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6 weeks in New Zealand

  • Writer: Ruth Carlisle
    Ruth Carlisle
  • Nov 5
  • 5 min read
Sitting at the top of Roy's Peak New Zealand

Those of you who have been following the blog for a while, will know that between Jan-July 2023, myself and my husband took 6 months out of work to travel! Although I had great aspirations at the time to share all my itineraries as I went along, that didn't quite happen and life has been a bit of a whirlwind since! However, before the year is out - I am committing to put together travel guides for each of the countries we visited - starting with our incredible trip to New Zealand!


THE ITINETARY

AUCKLAND

  • Where to visit:

    • Auckland Atrium

    • Albert's Park

    • Mount Eden

    • Sky Tower

    • University of Auckland Campus

    • Judges Bay

    • Viaduct Harbour

    • Coxs Bay

    • West Haven Beach

    • Wandering round the street of Auckland City centre

    • Hire a car for the day (we used Cityhop cars which was really easy!) and head to:

      - Avondale Sunday Market

      - Titirangi art gallery

      - Arataki Visitors centre

      - Piha Beach

    • Rangitoto Volcanic Island - 7km out and back walk to the top which takes approx 3 hours

  • Where to stay:

    • We stayed in an airbnb during our time in Auckland as it gave us the freedom to cook ourselves and not rely on eating out.

  • Instagram Images - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnw86bCSd_N/?img_index=1


SOUTH ISLAND

We flew from Auckland to Christchurch (as this was the only way we could get our campervan after booking it too late!). So we started the next part of the trip from there!

  • Where to visit:

    Week 1

    • Christchurch

    • Castle Hill, Arthur's Pass (an easy 40min return walk)

    • Hokitita Gorge (still as blue in the rain!)

    • Franz Josef and Fox Glacier (lots of short to medium walks around this area!)

    • Scenic Drives down the West of NZ (these were taken driving from Fox glacier to Wanaka)

    • Roy's Peak (a hard 6 hour return hike but the views are worth every minute)

    • Mirror Lakes, Fiordland National Park (a lovely stop off point en route to Milford Sound)

    • Milford Sound (a must do! Book a ferry in advance to take you through the incredible fjords! We saw seals and dolphins on our route as well)

    • Key Summit Hike, Routeburn Track (a 3 hour return hike. The routeburn track is one of the great walks in NZ which is a multiple day hike but this is just part of it - there's a lake on top of a summit, pretty cool)

    • Instagram Images - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cojh_eQSqx2/?img_index=1

    Week 2

    • Kaka Point (gorgeous sandy beach and a lovely place to chill and situate yourself for...)

    • ...Nugget Point (a gorgeous spot for sunrise!)

    • Waiapapa Point Lighthouse (we were able to sea lions here!)

    • Waipohatu Walk (which has 2 beautiful waterfalls, and then from here we also went to Slope Point and Curio Bay)

    • Bob's Cove Viewpoint (just outside of Queenstown and it's a pleasant 1 hour walk)

    • Queenstown (this was by far my favourite town in the South Island, the food scene is on Point and there are so many easy walks and hiking walks as well as just being such a quaint town!)

    • Wanaka (a small town with a beautiful lake which is great to relax at and swim in! Also a great destination to stay at if you are doing Roy's Peak which I mentioned in week 1!)

    • Instagram Images - https://www.instagram.com/p/Coq5dwISGhM/?img_index=1

    Week 3

    • Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki (yes the water is that blue in real life! And trying the alpine salmon is a must)

    • Stargazing in the Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki and Mount Cook region (the stars here are like nothing I have ever seen before)

    • Aoraki/ Mount Cook (I did the Hooker Valley, Kea Trail and Sealy Tarns walks and the views of Mount Cook combined with the glacier lakes were amazing!)

    • Hamner Springs (42 pools containing natural geothermal springs - the best place for a chill day!)

    • Kaikoura (a gorgeous peninsula walk with a seal colony and a beautiful spot to watch sunrises on its black sand beach)

    • Abel Tasman National Park (we almost didn't get here if it wasn't for the cancelled ferry! We did a day trip where we got a water taxi to Anchorage and walked 15km back to Marahau)

    • Instagram Images - https://www.instagram.com/p/CoxxNqhS0Hf/?img_index=1


NORTH ISLAND

We travelled back over to the North Island via Ferry, which has stunning views as you go through the Marlbourgh Sounds. We spent a further week and a half in the North Island. The reason for ths shorter period was a delayed ferry crossing due to bad weather and being unable to visit some places in the North Island due to the bad weather

  • Were to visit:

    • Wellington (even though we were there for a short time, the city has such a cool vibe to it - definitely check out Cuba street and Mount Victoria!)

    • Mount Egmont National Park (it is such a symmetrical mountain when there are no clouds! Loads of walks available but we did Henry Point Lookout which was a 5-6 hour return hike!)

    • Tongariro Alpine Crossing (a must do when in the North Island! A 7-8 hour 1 way hike (you get a shuttle back!!) Across volcanic landscapes was something you will never forget!)

    • Taupo (a very cute town with a beautiful lake and loads of cafes and restaurants!)

    • Huka Falls (just outside of Taupo, an amazing waterfall! We also did Aratiatia Dam and Craters of the Moon which are all within 10 minutes of each other)

    • Roturua/ Waiptapu Thermal Wonderland (I loved the Thermal wonderland, the colours of the geothermal pools were amazing! This area is also the best place to see Maori Village Experiences, we enjoyed one of the cultural performances!)

    • Blue Springs Pataruru (nothing can match how clear this water was!)

    • Waitamo Glow worm caves which were amazing!

    • Mount Maunganui - a short but steep climb to see the beautiful coast of Tauranga

    • The Coromandel Penninsula (this was like beach heaven! A couple of my favourites were Mt Paku Lookout and new chums beach! Another must do is Cathedral Cove, however due to the cyclone the track was closed while we were there)

    • Instagram Images - https://www.instagram.com/p/CpSTTHDrjr2/?img_index=1



  • Tips:

    • Book your ferry crossing early as these can book up fast, particularly with a campervan and in peak season

    • Using a campervan is the best way to see New Zealand and would highly recommend

    • I would recommend going during their summer, particularly if you are in a campervan to avoid the cold weather

    • Pak n' Save was our favourite place to get groceries, and although expensive in comparison to the UK - it was the best value in comparison to other options.

    • Download Campermate app for information on campsites/prices/facilities available as you travel!



Happy Travelling!

Ruth xxx

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