New Zealand was Country #47 on my list and I was lucky to be able to squeeze in the trip last February. The country is split into two main islands, owing to tectonic plate movements, and unless you’re spending a month or more there you’re probably going to choose to visit either the South or North island. I was a bit more intrigued about Maori culture and decided to visit the North Island, renting a car by myself to traverse most of the landmass. It was my first solo road-trip and that gave me the flexibility to really see all sorts of sights.

Wellington

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The North Island is best accessed from Wellington, the “southernmost capital in the world” and according to Lonely Planet, “the coolest little capital in the world”. It’s a rather compact city and you could probably enjoy most of the sites in a whole day. I just had a couple of hours and so prioritized spending time in Cuba Street, the hip street of Wellington filled with bookshops, cafes and record shops. It’s known as the heart of quirkiness and that can be seen right at the beginning of the street, at Ekim, a grungy burger bar that allows you to sit and relax on furniture made out of what looks like repurposed artefacts.

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Given that Kiwi culture is so unique, I was earnestly looking to check out the main museum in New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa. The museum has exhibits tracing both the Maori culture as well as the colonial past of the country. I was lucky to be there during the special exhibit on the Anzac involvement during WW1 (the Gallipoli campaign), where large detailed statues dotted the floor. Entrance to most of the exhibits are free of charge so you won’t even have to worry about cost.

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Weta Workshop is a special effects and prop company, producing effects for television and film, including notably the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Although it’s a bit of a drive from the main city, it’s worth the short excursion to see the myriad of props and characters created in this uniquely New Zealand venue. You can choose to book yourself for a tour so you can see some of the work in progress but they have a souvenir shop that is free to enter and is already filled with a good range of props and statues.

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Wellington is very well located on the bay-front, and knowing that New Zealand’s natural sights are one of the world’s best, I took every opportunity to find great photo-spots and snap some shots. Mt Victoria has some of the best spots for the city, overlooking the nearby harbor and providing stunning vistas. You can drive up here or take a public bus.

Tongariro National Park

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It took me a 4 hour drive from Wellington but I really wanted a whole day in nature given New Zealand’s identity as a country where flora and fauna are well preserved. Functioning as a ski park in the winter, the summer opens up the area for hiking and adventuring. There are multiple hostels and hotels you can bunk at, but if you have a car everything should be more or less accessible. For short hikes, I’d recommend taking the trails to discover Tawhai Falls or Meads Wall. The trails are both tied to Lord of the Rings, with Meads Wall even providing a wonderful view of Mount Doom (aka Mt Ngauruhoe).

If you want to take the longer hikes, you can consider the full day Alpine Crossing. The crossing is supposedly simultaneously beautiful and exhausting so do plan ahead. I took a half-day option to simply head up, via the southern route, to the Taranaki Falls and take the northern route back. This is just a small part of the Alpine Crossing trail but I found it both relaxing and visually exciting, especially as you reach the top of the waterfall. These hikes were probably some of my favorite parts of the trip.

Lake Taupo

1-hour north of the National Park is Lake Taupo, informally known as the heart of North Island. The lake is in the caldera of the Taupo Volcano, a currently inactive volcano, which makes it uniquely Kiwi. In the summer, this place is packed with tourists, both domestic and international so I’d recommend booking ahead, both for accommodations and for rentals.

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There are many ways to go out on the lake, whether it’s for water sports or for romantic evenings. I chose to take the Maori Rock Carvings tour, which saw a small group of us sharing a boat with free pizza and drinks out to the river and taking a small pit stop at the rock carvings. The carvings are only visible from the water so I’d highly recommend booking the affordable boat tour for this. The carvings are more contemporary in nature, being carved by artist Matahi Brightwell in the 1970s.

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If you want to take advantage of the island’s geothermal springs, there are a number of options but the one I found affordable was the Wairakei Terraces, slightly north of the Lake Taupo area. They offer a number of spa and relaxation packages, but you could just get an admissions ticket and spend as much time as you want soaking in the different pools, all naturally at different temperatures. You can actually see the original spring sprouting hot water but, of course, they block access to it for your own safety.

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One of my favorite sights within the Lake Taupo area is the Huka Falls, a whitewater pool that just rushes through the area. It is adjacent to a couple of trails so if you’re interested, you could spend a good amount of time here, but the Falls in itself is very captivating.

Rotorua

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Coming back to the original reason for choosing North Island, to have better access to Maori culture, I went up to Rotorua which is another hour north of Lake Taupo. The Maori are indigenous to the island and have built their lives around key natural sites such as the geothermal springs. There are a number of options for tours in the Rotorua area, providing a range of information and sights for varying prices. I found the Whakarewarewa village to be exactly what I wanted, covering local knowledge and lore, views of actual village life (a small portion of the community still lives in) and most interestingly, a traditional performance including the haka. These tours get booked out fast so do book ahead!

Besides the Maori villages, Rotorua also has a lake and multiple other options similar to Lake Taupo. I didn’t too much besides taking the Skyline to have a good view of the area but you should definitely take better advantage of the area if you have time.

Martinborough

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On the last day, I took an aggressive long drive down towards Wellington but chose to take a last minute detour to visit Martinborough, one of the wine hotspots in the North Island. The area is densely packed with vineyards and in the spirit of exploration, I shortlisted Poppies as the one place to check out. It had a beautiful dining and tasting area and a wide selection of pinots. I also chose to have lunch in the town center which has a charming small-town vibe and a number of oldstyle architecture. I’d have wished to have spent a couple more days here just to relax.

Road Sights

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Before wrapping up the travelogue, I thought to mention that there’s a lot to see in New Zealand in between the cities and towns as well. Whether it’s the wide selection of vineyards or some of the traditional Maori establishments (like the Marae, a meeting place only allowed for Maori unless otherwise invited), it’s worth taking the detours to see what else the island has to offer.

Food and Drinks

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Kiwi food is all about produce. There are not many innovative “cuisines” within the island per se but you can trust to find tasty and fresh ingredients in any decently rated restaurant or kiosk. Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Lamb is one of the top choices when it comes to meat in the country and so I found myself an opportunity to have a generous portion of lamb shanks after my hike in Tongariro. I had mine at the Schnapps Bar which had a fun crowd hanging out too.
2. You’d probably also want to try the Fish & Chips here, a classic dish in any Commonwealth country that is still occupied by Caucasians. Kiwi fish includes elephant fish, red cod or even shark so there is some interesting options but it’s classic chip shop style, so expect lots of salt and oil. It’s extremely unhealthy but tasty. I enjoyed the options I got from Devon Seafoods (supposedly one of the best) as well as The fish box.
3. Perhaps the one local cuisine that’s unique and interesting is that of the Maori. Hangi is the meal prepared by cooking all sorts of meats and vegetables in a geothermal pit. It’s full of flavor as it’s cooked in its own juices and may have a slight accent from the Sulphur in the area. I had mine at the Whakarewarewa village. If you book ahead, you could have the full meal. If not, the steamed corn and the Hangi pie are good tasting options too.
4. You’ll hear about Manuka honey in New Zealand too, and North Island is home to a number of different bee farms. It’s full of flavor and nutrients so it’s good for your body. I decided to try mine as part of brunch at The Larder, a farm-to-table café near Wellington that served a mean honey-glazed salmon with eggs.
5. Finally, for alcohol, I focused on wineries and vineyards that were scattered across the island. Some notable ones to check out include Poppies, as above, Kuratau Wines, and Volcanic Hills.

Here are also some general tips for New Zealand, North Island:

1. For affordable car rentals, I used Aerodrive but it looks like it’s closed down. There are a number of options near the airport you can use as well including the classic Hertz.
2. For fuel, I was recommended to use PaknSave which gives you a discount if you purchase anything within their grocery stories.
3. NZ is credit-card friendly which is great but I still carried a small amount of cash for trinkets. ATMs are also easy to find in populated areas.
4. People are extremely friendly and helpful. You may want to exercise some discretion late at night in the city areas (e.g. Wellington, Taupo etc.) but that’s just common sense.
5. For some of the activities I mentioned above, you can actually get discounts if you book way ahead with BookMe. This was another clutch recommendation by friends.

All in all, while NZ is one the far end of the globe, it’s definitely worth the visit. I can’t wait to see South Island in the future.