Top 5 Places To Visit In New Zealand
New Zealand, the beauty and all. What a beautiful country to travel throughout. There are endless places to visit in both the north and south island. Your travel time frame will decipher whether you will be able to travel every part of New Zealand flat, or just specifically the touristy areas within the country.
Where to travel in New Zealand
We were lucky to have been able to travel to New Zealand for 2.5 months, where we were able to explore various parts of the country. The north and south islands being so very unique in their own ways, I can’t even tell which part of New Zealand was my favourite, because I loved so much of both islands.
It is sometimes daunting to plan an itinerary from scratch, when you don’t even know where to start. Especially when you have never travelled internationally before. So, we have decided to blog about various aspects of our 2.5 month road trip around New Zealand. Read our blog Welcome to our travel blog if you are new here, and want to find out more about us.
“Being South African, I tell people that it reminds me of Stellenbosch on Robben Island, just to give them an idea.”
How to travel throughout New Zealand
If you have read other travel blogs, I’m pretty sure that they all suggest travelling through New Zealand with a motorhome. Well they are 100% correct!
Motorhomes are the most common method of transport for those exploring New Zealand and there are so many reasons why travellers decide to do this.
Transport and accommodation in one, what more could you ask for? It might be a bit scary driving this bigger vehicle, but with practice, you will get used to it. Let me tell you that driving the south island, even in a standard car, is not for the faint hearted… some of the roads are windey, narrow and there are crazy cliffs below!
If you have accommodation secured with family or friends, having your own standard vehicle to get around, is also pretty cool. There is so much more you can see when you have your own transport.
Public transport is really good, especially in the bigger cities. There are public busses that run between cities for reasonable prices. We used InterCity when travelling from Bulls to Wellington – so convenient and really comfy!
We would recommend hiring a motorhome for part of your trip, as it can work out pricey if you hire one for the full duration – obviously budget depending.
“The north and south islands being so very unique in their own ways“
Our Top 5 places to visit in New Zealand
In this travel blog we will be writing about the Top 5 places to visit in New Zealand. There are obviously many more top places to visit through New Zealand, however, we feel that these are the destinations that stuck out the most to us.
1.) Waiheke Island
One place that I tell everyone to add to their New Zealand itinerary. Being South African, I tell people that it reminds me of Stellenbosch on Robben Island, just to give them an idea.
Waiheke Island was previously a rat infested island that nobody wanted to know of. Today, Waiheke is a beautiful tourist hotspot, with stunning beaches, breathtaking views and wine farms.
Where is Waiheke Island?
- a small island off Auckland
How to get there?
- Waiheke Island is a small island north east of Auckland. Ferry transfer is the transport method, so take some sea sickness tablets just in case. It is +- 40 min via ferry. The ferry travels frequently to and from Auckland and you can find Fullers360 timetable on their website.
3 wine farm suggestions in Waiheke Island
- Stoneyridge Vineyard
- Batch Winery
- Mudbrick Vineyard
Our favourite activity on Waiheke Island
- If you are going to be based near Auckland, travel by ferry over to Waiheke Island for the day and do the Hop on Hop off wine tasting bus. Even if you are not one to drink, the views from the bus and venues are breathtaking. There is a guide that speaks throughout the bus trip and gives you a detailed history lesson about the area.
- If you can stay the night or two on Waiheke Island, we would highly recommend that.
- Need a map of Waiheke Island? We got you covered. See the Hop on Hop off detailed map of vineyards, roads, beaches, bus stops and more.
2.) Rotorua
This region is known for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. It is such an amazing cultural experience to be able to learn more about the Maori culture and lifestyle.
Where is Rotorua?
- Rotorua is on the north island of New Zealand, between Tauranga and Taupo.
How to get there?
- Auckland to Rotorua: +-3 hour via the State Hwy 1
- Wellington to Rotorua: +- 6 hour via the State Hwy 1
- We suggest that you always give more time to travel, because the roads are foregin to you. Your trip will take a little longer, because you are going to want to stop and see all the views along the way! Plenty little coffee shops to stop at too 🙂
Our favourite takeaway about Rotorua
- Seeing the haka on television is a hair thrilling experience, but experiencing it right in front of you, is so so special. A suggestion from us is to explore Auckland, hire a car/ motorhome and drive south from Auckland to Wellington stopping in Rotorua and Taupo along the way.
3.) Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman is the country’s smallest national park and has many golden sandy beaches. The area is also known for its granite cliffs and world famous coast track. Kayak, swimming, snorkeling, boating and walks are some of the few activities you can get up to here.
Where is Abel Tasman National Park?
- North of the South Island
How to get there?
- If you are travelling from Wellington, you would have to take the ferry across from the north island to the south island.
- There are two ferry companies that travel between the north and south island
Our best highlight of Abel Tasman National Park
- The amazing beaches along the way. Even before Abel Tasman National Park, there is a beach called Kaiteriteri Beach and it was the perfect spot to tan, relax and swim all day.
4.) Milford Sound
Renowned for its high cliffs, waterfalls, marine wildlife and magical mountain views. Take a rain jacket for the boat cruise, as the captain/skipper loves to get as close as possible to the falls.
Where is Milford Sound?
- Fiordland National Park along the west coast of the south island.
How to get there?
- Travelling the south island is not an easy task. Always estimate a few more hours on your travel time. We took the ferry from Wellington and made our way down south , travelling the west coast of the south island, with a hired vehicle.
- Car hire – Nelson, Reefton, Fox Glacier, Wanaka, Queenstown-, bus to Invercargil
- See our travel route that we took (look at our notes)
- There are companies that pick up in Te Anau, where you will travel via bus to the boat terminals. See the company that we went with below.
Must do in Milford Sound
- The best way to admire the views is by boat or helicopter if you’re feeling extra. There are many companies to choose from. Southern Discoveries is a recommendation to book with.
5.) Fox Glacier/ Franz Glacier
Most definitely a must when travelling New Zealand. Frans Glacier and Fox Glacier are known for being amongst the most accessible glaciers around the world and only +-25 minutes driving distance between the two.
Where is the Fox Glacier/ Franz Glacier?
- In the Westland Tai Poutini National Park.
- This area is located on the west coast of the south island. The two glaciers are not far between each other. If you have the time to visit both, that is great, however, if you are limited with time, visiting one of the glaciers will give you an idea of what the area is about.
How to get there?
- Via State Hwy 6.
- 5 hour drive from Queenstown and Christchurch.
Which glacier to visit between Fox Glacier and Franz Glacier?
- Depending on your fitness levels – Fox Glacier has a gradient incline, whereas Frans Glacier is steeper.
- You are able to do a 30 – 45 minute self walk to the glaciers, of course with a barrier at the furthest point you can get to.
- Both are beautiful in their own unique ways! Perhaps book accomodation in the area for a couple of nights to be able to see both the Fox Glacier and Franz Glacier. We stayed one night at the Franz Alpine Retreat. They have a variety of room categories and a short distance from the glaciers.
- What we would recommend, is that you take the famous helicopter trip to have a complete glacier experience with views from above. Unfortunately our budget did not allow for this, however, next time we have both said it is a priority on our to do list!
Have you travelled to any of our top 5 places to visit in New Zealand? If so, comment your favourite below.