design destinations: new zealand
After 10 days driving all through New zealand, I feel like I’ve seen ALOT. There is so much to see, so I would never be able to provide a completely exhaustive list, but its a great start.
Some random thoughts on new zealand-
Track means trail. In NZ they are very very concerned with biohazards that would contaminate their soil via your shoes. If you bring hiking shoes be sure they are clean upon entering and exiting the airport. Also you cannot bring product or meat to or from nz. And make sure you have purchased your NZ ETA (there’s an app) prior to arrival. We learned this the hard way!
Maori face tattoos are common, so be prepared for that. I was a bit scared by my first encounter with a human late at night with a face tattoo, but don’t be! NZ is one of the most inclusive cultures of its indigenous culture, the Maori. You’ll see their sculptures everywhere, and the maori language is the official language of the country, alongside English. NZ is very very safe, clean and so quiet even in the city. It was lovely in that way.
The roads are small and windy in NZ. Cars are generally smaller, and if you plan to drive the entire country like we did, I highly recommend a hybrid. Road work is going on constantly, and it will always take much longer than you think to get from point A to point B.
Make sure you bring charger packs, and there are not many gas stations, so any time you see one be sure to fill up! We had issues with our credit cards at gas stations, and many are cashier less, so be prepared. We found BP to be the most reliable, but otherwise be sure to choose gas stations with attendants so you can run your cc inside.
Rest areas generally do not have bathrooms, they are more like parks unless you’re in a bigger area.
They only do eggs sunny side up, and can do what they call flipped (something they came up with specifically for americans).
We tried out alot of grocery stores, and woolworths was our favorite.
Internet is quite spotty everywhere, they do not have 5G.
You’ll see fields upon fields of happy cows and sheep thought the country.
They are NOT known for their food. Stick to meat pies and simple foods at the grocery. They cannot do mexican food, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
People walk around barefoot regularly, more common in smaller places.
Wall outlets have individual switches on them for us, we thought this was genius.
North island:
Omanawanui Track - beautiful quick hike with views of the coast
Auckland- I was honestly quite underwhelmed. NZ isnt very old, so there isnt the history and architecture I usually expect from a big city. We loved the eatery Williams and the neighborhood it was in. Ponsonby is a cute area with lots of shops as well.
Waitomo caves- we loved this tour! The best place in the world to see glowworms
Waiotapu thermal wonderland - another beautiful stop. I’ve never seen geysers like these!
Tongariro np- taranaki falls + Tongariro alpine crossing - beautiful national park, if you have the time for it tongariro alpine crossing is said to be one of the worlds best one day hikes.
Hobbiton - sadly I’d say this 2.5 hour tour was overrated, but its the only way to see the set
Mount maunagai - we didnt have time, but highly recommended
Cook np- hooker valley track
Rivendell - a little underwhelming but for the LOTR fans, its a fun stop
Wellington- small city, also where the ferry departs from - note if you’re driving there is only ONE car ferry company. It cost us around $260 and its a 4 hour voyage, so book early and be prepared.
wellington recs: Egmont st eatery, august, kisa, naumi hotel, te papa museum, best ugly bagels
South Island:
Labyrinth rocks - quick hike to wander around some rocks
Wharariki beach loop- close and personal with sheep on your way to the beach
Cape farewell- the overlook had some spectacular rock formations
Pancake rocks - more cool rocks, see a theme here?
Castle hill - my favorite LOTR stop! Beautiful rocks, I’d go at sunset if we could have
Lake Matheson walk
Robert’s point track
Māori beach - a nice stop after lots of windy driving
Thunder creek falls
Blue pools track
Lake hawea - we stayed here, much cheaper than actually staying in wanaka but just 20 minutes away
Wanaka - Our absolute favorite place in all of NZ. Lots of cute shops, beautiful lake, its picture perfect
Wanaka recs: Scroggin, Wilson + Dorset, Nicola screen, deval, Melanie Craig, doughbin , kamino, Roy’s peak, Wanaka tree, Wanaka helicopters for glacier viewing
Arrow town - Another super cute town, great for a few hours exploring
arrowtown shop recs: seletti, Jade + opal factory, Angel divine
Queenstown - Honestly I could have skipped queenstown altogether and been perfectly fine. Its VERY touristy driven and adventure tour focused, and I’m really not into that.
If you must go, my recs: Fergburger (best burger in NZ), odd saint, Sunshine bay track , Sherwood, Nest, onsen hot pools
Milford sound - we didnt go, but has been highly recommended
Lake Marian track
Ben lemond Track
If I did it all again, I would have skipped the cities completely, and spent more time in nature. Go straight to mount maunagai, spend more time at tongariro, another day in wanaka and make our way to the milford sound. The beauty of nature is what is completely unique in New Zealand, and the driving doesn’t feel so bad because it is truly breathtakingly beautiful the entire way.
Any recs to add that I missed? Share in comments.