From mountain highs to valley lows, Alex and I spent 1.5 months exploring New Zealand. After 10 years of working full time for Hayes & Jarvis, I was delighted to take the opportunity of an unpaid career break to fly 18,000km from the UK to New Zealand, visiting Oceania as a continent for the first time.

New Zealand encompassed varied landscapes with turquoise oceans and trail blazed parks. The country’s reputation for adrenaline fuelled activities such as white water rafting, bungee jumping and jet boating had me rubbing my hands together with glee. We arrived in Auckland on 22nd October 2024 and spent 2 weeks exploring the sights of the North Island. These are my recommended stops from our road trip:

Auckland (2 Nights)

My top 2 activities were the Māori Cultural Experience at Auckland International Museum and a walk up Takarunga / Mount Victoria at Davenport (a short ferry ride away from the city). Within a day of arriving in New Zealand, I’m not sure how this happened, but through a mix of everyday interactions, reading boards and browsing museums, I already felt a strong sense of identity in what New Zealand would entail.

The Maori cultural experience highlighted Whakaute which is to ‘take careful consideration of the feelings, wishes, rights, and dignity of another person’. A haka was performed to welcome us as visitors and his introduction was forthright, powerful and with clear meaning. It set the ball rolling of an associated nostalgia with the UK, where I saw glimpses of British placenames, people and brands, but in every sense, done better. Streets were cleaner, people were happier and the turquoise waters of Auckland Harbour felt like a glimpse into the beautiful living landscapes that were about to unfold.

Stayed: Lylo Auckland – Centrally located on Hobson St. It was a private room but without a window. 100 NZD per night (£50 per night)
Food: Freeman & Grey – Pizzas at Ponsonby St. Top tip: pizzas are only $6 NZD (£3.00!) between 12:00pm/2:00pm and 5pm/7:30pm.

Tutukaka (2 Nights)

It was a 3hr drive north from Auckland to Tutukaka. Our first activity was scuba-diving! Poor Knights Island is often voted one of the Top 10 diving sites in the world. From the small fishing bay of Tutukaka, it is an hours boat ride out to the islands. The islands are bathed in a subtropical current from the Coral Sea and the warmer current allows for varieties of tropical fish not commonly seen around the coastal waters of New Zealand. There are different opportunities for diving through labyrinths, archways and tunnels. Colourful underwater vegetation and a variety of sponges are popular sightings during the dives here. It was Alex’s first dive in 20 years and my first dive in 10 years, the instructors were fantastic.

Stayed: Lodge 9 – one of my favourite accommodations in New Zealand! Lodge 9 provide an outstanding breakfast with only 6 boutique rooms and a cosy living area. Rooms start from $320 NZD (£160 inc breakfast)
Food: Schnappa Restaurant – They serve an excellent local catch of the day.

Coromandel (3 Nights)

Creative Coromandel was a real highlight of the North Island. The peninsula is densely forested and mountainous, offering a plethora of beautiful coastal hikes, relics from the gold rush era and New Zealand’s only mountain railway – Driving Creek. Paired with the natural beauty in the area, we found Coromandel to have a real individualistic flair with craft shops, alternative lifestyles and mussel fishing.

Activities: We loved ziplining at Driving Creek Railway, during the tour we learnt alot about New Zealand’s efforts to preserve the natural environment and the goal to be pest free by 2050.
Food: Coromandel Oyster Company – Coromandel is famous for green lipped mussels. The oyster company serve a lovely selection box of locally sourced seafoods.

Rotorua (4 Nights)

Often nicknamed ‘Sulphur City’ due to the eggy aromas from geothermal activity, Rotorua is unmissable and a key stopping point in North Island. Rotorua is a hub for thermal activity and has a large Maori population, we spent 4 nights in Rotorua due to the varied opportunities to include culture mixed with adventure, and together we enjoyed zorbing, white water rafting, a visit to Te Whakarewarewa Maori village and Hells Gate National Park. I’d recommend Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua, the chance to soak in a wooden hot tub whilst immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of a forest was a wonderful way to wind down an active day.

Activities: Rotorua is the birthplace of Zorbing, we loved this activity. White water rafting was one of my favourite activities in New Zealand as well.
Stayed: We stayed at Rotorua Thermal Park, I’d recommend the kitchen cabins that come fully equipped with everything you need to prepare a meal. There is a complimentary herb garden for cooking too and hot springs to soak in. 90 NZD per night (£45 per night)

Tongariro (2 Nights)

Tongariro is situated in the Central Plateau, just a couple of hours drive from Rotorua. The area is known for snow-capped volcanoes, extensive forests and fast-flowing rivers. For our trip, we were booked on the Tongariro Northern Circuit (4D/3N), one of the Great Walks of New Zealand. I’d highly recommend securing permits a minimum of 6 months in advance of travel if you are planning a multi-day hike. Permits can be secured on the Depart of Conservations website.

For our hike, we completed the first leg from Whakapapa Village to Mangatepopo Hut. On the subsequent day, there was a weather warning from NIWA advising hikers not to complete the Tongariro Crossing due to 95kph winds, heavy rain and poor visibility. On Day 2 of the hike we chose to make our way back to Whakapapa Village and in 4 hours we got soaked to the bone through the incredibly eroded track. Equipped with waterproof trousers, rain jacket, a fleece and base layer, it took me a couple of hours to defrost once we arrived back at our base.

Activities: Tongariro Crossing is often described as one of the finest walks in New Zealand, unfortunately the weather curtailed our plans. I’d highly recommend the Tama Lakes hike as a alternative day walk which encompasses waterfalls, glacial lakes and volcano views. For the crossing, shuttles start from $60 but you can obtain a discounted rate via BookMe for $48 return.
Stayed: We stayed at Skotel Alpine Resort, there is a on-site bar and restaurant and cosy seating areas. You can book 30 minutes in their jacuzzi hot tub for a soak. The cost per night was approximately 100 NZD (£50 per night)

Wellington (2 Nights)

Wellington was our favourite city in New Zealand. With Cuba St and a picturesque harbour, the city is the gateway to South Island where there are daily departures on the Cook Strait to Picton. Like all Kiwi cities, the metropolis isn’t particularly large and a couple of days would do the trick. Whilst in Wellington, we caught a play at Hannah Playhouse, did a treasure hunt with BookMe in Wellington and took the Wellington tram up to the botanical gardens.

Stayed: Haka House Wellington – A very centrally located hostel, lacking in character but it did the job. Rooms start from $95 NZD (£50 per night)
Food: Ngon Restaurant – The best meal we had on North Island! Try the coconut squid or the soft-shell crab bao buns.

Trip Tips 💡

• We rented our vehicle with Ace Car Hire (KIA Seltos) and Ace were fantastic! Car hire was £21 per day and we covered 1,795km in the vehicle. We found that petrol costs in New Zealand were most competitive from Waitomo and you often get a voucher from supermarkets as well. We spent £128 in petrol costs in total. I booked the car hire via Booking.com and there were no One Way fees between Auckland and Wellington.
• I’d recommend completing the NZeTa by downloading the official App, fees are more competitive and we were approved right away as the App had built in technology to read passport information. There is an e-gate so no stamps in passports are required. Always check the latest FCDO Travel Advice here
• Card is very widely accepted, there is often a small surcharge of around 2% for international cards, we rarely found the need to use cash. For withdrawing cash via Monzo, BNZ is a fee free cash machine in New Zealand 
• All tap water is drinkable
• Please feel free to contact me here via Hayes & Jarvis / Enchanting Travels if you are planning a private trip to New Zealand
• We found the two most competitive supermarkets in New Zealand to be Pak’N’Save and New World. Where possible, fruit and vegetable shops offer better value for money than supermarkets in lieu of high food costs in New Zealand.
• For sweet treats in New Zealand, try Whittaker’s chocolate, jet plane sweets, lolly cake or chocolate fish (marshmallow coated in chocolate).
• New Zealand is a maritime climate, when it’s warm, it’s very hot but weather is very interchangeable. There are high UV levels in Oceania and I would recommend plenty of sun-cream, even on cloudy days
• Part II of my South Island diary is here
• If you have any questions at all, feel free to comment here and I’ll be happy to help