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New Zealand

A 123-day adventure by Mates on tour Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 9, 2017
    Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    View from our guest family's porch
    Our new houseThe kitchenBedroom...A park in Christchurch in an old gorge

    The start...

    December 9, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We've spent the first week in Christchurch at the lovely family Tregurtha. First we just planned to stay for one night but then they invited us to stay longer... A perfect start to our New Zealand adventure :)

    It took us a bit longer than expected to get our new "home", a camper van. But in the end we were happy to get the Mitsubishi L300. Hopefully it will get us around the islands safely. Besides that we explored Christchurch a bit and checked what the local supermarkets have to offer. It's a bit more pricey than in Germany, especially for fruits and vegetables, but not as much as expected.

    We don't really have a plan yet, just that we'll be heading South first and see what is there to do.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    View over the bay - a former volcano
    Mauis hookOnawu track over lime stone cliffsThe French settlementBeautiful sunset over the bayA view worth the effort

    Akaroa - Banks peninsula

    December 15, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We decided to make our first trip to the nearby Akaroa peninsula and stopping in the small harbour town Lyttleton on the way to there. After a week of planning and getting ready we were just glad and excited to be on the road.
    We could've saved us the stop in Lyttleton as there was literally nothing to do except watching freight ships. But the way to Akaroa was much more rewarding afterwards even though we went the wrong route twice. First we ended up at a steep gravel road with the sign "4WD only", so we needed to turn around and drive back to the main road. In conclusion it's better not to stick too close to the navigation system ;)
    Shortly before arriving in Akaroa we stopped at the Onawe Track for a short hike over a lime stone cliff to a small peninsula. After driving the narrow roads it was a nice change and the views were magnificent.

    In the evening we explored a bit the small town, it's a former French settlement and tries to keep that heritage by having French signs and food. Thanks to our self-contained camper van we can stay for free close to the city center. In the evening we went down to the harbour and watched the sunset.

    The other day we started early to climb a nearby park with views over the whole bay but it was just a short loop. The free museum was very interesting and told a lot of stories about the Maori, the first settlers and their daily lives. After considering the options we decided to head further South, which meant in this case, driving back to Christchurch and from there down.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    City Center Timaru
    Dinner timeEarly morning visit to the parrotsThe bad quality is caused by the fading lightHamster :)

    Timaru

    December 16, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The drive to here was pretty long and tiring so we were glad to get a spot at the freedom Camping zone. This one was situated right next to the Gardens and the beach. We had only planned to make a quick stop there overnight and then move on. By the time we got there the tourist information was already closed. So we decided to just park our van at the zone and then explore the town by foot.
    As we arrived there we encountered a sign with a penguin but didn't mind it all to much. But a little while later we found online that there are penguins supposed to be coming directly to the beach in the evening. And you can watch them for free, so we were pretty excited to do that later on. Until then there was quite a lot to see: The church built in the settlers architectural style, a Christmas fare, the beach...

    But the highlight was of course the blue penguin colony at night. When we got there around 9 there were already people waiting and also two officials who guided the people and told us that they usually come ashore as soon as it gets dark. Just a little while after that, we saw a small penguin jumping around the stone walls where their nest is located. We've been told that they scream for their parents. About 45 minutes later we were startled by a scream just a bit away from us, it were another two baby penguins! We were sitting just about two metres away from them! Overall we spent about 3 hours on the beach and the rocks watching the penguins. It was a really great experience to get so close to them!

    Exhausted and freezing we went back to our camper van and tried to sleep in. Unfortunately we woke up at 6 and couldn't fall asleep again so we decided to go on a tour to the Botanic Gardens. We tried out some playgrounds and visited the bird house with lots of exotic and native birds.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Steampunk inspired Zeppelin
    View to Oamaru and the bay areaAnother steampunk art

    Oamaru - Steampunk & Penguins

    December 17, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We've put Oamaru on our bucket list mainly because of the large Blue Penguin Colony, therefore the title "Penguin City". But as we had seen them already close in Timaru we shifted our priorities. First we visited the harbour quarter with the famous steam punk museum and old colonial buildings. Unfortunately we came a bit too late to check out a local Whisky distillery.
    Afterwards we went on a hike on a hill next to the city center for some magnificent views over the whole bay. It didn't take us long for the loop so we decided to head to a nearby beach where the yellow-eyed penguins are located.
    They are a lot more shy than their smaller relatives so you can't go closer than 200m to them. They built a small shed to watch them come ashore but after the first penguins arrived we headed back to the van. We've already experienced them close by and there was a freezing cold wind.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Moeraki boulders
    Dunedin train station

    Dunedin

    December 18, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We got up early to get to the nearby Moeraki Boulders, a scenic arrangement of round rocks on a beach. But it's only visible with low tide. It was nice but nothing too exciting ;)
    Afterwards we moved on to Dunedin, a large city with breweries, shopping opportunities and - most relevant for us - the gateway to the Otago peninsula. We parked our van quite far outside of the center where we would be allowed to stay for the night and walked to the tourist information.
    We wanted to go to the peninsula the other day so we had the whole day to explore the city. But unfortunately we were done with it already after only about two hours... By chance we came by the Otago museum which is free and it was one of the most interesting museums I've ever been to. Facts about certain parts of the history are visualised short and on point together with explorable areas like a "living on a ship".    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Windy summit
    Hidden sea lionView from the top of Harbour coneViewpoint at the Albatross CentreThe PyramidsSea lion colony on Sandfly Beach

    Otago peninsula

    December 19, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The trip to the Otago Peninsula was one of our points on the Todo list because of the nature and landscapes. And it was definitely worth it!
    After changing our plans several times during the drive to there we decided to head first to the other side of the peninsula. There is a Albatross center which cares about the nesting birds there and also has a free museum and paid tours to offer. Luckily it was a very windy day so we could see them gliding over us for free :) We also saw a group of seals on the rocky shore below the lighthouse.
    The next stop was at "The Pyramids", rock formations that are shaped like pyramids. They were pretty nice but the trail led further to a bay. There we saw a large male New Zealand fur seal (they're actually sea lions) that just came to the shore. We watched him roll there in the sand and hop around for a while, then we took a stroll along the beach. As we came back he was still there so I sneaked closer to him while staying on the dunes. There I almost stepped accidentally on another sea lion that was relaxing in the dunes!!
    For the late afternoon we decided to hike up to Harbour cone. A really distinct hill in the middle of the peninsula. As we reached the summit after an hour hike up we got to see a beautiful panoramic view reaching all the way back to Dunedin. The wind started to blow harder and we could barely stay on our feet, so we made our way back to the van.
    While searching for a place to stay for the night we came by the Sandfly Beach Bay where we wanted to go the next day. So we parked there while wind gusts up to 70 km/h shook our van the whole night like a cradle.

    The other day the storm had calmed down and we could go to hike the beach on a 4 hour loop trail. But unfortunately we go lost because of some unclear markings (meaning none at all...). On the way we saw a whole group of sea lions on the rocks beside the beach.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    The Nugget Point
    Lovely spot for the nightCathedral coveOne of the hundreds of little things displayed in the galleryView down to the fjord from the Nugget point lighthouse

    The Catlins

    December 20, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We were on the way to the Fiordlands and Milford Sound after a quick stop in Dunedin. This would have meant leaving the southernmost part of the South Island out. But just before the junction we changed our mind spontaneously and decided to visit the area called "The Caitlins".
    The most famous attraction here is "Nugget Point", an incredibly popular and picturesque and lighthouse located on top of high cliffs. Besides that we visited some Waterfalls, the Cathedral cove and the Gypsy Museum.
    Especially the "The lost gypsy gallery" is worth to mention as it is something I've never seen before. A guy collects basically trash and builds apparatus from it, some with more sense than others. His waggon is full with small pushable, touchable stuff and it can keep you entertained for hours to explore this little gem.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Better than selfies
    Night camp with steak reward :)Entering the Kiwi Zone, unfortunately no Kiwis in sightViewsLovely hut

    Te Anau - The Fiordlands

    December 23, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We've finally made it to the Fiordland. A famous and picturesque area which is a large national park. Unfortunately there is a strict "No freedom camping" policy. Therefore we got us the cheapest option, a van park located just before the city. Still pretty expensive for nothing but a park spot.
    Then we checked what to do for the next few days in the area. Besides hiking it's famous for Kayaking, so we booked the next open spots with good weather for the 26th. In the Fiordlands are three of the "Great Walks" located, among them the "Milford Track", the so-called "greatest walk in the world". Unfortunately it's completely booked out until the end of the season in April. Besides that, the other two Great Walks, the "Kepler Track" and "Routeburn Track" were fully booked for the next days and weeks.
    But luckily both of them were better accesible, so we decided to do the Kepler Track - a 60km loop starting almost within the town. Our initial plan was to do the whole track in a single day but then decided to do just the first 18km and then turn around because they're supposed to be the best section. And it was an amazing hike up there with rewarding views over the nearby mountains, valleys and lakes. The trail is in a remarkably perfect condition so we could just enjoy the views. Near a hut is a small cave system which is accessible to explore.
    Overall it was a pretty long hike taking us about 10 hours but with rewarding views.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Beautiful Milford Sound on a calm morning
    Mirror Lakes with a bit of reflectionsKayaking in an impressive panoramaBeautiful pest

    Milford Sound

    December 26, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We took our time to get up to Milford Sound because we needed to be there at the 26th for kayaking. As we hiked a lot on the Kepler Track we relaxed a bit in a nice valley Campsite.
    For Christmas eve and Christmas we made some shorter hikes or just boardwalks. Among them a section of the Routeburn Track and a short walk to some mirror lakes. But it was too windy to get perfect reflections.
    Then we finally got to Milford Sound and the kayaking. It was our first time in sea kayaks and we had a blast!! The water was very calm so we came through the water pretty easy. Just after about 15 minutes we spotted a group of bottlenose dolphins right next to our Kayaks!! Apparently we were incredibly lucky as even our guide only saw three times dolphins in this season. Besides that the weather we had (sunny without a wind) only occurred once in 20 days :) Overall we had an amazing trip and experienced it in a special way. The only thing that is a bit disturbing to the beauty are the massive amount of planes going on tours there. On summer days it's the busiest airport in the world compared to the amount of inhabitants. After four hours of kayaking we returned to the parking lot with a bit of a sunburn.
    When we were driving back in the late afternoon we saw a Kiwi crossing the street :)    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Fergburger on the floating bar
    Relaxing after the shockView down to Queenstown from Ben LowmendOffshore trees in GlenorchyFireworks over Lake WakatipuAfter the swing

    Queenstown - The adventure capital of NZ

    December 31, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The busy little town was quite a change after the silence of the Fiordlands that we enjoyed for the past days. It's sprawling with tourists and booking companies trying to rip you off. We already knew upfront that we want to do the Nevis Swing - the biggest swing in the world. Luckily we got the last spot for the 30th of December, otherwise we would have needed to wait until the 4th of January...
    After booking this we made plans for the next days.

    We hiked up Ben Lomond, a challenging four hour climb, especially in the heat of the midday. There we met another Kea and enjoyed lunch with a spectacular view over the lake and surrounding mountains.

    We ate a delicious burger from Fergburger, a famous burger joint here in Queenstown. It is best enjoyed in the Floating bar with a local beer!

    We visited Glenorchy, a tiny town about an hour away from Queenstown. There we did the walkway around town and strolled over the beach. Not much more to do here ;)

    Then it was finally the time for the Nevis Swing. It took almost no time to get there by bus and there were just two people ahead of the us... The excitement was real and as it was our turn to get into the harness we were accompanied by the screaming of others :) But the experienced guide distracted us until he pulled the release and we went with an incredible speed down into the valley. After a few seconds that felt like forever we swung gently along the other side with our hearts beating like crazy. An experience that was well worth the money...

    We spent New Years eve in Queenstown were we expected a bustling scene and food stalls. But there wasn't too much, just two stages with live music and two food stalls. Besides that it was pretty cold and uncomfortable, so we had a hot chocolate in McDonalds until 11:30. Then we went to the harbour to see the fireworks :) It was cool because the rockets were started from a ship.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    View over to Mt Cook
    Snow on the way to Mueller HutJulia in a lavender fieldLake PukakiClay Cliffs, a stop on the way

    Mt Cook

    January 3, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    With an overnight stay at a huge camp spot near a lake we continued our journey. We needed to take a little detour of about 150km because we missed visiting Mt Cook on the way from Christchurch to Timaru. Mt Cook is a must-see as it is the biggest mountain in New Zealand and offers some of the most beautiful views.
    We arrived there later in the afternoon and made a short hike of about two hours through the Hooker Valley to get a first glimpse at the mountain. For the next day we had planned to go up to Mueller Hut, a 8 hour hike with 1500m climb. It was a pretty tough way leading first over almost 2000 stairs, then through boulder fields and in the end through snow. But the views were magnificent down to the valley, over to Mi Cook and to Mueller Glacier. You were all the time accompanied by the cracking of ice in the glacier...
    The next day we spent driving to Lake Tekapo which was a bit disappointing as there is basically nothing at all to do. So we came back to Lake Pukaki and spent the night there relaxing, enjoying a glass of wine and later stargazing.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    That Wanaka Tree
    Beer samplingBrain teaser

    Wanaka

    January 4, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Wanaka is also called the "cool little brother of Queenstown" because of the similar location to a lake and the mountains surrounding. Additionally there's quite a big backpacker scene and heaps to do. Before heading into town we stopped at a brewery and sampled some local beers. They weren't that good after all with some too intense the others just tasted like water.
    After checking in to the Visitor Center we rented a SUP to get a different view and for fun of course ;) It was much harder than it looked like but after some time we came along pretty well.
    The town is also famous for its Wanaka tree, a lone tree in the lake and - apparently - the most photographed tree in the world. When we came there in the evening there were no tourists and the light was perfect.

    For the next day we planned to go to a hike up to Rob Roy. Unfortunately the track was closed until further notice because of a wildfire right next to it. We were able to see the wildfire and the helicopters. We decided to move on as we didn't know when the track would reopen again. So we ended up in the Puzzling World Museum. A museum dedicated to trick your eyes.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Hot pools at the Copland hut
    One person maximumA random stone we signedCordón bleu by the oceanRiver through a valleyNice views!

    Copland Track

    January 6, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    At the Department of Conservation in Haast we made a stop because there was also a free museum. An info board showed several huts and tracks in the area, one of them the Copland Track. It looked quite interesting with Hot Pools and a pretty flat profile.
    Unfortunately the hut there was fully booked for the next days but we wanted to go anyways. So we decided to hike there, half way back to another hut with campsites for the night and back in the morning.

    Overall it took us about 5 hours to get to the Hot pools which were surprisingly totally natural. Just some shallow holes in the ground but really warm to hot. The night was pretty uncomfortable in the tent being surrounded by heaps of mosquitos and sand flies. So I didn't sleep well, maybe its just because I didn't hike all day as I used to ;)    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Franz Josef Glacier
    Waterfalls on the way to the viewpointPossum pest

    Glacier Country

    January 8, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    After hiking for two days and because the weather was pretty bad with rainfalls all day we decided not to go on a bigger hike at Fox Glacier. The trip to the viewpoint was about an hour but you couldn't see too much of the glacier, just the tip.
    The same was for Franz Josef Glacier (named after the Austrian-Hungarian emperor) but there you could see a bit more. Also the steel blue inner ice. Unfortunately both of them are dying at an immense fast pace and will be gone by 2035... The extent they had just 100 years ago compared to now is incredible and looking at this rest is sad.

    In Franz Josef village we got a spot in a well-equipped and cheap motor home park. Afterwards we bought a 2l box of ice cream as this was cheaper than two ice creams :D And because ice cream! In the evening we were visited by possums which weren't shy at all and crawled around the van searching for food.

    We considered doing a longer day hike at Franz Josef but due to heavy rainfalls the track was impassable, so we also just sticked to the viewpoint.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Pancake rocks
    Cave explorationFamous signBlowholeRough sea, winds and rainSome kind of competition in Westport with mini ponies

    West Coast - Untamed wilderness

    January 12, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The West Coast gave itself the subtitle "Untamed Wilderness". And it really suits because there's no cellphone service almost the whole way and endless walks, hikes and tramping tracks into the backcountry. For our trip further north we rented a kayak for a great price at Lake Mahinapua. The scenery looked amazing on the pictures but unfortunately it started raining heavily just after a couple of minutes on the water. So that's why it was so cheap ;) But we paid for it, so we kept going for two hours with a short brake on a recreation area. We were completely trenched by the time we got back to the dock. It was great fun even though we couldn't see very far.
    After a short stop in Hokitika we continued further North to Greymouth, the largest town along the West Coast. There we had our first proper resupply since leaving Queenstown, charged our devices. Besides that there wasn't much to do... Some smaller walks in the town and that's it basically.

    The highlight on the West Coast are the Pancake rocks and blowholes in Punakaiki. A lovely situated series of cliffs along a short stretch of walks. Besides that there was a short walk to a hidden beach and a cave tour. We even got to see some glowworms in the cave. You really get a full program here with easy effort...

    Overall we loved the scenery on the West Coast with the rough winds and sea, diverse landscapes and nature's wonders.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler

    Abel Tasman Great Walk

    January 16, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    If you're in the Golden Bay, the Abel Tasman National Park is a must-see! Serene beaches with stunning views that can be experienced best as part of a multi day hike along the Great Walk.
    In our case we decided to go for a single night camping because of several reasons, the first was the weather forecast which predicted rain for the second day. Besides the most beautiful spots are in the first 2/3 of the hike. So the first leg took us 20 kilometers to a quiet beach and Campsite. The length of the track differs depending on the low tide when you can shorten it by crossing shallow bays. By planning the next day we realised that we could either go late in the afternoon of early in the morning. We decided to head out at 4 in the morning so we could make it across a section that can only be passed at low tide!!
    That's the Appalachian Trail all over again :D But we managed to cross safely and arrived at 10 at the end of our trip. Because of the weather there we almost no cars so we switched from hitchhiking to get a taxi boat back.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler

    Marlborough

    January 25, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We came to Marlborough/Blenheim with the intention of me getting a job... But after about a week we decided to move on.
    There were promises from a local "Seasonal worker coordinator" that I would get jobs within two days but in the end I never heard back from her. So it was logical that we continued our travels until the end, to Christchurch with just having left out some spots for our way up to the North Island.
    But we had a pretty good time in the area with nice hikes and beautiful camp spots.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Max, the farm dog
    Riding a tractorPretty unusual place to put eggsNightly Mt HuttRakaia Gorge

    Canterbury Plains

    February 23, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We've stayed for a few weeks at a farm in the middle of the Canterbury plains aka the WhoopWhoops. It was an amazing experience and we enjoyed the company of the Scarlett family and their animals a lot! But we didn't do too much exploring in the time :)
    The only remarkable trip we made was up to Mt Hutt and the nearby Rakaia Gorge.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Castle Hills
    Waterfalls hikeIn the cave

    Arthur's Pass

    March 1, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After my mum arrived, Arthur's Pass was our first stop. We are happy to be back on the road. And Arthur's Pass was an amazing spot!
    The scenery stretches over to the West Coast with heaps of possibilities to stop and have a break/hike. First we explored Castle Hill, gentle slopes covered with rocks. We spent about an hour walking and climbing over them.
    The next stop was at Cave River Stream. It was a tip from some friends in Christchurch and turned out to be a memorable experience. After a short walk to the cave entrance it turns pitch dark within 25 metres and we were up to our hips in ice cold water. As you make your way up through the cave the current intensifies and and some point we had trouble going up the rocks. It's an intense one hour walk and I'd recommend it to anyone.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Pretty harbour town of Picton
    The Beehive, New Zealands parliamentTroll on the leftWorld's largest octopus on display

    Wellington

    March 6, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    After a detour to Motueka visiting friends of my mum we headed North. Finally crossing the Cook Straight to the North Island.
    We had beautiful weather in the Picton but it turned worse on the other shore with a temperature drop down to 13 degrees. After arriving in Wellington we first explored the city center with the parliament and took the tram up to the Botanic Gardens. From there we walked down to the city again.
    Before finding a spot for the night we went to the Weta Workshop. A series of buildings that became successful as the studio responsible for the costumes and CGI for the Lord of the Rings movies. Since then they have made a lot more movies, like Avatar and iRobot.
    For the second day in Wellington we went to the National Museum. The entry is for free and we enjoyed all the exhibitions about New Zealand and the Maori culture. After an empty battery of the van we fled the city.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Stairway leading to the summit at an early stage
    Rewards!Reflection of the mountain

    Mount Taranaki

    March 10, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    From Wellington we moved along the West Coast up to Mount Taranaki. An incredibly scenic volcano and impressive feature on every map due to its circular shape.
    After consulting the local tourist information we decided to head up to the summit esrly on the next day to avoid a wind that is coming up in the afternoon. Therefore we slept right at the trail head so it saved us some time in the morning. With the wind chill the temperature went down to 8 degrees. We still managed got up at 5:30 and hike for three hours before making the first break. Another hour later we were on top and as soon as you were out of the sun it was freezing cold. But the views from there were stunning and absolutely worth the pain of getting up so early :) The descent was a bit difficult because a steep part was unsealed so you could basically just slide down and fall all the time.
    After spending the night in New Plymouth we made another hike. This time up to a ridge line next to Mt Taranaki. Little did we know that it was two hours of stair climbing. Once again it was worth it because we were able to get an almost perfect reflection of the mountain.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Before the Tongariro Alpine Crossing
    Halfway PointView of the lakesLake TaupoHuka Falls

    Tongariro Region

    March 14, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    For the next stop we decided to go to the Tongariro National Park, the so called Big Brother of Taranaki. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is named as the best day hike in the world. So it was a must-do for us despite the weather forecast wasn't that great. And it turned out that the lady in the information center was right after all.
    After a smooth start in the morning the high winds made the crossing pretty tough. Additionally the view wasn't clear. So we were lucky that we got a glimpse at the beautiful colored Blue Lake in the craters. One does not simply walk into Mordor aka Mt Ngauruhoe, which was the Lord of the Rings setting for Mordor. On the way up I lost my beloved hat :( And on the way down the sun came out and it turned clear but we didn't want to go back :D

    After the 6 hour hike we stayed in Taupo for the night and enjoyed a swim there in the refreshing lake. Just a short drive north the famous Huka Falls were a great spot to visit.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Statue of Cpt Cook in Gisborne
    A camp spot on the way to GisborneReef River Slide

    East Coast

    March 17, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We left out Hastings and Napier, just because we didn't find anything worth of interest there in our research. So we made a bit of a detour on the way to Gisborne via the Waikaremoana region but due to heavy winds we ended up not staying there as long as we thought we would. After a short hike to a lookout we moved on.
    Gisborne itself had some shorter walks as well, especially a shorter coastal walk was nice for us. It was raining pretty hard for the whole day so we weren't in the mood for a whole lot of outdoor activities.
    Despite another rain forecast we went for the Reef River Slide. A natural slide going over 15m down. It takes a bit of courage in the first place to jump on the sleeping mat and jump down it. But after the first metres it's just fun and games until you hit some stones before going into the water :D One of our highlights!!    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Waiotapu Champagne pool
    Bubbly pool in RotoruaHangis

    Rotorua region

    March 19, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The next stop on our highlights tour was Rotorua. The first thing to notice was the distinct and intense smell of sulfur all over the town. Unbelievable how people could live with that for a long period of time. Maybe you get used to it... So we explored the city in an afternoon and there's a lot going on: Many hot pools, Geothermal activity, Maori culture... There we also tried the traditional Maori food Hangis, a mashup of all kinds of local ingredients (Kumara, a sweet potato; potatoes...) that is slow cooked in holes in the Earth using the thermal heat. Not a definite recommendation but worth a try :)
    Besides that we sticked to the Tourist attractions: South of Rotorua is the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, a quite expensive park with all kinds of thermal activities like a Geysir and smoking colourful water holes. Next to it was a pretty cool attraction for free, the Mud Pools. A bubbling mass of dirt.    Read more

  • Mates on tourNew ZealandTraveler
    Entrance to the Waitomo caves
    Stuffed Kiwis

    Waitomo Caves

    March 21, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    A short hop from Waiotapu further to the West are the Waitomo Caves. A famous series of caves that are mostly known for the glow worms that inhabit large sections. The glow worms are maggots that use an illumination to attract insects and lure them into traps. These cruel little maggots look like stars at the cave roofs. Overall the tickets for the Waitomo caves were overpriced because you were not allowed to take pictures and the boat ride was a bit lame. But if its your only chance to see the glow worms you should take it!!
    Another one of our highlights was the Kiwi House in Otorohanga, a lovely little zoo which really cares about the animals. As the Kiwis are so hard to find in the wild it was our chance to see these adorable flightless birds.    Read more

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