New Zealand - Lakes, Mountains and Adventures

New Zealand

Time spent: 6 wees (2014)

Population: 5.3 million

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)

Itinerary: Auckland, Rotorua, Taupō, Wellington, Motueka, Franz Josef, Fox Glacier, Wānaka, Queenstown, Te Anau, Milford Sound,

New Zealand is the best country in the world, and I can say this even though I only spent 6 weeks there, only visited the western part of both islands and it was during the autumnal ‘off-season, so it wasn’t covered in snow or bright sunshine. It has absolutely everything you could dream of and I’m certain that if I had spent 6 weeks doing a completely different itinerary, then it would still have been just as magical. 

Things to note at the start: New Zealand is perfect for travellers and backpackers because there are loads of hostels dotted throughout the country and there are plenty of bus routes and services. When I travelled in 2014, there were a few companies which did very cheap bus journeys (for as little as $1) but it was the off-season and some of these companies don’t exist anymore. All the bus prices below are taken from the Inter City website but they vary massively depending on time and date of travel so check for offers and cheaper time to travel. If you’re going all the way to New Zealand, then you’ll want to spend a decent amount of time there, so you’ve got three options for travel:

1: Individual bus tickets per journey from the Inter City website. They also have pre-paid passes available so have a look here in case these work for you.

2: Hope-on-hop-off guided bus tours such as Kiwi Experience which tend to include accommodation but are incredibly pricey (also not recommended for anyone over the age of 30).

3: Hire a car or campervan from Aukland airport.

Make sure you research each option well in advance and weigh up the pros and cons. It would be more expensive outright to hire a campervan, but you could save on accommodation if using a one and you’ll have absolute freedom to go wherever you want. 

Auckland is a large city, and like many large cities it has some tall buildings and some good nightlife. You can see the whole city from the top of the Sky Tower for $47 per person (or book a table at the restaurant and get the fee entry included) but I wouldn’t say it was worth the price and this is from someone who only paid $10 in 2014. Like with all big cities, I stayed a night and then immediately left to start my journey.

Before arriving in New Zealand, I spent a lot of time researching what I wanted to do and see because I was on a very tight budget, I was away for 4 months in total and there is so much to choose from. Prices have definitely increased since I was there (over 50% for lots of things) so be careful with budget because that can disappear quickly. I decided that a couple of the none-negotiables for me were to hike the Tongariro Crossing and do a skydive, both of which were achievable from and in Taupō, so I headed there via a 2-night stop off in Rotorua. Auckland to Rotorua takes 5-7 hours on a bus ($48 each, numerous daily) and I stayed at the wonderful Rock Solid Backpackers Hostel which includes a 20m high climbing wall (if you’re adventurous and not scared of heights) and a really lovely communal kitchen space where it is easy to meet other travellers so you can expand your network of backpackers. 

Rotorua is nicknamed ‘sulphur city’ or ‘rotten-rua’ because it is built on geothermal hot springs which make the city stink of rotten eggs, but don’t let that put you off. The lovely Kuira Park (free) has board walks around the thermal springs if you want to get up-close-and-personal with the eggs and if you want to get in the water, the Polynesian Spa ($80 per adult) is a nice option. If you want a little more adventure, then the Redwoods Walk ($42 per adult) is a high-up walk in the tree line which can also be done at night with some beautiful lanterns leading the way. 

A bus from Rotorua to Taupō ($24, 1-hour, numerous daily) and you replace the smell of eggs with the fresh breeze from the beautiful Lake Taupō. The first things I did here was walk up the river and visit the Huka Falls and the Aratiatia Rapids. The walk starts at the end of Spa Road and is 10km to the rapids so it will take you 2.5 hours along the gorgeous riverside scenery but Huka Falls is half the distance if you wanted shorter hike. Take your swimmers with you though because you’re going to want to get into the hot pools (free) on the riverbank where you can wallow in 50°C hot water flowing from the thermal spring. A lovely way to spend an afternoon, so much so that I went back the next day after a visit to the pretty Waipahihi Botanical Gardens (free entry) making that day entirely free! 

One of the main reasons for visiting Taupō was the proximity and infrastructure for completing the Tongariro Crossing, one of the world’s great 1-day-hikes with fabulous views of the famous Mt Ngauruhoe. To get there, the best thing to do is to book a shuttle bus ($70 per person) which will take you to the start of the hike and collect you at the end of the day. Companies will pick you up from your accommodation (at 4am for us) but as it was April when I was there, the snow was starting to fall, and our trip had to be delayed twice due to bad weather which was communicated to us via phone call at 3:30am. Still, when we managed to get a clear day, it was honestly the best hike I’ve ever done. If you want more information on the walk, then visit this part of the website where I go into more detail. On one of the cancelled trip days, I went skydiving.

There are plenty of skydiving companies throughout New Zealand and I chose to do mine in Taupo because of the wait for the Tongariro Crossing to clear up. I went with Taupo Tandem Skydiving ($550 including video + pictures) and they picked me up from my hostel, dressed me in skydiving gear and then bundled me into a plane in the matter of minutes before pushing me out attached to a chap I’d just met. The whole thing was incredibly thrilling and something of a bucket list item for me but stretched my budget at the time (and it was half that price in 2014!) so be warned!

A bus journey from Taupo to Wellington ($60, 6-7 hours, 3 daily) was up next with the aim of catching the ferry across the Cook Straight to Picton on the south island the next day ($80 adult, 2 daily, 3:30am and 3:30pm, 3.5 hours). If you’re spending some time in Wellington, then there is a lovely cable car ($12 return) which takes you above the city to see views of the bay and the Weta Workshop tour ($57 adults) is a memorable experience for any Lord of the Rings fans. Once across to the south-side, whale-watching company E-Ko tours offer 4-hour trips for $145 each where you’ll see various giant aquatic mammals flapping about from the comfort of their boats, but if you’re planning on going whale-watching then consider Kaikōura on the east side of the south island as an alternative place for it.  

Once on the South Island, I headed towards Motueka and the Abel Tasman National Park with its incredible golden coastline and crystal-clear water. Here you can hire kayaks ($125 per person) or join a tour, ($various) or get a water taxi ($58 pp) to a starting point and hike your way back to where you started. I chose to do a day of kayaking followed by a walk back via the famous split apple rock on day 1, followed by a water taxi and a hike back via Cleopatra’s Pool just off Torrent Bay on day 2. I balanced all this exercise with an afternoon of beer and wine tasting ($170 pp) including a visit to New Zealand’s oldest pub, the Moutere Inn. 

After Motueke I caught a bus from Nelson (via a stop off at the Punakaiki rock) down to Franz Josef ($146, 10 hours, one daily at 7:15am), a tiny little village with a road, a couple of shops, a few places to stay and the insanely beautiful Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. Here, you can hike them using local glacier touring companies ($330 pp) or just walk up to the face of the Franz Josef glacier for free. Start the 4-hour-roundtrip here and walk the relatively easy 6km each way to the face of the glacier to see a lovely view of the (sadly) diminishing ice sheet. While you’re in the area, go and see the Franz Josef glowworm caves starting at the Minnehaha walk (2km round trip, 40 mins) which is best completed at dusk. Take a torch and enjoy the pretty glowworms illuminating small caves.

The final big journey (via bus) was down to New Zealand’s jewel in the crown: Queenstown ($170, 8 hours, one daily at 8:00am). In the winter, Queenstown is a ski and snowboard heaven but during the quieter autumn months, the hiking and mountain biking is plentiful. The Ben Lomond hike (start) which reveals glorious views over the Queenstown lake and surrounding mountains is a longer walk than you expect (7-9 hours round trip) so to help out with time management (and your knees), you can catch the Queenstown gondola halfway up and ride the luge on the way back down. It is also a fabulous place for downhill mountain biking if that’s your thing and you can hire bikes here. I hiked the hill twice over a few days and didn’t get the gondola ($66 pp) either time, but I did indulge in a luge ride ($35pp) down the mountain. I spent the next day in the spectacular small town of Wānaka ($75 return trip from Queenstown, outward 8:10am, return 2:22pm) where I hired a bike ($30 pp for ½ day) and cycled around the town where there is a 20km circular track following the lakefront and river, looping back to the starting point 3 hours later. Wānaka is delightfully peaceful, and the mountains and lakes are so captivating I’ve long thought this small town is amongst the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited.

The final leg of my New Zealand tour involved one of the legendary Naked Bus $1 bus journeys (sadly no longer available) from Queenstown to Te Anau ($75, one daily, 7:20am, 2 ½ hours) where I booked a cruise to visit the magical Milford Sound ($135 pp). A bus picked me up from my hostel and then drove us 2 hours to the fjords where we got on a small boat and set sail for the sounds. Incredibly, almost vertical rock faces with huge waterfalls dropping into calm waters where (if you’re lucky) you can see all sorts of aquatic mammals like whales, dolphins and porpoises. I saw nothing of the sort but had a lovely time anyway (including a nice lunch included in the price) for a few hours, drinking in the scenery and natural beauty of the place. 

After Te Anau, I caught the bus back to Queenstown, a flight up to Auckland and then a transfer to San Francisco before continuing my adventure in the USA and Canada. New Zealand is the best country I’ve visited for so many reasons. The natural beauty of the lakes, rivers, mountains, coastline and glaciers is insane but also the infrastructure for travelling makes it so easy to get about. Comparing my trip 12 years ago to today, the price of everything has really increased. If you’re planning a trip to NZ, make sure you decide what activities and destinations are none-negotiable for your trip and then plan where you can fit in free and low-cost activities. I spent 6 weeks there and had I travelled a completely different route, I’m convinced it still would have been just as good.

It is a long way to go and you’ll need as much time as you can there so consider hiring a car or camper van if you’re with a partner or look into the pre-paid bus passes if you’re travelling alone. The time of year you go will alter prices so to save money, consider March, April and May for your travel. Use our advice or not, remember: it’s what you know, not who you know.