If there was anywhere in the world where I liked the idea of doing a roadtrip, it was in New Zealand. They drive on the same side of the road that I’m used to and there is plenty to see and do across the country with a good deal of inspiration online on itinerary planning. Plus, we did our roadtrip during the summer, so the added perks were the sun and the heat.
We booked our camper van with Travellers Autobarn less than 1 month before we were due to fly to Auckland. Word of advice – don’t leave it this late. Naively, I thought that camper van rental in New Zealand would be similar to car rental in the UK, meaning there was always a car waiting for you whenever needed. This was not the case, most likely also because it was the height of summer in New Zealand. We contacted 3 companies within our price range before Travellers Autobarn, all of which had no available camper vans for our desired dates. Luckily, we managed to book a Chubby Camper with Travellers Autobarn for our preferred dates but for a good number of days until this point we were deciding what our Plan B would be for our first few weeks on the other side of the planet.
We booked 4 nights in a hotel for when we first arrived in Auckland and planned to pick up our campervan on the 13th of February. However, Cylone Gabrielle slightly altered our plan and we ended up collecting the camper on the 14th, due to advisories against all but essential travel.
I planned our roadtrip on Roadie – learn more about the app here…
https://roadietripplanner.com/
I loved how you could mark out all of your stops and it would tell you how long it would take you to get to each destination. It also had a feature which allowed me to see what fuel stations, restaurants, attractions and campsites were in any area I zoomed into on the map.
Day 1
Auckland – Ngāruawāhia – Hamilton
We collected our camper van at around midday. We weren’t too sure of our plans as the weather still wasn’t great and not all advisories had been lifted so after picking up the camper we slowly made our way out of the city.
Our first stop was a 1 hour and 30 minute drive out of the city in Ngāruawāhia, a town culturally important for Maori of the Waikato region. Here the sun was shining and it was hot, so we hiked the 1,349 steps to the Hakarimata Summit Viewtower. It felt good to be out of the city. I also appreciated the quotes as we neared the summit.
If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you
Fred DeVito
After our hike, we drove a further 20 minutes to Hamilton, visited a laundrette, got a chinese takeaway and set up camp for the night.
Day 2
Hamilton – Raglan – Kawhia – Otorohanga
We woke up early and visited the Hamilton Gardens. My favourites were the Chinese Scholars Garden, the Indian Char Bagh Garden and the Italian Renaissance Garden. Visiting the gardens was a very relaxing start to our day, aided by the fact it was gloriously warm and sunny. Walking around the gardens it’s hard to believe that around 60 years ago they were not gardens at all but instead Hamilton’s main rubbish dump!
We then drove out of the city towards Raglan where we made the short stroll to Bridal Veil Falls. These falls are 55 metres tall and the most beautiful I have seen so far in New Zealand. More steps were encountered on this walk, but less than that of the Hakarimata Summit Viewtower, with only 261.
From the falls, we drove 1 hour along a very windy, gravel road to Kawhia, where we walked the short distance to Hot Water Beach. The beach seemed to stretch on for miles and was nearly deserted. Although the weather was perfect for a swim, the waves were big and did not look welcoming.
It then took just under an hour to drive from Kawhia to Ōtorohanga where we set up camp for the night. Ōtorohanga is a good base for visiting Waitomo Caves and is internationally famous for its Kiwi House, which was the first place in the world where people from the general public could see a kiwi up close in captivity. Incase you didn’t know, the kiwi is a flightless bird native to New Zealand!
Day 3
Ōtorohanga – Te Kuti – Turangi – Taupo
The Waitomo Caves are only 10 minutes away from Ōtorohanga. The caves are a world-famous tourist attraction, which showcase limestone formations created millions of years ago when the area was under water whilst also being home to Arachnocampa luminous, a species of glowworm found only in New Zealand. We booked the Glowworm Caves Boat Tour through Get Your Guide and for 2 people it cost just over £60. Our guide was very informative, and it was certainly worth seeing, although slightly disappointing we were not aloud to take photos inside the caves so as not to disturb the worms.
From the caves we drove down through Te Kuiti, the sheep shearing capital of the world and onto Tūrangi, situated at the southern end of Lake Taupo. Due to Cyclone Gabrielle, many shops in Tūrangi had no power and the Tokaanu Thermal Pools we planned to visit were closed – although we did get to do the short thermal walk around the hot, bubbling pools. Sadly, we saw a large amount of fallen down trees and devastated forests in Turangi as we drove up to Taupo at the northern end of the Lake.
Before heading to a campsite in Taupo we made a stop at Huka Falls, which looked exactly as they do in the pictures – very blue! The falls are one of New Zealand’s most popular natural attractions .
Day 4
Taupo
There is so much to do in and around Taupo, that we ended up staying 4 nights here! On our first day here we visited the Huka Honey Hive and saw a jar of Manuka honey on sale at $488! We did not purchase it, but instead bought 2 local beers made with Manuka honey instead.
We then took a dip in the natural silica pools at Waiakei Terraces and Thermal Health Spa before heading into town and sailing out to the Maori Rock Carvings on Lake Taupo. This boat trip was operated by Taupo Sailing Adventures and was possibly one of the best boat trips I have been on. Before we set sail, takeaway pizza was delivered for everyone on board to enjoy, we then sailed to the rock carvings, got to jump off the boat and swim in the clear lake and then drink a classic kiwi beer as we sailed back to shore. This was one of my favourite activities during our road-trip.
Day 5
Taupo
On Day 5 we did a bungee swing. The Taupo bungee swing is the only swing on the North Island, is operated by AJ Hackett and swings 44m at speeds of up to 70kph over the Waikato River. The perfect way to start the day!
The afternoon was spent relaxing and exploring the shoreline of the lake.
Day 6
Taupo
Day 6 involved an early start. We drove 1 and a half hours to reach The National Park Village in Ruapehu, where our pre-booked shuttle bus collected us at 8.30am and drove us to the starting point of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
The Tongaririo Alpine Crossing is named as one of New Zealand’s best day hikes and is among the top ten single-day treks in the world. The hike is 12 miles long, reaches 1886m at its highest point and crosses an active volcanic landscape in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The hike took us 5 hours and we were lucky to arrive at the finish line just as our shuttle bus turned up to take us back to our car, otherwise we may have had to wait another hour for the next one!
This hike was certainly worth the early start and the drive back up to Taupo afterwards.
Day 7
Taupo – Kinloch – Tokoroa – Rotorua
On departing Taupo we made a short stop in Kinloch to get some coffee, walk around the small marina and take a swim at the beach. Kinloch was once a sheep station and its name originates from the Scottish Gaelic name Ceann Loch which means ‘head of the loch’. The village is home to New Zealand’s best golf course, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, and the Great Lake Trail – a popular mountain biking track.
We then continued on through the timber town of Tokoroa, which is the centre of New Zealand’s timber, forestry, and paper industries.
Driving a further 45 minutes took us to Rotorua, a town well-known for its geothermal activity. We visited the Skyline Rotorua office and took the gondola up the hill-side and rode the luge (a gravity fused kart) part the way back down, before taking the chairlift back to the top and posing next to the Rotovegas sign. Skyline Rotorua also has a mountain bike park, zip-lines, restaurant and winery.
That night we stayed 15 minute out of town by Lake Tikitapu, also known as the Blue Lake.
Day 8
Rotorua
On day 8 we got up and headed into Rotorua for some fresh bread from Ciabatta Cafe and Bakery. Google told me this was one of the best bakeries in Rotorua and the queue implied this was true. A dozen rolls, 2 pretzels and 2 donuts later we headed to Te Puia.
Te Puia is home to the New Zealand Arts and Crafts Institute, a kiwi conservation area and the Pohutu Geyser, which is the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere. We booked the Te Rā Guided Experience + Haka (Cultural Performance) package. This meant we got to see a kiwi for the first time, take a guided tour around the geothermal pools and geysers, see the work that students get up to at the Arts and Crafts Institute and witness a cultural performance which took place in a carved meeting house. Seeing the Haka performed in person was an amazing experience and visiting the Te Puia grounds was a special way to better understand the Maori culture.
On our way back to the Blue Lake campsite we stopped at the Redwoods Forest and paid $39 to do the treetop walk. The forest was extremely pretty, however I do not feel it was worth the price – but maybe this is because Scotland is my home and we have lots of beautiful forests there too. Interesting fact – Prince Harry and Megan Markle visited the Redwoods Forest in 2018 during their tour of New Zealand!
Day 9
Rotorua – Kawerau – Whakatāne – Mount Manunganui
A 25 minute drive in the morning took us to Hell’s Gate – a Mud Spa and one of Rotorua’s most geothermal parks. We spent an hour at the spa, bathing in the mud and rubbing it into our skin to help reap the benefits of its nutrients and exfoliants. We also made use of the cold plunge pool and the sulphur pool, which also offers its own healing properties. It was certainly a unique and relaxing start to the day, but one word of advice, wear a swimsuit you’re happy to bin afterwards, and don’t wear any clothing you particularly like in the days following, because weeks later and many washes later the smell of mud bath was still lingering. Before visiting the spa, it was advised to remove any jewellery and not wear it for the 48 hours following, and so I did this. However, even after leaving my jewellery off for 2 days after being at the spa, I noticed that my silver jewellery tarnished slightly, so it can definelty be said, the mud exfoliates deep into the skin!
We then drove an hour to Whakatane where we did a short walk up to the Puketapu Lookout and then on we went to Mount Manunganui where we set up camp at a site located on Papamoa Beach and ate a $6.99 Pizza Hut pizza for dinner. The campsite we stayed at was the 3rd we asked at regarding availability and it was a 10 minute drive from the main area in Mount Manunganui. It turned out that the afternoon we arrived was the day of a surf event, meaning town was extremely busy.
Day 10
Mount Manunganui – Matamata – Karapiro – Cambridge
Day 10 began with a very sweaty hour hike up Mount Manunganui before cooling off at the beach. We then got back on the road and headed for Matamata for a tour of Hobbiton! I have never watched the Hobbit but the tour was worth it. It poured rain during our tour, but this did not spoil it, and the drink in the ‘Green Dragon Inn’ just tasted even better.
It was then a rainy drive up to Cambridge where we set up camp for the night. Cambridge is known as the ‘Equine Capital’ of New Zealand and unofficially, as the ‘Home of Champions’ as it is home to a number of cycling, rowing and equestrian Olympic medalists alongside its champion racehorses.
Day 11
Cambridge – Morrinsville – Te Aroha – Paeroa – Corromandel – Kuaotunu – Whitianga – Hahei
Day 11 was busy and involved approximately 3 and a half hours of driving. We first stopped for breakfast in Morrisonsville, one of New Zealand’s most affluent dairy farming areas. A stop was then made in Paeroa for a bottle of L&P (Lemon and Paeroa), a fizzy drink which tastes like lemonade. The name L&P comes from the drinks original ingredients – lemon flavouring and natural mineral water from the town of Paeroa.
We then made it up to Coromandel where it was wet and fairly overcast so it was a chippy in the car for lunch. One thing I love about chip shops in New Zealand is that all of the ones I have visited so far will do your fish either battered or breaded, unlike in Scotland where its always battered!
Our drive continued on down the east side of of the North Island, through Kuaotunu and Whitianga before we stopped for the night at a site by the beach in Hahei. The campsite had its own food truck too and we had some seriously good burgers.
Day 12
Hahei – Tairua
The sun was shining in the morning and we headed to Hot Water Beach where you can dig your own natural hot pool in the sand, within two hours either side of low tide. The water is heated around 2km deep in the earth by cooling magma, before it bubbles to the surface. Unfortunately, the tide was in, so instead we watched some surfers, then made our way back to Hahei to sunbathe on the beach there.
We had plans to hike to Cathedral Cove in the afternoon, but due to the earlier cyclone the path was closed, so instead we took a boat trip to see it. The boat trip also took us inside the Orua Sea Cave – one of the largest sea caves in New Zealand. The boat was a speed boat and was much more exhilarating than we expected.
That evening we drove further down to Tairua, where we took a short drive around the village and took in the view of Mount Paku, a prominent volcanic peak.
Day 13
Tairua – Whangamata – Waihi Beach
A 30 minute drive in the morning led us to Whangamata. The weather was warm and bright and so we took a stroll down the street, looked in the shops and ate breakfast outside. At midday we made our way onto the beach where we had booked a kayaking trip to Whenuakura Island (also known as Donut Island). The island is located 600m from the beach, and can be viewed from the inside. The weather allowed us to kayak inside through its opening and to be inside the island was magical. The waves would sometimes come in quite large and I was unable to completely relax whist trying to keep our kayak away from the rocky walls. We then kayaked to Hauteur Island where our guide gave us some Kawakawa tea. Kawakawa tea is made by simply drying kawakawa leaves from the native plant, and then boiling them in water. The leaves can also be boiled fresh.
Our day ended at Waihi Beach, 30 minutes from Whangamata, where we enjoyed a dip in the campsites hot tub and went for a stroll by the water front to find a place for dinner.
Day 14
Waihi – Takapuna
We were unsure where to spend our final night in the campervan as we did not want to be too far from central Auckland due to commitments the following morning, so we made the drive up to Takapuna. Along the way we stopped at Karanghake Gorge. Karanghake Gorge offers a number of walks and tracks, and the area once produced 60% of the total gold from New Zealand! Overall, our last day in the camper was a quiet, sad one as our campervan trip was over and it was time to find a job and top up the bank again!
Highlights
My personal highlights from our 2 week road trip were…
Bridal Veil Falls
Lake Taupo
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Mount Maunganui
Advice
Don’t pay the $50 for the porta potty and $30 for the solar shower if it’s most likely you won’t use it! When booking the camper I thought we would need both these things, but we ended up opting for a campsite every night. Similarly, if you do pay for these extra items I encourage you to take advantage of the many freedom camping spots in New Zealand! If I hire a campervan again for a roadtrip I would like to be able to experience it more authentically and save the $60 a night on the campsites.
Top 10 campsites can be pricey compared to other sites but they’re reliable and tend to be in the best spots! Half of the sites we stayed in were Top 10 campsites. You can find out more about them here…
Take pictures of any dubious looking areas of your van before you go! Our wing mirror broke halfway into our trip, but luckily we took pictures before we set off showing how close to breaking it already was, meaning we did not have to pay to fix it.
Lastly, have fun!
Live Life With Tasha 
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