It might be a relatively small island, but don't let its size fool you from thinking there is not much to do or see.
We made our first trip across the ditch in June 2022 and absolutely fell in love with the beauty, people and ease to get around to interesting towns and places. We had the opportunity to travel around in almost true New Zealand fashion with a rented camper van and with our house on wheels we opted for all the roads less travelled.
In two weeks time we painted New Zealand red from the north island to the south and promised to return when we should get the chance and am I glad that chance presented itself again in June of 2024.
The unfamiliar familiarities
As any international trip things just never seem to be able to go quite to plan.
We landed late with our first trip and it made me feel very flustered as we had a limited window to collect our camper van, to quickly figure out how different it is to drive in comparison to a normal car and to make our way to our first destination which was a further two hours away.
Never the less we made it and stopped at a Countdown to stock up before heading out and to our surprise we've been in many a Countdown just with another name being Woolworths - they are almost like identical twins which made us feel a bit less frazzled.
The oddly peculiar world of Hobbiton
With rolling green hills and colourful Hobbit hole doors there is not much one can say, but rather just soak it all up and appreciate the simply breathtaking view from every corner.
The guides are very well trained and knowledgable about the movie set and facts which makes any tour a memorable one. On our last visit we enjoyed a Second Breakfast tour which included the normal tour of the set as well as a spread to die for in the beautiful Millhouse!
Mitai Māori Village
The village offers anyone curious an eye opening experience to learn more about Māori culture through performing arts as well as the Māori way of life. Their traditions and way of life is very heartwarming and it was a wonderful night filled with traditional acts like the haka and the exciting scenes of warriors navigating the Wai-o-Whiro stream in a war canoe and absolutely delicious food cooked in a traditional hāngī.
The hāngī is cooked in an 'earth-oven', which is a hole dug one to two meters into the ground. At the bottom of the hāngī pit, hot stones are used to hold the baskets of food. After that, the food is covered to retain the heat. Over the course of three to four hours, the heat and steam from the heated hāngī stones give the food a deliciously earthy flavor - it was truly one of the best meals we have ever had!
Huka Falls
The sound of nearly a quarter of a million litres of water per second can be heard from a far well before it is seen. The water rushes from a natural gorge and falls 11 meters into the Waikato River. The Huka Falls is the most popular natural landmark in New Zealand and once seen it's very difficult to pry your eyes away from the crisp blue water.
If you are after more adrenaline you can book a spin on the Huka Falls Jet which is a 30 minute thrill ride on the Waikato River up to the base of the falls which is truly spectacular!
Māori Rock Carving Cruise
This is not a very well known attraction, but one not to miss. Step onboard The Ernest Kemp for a 1.5 to two hour cruise on one of the biggest freshwater volcanic craters on Earth, Lake Taupō to travel to the rock carvings which is only accessible by boat.
Best stops from our first and second trips
Napier
One of the best stops on our first trip was probably Napier on the East coast of the North Island. While travelling with the camper van we opted to mainly stay in New Zealand's Top 10 Holiday Parks (similar to our Big 4's) and Napier's was definitely a gem!
We had a powered site right on the cusp of the beach and only a handful of other people staying in the park, a perfect setting for a peaceful evening before my birthday with a special 'home cooked meal' in the camper van - it was quite surreal. Another plus was that given we were on the East coast it promised for a spectacular sunrise.
The beach itself was quite extraordinary as it does not have sand but perfectly odd shaped pepples which makes a perfect picture although one rather difficult to walk on!
Queenstown
This was my favourite stop on the South Island on our first trip - not really for any specific reason but everything seemed to align as we drove into the very quaint town. The cobblestreets chattering under the car wheels made me feel like we entered an alternate time and the skies threatened with snow for some time but opened up as we entered Queenstown - it was an amazing sight!
Given the weather we went for some relaxation at the Onsen hot pools which offer retractable roofs to either be outdoors or indoors which seemed like the cherry on top with a breathtaking view over the valley and snow softly falling.
Cambridge
On our latest trip we chose to stay in Cambridge for a couple of nights as it was in the middle from the airport to our next stop and close to our first attraction being Hobbiton - once we arrived we were pleasantly surprised (well the next day as we arrived well and truly after dark!). This big, small town is well known for its high performance sports of cycling, rowing and kayaking, horse breeding, and quaint boutique stores exuding country living charm.
Fun things to do
Just like in any other place, there are plenty of activities to enjoy while on vacation, and New Zealand is no different. Depending on personal taste you can lazy around boutique shops, do different tastings from honey to wine or for those seeking more adrenaline, you can do activities like the Huka falls jet mentioned earlier.
Some of our favourites:
Hobbiton of course (mentioned above)
Huka Jet Boat (also mentioned above)
Espresso Cove Taupō (best breakfast!)
Paris Délice Bakery (best beef and cheese pies and sweet treats to DIE for!)
Church Road Winery (breathtaking wine!)
Mavericks Gastro Pub (best Pornstar Martini!)
Mövenpick Hotel Auckland (chocolate hour everyday - say what?)
My favourite experience and place of all time
I think we all like nature and plants to a certain extent. I've never been a green thumb per se but do appreciate it if I can keep a plant alive and enjoy briefly visiting botanical gardens every now and then but not for hours on end. On our last trip to beautiful Aotearoa we decided to venture into the Hamilton Gardens - and am I glad we did!
Hamilton Gardens is located next to a beautiful section of the Waikato River, blending historic landscape elements with innovative development and design.
In the 1860s, during the invasion of the Waikato by the colonial government, the land was confiscated, and subsequently, ownership of the land was transferred to the Hamilton Council. Over the following century, the land served various purposes such as a sand quarry, a dog dosing area, a rifle range, a go-cart track, and briefly as the city’s rubbish dump.
Overgrown with weeds and blackberry bushes, with seagulls flying overhead, it would have been difficult to envision the upcoming transformation. Despite limited funds, volunteers and community organizations have invested countless hours and resources to convert the desolate 54-hectare area into a welcoming public park.
The main architect behind the vision for Hamilton Gardens is Dr. Peter Sergel, who was primarily responsible for its development. Initially trained as a landscape architect, he was tasked with creating a conceptual blueprint for the park shortly after becoming a council member in 1979.
He envisioned a sequence of interconnected enclosed gardens showcasing the most renowned and significant garden styles.
Peter organized the gardens into three distinct categories: Paradise, Fantasy, and Productive gardens.
Paradise Gardens epitomized idealized garden styles, aiming to replicate a heavenly oasis on earth. These gardens typically evoke feelings of peace, harmony, and well-defined organization.
Fantasy Gardens showcase the utilization of fantasy and imagination in garden design, aiming to spark visitors' imaginations.
The Productive Gardens illustrate the historical significance of cultivating plants for food, medicine, and various other purposes, highlighting the enduring importance of our connection with these plants throughout time.
At the core of everything is Peter's fundamental concept of narrating the tale of civilizations through gardens.
This truly distinctive idea sets this public garden apart from any other in the world and truly has to be seen - it's almost worth a trip of it's own!
We have had two incredible holidays in New Zealand, and I am sure it won't be long till our next one to further explore the beautiful country!
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