New Zealand is hands down one of the most beautiful countries in more ways than one. Not only do they have ever changing scenery that will cause your jaw to drop, but the people there are some of the kindest that I’ve encountered when traveling. In my opinion New Zealand is a must-visit and everyone should add it to their bucket list. And one of the best ways to explore this amazing country is by road tripping in a camper van. But Taylor, I hate camping! Well consider it more like glamping. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had when traveling and it allowed me to see so much more of the country! Below is my quick guide on how to road trip through New Zealand’s north island.
First things first, you need a camper van! I went through the company Jucy and had a great experience with them! It was easy to book, they walked you through how to work different aspects of the van, and they provided good service along the way!
Pre road trip prep:
- Stock up on some food! One great thing about the camper van is that it is equipped with a stove. We cooked a lot of our meals on the beach, next to a waterfall, and along rivers which made for a great experience! I mean who doesn’t love a meal with a view?
- Apps to download: Campermate – you can use this app offline which is a huge benefit. It helps you to locate holiday parks, bathrooms, public showers, hospitals, and so much more! It even gives you ideas of things to do and see in the area.
- Have a general idea of where you want to go. I’m not saying to plan each spot because spontaneity is the best part of a road trip (especially in a country like New Zealand), but make time for your top places is a must!
- Learn the rules of the road! (my American friends, this one is especially important for you) Driving on the opposite side and attempting to do roundabouts is confusing as it is. So take time to learn and read road rules before driving.
What to pack:
- toiletries
- extra toilet paper – you never know!
- camera and go pro – trust me, you will be taking a lot of pictures
- clothing for all seasons – we experienced all sorts of weather so be prepared for it all!
- first aid kid
- money, ID, passport (you know, the usual)
- sunscreen
- sunglasses
- flashlight
Places to stay overnight
One of the best things about New Zealand is that there are so many places to stop and stay as it is a very road trip friendly country. But in order to “freedom camp” – meaning you can pull over and sleep in certain locations for free, your van has to be self-contained. If it is not, you must stay in a holiday park or campground. Click here for some guidelines to freedom camping. During our trip, we stayed at both campgrounds/holiday parks and freedom camping sites. Below is a list of some of the ones we stayed at:
- Thames – this is a great stopping point prior to driving the Coromandel Peninsula
- Holiday Park – Hot Water Beach
- Hora Hora Domain Carpark
- Napier – has fantastic sunrises, we were told by a local to go here and ended up changing our route to go see for ourselves and it didn’t disappoint!
- Piha Domain campground – steps away from a black sand beach. I obviously had to enjoy my morning coffee here.
Places to visit
Mind you, there are TONS of places to stop along the way because let’s be real, everywhere in New Zealand is enticing. Below are some of my favorite places we stopped at and things we’ve done:
Waterfalls
There are waterfalls everywhere! We stopped at all the ones that were along our route. And honestly most were a short walk from the parking areas which made them easily accessible and didn’t waste a lot of time trying to hike miles to find them.
- Owharoa Falls
- Huka Falls
- Omeru Falls
- Whangarei Falls
- Tongeriro National Park (Tawhai Falls)
Beaches:
- Hot Water Beach – want to experience a weird phenomenon? Dig a huge hole in the sand within 2 hours of either side of low tide. You’ll soon come across steaming hot water. Hence, hot water beach. Then enjoy your own personal nature-made hot tub along the ocean!
- Cathedral Cove Walk – this is one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done. You wind through luscious greenery all while walking along the coast. I recommend going early as we avoided the crowds and had the beach and the well-known cove all to ourselves for a bit!
- Hahei Beach – this beautiful beach is located right near Cathedral Cove. We stopped here and then jumped on the walking path to the cove! Once again, the early bird gets the worm. The beach was empty early morning!
- 90 Mile Beach – not sure why they named the beach 90 Mile Beach when it is in fact only 88 kilometers long (roughly 54 miles for the American readers). But that’s still a lot of beach, so no need to be worried about finding a spot there.
- Piha Beach/Tasman Lookout – my favorite color (or non color for that matter) is black so I obviously had to stop at the black sand beach! It had some short hikes that you could take to lookout points and I could have stayed there all day just watching the waves roll in.
- Muriwai Gannet Colony – if you don’t like birds, I don’t suggest going here. But if you do, go visit from August to March and be easily entertained by all the birds.
Wineries:
- John Hill Estate Vineyard and Restaurant – a road trip always needs a good winery stop because “wine not”? You’ll have a “grape” time! This vineyard is settled in the countryside and is a great pit stop to enjoy a quick tasting (but be sure to have a DD, no drinking and driving please)
- The Hunting Lodge Winery – another great winery we found, definitely bought a few bottles from here!
Tours:
- Hobbiton Movie Set Tour – calling all Lord of the Rings fans! You HAVE to stop and take a tour around “the shire”. I don’t even enjoy LOTR as much as others and I’ve done this tour twice now. The pastures are gorgeous, plus you get to enjoy a drink at The Green Dragon Inn. This is a walking tour so be sure to pick a day that has good weather to pretend to be Frodo.
- Waitomo Glowworm Caves with Legendary Black Water Rafting Co. – if you are seeking some adventure and want to get your adrenaline pumping, I highly recommend booking a tour to zip line, repel, and/or tube through their cave system to see the famous glowworms. Check out my blog about this tour, here!
- Ernest Kemp Boat Cruise on Lake Taupo – during your road trip, I recommend stopping at Lake Taupō. This lake is huge! And the best way to explore is via boat. So we signed up for a boat tour and enjoyed a lovely evening of wine, pizza, and seeing the well-known Maori Rock Carvings. Click here to read my blog about this fun and relaxing tour!
Other ideas:
- Blue Spring – did you know this spring supplies around 70% of New Zealand’s bottled water and that it’s one of the purest water sources in the world? No? Well now you do. And let me tell you this water was crystal clear and in fact blue! (with some greens)
- Rotorua – this is a must-visit town that is renowned for its geothermal activity. Even just driving around you can smell the sulfur in certain spots! You can visit mud pools and there’s even a 30 meter tall geyser that erupts daily! Rotorua is also home to the Maori village where you can learn about and experience their culture.
- Waipoua Forest – this forest is home to two of the largest living kauri trees that are left. And let me tell you, they are huge!
- Cape Reinga – when visiting the Cape in New Zealand, you can see where the Tasman Sea’s and the Pacific Ocean’s currents collide.
Hopefully my guide gave you a starting point of planning a once in a lifetime adventure through this spectacular country. Time and time again, I will say New Zealand is one of my all time favorite countries to visit. The every changing scenery make it for one of the best places to explore…especially when you rent a van! Then just start driving, be spontaneous. Watch sunrises, drink your coffee by the beach, cook dinner along a waterfall, and enjoy the simple things in life. Cheers!
Check out some of my other blogs on New Zealand below:
