugby then you aren’t a real man. Turns out the driver has relations in Waterford, Ireland so it really is a small world.

The evening itself was insane. We were welcomed by the Maori tribe who conducted a welcome dance and offering to allow us to visit and were then taken around various different huts learning about Maori traditions like their games and their tattoos. The men were then shown how to do the Haka which we got to all laugh at as they performed it for us. The evening was finished with a lovely dinner cooked in traditional Maori way which is in an oven in the ground. We were served up Pavlova for dessert and the night was finished with a Haka from the Maori people really showing us how its done. It was amazing. Such a fun night and great way to learn about the Maori culture.

For our last full day in Rotorua we went on a horse trek through cow and sheep fields up a big hill for an amazing view over the town. Ryan was in his element because the horse that he was riding was one of the horses used by a main character (don’t ask me which one) in Lord of the Rings. We had wanted to do some horse riding since Australia so once we got the chance we booked on the trek and it was great way to spend the morning.

In the afternoon we went for a long walk around the Redwood forest. We had read about these woods before we arrived and wanted to check it out so armed with a hot chocolate we headed to the woods. Obvs its loads of trees but they are beautiful. They are all sooooo tall and have a redish in colour so when you look around you are surrouned by crimson. The walk was pretty good which took us more into forest passing some rivers that were SOOOO clear. I honestly thought it was glass it was so clear.

On our last evening we kind of stumbled onto a food market that is held every Thursday. There were sooooooooo many good stalls and yummy things to try so we filled up good on everything from gravy chips to Paella.

 

TAUPO

The drive to Taupo was a sight in itself. Its called the termal highway as there is geothermal pools everywhere. We stopped off at the Thermal Wanderland which is similar to Hell’s Gate. We walked around the Champayne Pools and past the viberant green water. It was a true wonderland. We also got to see the geiser go off which is pretty cool too.

The next stop on our drive to Taupo was at Huka Falls which is this giant waterfall but what shocked us was the speed that the water was falling down the rapids. You would not want to be stuck in that. There is great view points all around the Falls so we spent a while there checking out the scenery before we ended our drive in Taupo. We found a great free campsite right by the lake and got to watch the sunset behind the mountains.

HUNGATANGI BEACH

Our next stop was just to break up the drive to Wellington. We checked into an actual campsite so we could charge up the car and refill the water. The campsit was right near the beach so we drove down to watch the sunset. I’m really loving sunsets. This one was amazing though so orange and bright.

WELLINGTON

Being the capital you would assume we would of spent more time here but we only spent a couple of hours before we caught the ferry to the South Island. It’s super cosmpolition and I have realised I much prefer the smaller towns where you can park easily.

The ferry crossing is loooooong. You don’t imagine it being that long seeing as they are the same country but it’s the best part of 4 hours. This meant we arrived late into Picton and straight away went to find somewhere to camp for the night.

REEFTON

Our orignal plan changed when we got to the South Island because we found out that the road we were originally going to take doesn’t exist anymore due to an earthquake so we had to quickly rethink our plan. It worked out for the better though.

Reefton is a tiny town in the top centre of the South Island. We stopped here because we were told about a gold mining town that is now a ghost town which is near by. We made our way to Waiuta which was on a small dirt track up the side of the mountain. The most memorable thing about the drive was that we pulled over to watch a sheep give birth to two lambs. They were soooo cute and confused.

Once we got to the ghost town we realised how eerie it was. We were the only people there and there is a partial town just sitting there with no one around. Once we did our fair amount of reading about the history of the town and the explosion that closed it we went for an explore. There is a few houses still standing and where there is no house there is the chimney still sitting. One of the houses you can go inside and it’s left just how it was in the 50’s. Once we had creeped ourseleves out enough we went on the 1hr return walk to the abandoned battery which is down a hill. It had been raining the night before so the ground was sooo muddy which made it oh so fun.

GREYMOUTH & HOKITIKA

We breifly stopped in Greymouth for a couple of nights. They have a great free campsite right by the sea so we pitched up there and relaxed with the sound of waves.

The drive to Greymouth was filled with gold mining history so we stopped off a few times to see what was left in different areas. There is a whole site just outside of Greymouth filled with all the tools and carts used. It also has the original rail tracks and brigde which you can cross.

Once we had seen enough of Greymouth we continued on our drive. Just a short drive outside of Greymouth is a trendy town called Hokitika which is best know for its Jade. It has a real backpacker vibe here and theres even a sock museum.

FRANZ JOSEF & FOX GLACIER

Obvs this is something you HAVE to do. There are walks at both glaciers that take you pretty close which has great views of the glacier and the surrounding mountains. You can also do guided hikes or helicopter tours but they are too expensive for the average backpacker.

The walk to Franz Josef glacier was so good. You start by walking through green bush before it opens out to this massive river that you can walk along side. The whole time you are surrounded by mountains which eventually part ways and you can make out the glacier in the distance. As you get closer and closer the glacier looks more and more fake. It was kind of glowing better the mountain peaks.

This is where we got our first taste of the South Island beauty with the snowcapped mountains and green trees. It was short lived though as the clouds lowered and rain came. It was their winter after all.

 

WANAKA

Okay so New Zealand is beautiful. The drive from Fox to Wanaka is crazy good scenery the closer you get to Wanaka, it just gets better and better. Wanaka is a small town surrouned by snow covered mountains and lakes so everywhere you look its like a dream.

Wanaka was up there with my favs place in NZ not just because of the scenery but we did something amazing. We jumped out of a plane at 12,000ft attached to a beautiful stranger. WE SKYDIVED. We couldn’t of picked a better place to do it. The day we did it, the sky opened up to blue skys which meant great views of the snowy mountains and surrounding lakes from the plane and as you were falling toward the earth. Honestly one of the best things I have done in my life and we both wanted to do another one as soon as we landed.

I should rewind a little and say that the first day we had in Wanaka we planned to do the skydive but it was pretty cloudy. Our hopeful selves headed to the skydive centre where we were postponed an hour. Once the hour went by we were suited and booted and boarding the plane but as we got higher and higher the pilot couldn’t go any further due to the lowering clouds which meant we had to turn around and land. Major sad face. We decided to wait an extra day to see what the weather was doing and it was soooooo worth it. Best day ever.

Besides jumping out of a plane in Wanaka we also went on a really nice walks. There are tons to do in the area and they all have great views and scenery. After we had got a picture of the lonely tree on the Wanaka lake we had done our time in Wanaka and headed on.

QUEENSTOWN

Another amaze drive is the drive from Wanaka to Queenstown. You climb the sides of mountains passing snowy fields for great views down on the valleys. Of course we stopped a few times on our way just to admire.

Queenstown itself is situated in a valley so everywhere you look there are huge mountains. Its also a smallish town which made it even better. It was around dinner time when we arrived and had been told soooo many times to try a Ferg Burger. So we did. Qued out the door and waited about 40 mins to get a stupid burger but OH MY GOD it was so worth it. Not even joking when I say the best burgers we have ever had. We got the classic beef burger and then a Bombay chicken burger and we shared and it was the best combo ever. Just thinking about it now makes me hungry. If you are ever anywhere close to Queenstown you have to try one of those burgers. It is soooo worth the wait.

We had also been told about the Skyrail that brings you up the side of one of the mountains in a bubble car. It was steep and Ryan had jelly legs hahaha. Besides admiring the amazing view from the top they also have a Luge. If you don’t know what a Luge is, because I didn’t, its basically like little go carts that you sit in and ride on a track down the side of the mountain. We got a combo ticket that included three rides down the Luge so we acted like big kids and raced the whole way down. Of couse Ryan being over competitive sped off and went too fast around a corner and fell out. SOO FUNNY. Once we had done all three of our go’s we headed to get a coffee but were stopped by an elderly couple who had tickets to go down the Luge 5 times, they didn’t want them so they gave them to us! It never got boring and was hilarious.

There’s so much to do in Queenstown and you could spend aaaaages there doing them all.

 

GLENORCHY

We drove the short distance to the small town of Glenorchy. Its an infamous drive between Queenstown and Glenorchy and the best way to take in all the scenery New Zealand has to offer.

It was a gloomy day by the time we arrived in the small town but the weather gave the town the perfect eerie ambiance for a cup of coffee and a walk by the lake.

We attampted the drive to town just further on called Paradise and almost got there which was surprising considering the road conditon was awful with a pot hole every 10cm. We were only stopped by a river that seemed to have appear and could only be conquered by a 4 wheel drive which we did not have.

 

TE ANAU

We made the drive to Te Anau simply for the views. Literally it was a drive without a proper destination as we had to drive it all back the next day, one road in one road out, but it was worth it. We got to take in all the beauty of the snow capped moutains and green hills surrounded by blue skys.

We spent most of the day driving so once when we reached our destination we just chilled in our cosy camper for the night. It was a nice little town to stop in and we got to enjoy the views on the way out too.

 

CHRISTCHURCH

We made the massive drive to Christchurch from Te Anau over two days. We went the long way round driving south to Invercargill before heading up the east coast stopping just outside of Dunedin for the night. We did make a little tourist stop off at the Moreki boulders, which is basically these weird alien looking rocks on a beach that attracts a crowd. They are strange looking and some have even broken apart. There are myths that they are remains of a shipwreck from many many years ago. We then headed on to Christchurch.

Okay so Christchurch is a weird town. It has an eerie feel to it as you walk around as there is hardly any people. The main reason for the ghost town feel is due to the earthquacks in 2010 and 2011 that destroyed a lot of buildings and home. They are currently rebuilding the city which looks very impressive, I’m just not sure where all the people are going to come from to fill it.

The reminisce of the earthquack is still very much felt and especially because the Cathedral that was destoryed is still standing as a kind of memorial. The real reason its still standing is because the church can’t afford to rebuild it so it just stays as a reminded. It’s amazing and scary to see the effects of an earthquack.

We tried our hardest to make the most of Chirstchurch but we were surprised by the quiestness of the city.

 

ARTHUR’S PASS

Okay so WOW. Have I said that New Zealand is beautiful? Well if you need any proof you should head straight to the drive between Christchurch to the West Coast through Arthur’s Pass.

The scenery changes so much as you drive across the South Island and this one road contains every peice of beauty the island has to offer. Everything from green hills, flowing streams to steep mountains covered in snow. We stopped a few times just to get pictures so the drive definitely takes longer then expected but it is so worth it. I don’t think any picture will do it justice though. The winding roads around the mountains are just something you have to experience for yourself.

I don’t think there is enough adjectives I could write to explain how amazing the drives are in New Zealand and the Arthur’s Pass is such a highlight.

PANCAKE ROCKS AND WESTPORT

Once we had reached the West Coast after our awesome drive we stopped just outside Greymouth again before we headed to the Pancake Rocks.

Its a weird rock formation that has no scentific reason why it’s like the way it is. Basically millions of years of fossils have created this little area in New Zealand to look like a stack of pancakes. It’s only a short walk around the coast to view so of course we stopped off to admire before we headed onto Westport.

A little drive past Westport brings you to a Seal Colony. We had been told to check it out so we did just that. You follow the coastline on foot before you are brought to a viewing platform above some rocks, or at least thats what it looked like. The longer you stared the more and more seals you could see basking in the sun, jumping around and taking dips in the sea pools. They were so funny to watch we stayed there waaaaaay longer than you should.

 

NELSON

Our next major stop was in Nelson. We visited a friends family who we had never met before but that was no issue at all! It was so nice to be in a family home having a home cooked meal and enjoying company of true New Zealanders. They had a HUGE kiwi bird in the garden and I mean HUGE. They were so welcoming and it was so good to have a real bed for the night! Don’t get me wrong, I loved our camper but a real matress is still better.

Nelson is a bit of an arty town with lots going on all the time. We were luckily to be there on a Saturday which is the weekly market. We can never say no to a market so we went for a stroll around town picking up some goodies to munch on.

We then made the drive back to Picton through the Queen Charlotte Highway which is another stunning coastal drive New Zealand has to offer. It was a great finish to our South Island experience before we caught the ferry back to the North.

AUCKLAND

We then made the monster of a journey back to Auckland spreading the driving over two days but pretty much driving constantly before we handed the van back in Auckland. It was so sad to say goodbye to our little home for the last 5 weeks. One of the best experiences I have done and the only way to see New Zealand.

New Zealand was out of this world. We had heard good things and it lived up to all our expectations. Not only did we get to do amazing things like bathing in geothermal pools, go karting down a mountain and sky diving (there was soooo many things we did), we also got to witness the gorgeousness of NZ. It’s hard not to appreciate the country.

Also, side note: Boysenberry ice cream is so good and I will now be on a hunt to find boysenberries at home.