Travelogues New Zealand
4.0K Travel reports · 265 travel bloggers · 62.7K photos · Best time to travel: January & February · Create a travel blog · About Vakantio
Vacation in New Zealand : Highlights & Travel Tips
New Zealand is a dream destination for travelers who want dramatic scenery, outdoor adventure, and a relaxed, welcoming culture all in one trip. From snow-capped mountains and turquoise lakes to wild coastlines, geothermal valleys, and rolling green countryside, the country packs remarkable variety into two main islands. What makes it especially memorable is how accessible these landscapes feel: in a single itinerary, you can hike through alpine national parks, sip world-class wine, explore Māori cultural experiences, and unwind in small towns known for their friendliness and fresh local food.
Key highlights include Milford Sound and Fiordland for unforgettable fjord views, Queenstown for adventure sports, Rotorua for geothermal activity and cultural performances, and Auckland or Wellington for urban dining and arts. Many travelers also love driving the South Island for its cinematic scenery, including Aoraki/Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo, and the West Coast glaciers. For practical planning, renting a car or campervan offers the most flexibility, but distances can be longer than they appear on a map, so avoid overpacking your schedule. Weather can change quickly, especially in alpine areas, so layers and waterproof gear are essential year-round, and booking accommodations and transport well ahead is wise during the peak summer season.
Popular travel destinations New Zealand
Best time to travel New Zealand
The best time to visit New Zealand is during January and February, when travel popularity peaks and conditions are ideal for road trips, hiking, sightseeing, and enjoying the country’s beaches, cities, and outdoor experiences. December and March are also excellent choices, offering warm weather with slightly fewer crowds than the height of summer.
All travel reports from New Zealand
01.01.2020 Happy New Year
Man, the last year went by incredibly quickly. But don't we say that every year? Consciously taking time for things that bring us joy and consciously taking time for ourselves....
Catlins and Dunedin
Catlins without penguins, Dunedin without penguins, but many other natural spectacles...
South Island Part 1 - New Zealand
We were welcomed by beautiful New Zealand summer rain on the South Island. Through Nelson and all the associated hop plantations, past Lake Rotoroa and through the mining town...
Day 11 - Lake Wanaka, Golf, Christmas
First Christmas day, 25.12. Traditionally, this is the day when Christmas is celebrated. So, we had to take it easy as almost everything is closed. - No problem, let's play golf...
Day 6 - Dunedin or Gone with the wind
After a short night in Oamaru, we set off early to Dunedin as we wanted to play golf on a links course by the sea, Chisholm Links, around 10:30. Shortly after we started...
Rotorua, Tongariro, Taranaki, Wellington - New Zealand
In Rotorua, we first went for a day of cycling in the Whakarewarewa Red Woods Mountain Bike Park. Then we relaxed at the Green Lake. Over the next two days, we visited Te Puia,...
Day 4 - Mount Cook National Park
After a truly fabulous breakfast prepared by our enchanting hosts Stephanie and Alistair, we were ready for some great adventures. Stephanie strongly advised against SUP...
18.12.2019 Nelson, Abel Tasman National Park
We are already arriving at the place in New Zealand where there is at most 7 days of rain in a month during summer, and what's the weather like when we arrive? Right, it's...
Christchurch (NZL)
Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand and the last stop on my journey through New Zealand...
Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo
Hooker Valley Track
Mt. Cook National Park (NZL)
Der Aoraki/Mt. Cook ist mit 3.724 Meter der höchste Berg Neuseelands...
My new home on wheels
My car!!!
First stop: New Zealand
Monday, 18.11.19, Day 1 - Wednesday, 20.11.19, Day 3 Travel to Auckland, New Zealand 6:00 PM, Terminal 1. The luggage bigger than ourselves. That strange feeling that can't be...
Franz Josef Glacier (NZL)
The Franz Josef Glacier was named after an Austrian emperor and is approximately 11 km long...
Queenstown
On Friday morning, we took the Intercity from Dunedin to Queenstown. Departure was at 8.30 am in Dunedin and after about 5 hours of travel, we arrived in Queenstown with the...
28.10.-01.11.2019 Shag Point with Elaine, Duncan and Jack
Elaine and Duncan wanted to spend the next few days at 'Shag Point', a beachside campground for fishing. Although it was not in the direction we were heading, we spontaneously...
Tag 152 - fine
29.09.19 - Alex Without a fluttering plastic bag as a window, we wake up refreshed and in good weather at the harbor, have breakfast and drive towards the national park, which...
Mt. Maunganui (NZL)
16.10.2019 - 18.10.2019 From the Coromandel Peninsula, I continued to the Bay of Plenty to Tauranga. From there, I took a trip to the neighboring Mt. Maunganui. Due to a closed...
Bay of Islands (NZL)
Paihia
21/09/2019 Wakanui Beach and a smiling monshark
First day off after 8 days, that feels so good :-)! The sun was shining so beautifully that we decided to go to the beach. Wakanui Beach is about 1 hour away from us, but we...
Tag 135 - furry
09/12/19 - Alex The weather is not as good as yesterday, but the rest area where we wake up this morning has not lost its beauty. We have breakfast, prepare our motorhome...
Tag 134 - steep slope
11.09.19 - Alex After a long sleep, an even longer breakfast, and some laziness, we leave the rest area, cross the downtown of New Plymouth again, and continue driving south....
Tag 129 - neblig
06.09.19 - Jonna Wir verlassen den schönen Platz im Wald und fahren bis in die nächste Stadt. Rotorua. Wir werden schon sehr beeindruckend von Dampfwolken begrüßt, die aus einem...
Day 120 - Free
28.08.19- JonnaIn the morning, we see our overnight spot for the first time in daylight and it's not as bad as we thought. Located on the outskirts of a small village, there are...
Summary of the trip
The first question that is always asked: how did our grandson handle the flights? Better than us, Leo remained very relaxed throughout the entire journey. Would we do the trip...
Return from New Zealand
We spent our last night in New Zealand in a small apartment on Waiheke. Surrounded by ferns and bushes, it felt like sleeping in a treehouse in the rainforest. After breakfast,...
02/08/2019 first week. Job, car, camping
Wow.. it's only been a week and we've already opened a bank account, applied for our tax number, bought a car, and found our first job. Where else does all of this happen so...
22.12.18 The Catlins!
Saturday 22.12.18 It's raining when I wake up, so I treat myself to some more sleep since the Icelander told me yesterday that he doesn't care when I leave. The weather forecast...
Day 13 - Dunedin
... this is how Dunedin is pronounced, one of the larger cities on the South Island and one of our stops for today. Before our arrival there, we had a sightseeing spot to visit...