Highlights of a Summer Road Trip to New Zealand - North Island

We did not have a pretty good start to the trip. Stranded at Auckland airport at 11.30 pm in the night waiting to pick up our rental car from Ace Rentals. Two of us waited at the airport with the luggage while the other two walked 1 km to the rental office just to find it shut. Finally we took an Uber (15 NZD for 3.5km) to our airbnb and decided to pick up the car next morning.

Tip no. 2 - Always make a clear communication with the Car rental company regarding car pickup schedules.

Airbnb - Auckland airbnb hosted by Pui and Apinan (Recomended)

The next morning we picked up our car (Toyota Yaris) from the Ace rentals office (they block 750 NZD on your credit card as guarantee). Our first attraction for the trip was the Hobbiton Movie Set. We had an early lunch at The Shire's Rest cafe in the same campus. The tour began with a 20 minute bus ride which took us to the interiors of the place. Our host was very knowledgeable and friendly. She showed us the various points and explained their relevance to the movies. Its an enchanting experience for LOTR movie fans and lots of picturesque spots to take photos. On completion of the tour, we drove to our airbnb in Rotorua.

Airbnb - Beekeeper's Cottage hosted by Wendy (Highly recommended)

Tip no. 3 - Make sure you carry a raincoat/windcheater with you always. The weather in New Zealand is very unpredictable.

Polynesian Spa is one of the best experiences I had in New Zealand. Opt for a Deluxe Private Pool if you are going as a couple or the Deluxe Lake Spa if going with a group of people to get the best view of the landscapes. Spend the most relaxing time of your trip in the natural hot sulphur pools.

We started off early in the morning to catch a glimpse of Lady Knox Geyser show at the Wai-o-Tapu thermal park at sharp 10 am in the morning. Rotorua's geo-thermal attractions are one of their kind and various colored pools are sure to leave you spellbound, especially the Artist's Palette, Champagne Pool and the Green Lake. The parks are full of volcanic craters and sulphur springs.

Like Wai-o-Tapu, Hell's Gate is also a thermal park, however the springs are closer to the ground. The uniqueness of this place lies in the mud bath where you can cover your body in mud and wash it off in another pool once dry. All the creative minds can try a hand at wood carving and weaving which is a part of the Maori culture.

Taupo is a small town which comes on the way to Tongariro National Park from Rotorua. The entire city is situated alongside lake Taupo. On the way to Taupo, we took a very short detour for Huka falls - we were literally spellbound by it's deep blue shades and the immense power of the flow. We took a pit stop for lunch at Taupo and explored the city for a couple of hours. It is a beautiful city with a huge central park and a long coastline; great to have a walk along and there are cycles available on rent too if you are keen on some cycling.

Tongariro is an hour's drive from Taupo and the route is quite scenic. We spent the night at the YHA Hostel and left early the next morning. If you have a day's time to spare, you can opt for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing Hike to witness the volcanic activity in the area. The Schnapps Cafe is a cool place to hangout near the hostel.

The drive from Tongariro to the Wellington ferry terminal is a long one. And for us it turned out to be quite expensive as well since we were caught twice for speeding up to 125 km/hr as the speed limit is 100km/hr. They levied a fine of 170NZD each time . The good part was the Bluebridge Ferry to Picton. Three hours on the ferry is the perfect amount of time to soak yourself in the waters around you and let your body flow with the strong winds coupled with beautiful views all around.

We spent the last day of our trip exploring Auckland city. Honestly, after spending so many days amidst the beautiful landscapes, coming back to the city didn't feel so great. However, you can still take a tour atop the Sky Tower for some bird-eye views. Think twice before renting a car in Auckland because the city does not offer free parking and the charges are high during week days. I would suggest you do an Auckland tour on the very first day of your trip.

Stay tuned to read about our most adventurous experiences in New Zealand's South Island coming up soon on Tripoto!