Conclusion New Zealand

Beautiful New Zealand. A country that is hardly surpassed in terms of its diversity of nature by any other country on earth, has probably delighted us as much as many travelers before us, with its beautiful beaches, active volcanic region, glaciers, mountains, lakes, ease of travel, tranquility, and the super friendly New Zealanders. Despite the fact that we had planned the longest travel time for this country, we didn't really get the chance to relax during our 8-week stay. There were only 3 campsites where we stayed 2 days in a row, there was simply too much to see :-D New Zealand is also an absolute paradise for hiking, so you have to choose between countless short walks and the many Great Walks through the breathtaking landscape.

In total, we traveled about 7,500 km with our faithful companion, our Toyota Corolla, including certainly over 1,000 km of gravel roads, which were sometimes almost criminal ;-) but looking back, almost every kilometer was worth it.

However, New Zealand is unfortunately not a cheap travel destination. Therefore, if you want to see a lot and visit the beautiful more remote spots, you should simply buy a tent and all the necessary camping equipment at the local Warehouse store and stay at the countless campsites. On the North Island, we really liked the DOC campsites, while on the South Island we mostly stayed at the Holiday Park campsites. The maps from DOC as well as the Campermate app are very helpful for making a choice ;-) Tip at this point: If you have a gas stove attachment, which luckily we bought at Walmart during our trip to the USA, you should take it with you, as they are outrageously expensive, while the gas cartridges are reasonably priced. A campsite for 2 people is much cheaper on average at 20-30 NZD compared to a double room in a hostel at an average of 80 NZD. You can also save money on refueling if you have a discount card. We had one from Countdown and so we could save at least 6 cents per liter when we filled up for over 40 NZD.

However, if you don't have as much time as we fortunately do, and for example only have 4 weeks including arrival and departure time, we would recommend the following travel route. Start with an open-jaw flight in mid or late January, as the high season is already over and the weather is still very nice, either in Auckland or in Christchurch and then of course return flight in reverse, so that you don't lose much time. 4 days are already lost due to the arrival and departure, so we would spend about 9 days on the North Island and 15 days on the South Island. We would spend the first 1.5 days in Auckland and then set off towards Northland by rental car, with 2.5 days you can visit Cape Reinga, the Waipura Forest and the Abbey Caves glowworm caves near Wangarei.

Auckland Harbor

Afterwards, you should spend 2 days on the Coromandel Peninsula and here you can visit either Port Jackson and/or Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach (Note: only visit at low tide).

Then you should plan 2.5 days in Hobbiton and the volcanic region around Rotorua, including a visit to the Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Taupo, and the Tongariro Crossing. In this case, we would only make a short stop in Wellington for the crossing to the South Island.

Hobbiton in Matamata

Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Arriving on the South Island, we would start from Picton and take the Queen Charlotte Drive towards Abel Tasman National Park and spend 2 days in the park (see recommended route in the Abel Tasman report).

Bark Bay - Abel Tasman National Park

From Abel Tasman National Park, there is a longer route along the West Coast, for which you should plan at least 2 days up to Wanaka, as there are many worthwhile stops in good weather (e.g. Hokitika, Arrowtown for gold panning, Pancake Rocks, Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier).

Pancake Rocks - West Coast

In Wanaka and the surrounding area, we also recommend spending about 2 days, as there is simply too much to see. You should definitely plan a half day for the challenging hike to Roy's Peak, as the view is fantastic.

Roy's Peak Wanaka

In the region around Queenstown, you should plan about 2 days and definitely hike up Bob's Peak. Adrenaline junkies will also get their money's worth in Queenstown.

Bob's Peak: Queenstown and the Remarkables

From Queenstown, we would recommend a tour to Milford Sound (1 day) and then head directly towards Moeraki (1 day), which is our absolute insider tip. If you haven't seen fur seals, albatrosses, or penguins before, you can see them all at once here in an incredibly relaxed atmosphere and as a highlight, you can observe the probably rarest penguins in the world, the yellow-eyed penguins, in their natural habitat. However, you should go to Moeraki Lighthouse between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm for this. The boulders, which can only be visited at low tide, are also worth a stop.

Milford Sound

From Moeraki, you should plan about 3 days for the drive and visit to Omaru, Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo.

If you haven't had enough driving yet, you can then visit Kaikoura and book a whale watching flight or a dolphin tour. You should plan at least the remaining day until departure for Christchurch. However, this plan unfortunately contains virtually no weather buffer, so if the weather doesn't cooperate as hoped, you may have to do without 1-2 stops, but then you can use the time wonderfully for the other stops ;-D.

Street Art Christchurch