Come with us on an adventure through New Zealand! Kristen and I rented a little campervan and toured around both islands of New Zealand. We went from land’s end at the far northern tip of the north island, down through the geothermal area, and all the way down to Wellington. The ferry crossing to the South Island involved the New Zealand Army. We found wine aplenty on the South Island. Glaciers, too. And some amazing views. Plus the devastation from the first of two earthquakes to hit Christchurch. Oh what a trip!
The North Island
- Muriwai Beach: Kristen and I kick off our first full day in New Zealand by visiting a colony of Gannet birds at a black sand beach.
- Driving North: Our little campervan pointed itself north and led us into the great unknown of New Zealand.
- Haruru Falls: A pleasant little waterfall where Kristen decided to take a spill.
- Mount Bledisloe: A nice view of the surrounding countryside and our first sighting of a kiwi crossing sign.
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds: The birthplace of the Nation of New Zealand.
- Kerikeri: One of the oldest European settlements in New Zealand.
- First Night in the Campervan: Our first night in the campervan! It’s so cozy and cute!
- Parakerake Bay Beach: A cute little beach across the street from the campervan park.
- Cape Reinga: The end of the world on New Zealand’s North Island.
- Kapowairua Beach: A secluded beach that makes for the perfect lunch stop.
- Second Night in the Campervan: We parked by the sea once again to spend the night.
- Driving Along the West Coast of the North Island: Many interesting sites and sights to behold along the highway.
- Tasty Cheese Party: We rage with Tasty Cheese, New Zealand’s most tasty of cheeses.
- Passing Through Auckland: A pointy thing is spotted.
- It’s Just a Jump to the Left: We do the Monster Mash in Hamilton.
- Ruakuri Cave: Thar be glowworms under them thar hills!
- Glowworm Cave: A rather uninspiring cave full of glowworms.
- Rotorua: Stinky mud, the New Zealand Army, fish and chips, and a pint make for a nice, relaxing afternoon.
- Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland: The thermal wonderland really stinks but it’s full of colors.
- Mt. Ngauruhoe, AKA: Mount Doom: We never did see the mountain but we saw a rainbow.
- Raukawa Falls: Driving along, we stumbled upon a random waterfall.
- Whanganui: We found a big tower and some good chai lattes.
- Rope Swing Over the Whanganui River: Epic times are had on a huge rope swing over the river.
- Wellington Day 1: We found a huge, terrifying spider-camera sculpture and said hello to the seat of the New Zealand government.
- Wellington Day 2: Parks and observatories and museums galore! Oh, and some shopping, too.
- Picton Ferry Crossing: The New Zealand Army marshals its forces across to the South Island.
The South Island
- Marlborough Region Wine and Beer: We went wine and beer tasting in the Marlborough Region. Amazing beverages are to be had in New Zealand.
- South to Kaikoura: This is an AMAZING drive. I wish we could have spent three days stopping along the way to look at the scenery.
- Fish and Chips in Kaikoura: We went out scouting and found some fish and chips. Yum. We also saw some seals.
- Crossing the Mountains to Greymouth: Up and over the snow-covered peaks to some great food.
- South to the Glaciers: Next stop — glacier city!
- Odd Lights in a Campervan Park: We found some interesting choices in lighting at a campervan park.
- Franz Joseph Glacier: Now that is what I call a big glacier!
- Fox Glacier: We encountered a rather rascally parrot.
- Crossing Back Over the Mountains: We piloted our little campervan back across the spine of the South Island to the high alpine valleys of the east side.
- Wanaka: The tiny little town and gateway to some of the best skiing in the southern hemisphere.
- Treble Cone: We found pretty weak spring ski conditions but the drive was very nice.
- Paragliding off Treble Cone: The friendly skies get a lot quieter when you are paragliding.
- Kayaking in Lake Wanaka: On a boat! In Lake Wanaka!
- The Road to Queenstown: Every road in New Zealand is amazing. This one especially so.
- Queenstown: This place is surrounded by mountains on all sides.
- Road to Dunedin: Another great road through the New Zealand countryside.
- Dunedin: A walk around Dunedin in the morning does the body good.
- Timaru: We found a crab and a beach. No skateboarding allowed though.
- Road to Christchurch: New Zealand is ridiculously good-looking.
- Christchurch: We visited Christchurch in between the two big 2010 earthquakes.