We left Sydney, Australia and headed 900 miles out into the Pacific Ocean for our next destination: New Zealand. With two main islands—North and South—and more than 700 smaller islands, we planned to spend our month here by starting near the top of the North Island and making our way down to the bottom of the South Island.
This meant 400 miles of driving before catching a plane from Wellington on the North Island to Christchurch on the South Island, and then driving another 400 miles. In between we would sail on boats, visit volcanos, spend time among thermal springs, hike mountains, stroll beaches, and even hang out with hobbits. We couldn't wait! If you love beauty and nature, this country is your spot!
Auckland, New Zealand (North Island)
Hello, Auckland! As the most populous of New Zealand's cities (almost 1.8 million people), we were surprised to discover how small this place felt. We were staying near Viaduct harbor and quickly discovered how much life here revolves around the water (something we'd experience during our entire time in New Zealand). The area was filled with bars and cafes and opportunities to spend time outdoors.
Māori (indigenous people of New Zealand) culture is valued and respected here, and its presence is felt in the art, cultural experiences, and nature around the city. We visited Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa New Zealand Maritime Museum, a fascinating place that takes you through history and cultural influences, from the Great Pacific Migration more than one thousand years ago to today's cutting edge America's Cup and yachting technology. We loved it and would definitely recommend a visit. The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is also a great way to spend an afternoon. It's the largest art institution in New Zealand, with more than 15,000 works in its collection.
And speaking of the America's Cup, it's a big deal here (the New Zealand yacht NZL-32, Black Magic, won in 1995). So, when we had the opportunity to actually take an America's Cup yacht out into the harbor for a sail, we hopped on board. For two hours we sped along Waitemata Harbor in a high-performance race yacht, worked the grinders, took the helm, and just enjoyed the wind in our faces. We even got to see the latest sailing technology being tested out by Team New Zealand as it sped by us, it was some pretty crazy-looking stuff!
Brolly cocktail bar overlooking the harbor is a great place to enjoy unusual and creative drinks while watching the boats. Definitely try the Peas of Mind, a delicious drink made from New Zealand dry gin, green Chartreuse, dry sherry, kaffir lime, and garden peas...yes, peas! Somehow, someway, they use the peas to make this drink colorless and it's so good.
Another one to try, The Scenic Route made from white rum, sloe gin, aged sherry, orange, thyme, and sparkling cranberry. You can't go wrong here, and the view is perfect for hours sitting on the outdoor patio. You can find more recipes on our Instagram at Worldwide.Cocktails .
Just outside the city we visited a volcano...there's a reason Auckland is nicknamed the "city of lava," there are about 50 volcanoes dotting the landscape. Although historically the volcano cones provided a defense for Māori villages, today they are dormant and fun to hike. They also provide an amazing view of the city from the top of the caldera.
Just west of Auckland, the town of Piha is a great day trip. This small (very small) seaside village is home to black sand beaches and great hiking trails that take you high along the water. Nearby Waitakere Ranges Regional Park also has a native subtropical rainforest and trails to waterfalls.
A two-hour drive from Auckland, in Matamata, is an absolute must-do: Hobbiton. This is the filming location for parts of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogy. We had never seen a LOTR or Hobbit movie, so we made ourselves watch the first LOTR to prepare. But even if you, like us, weren't huge fans, this place is mesmerizing. When they were scouting locations for the movies there were some pretty specific requests, in addition to resembling the Shire as described in J.R.R. Tolkien's books, it had to include a very unique tree by a lake. And they found that and everything else they were looking for here. On a tour of the 12-acre movie set you get to walk in the footsteps of hobbits and marvel at the incredible rolling hills, the amazing hobbit homes, and even enjoy a beer by the fire at The Green Dragon Inn, where the residents of Hobbiton meet. This was an incredible experience that is not to be missed whether you are a Hobbit fan or, like us, just enthralled with the beauty of the landscape
Rotorua, New Zealand (North Island)
After time in the big city, we hit the road. First stop: Rotorua, a town set on its namesake lake and known for geothermal activity and Māori culture.
Once you leave the city, it's all green hills and pastures and lots and lots of sheep. Which is beautiful, and the sheep don't mind when you stop to take photos and talk nonsense to them by baah-ing in incoherent sentences. They seemed to enjoy the company.
Rotorua is a geothermal destination with bubbling mud pools, steam rising from the ground, and natural hot springs. There are lots of hikes to take around this other-worldly place but stay on the trails if you want to keep your feet from boiling off!
Taupō, New Zealand (North Island)
Next up: Taupō, a town near the center of New Zealand's North Island. The big sight here is Huka Falls, the most-visited natural attraction in New Zealand.
And it's the most visited for good reason: It's pretty amazing. The waterfalls occur along the Waikato River, which drains into Lake Taupō, a volcanic caldera.
The color of the water here is unreal, a dramatic crystal blue that is created by the clear water reflecting the blue of the sky and the air bubbles intensifying the color even more. It almost looks unreal.
Wellington, New Zealand (North Island)
At the southernmost point of the North Island, and on the Cook Strait, Wellington is the country's capital. Sadly, we were really disappointed in Wellington. As a city, there isn't much here to do even though there seems to be no reason why not. There's a lovely waterfront but not much going on there. We did ride the Wellington Cable Car up to the Botanic Garden, which takes you to a lookout over the city, and then to Zealandia, the world’s first fully fenced urban ecosanctuary. It was a lovely afternoon of hiking and the highlight of our time here. In hindsight, we would have spent less time here and hopped over to the South Island sooner, sorry Wellington!
Christchurch, New Zealand (South Island)
A quick one-hour flight from Wellington is Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island and the second-largest populated city in New Zealand. That said, it's not that big! It is a great place to explore the surrounding areas, though, and that's exactly what we did, starting with the area's vineyards.
Just 45 minutes north of Christchurch, the Waipara region is known for its world class pinot noir and riesling grapes. There are lots of tasting rooms and vineyard restaurants to choose from here, and we visited two. We started at Waipara Springs Winery and Restaurant, which has a beautiful outdoor area with live music and views of the vineyards. The weather was spectacular and after our Dark Side tasting flights (rosé, pinot noir, reserve pinot noir, and lagrein) it was hard to leave this idyllic spot, but we had lunch waiting for us at another winery nearby.
We made reservations at Greystone for lunch, an organic winery nestled against the Omihi Hills. It was a leisurely few hours of several courses (they call it "the long lunch") complemented by their syrah, pinot gris, and sauvignon blanc wines.
The food was out of this world, so it was a good thing we arrived hungry, and the views of the vines were the perfect backdrop to our afternoon and the end of our visit to the Waipara region. If you enjoy some good wine surrounded by gorgeous scenery, definitely find your way here.
Just southeast of the Christchurch city center, Heathcote Valley is a great place to hike and there's even a gondola to take you to the top of Mount Cavendish for unforgettable views of Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps, and Banks Peninsula. On our hike we were joined by so many sheep just loitering along the hillsides with their babies, which was lots of fun. It's a great way to spend a day, and the scenic ride back to the city took us past so many gorgeous view points (including Pony Point Reserve), we definitely got our nature quota that day.
Queenstown, New Zealand (South Island)
On our ride to Queenstown, we passed by Lake Tekapo and had to stop to gaze at the snow-topped mountains in the distance and the clusters of purple and pink lupins gathered on the shore.
It was absolutely breathtaking and the perfect way to prepare for our arrival in Queenstown, which is set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu with the jagged Southern Alps across the water.
Queenstown, a resort town in the southwest of the South Island, is known as an outdoor adventuring playland. From hiking and skiing to bungee jumping off the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge (which we did not do), if you're here, you're outside exploring.
We spent one day hiking up Mount Creighton and, after reading the signs about invasive species threatening the land and lifestyle of the area, we decided to do our part.
That's how we ended up removing more than 180 wilding conifers from the ground during our hike. Hopefully it made a difference! It was a long steep hike up 6,000+ feet, but so worth it, the views were stellar. We could see across the Southern Alps and the snow still clinging to their peaks, and it was way colder up there than it was down in Queenstown.
Queenstown is a small and quaint but vibrant town with great restaurants and shopping. While just sitting by the water enjoying delicious food and drinks is tempting, we did explore the surrounding area, including the tiny rustic settlement of Glenorchy at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu. The water in the river here was a brilliant milky blue from the glacial flour in the water. This finely ground sediment is from glacial erosion that is carried into the water, and these particles are then suspended and absorb some of the light hitting the water's surface. It's truly beautiful.
Dunedin, New Zealand (South Island)
Our last stop in New Zealand was Dunedin, a small city known for its Scottish and Māori heritage. It did feel different from the other cities and towns we'd visited, with Victorian and Edwardian architecture, a sweet town square, and even a castle (Larnach Castle Gardens). Lighthouse Reserve is a gorgeous natural area along the water and has the oldest working lighthouse on the South Island. But our main reason to go to Dunedin was the penguins.
The Otago Peninsula is where colonies of Little Blue Penguins and rare, Yellow-eyed Penguins breed. Dunedin is one of the only places in New Zealand where you can see these birds in the wild. We decided to take a twilight tour to watch the penguins return from their day out at sea. In addition to seeing the penguins, we would also see fur seals, sea lions, and even albatross. But the stars of the evening show were definitely the penguins.
As we stood on the beach in the darkness, we didn't exactly know what to expect as we looked out toward the sea. But then our guide told us to focus on what looked like a black splotch coming toward us in the water. As the splotch got closer, we could see little wings making splashes and, eventually, the black swarm reached the beach and about twenty little penguins began waddling up the sand toward the dunes. It was insane!! Every few minutes we'd see another black splotch coming toward the beach and another group of penguins would emerge and waddle up. We must have watched this happen ten times and it never failed to mesmerize us.
Our time in New Zealand had some to an end, and watching these little penguins was a perfect way to conclude our Kiwi adventure. This was hands-down one of the most beautiful countries we have ever visited (and we've visited more than 40 countries, so that's saying something). We were so glad that we got to experience the culture, the nature, and the kind people (and penguins) of New Zealand.
From Dunedin we were heading to Fiji for a week to unwind from our two months traversing Australia and New Zealand. And although we were looking forward to not being in a car for a while, driving the North and South Islands of New Zealand was the ultimate way to get to know this magical place.
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Enjoy a taste of our travels with drink recipes on Instagram - Worldwide.Cocktails.
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