Our two-week trip to the North Island of New Zealand travel has been completed. It was an amazing adventure, I am so pleased we finally did this trip. It was an absolute dream.

So now for the review. What is New Zealand travel without an extensive revision on what worked and what didn’t? Here we’ll go through what was worth doing and what we would maybe recommend skipping (spoiler, there’s not much I would skip). For some of the big activities I’ve done seperate reviews so please feel free to have a look at those in-depth.

The original spreadsheet can be found here: 2-week North Island New Zealand Itinerary.

Day One – Auckland – First Day of New Zealand Travel:

After arriving in Auckland which was one of the best places I’ve ever flown over, we headed to our AirBnB in the city. After wandering a while and heading to the harbour, we came across The Fox, an English pub serving gravy dinners and classic English drinks. As two Brits living in Sydney, we were dying for some home comforts on our holiday, so we dived right in and ordered Toad in the Hole for me and Pie and Mash for Dom.

Day Two – Hamilton: 

We picked up our camper van in the morning and headed straight to Hamilton for a stroll around the gardens. I was surprised at how large the site was and the attention to detail they put into each garden. There are traditional English, Japanese, Italian and Indian gardens as well as herb and surrealist gardens to wander around.

After we drove to our campsite we headed to Hobbiton Movie Set. I won’t go into too much detail here but it was absolutely incredible. Big thanks to our tour guides Sunny and Fluffy. For my Hobbiton Movie Set review, click here. 

Day Three – Blue Spring Walk: 

I found out about the Blue Spring by chance when I saw on facebook someone I went to uni with visited there. This was probably the most beautiful walk I’ve ever done, the water was so clear and even though it was hot, the walk itself was easy and undulating (no big hills). It took around 2-3 hrs and there were toilets along the way although I couldn’t actually use the toilet because a huge spider had infiltrated it and was not backing down so I could pee. 

You can’t swim during the walk although it’s incredibly tempting. The water is crystal clear and in places glimmers a sapphire blue. Persevere to the end where you’ll see the purest blue water you’ll ever see. Definitely worth the extra push. This is an absolute must in your New Zealand travel itinerary.

We then headed to lake Taupo (pronounced Toe-Paw).

Day Four – Lake Taupo:

We had a slow start to the day but did the cruise to the Māori rock carvings on the lake. This was an easy tour for us, we just sat back and listened to the captain explain different areas of the lake. There’s a lot of different options to see the carvings which were made in the 1970s such as kayak tours. Have a look at the options and decide which you’d enjoy most.

After this, we had lunch in town. We had a free afternoon to chill but we decided to head to the craters of the moon. This is a géiser crater site with a lot of different points where steam comes out. The info signs are cool because they show you the different sections and what temperature they will be based on the colouring and what plants (if any) grow there. Be sure to keep to the path. 

The day was unbelievably hot but we decided to hop over the road from the craters to visit the Huka Falls. There’s an hour 1/2 walk that you can do but as we’d just done an hour around the craters we decided against it. Instead we just parked up and watched the rapid water for a few minutes before heading off to do our food shop. 

This evening, we went to the campsite spa and went to one of the private pools. It’s such a nice touch and really adds to the relaxation experience. Our campsite is super clean and the toilet facilities are really well kept. It’s a cheap option for those in camper vans. The use of the pool for guests of the park is $14 per day (this includes the use of the private pools which you can’t book; you just have to turn up and ask). 

Day Five – Tongariro Alpine Crossing (Mount Doom):

Today was the day I had been dreading the most – the Tongariro Crossing (Mount Doom for LOTR fans).

This was an amazing walk. For those from the UK it’s the equivalent of going up Ben Nevis without actually reaching the top of the volcano. In recent years, it’s been frowned upon to climb to the peak as it is a Māori site and the number of people going up it was eroding the volcano. 

So we stuck to the rules (as did everyone we saw) and did the crossing, which is no small feat. The walk takes between 6-8 hours. We took 7 hrs and three days later I was still aching. We did get some incredible photos and, of course, reenacted some scenes from the Lord of the Rings. 

As well as the famous volcano, there are the Mars like landscapes, steaming craters, blue pools and jungle like forest closer to the car park. A big mix of environments. Be sure to book your transport from the car park to the starting point and bring warm clothing for the top. The weather can change quickly here so remember a warm coat and sweater (we even had hats and gloves on in December – NZ summer).

Even if you’re not an LOTR fan, the alpine crossing is beautiful with Mars-like landscapes. This is a must on anyones New Zealand travel itinerary.

For my full review of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, click here.

Day Six – Acacia Beach, Lake Taupo:

This was Christmas Day so we went to the Acacia beach which was glorious. It’s a grass bank and you just walk down into the water. There’s a small pontoon which you can jump into. 

We then went for a curry (one of the few places open on Christmas Day) and spoke to our family. 

Day Seven – Wairakei Terraces and a Kayak Tour: 

Today we needed a spa day so we went to the Wairakei Terraces. We soaked in the hot pools and I had a relaxation massage which was just what I needed. It is essential to book any treatments in advance but you should be able to turn up on the day to use the pools. The price of admission does not include a towel or robe so bring your own if you don’t want to pay extra.

If you’re paying just for the entrance, book on book.me as you could get a hefty discount.

We drove onto Rotorua and reached our AirBnB before heading to the night kayak.

In the evening, we did the Night Kayak Tour which luckily for us, is massively undersold on the website. This was one of our favourite activities. Despite a mix up (we were given the wrong time) we were luckily early for our kayak trip. The kayaks are for two people and you paddle across Lake Rotoiti to Lake Rotoiti hot pools which is inaccessible by car. Here whilst our guides cooked up dinner, we lounged in the hot pools and jumped off the pier into the surprisingly warm lake. There’s also a slide on the pier which was so much fun. 

After dinner and a few drinks (we got one complimentary drink and an ice cream included in the tour price) then we paddled over to a glow worm cave. These were the first glow worms we saw and were unbelievably magical. It was a tight squeeze for the whole group but the tour guide kept us entertained with some great knowledge about the caves and the glow worms. 

This then led us to the end of our tour and we paddled back to the shore.

I think this might have been my favourite tour of the trip, it was unexpectedly brilliant with added extras I didn’t know we were doing. Add this to your New Zealand travel itinerary! You won’t regret it.

Day Eight – Zip lining: 

I LOVE zip lining. If I can do it on a holiday, I will. I love the feeling of flying through the air at impossible speeds. This tour was no different. Of all the lines we did, one of them was 200m long and started 22m in the air. For this one, they made you stand backwards away from the zip line and literally fall into the air. Absolutely terrifying, caused me to laugh the whole way along from the adrenaline rush. It wasn’t the most crazy zip lining I’ve done but it is well worth it. There is also the option to do more on this but we just did the standard. 

In the afternoon we went to mini golf with bunnies. We did see a few of the bunnies but they were mostly hiding in the shade. I thought this activity was super pricey. It was $18 (NZ dollars) each. It was incredibly busy and there were no staggered starts which meant that there was a load of people bunched up after completing each hole.

I’d recommend going at a quieter time for a more pleasant experience. It took us nearly 2 hrs to do 15 holes and by then we were ready to finish up and get out of the sun. They’ve decorated it well but they could definitely do with clearing up fallen leaves etc as it made it look a little messy. 

Day Nine – White Water Rafting:

This morning Dom did a white water rafting excursion which looked amazing. Due to my bad back I didn’t do it but he said it was incredible. The boat capsized a few times but there’s an additional staff member on hand to support. They were in a kayak that assists anyone that falls in the water so it’s incredibly safe. 

In the afternoon we walked around Rotorua which honestly, (and I can’t believe I did not heed the warnings from my research) but it stank. The smell of sulfur is relentless here and you don’t even need to be near a hot pool. The city streets are especially bad near the drains. Although we had a great time, we were ready to leave Rotorua when we did. 

That night we tried to go to the Treetop Walk. We’d purchased our ticket in advance and to be fair, the email confirmation did say that couples should arrive after 11.30pm. But honestly we were getting up at 5am the next day to do the glow worm caves so we couldn’t stay too late. We arrived just after 10 pm and the queue was two hours long to get in. 

I feel like if they made people choose their day when they bought their tickets rather than being a free-for-all when you turn up then it would be a much better customer experience. I would remove this from our New Zealand travel itinerary – I just don’t think it’s worth it.

We ended up walking through the woods underneath and not going into the treetop bit. It was a shame but we could still see some of the lights. Then we headed back to the AirBnB before our early start the next day. 

Day Ten – Waitomo Caves:

This morning we traveled to Waitomo Caves with a cheeky McDonalds breakfast on the way. 

We paid for the Black Abyss which included, abseiling into the cave, zip lining, tubing, and waterfall climbing! For my full review of this excursion, click here. 

After our exhausting day out. We headed to the local restaurant for dinner whilst we stayed at the YHA. 

The YHA had a lot of animals as well as a pool. Once we parked up, around 5 or 6 piglets came running over to us snuffling around asking for scratches and pets. Of course, we couldn’t say no. I think I’d recommend staying here for the piglets alone. 10/10. 

Day Eleven – Travel to Coromandel:

Here is the beach part of our trip. We drove 3 hrs and 30 mins to Coromandel. The winding roads are not for everyone as you try to reach this remote town.

There is a great viewing point at the top of the hills by Ohana Farms where there is a guy selling hot and cold drinks out of a van. The hot chocolate was delicious and the view was so worth the stop. 

We arrived in town and went to the Saloon Bar for dinner before heading to our super cute air bib Shepherds hut to unpack. 

Day Thirteen – New Chums Beach:

Today we went to New Chums Beach. This was called one of the top ten beaches in the WORLD. Not just New Zealand, but the entire planet! We couldn’t resist going here to check it out. 

We parked up in Whangapoua which is the closest you can get to the beach by car. We then completed the small 1.7km walk to the beach. But don’t be fooled, this walk was not easy and depending on tides, some of it might be submerged. You’ll be going across another beach, boulders, loose rocks, and into jungle like terrain with tree roots cropping up all over the place. Not wheelchair or pushchair accessible. I twisted my ankle 4 times and face planted the ground once which although funny, could have been a lot worse than the grazed knee and bruise that I got. I am pretty clumsy though, so most people should be fine.

The highlight of this was that we actually saw a penguin in the wild! None of the locals seemed bothered by this at all but I nearly cried. Here is my terrible photo (Forgive me, I think I was shaking). 

Day Fourteen – New Years Day:

For us, this was New Year’s Day so we just chilled out and headed to the pub to do some writing and reading. We’ve had such a hectic two weeks, we were pleased to relax.

We decided to skip Cathedral Cove. Due to it being the summer months, they close off the car park closest to the beach. Also given the tide times, we either would have had to get up around 6am (impossible on NY day) or go at 7pm. We weren’t too bothered either way so we decided to just have a chill day. As this is the only thing on the itinerary we didn’t do, we’re pleased 😀

We spotted the famous local resident Helen – a ginger cat who has stolen the hearts of locals and tourists alike. You can spot Helen roaming the streets, often being fed by multiple businesses in the area. He (yes he is a boy named Helen) is a total chunk but utterly gorgeous and loves being petted. He has his own Facebook page and you can buy Helen the cat merch in various places, including this Helen for Mayor t-shirt we spotted. 

Day Fifteen – Travel to Auckland:

Our final whole day, we drove from Coromandel to Auckland.  By this point we are basically out of cash, our spending money wasn’t enough for food and petrol. Food in particular was unbelievably expensive in New Zealand. For two weeks here, we had planned to spend around $1000 (Australian dollars) each, this ended up becoming $1400 each.

In Auckland, we returned to The Fox, an English pub, for dinner and we chilled in the Air BnB pool.

Day Sixteen – Travel home after two weeks of New Zealand Travel:

This is the end of our New Zealand Travel trip. We absolutely loved the North Island and from everyone we spoke with, the South Island is equally amazing. We’ll be planning that trip very soon. For those eager to go already, see my Twisted Hate inspired South Island New Zealand Travel itinerary.