25-day Epic New Zealand Adventure - Part 2 | North Island
In my previous blog, 25-day Epic New Zealand Adventure - Part 1 | South Island, I spoke about my adventure around the South Island of New Zealand in a Britz campervan with my mum and brother over 11 days. I left it after we had just taken the Interislander ferry from Picton to Wellington, which is where we will set off now to explore the North Island.
Contents:
Family infront of our Britz Campervan
Day 12: Wellington
Mum comparing herself to the width of a Kauri Tree at Wellington Museum
Wellington, or ‘Windy Wellington’ as its known locally, is the capital city of New Zealand which sits at the most southernly point of the North Island. Giving that it’s the capital city, there is lots to do and see. Wellington also has a great reputation for food, having more bars and eateries per capita than New York City. We didn’t have a lot of time saved for Wellington, but we did make sure to visit the Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho – Wellington Museum. I had visited this museum previously and loved that it tells the story of Aotearoa (New Zealand) from its creation all the way to present day. The Museum is free which makes it a great activity, but donations are always welcome!
Day 13: Napier:
Mission Estate Winery
We headed North to Napier the next day which is a coastal town in the wine-region of Hawke’s Bay. Of course, we had come here to sample some of the local wine, and one of the best ways to do this is by bike. There are plenty of nice flat routes to take; we chose the Mission Scenic Loop which took us along the Tutaekuri River and to Church Road Winery and Mission Estate Winery. All the wineries provide tastings and many of them even waiver the cost of the tasting if you buy a glass of wine after (at least they did back in 2018!).
Day 14: Taupo & Rotorua
One of my favourite things about New Zealand is you really don’t need to drive far to get a change of scenery. Having done road-trips in Canada and Australia, it can be a nice change to only see ‘2 hours’ on your maps rather than ’14 hours’! So, a 2 hour drive the next day and we were in Taupo. Taupo is most famous for its lake which is a large crater lake and is the largest freshwater lake in Australasia, it’s roughly the same size as the country of Singapore! We took the Ernest Kemp Boat Cruise to see the Maori Rock Carvings which are only accessible by boat. The cruise took around 2 hours and I’d highly recommend it, not just to see the carvings but also the lake from a different perspective.
Lake Taupo drains into Huka Falls, which is New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction. We stopped here on our way out of Taupo to see the waterfall which has nearly a quarter of a million litres of water per second erupting from a natural gorge. You can take a jetboat or a river cruise to the base of the falls, but we opted for the walking track as we’d been on water long enough for one day!
Our adventures for the day didn’t stop here. We took the short 1-hour drive to Rotorua to go to the Mitai Maori Village for the cultural experience and dinner buffet. This experience was so enjoyable and incredibly insightful. Stories are told, instruments are played and there is so much entertainment throughout. You then sit down for a traditional Hangi dinner which we devoured after an action-packed filled day!
Maori Rock Carvings on Lake Taupo
Huka Falls
Mitai Māori Village
Day 15 & 16: Mount Maunganui
Mum at the top of Mount Maunganui
Day 15 was a special day for me as I was taking my family to easily my favourite place in New Zealand, Mount Maunganui. The Mount is a small beach town on the east coast in the city of Tauranga. I lived here for my first 8 months and loved every single second of it. It is known for its surfing, climbing the mount, its beautiful pilot bay and fun bars and restaurants. The community in this town is special, with everyone knowing everyone and always helping when needed. I hadn’t been back since I left to move to Queenstown, so we spent a few days relaxing on the beach, catching up with friends and taking some time to chill after a full on 2 weeks.
Day 17: White-Water Rafting at Okere Falls:
After a few days off, we got back on the road and headed back towards Rotorua. This time, it was my mums turn for her adventure. I mentioned in my previous blog that I had done a skydive in Queenstown. My mums’ chosen adventure was white water rafting. I had done this previously and had an amazing time, I ended up doing it 3 times in total whilst living in New Zealand and loved it each time. We used Kaituna Cascades and did a grade 5 white-water experience, 50-minutes of riding down 11 wild rapids and 3 waterfalls – one of which is the highest rafted waterfall in the world. Unfortunately for my mum, she did end up falling out and hurting her finger…but my brother and I had an epic time! You can also purchase professional photos at the end which I did every time and was 100% worth it.
Happy smiles & a broken finger
Smiles fading
White-water rafting at Okere Falls
Day 18: Hobbiton
Hobbit Hole at Hobbiton Movie Set
Another experience my mum really wanted to do was Hobbiton. This had not been something I had ever really considered doing, I had never been a big enough Lord of the Rings fan to justify it (don’t come for me!). However, seeing as it was unlikely they would ever return to New Zealand, we chose to go for it. We did the Movie Set Tour which included a 2.5 hour guided walking tour around the movie set, a complimentary drink at the Green Dragon Inn and transport between The Shire’s Rest and the set. The set is on the Alexander family sheep farm, which is beautiful, and whilst on the bus you learn about how and why the director Peter Jackson chose the location. I ended up really enjoying it and wouldn’t say you need to be a super-fan to get something out of it. Obviously, it is a huge tourist hot spot, so be prepared for crowds and to book in advance.
Day 19 & 20: Auckland
Back to the budget backpacker life!
Unfortunately, our trip as a family was ending as my mum was due to head back to London on day 20. We slowly made our way back to Auckland so she could catch her flight, sad to see her go but incredibly grateful for the journey we had been on. My brother was staying on for a few days and our friend was joining us, so we returned the Britz campervan, which was far too big (and expensive) for us and switched to Spaceship Rentals. We went for the budget Beta option which was a shock to the system compared to what we had been in, but it was perfect for what we needed. This version is only suitable for 2 sleepers, so one of us would have to pull the short straw and sleep in a tent each night (this never happened and the three of us crammed ourselves into the van – cosy!). I had some admin to do in Auckland, including getting a medical exam done to extend my working holiday visa. So, we spent our time exploring restaurants and relaxing before the next and final adventure where we would head north.
Days 21-25: Northland
I was really excited for the next few days as I had never travelled North of Auckland before. The previous summer I had taken myself on a solo road trip around the Catlins and visited the most southernly tip on New Zealand, so I was keen to make it to Cape Reinga to make it to the northern most tip. Our first stop out of Auckland was Sheepworld Farm Park, mainly because we drove past and I can’t resist animal farms. We got to see lambs, alpacas, emus, donkeys, goats, and deer. They even have sheep and dog shows and animal feeding sessions. Of course, a lot of the experience is tailored towards families and children, but I can safely say that as three grown adults we enjoyed it.
Next up we headed to the city of Whangarei, which is the northern most city in New Zealand. Most known for the Whangarei Falls, which are often called the ‘most photogenic waterfall in New Zealand’. Whangarei is also a smart spot to stock up on essentials if you are planning to head further north for a few days like we were. We drove a further hour north and spent the night in Paihia. We stayed at the Top 10 Holiday Park with the tent sites overlooking the Bay of Islands. The next morning, we took a 40 minute ferry from Paihia to Otehei Bay, where we spent the day exploring the beautiful Urupukapuka Island. Urupukapuka Island is beautiful, with secluded beaches, walking tracks and a fully licensed café. The walking tracks can take you around most of the island in less than 2 hours. The last ferry back to Paihia is not until 19:15 either, so you have the option of spending the whole day there.
Lambs at Sheepworld Farm Park
Whangarei Falls
Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island, Bay of Islands
Further north the next day we made it to Karikari Peninsula to stay at another Top 10, this time it was the Whatuwhiwhi Top 10 Holiday Park. The Karikari Peninsula is renowned for its amazing white sandy beaches and the popular Maitai Bay. There is also the Karikari Estate which is a well-known vineyard and winery in the Northland. The weather was windy when we were there, and we found ourselves being blown straight into the winery to sample some wine tastings along with a charcuterie board.
Cape Reinga Lighthouse
Our final day took us as far north as you can go on mainland New Zealand, to Cape Reinga, marking the end of an incredible trip. Cape Reinga is spiritually significant to Māori, as it is here that after death, all Māori spirits travel up the coast and over the vista to the ancient pohutukawa tree and lonely lighthouse. You can also see two seas meeting, as well as the sand dunes and beaches on the other side. Once our time here was up, we took our time travelling the 5.5 hours back to Auckland for my brother to head off on his adventures and for me to fly back down to Queenstown.
We took this trip as a family in 2018, so writing this has been extremely nostalgic for me to remember an adventure we all took together. I now live in Australia, and my brother in Singapore, so as a family we don’t get to spend much time together. Having these memories to look back on is something we will all cherish forever.
HEY, I’M LOZ!
✈️🌍🥾🗻🎒
This is an insight into the life of a girl who likes to get lost. I write about all things travel and the outdoors. If you like my content please subscribe and if you really like it, please buy me a coffee so I can continue making content for you!