Hello My Friends
I have been living in New Zealand for almost five years, the vast majority of which has been spent down on the iconic South Island, mostly because I have been living in Wanaka but also because I JUST can’t get enough of the wilderness.
But the longer and longer I spend in New Zealand, I’ve actually been yearning to experience more of the North Island and road trip to new places. In many ways it feels like the cliche “real New Zealand,” with bigger cities, has a more local vibe with plenty of culture to be had, whereas the South Island definitely can feel more touristy, clean cut and privileged. I often talk with my friends here how living in Wanaka feels like such a bubble, so distant from the rest of the country and world for that matter.
Mountains
Forest
I spent five days exploring new corners of the North Island and stopping by some old haunts on my campervan trip and it was glorious. Without any worries or cares, I really had the freedom to travel where I wanted, and to fall even more in love with this part of the world.
Here are a few highlights from my North Island road trip. Enjoy!
Waterfall's
Seaside
History
One of my favorite things about the North Island is the collection of three stunning volcanoes bang in the middle of the island. These three iconic peaks almost erupt out of an otherwise flat and desolate land, making them unmistakable.
Tongariro. Ruapehu. Ngauruhoe
When I used to live in Wellington, I drove by these mountains several times, and they were almost always covered in cloud, just teasing me for the day when I would get to see them shine in all their glory, which only happened once when I did the Tongariro Crossing a few years ago.
Geothermal
Lake's
New Zealand’s forests are so underrated.
So many of them have been cleared over the centuries for agriculture, but there are still so many great pockets left too. No matter where you drive around the North Island it’s hard to miss some of the beautiful native bush and lush ferns around the land.
One of my favorite haunts is super easily accessible, the Redwoods walk in Rotorua. The Whakarewarewa Forest has tons of walking and biking trails, with massive California Redwoods dotted around, first planted in 1901.
Make sure to go for a forest walk on any North Island road trip.
Thanks To Everyone to Travel With Me
