New Zealand: North Island Recap
15 Days on New Zealand’s North Island: what we did, what we would change, and what we learned
The title sums up what you can expect in this post, but because you have to tell people what you’re about to tell them three times before it sets in, this article is a recap of what we did, what we would change and what we learned during our 15 days on the North Island.
TLDR; there was a massive cyclone that tried its darndest to foil our plans, but we persisted…
Before we start, a little side note. I’m learning that when you go days on end without WiFi, by the time you reconnect things have piled up. Living out of the camper van, we have data (cell service) but no WiFi (computer) so by the time we land somewhere with power and WiFi, we end up spending our time on the necessities – calling family, paying bills, and planning the next leg of our journey. Dedicating time to the blog has fallen to the wayside. Hopefully as we continue to get accustomed to our new pace of life, and, when we’re in accommodation with consistent WiFi, I’ll have the time and energy to be funnier, and more creative with my posts. But that isn’t the circumstance in New Zealand and I would rather be out and about than sitting and typing at my computer. Here is my dry update on what we saw in the North Island.
Waiheke Island: February 5 - 8
WHAT WE DID: We landed in Auckland midday on February 5, 2023 and after 10 billion hours of travel, we didn’t think it wise to get in the camper van right away. As such, we knew we would spend a few nights in Auckland to get our bearings before going to pick up the van. After a bit of research, we decided we would rather pass these recovery days lazing about the beaches and wineries of Waiheke Island, rather than stay in Auckland. A beachside island instead of a bustling city? It was a no brainer. Once on the island, we stayed at a lovely AirBnB where we had chickens roaming, a clear view of the ocean, and hosts who welcomed us with their own home brew (something we’ve learned to be common in New Zealand). We spent our mornings reading, while listening to the rain (a warning for what’s to come…) and our afternoons sipping crisp New Zealand whites looking over the sea.
Picking Up The Van, Hobbiton, Papamoa, and Mount Maunganui: February 8 - 10
WHAT WE DID: We traveled from Waiheke Island to Auckland (ferry), Auckland to Hamilton (bus) to pick up our camper van, where a whole bunch of madness ensued as we learned how to drive on the opposite side of the road, how to tend to a campervan (gray water, portable toilets, dump stations, the like). However, WHAT WE REALLY LEARNED is to hire a camper van that comes with everything included. We used Mojo Campers and I totally recommend them because they were easy to communicate with, helpful, and the van came stocked with bed sheets, pillows, all utensils, pots and pans, camping chairs, etc. It would have been an enormous hassle to have to get all of this stuff.
And then finally, the event we’d all been waiting for. JK JUST THE EVENT QUINTIN HAD BEEN WAITING FOR. We packed up the van bright and early and went to Hobbiton where we did the movie set tour. Honestly, here alone, I wouldn’t have done this because I’m not a nerd and I’ve also never read any of the books, or seen any of the movies but with Quintin in tow, it was a non negotiable. If you like Lord of the Rings, or the Hobbit, or movie sets (...?) it’s worth going. The natural surroundings are pretty, it’s cool to see such an iconic movie set so well preserved, they do a good job with the tour, and you get a beer.
After the best 2.5 hours of Quintin’s life, we drove to Papamoa Beach (1 hr), where we spent the next night. Here, we got a tan, saw a killer sunset (a contender for the most unique of my life), and met a funny kiwi who was camping next to us. The next morning, we did our first hike in New Zealand where we learned that kiwi’s have never heard of a damn switchback…! We hiked Mount Maunganui which was a stone's throw from our campsite. It’s about a 60 minute hike up (straight up…literally) to the top of a peak with sweeping, 360 degree views of ocean, hills, lakes and most importantly, sheep. If I were doing it again, I would go at sunset and have my socks knocked off.
Following our hike, we drove on down to Huka Falls, a thunderous waterfall with the most exquisite blue coloring. This is a short stop, and I would classify it as a nature walk, rather than a hike. It’s a great way to break up the drive to Tongariro National Park, and served as the place that started our “how many stunning shades of turquoise can New Zealand dazzle us with?” At the time of writing, we’re at 4 that have made both Quintin and I holler aloud.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing: February 11 & 12
WHAT WE DID: With steaming vents, glacial valleys, old lava flows, alpine vegetation and vivid crater lakes, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is easily the most interesting hike of my life. In 12 miles, we witnessed no fewer than 5 distinct landscapes and at every turn I was gob smacked by the scenery. This is an absolute must do if you like to hike and can manage a difficult 12 miles.
I might or might not have encouraged us to jog the whole way down the hike to make the early bus so we could shower and clean up before the hoardes (10 other people…) arrived to the campsite. Quintin hated me in the moment, but I stand by my reasoning. Unfortunately, a 6 mile downhill run made for a stiff morning. Luckily, we’d gotten the tip to head to Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa, where we lazed away a good portion on the next day.
Hawkes Bay: February 13 - 17
WHAT WE DID: So this is where things went off the rails. A cyclone, the worst in a century, hit New Zealand. The area we were in (Hawkes Bay) was 1 of the 2 worst hit areas, and nobody was prepared for this area to get hit. In fact, we skipped all of our plans around Tongariro and Lake Taupo and drove here intentionally to avoid the cyclone. Thanks to my diva-like tendencies, we went to a friend's house a few nights early and we were there, rather than the van, the night the cyclone touched down. We remained here until we could safely leave. Power was out, water was not running, there was little to no cell phone coverage across the region, and roads were closed in and out. The flooding was (is) devastating and thousands lost their livelihood. The sum of it is as tourists we were inconvenienced and nothing more. We drove along on our merry way the moment we could. Obviously, Hawkes Bay is home for thousands of Kiwi’s and they will be suffering the repercussions of this cyclone for literal years to come. We’re grateful to those who showed us hospitality while we were there, and hope for a productive, speedy recovery process for those in the area.
Martinborough and Wellington: FEBRUARY 18 - 20:
WHAT WE DID: On our drive from Napier to Wellington (about a 5 hr drive), we stopped to pass the day in Martinborough, a wine region about an hour outside of Wellington. We rented bikes with Green Jersey Cycle, cycled around a bit, did three wine tastings, enjoyed the hot burning sun, and devoured lunch.
Following our tasting, we arrived to Lyall Bay on Saturday night where we stayed for two nights. Our accommodation had never ending views of the bay, with easy access to beachside cafes and picture perfect sunsets . Central Wellington was about 20 minutes away by bus, so this area gave us the best of both worlds – laid back, beach vibes by morning and night, city access by day! During our single day in Wellington we walked around the harbor enjoying the views and weekend markets, climbed to the Mt Victoria Overlook (middling), went to a rooftop bar to meetup with an old college friend, had sensational Malaysian food for dinner, sampled a few of the city's famed drinks (coffee and beer), meandered up and down Cuba Street, followed our noses on Hannah’s Laneway and went to the Te Papa Museum.
The North Island of New Zealand certainly showed us a time…over the course of 15 days, we explored stunning natural landscapes, began to learn about the history of the Maori (more on that in future posts!), indulged in sensational wine, and engaged in adrenaline-fueled activities (me behind the wheel, mostly). While basically nothing went according to plan, I can confidently say we were left with memories that will last a lifetime and a newfound appreciation for the beauty and diversity of this incredible destination.
