The North Island, New Zealand Road Trip!

Rajesh and I had been planning to visit New Zealand since forever!! We had about 10 days of holiday in October and decided that we finally needed to make that trip we always kept talking about! (Also it was Rajesh’s Bday!! YAYYY!!) 

Initially, we were stuck in a loop of indecision on whether to visit the North Island or the South Island of New Zealand. We decided to do North Island for the following reasons :

1. We wanted to explore the South Island in a motorhome and South Island gets very very cold in October (cold enough to leave your extremities feeling like ice cubes). Also we didn’t think death by hypothermia would be fun! Waking up in the campervan with frost on our eyelashes also did not seem like fun! We decided it would be best to leave the South Island for the summer season! 
2. We had FRIENDS in Auckland!!! (Yes! Yes! We have successfully tricked people into  liking us! HURRAY!!) And birthdays are a little more special when you are surrounded by friends, yeah? [cue fluttering hearts and pink confetti]
3. South Island IMO deserves at least 14-15 days or more!

So we decided to fly into Auckland and drive all the way down to Wellington over the course of 9 days! Our friends decided to join us for the first half of our road trip, after which they went back to Auckland and Rajesh and I continued to drive further down south! The North Island has so many highlights enough to make your head spin! With its thermal hot springs, volcanoes, beaches, it is nothing short of spectacular! Rajesh and I visited the North Island in October 2018 and again the following year in July 2019! And I am writing about it…[counts on fingers] Yup! 10 months later! Enjoy the holes in my memory!

Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Auckland
Day 2: Coromandel, Hahei
Day 3: (Pretend) Ski in Mount Ruapehu
Day 4: Rotorua, Polynesia Spa
Day 5: Wai-O-Tapu, Hobbiton and Mitai Maori Show
Day 6: Explore Taupo – Zorbing, Craters of the Moon, Huka Falls and Lake Taupo
Day 7: Tongariro Traverse
Day 8:  Wellington

Driving Route

Day 1: Explore Auckland

We landed in Auckland the night before! We picked up a local sim from Vodafone just outside the airport! You can get a sim card here for as less as 30$ which gives you 1.5GB of data (which I suppose is enough, if all you use it for is navigation!). Our friends picked us up at the airport and welcomed us into their cozy colourful apartment! First there were a lot of hugs (We are…well..huggy humans!), shrill screams of excitement and flying rainbow unicorns! We were really excited to see our friends!! They even got me a gift…a big box of body shop goodness!! (I have done very well for myself in the friend-picking department! I would pat myself on the back if I was capable of that sort of dexterity!) I loooooove body shop products, they smell like mangoes and ….umm…love and happiness! We were so EXCITED!! Hanging out with awesome people will do that to you! 

We slept only for a few hours. We had to wake up really realllyyy early because the boys conjured up a plan to play badminton at their local clubhouse!! I am not sure how they had so much energy! Research (or general consensus of my friends over beer) confirms that this phenomenon is a direct result of jet lag combined with endorphins! I don’t think it could be reproduced! It was tied to the time and place plus the knowledge that we only had 4 days with our friends (YOLO!!!!!)

As the game progressed, the boys also got more competitive! They gradually switched from treating each other like best friends to drawing each other’s blood! It was great fun! Everyone returned with the same number of limbs that they initially went in with! (Limbs are important!) We stopped by the Mission Bay beach on the way back home which has a nice walking and biking path around the foreshore with great water views. Our friends also filled us in on interesting facts about the laws around Maori people and their customs, which is probably still somewhere in my brain! (All I have to do to unlock this knowledge is meditate  get drunk!)

After having brunch, the 5 of us just stayed in bed engaging in silly banter and laughing at inappropriate stuff !(the usual!)  I love friends with whom I can have a conversation that has absolutely no point! (IMO those friends last a long time!). After a couple of hours we realised that we should probably explore Auckland a little bit! Our friend’s brother offered to take us to Mt Eden, Maungawhau, which is the highest of Auckland’s volcanoes with incredible views of the city and harbour! We took multiple pictures here! It was beautiful!

We also crashed someone’s (whose face I cannot remember) baby shower party! THERE WAS CAKE!!! (My brain was blinded by the sweet, sweet promise of severing a giant chocolate cake with my teeth). After a lot of cake consumption, we got ready to go out in the evening! Our friends planned to take us to their favourite bars in the city! It was a great night! Here are some fuzzy pictures from the night!

Day 2: Coromandel, Hahei

Judging from the pictures of the night before, it won’t come as a big surprise when I say that none of us woke up before noon the next day! (It is SCIENCE!!! A body at rest wants to stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force or the need to pee!) Well after what seemed like hours, my friends managed to pack their bags and we all slumped into the car ready for our roadtrip! (YAYY!!!) 

We first drove to Hahei’s hot water beach! It was a really unique experience of digging your own natural spa pool! The hot water is just below the surface of the sand and the water can get really HOT! The water oozing out of the fissures on this beach can be as hot as 65C! It also contains a large amount of salts and minerals! You can even get spades for hire here! It felt great to watch our toes melt away in the boiling water because it was freezing outside! (Psshh! Who needs toes anyway!!?)

After spending a few hours at the beach, me and my toe-less buddies got back to our car! We had a looooooong way to drive. We reached Taupo pretty late in the evening. We stopped to get some take-away pizzas on the way and also sneakily ordered a birthday cake for Rajesh while he was distracted, possibly by cute cat videos that I keep sending him! (That is also the secret of our relationship – constant back and forth sharing of pointless and funny cat videos!!! Yeah, We are romantic like that!). We reached our bnb and gorged on cheesy delicious pizzas! We made Rajesh cut the double chocolate cake! Someone also played a scary birthday song on their phone, it was a mutant bunny rabbit with laser beams for eyes singing the birthday song, it sounded suspiciously like Chewbacca being strangled to death! It is now our favorite song to play on birthdays! Like all birthday parties, this too ended at 4 in the morning!

Day 3: (Pretend) Ski at Mount Ruapehu

We drove to Mount Ruapehu the next day! We were hoping to do a lot of skiing! Rajesh and I have never been skiing our whole lives, so we were obviously very excited! I was also a little worried I was going to knock down some trees with my face! The drive to Mount Ruapehu was great fun, we made a lot of pit stops on the way, but since I can’t remember conversations that happened over ten months ago, I shall turn to the time-honored practice of making stuff up! 

As we reached closer to Mount Ruapehu, it started raining violently. We battled against the strong rains and winds that threatened to knock our hairline back a few inches!  Random flow of air, SCREW YOU I SAY, also stop taking my cap, you DON’T need it!! [* gets literally knocked to the ground by the wind*]. I had clearly underestimated the weather and was wearing ripped jeans (RIP legs!). Fortunately for me, my friend gave me her thermal pants to wear underneath and saved my legs from dying! When we reached the ski center, they told us we couldn’t ski due to the terrible weather, but they did however let us spend a bit of time in the snow! There was a snowball fight (More like a snowball battle!) It hurt to hold the cold snow in my hand but I was determined just like everyone else! We also took a couple of pictures pretending to ski! I think we looked pretty convincing (even without any actual skis!)!

Later that evening, we also went to a local fair! We decided to sit in the dashing cars, because assaulting each other with snow and ice wasn’t enough, obviously! It was great fun! We got some takeaway food and retired back to our bnb! We discovered that our bnb had a hot tub and suddenly, just like that,  IT WAS HOT TUB TIME!!! The six of us got into the hot tub with food and beers and CAKEEEE!! I think Rajesh’s bday was just an excuse to eat unacceptable amounts of cake! The cake had a unique flavour that appealed to just about everyone with or without functioning taste buds! Rajesh cut his second birthday cake in the hot tub (also because getting out of the hot tub in the freezing cold felt like death). This has become some sort of a birthday ritual which started a couple of years ago with me cutting my birthday cake in a hot tub! Eventually the hot tub started to melt our skin off! (And this, ladies and gentlemen is how you wind up cooking yourself alive!). 

Day 4: Rotorua, Polynesia Spa

We started our day off with a food coma by going to Delhi Hut, Rotorua. They were a dhaba style joint serving vegetarian Indian cuisine! Want a Paratha for breakfast? They got that! Want a samosa chaat? Yes, yes you do and you will get them here!! That’s just a wee smattering of all the glorious things you can start your day with. If the menu is too much for your brain to handle, I’d recommend sticking to the Chole Bhature (like I did!). The prices were great and the portions were pretty huge as well! We ordered practically the whole menu between the 7 of us! The food was delicious!  It’s earned its spot on my EAT-AGAIN list. Rajesh and I even went back the next day! I was happy and also in pain because the food was hot (But the benefits of eating delicious piping hot chole bhature outweigh the downsides of a scorched tongue!). 

We continued digesting our food by strolling around a park in Rotorua and clicking a million pictures! Whoever said “the grass is greener on the other side” must have surely been talking about New Zealand! The grass is soooo green here!! It possibly couldn’t get any greener! If someone ever needs an illustration of “verdant” or “lush”, they  should visit New Zealand!

The Polynesia Spa is voted one of the top ten spas in the world! There are seven hot mineral spring pools overlooking the scenic Rotorua lake! The water’s are sourced from two natural springs with acidic and alkaline waters! The acidic pools are great for sore muscles and aches whereas the alkaline ones make your skin smooth and nourished! HOW GOOD IS THIS!!!!??! I squealed to my friends as we sat there admiring the gorgeous views! I let out a deep sigh, I could feel the spring water sapping out all of my energy, allowing my body to rejuvenate! We were there for about 3 hours before we decided to leave! Later, we retired back to our room, ordered some grub for lunch and unwillingly said goodbye to our friends who had to head back to Auckland! :’(

Day 5: Wai-O-Tapu, Hobbiton & The Mitai Maori Show 

The North Island is literally a hotbed for geothermal activity. The region between Rotorua and Taupo has the highest concentration of hot springs, geysers, sulphuric pools and bubbling mud in the world. Wai-O-Tapu Thermal wonderland is a must-see destination in Rotorua! The iconic Champagne pool, the Devil’s bath and the Lady Knox Geyser are a window to the inner workings of the planet earth! Rajesh and I picked up our rental car and drove to Wai-O-Tapu early next morning. It is a 20-minute drive from Rotorua and along the drive you can spot several steam vents – it looked like there was smoke and steam everywhere we looked. The admission to Wai-O-Tapu is about 32.50 NZD per adult. Once you get past the rotten-egg smell from hydrogen sulphide emissions (it’s the scent of Earth’s belly), it is a spectacular walk around the geo-thermal park on well defined boardwalks! It is like you have been transported to a different planet with caves, lakes and craters of different colors and shapes! The champagne pool was our absolute favourite, it is a gigantic pool with a bright orange border, filled with hot bubbling water which looked indeed a bit like Champagne bubbles. Every day at 10:15 AM, you can see and learn about the unique Lady Knox Geyser! Make sure to go a bit early and grab good seats! We explored this geothermal park for about 2.5 hours, the intense colours make for some great photo ops!

We drove to Hobbiton next! I have never really watched the Lord Of The Rings trilogy completely (I know, I know! I have tried though, believe me!) Rajesh and I tried to do a LOTR movie marathon weekend once, but I kept falling asleep! Thankfully, I have chosen Rajesh as a partner, he got me doing a lot of stuff that I may have not otherwise chosen over my favourite activity – sleeping too much! (TBH I don’t think there is anything such as too much sleep!). He also thinks my tombstone should read  “Don’t feel too bad, she really loved to sleep!” 

What I was getting at was that you MUST MUST go to hobbiton even if you haven’t watched the movie and have only ever read the first book like me!! The drive to Matamata is beautiful and when you reach Hobbiton you feel like you have stepped into a completely different world! The attention to detail is stunning! And you also get to enjoy a complimentary beer at the Green Dragon!

Later that evening, we got ready to go for the Maori show. There are multiple Maori experiences to choose from in Rotorua. We decided to go with the Mitai Maori, it was very comprehensive as it included the Maori cultural performance, a hangi dinner, warriors paddling an ancient warrior canoe (waka) down the Wai-o-whiro stream and a glow worm and nature walk! It was a great way to learn about the Maori culture, we were taught how to cook a traditional hangi meal, the art of Ta Moko (tattoos), you learn about the traditional musical instruments, medicinal properties of certain herbs and get to experience the “Haka” Maori war dance! Rajesh and I were also surprised by how brain-alteringly delicious the hangi vegetarian options were! It also earned its spot on my “WANT-FOREVER-THANK-YOU-VERY-MUCH” list!

Day 6: Explore Taupo – Zorbing, Huka Falls, Craters of the Moon and Lake Taupo

What’s not to like about rolling down the hill in a giant inflatable plastic ball?? Rajesh and I decided to go zorbing the next morning! It was recommended to us by our friends who had been there before and totally enjoyed the experience. Rotorua also has the world’s longest zig-zag sidewinder track (Zorb, Rotorua)! We decided to give it a try! You even have the option of adding water inside the zorb ball and to no one’s surprise, we decided to go with this option because Rajesh thought it would add an extra slippery element to the ride!

Day 27: We were rolling down the hill but now we are floating across the sea, Rajesh and I have resorted to eating the inside of the ball to stay alive (But hey! At least we have water!)

JUUUUST KIDDDING! (*nervous laugh!*)! Rajesh and I chose the Zydro, meaning you aren’t strapped to the ball and your zorb has water filled in it! I was excited but also terrified, both Rajesh and I got into the giant zorb filled with water. The whole way we were slipping and sliding, limbs flying, screaming and laughing at the same time! Rajesh fell on me a couple of times (NOT FUN!). When we finally reached the bottom of the hill, we had to slide down the opening! Probably this is what being birthed feels like! Rajesh had so much fun that he decided to go again but this time on the fastest and steepest track! After the ride, we spent some time in the nice spa bath overlooking the hill that we just rolled down from!!! It was a crazy fun experience and we would totally recommend it!

Next we stopped at some cafe to get some breakfast and then drove towards Taupo to the famous Huka Falls. It is located just outside Taupo and is easily accessible by car. From the car park, it is just a short walk to the falls! The Huka falls is the most-visited natural attraction in New Zealand! The pale blue waters of the Huka falls gush down through the gorge and crash with such a thunderous roar, it is stunning! The word Huka is also Maori for “foam” bubbles!

After spending about an hour at the Huka falls, we drove to the Craters of the moon! Named for its other-worldly atmosphere, Craters of the Moon is part of the Wairakei geothermal field. The steaming craters came to life in the 1950’s when the nearby power station lowered underground water levels. There are boardwalks that loop through craters, mud pools and fumaroles and the whole walk takes approximately 40 minutes!

Later in the evening we explored Taupo. We strolled around the gorgeous Taupo lake, the biggest lake in Australasia! There are many hot springs on the way where you can dip your feet! You can even rent a bike here and cycle your way around this lake!

Day 7: Tongariro Traverse

The Tongariro Alpine crossing is a 19.8 km trek. You follow a track which leads to the saddle between Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro and eventually you are rewarded with incredible volcanic landscapes, emerald lakes, and craters! We could not hike up to the emerald lake since the day before we were due to hike, an ill-prepared hiker died due to the extreme cold weather conditions and the area was off-limits to tourists! However we were still allowed to do the Tongariro Traverse hike which is about 20 kms too and takes about 7-9 hours to complete! It was one of our best experiences in the North Island! The track has you facing Mt Ngauruhoe (pronounced “nah-roo-ho-eh”, and used to depict Mt Doom in LOTR), with Mt Ruapehu behind your back. It is GORGEOUS! 

A few tips before you go hiking here:

1. The weather conditions can change suddenly as you hike, so wear a lot of layers! [I was wearing at least 5 and I swear I still couldn’t feel my arms!]
2. Carry plenty of water and food! We were glad that we were carrying 3L of water! I was so proud I drank so much water that day (Water never tasted so good)! On a normal day, drinking 2L of water seems almost impossible, but 10 beers in 2 hours goes down with no trouble at all! (Welcome to adulthood!)
3. You have to arrange for a bus transfer from/to your accommodation. These guys are pretty reliable: https://www.tongariroexpeditions.com

We had lunch at the top of the Upper Tama Lake, peanut butter jelly sandwiches never tasted so good! After lunch, Rajesh suddenly had the energy of a thousand raging bulls!  We even took a detour to the Taranaki falls! Remember, I have hardly any responsibilities..I just have to not die, pretty much. I was mostly focussing on lugging my weight up the mountain. I sounded like…well, not a whole lot since I chose not to speak to conserve energy that I needed to concentrate on not dying. Rajesh didn’t seem to mind because he was probably afraid that I would fall down and die. My knees were in pain but it was a super cool experience! I came out of the other end ALIVE!!! wooohoooo!!!

We reached our room and decided to just lie all day in the hot tub! It felt like I had been hit by a truck! The jacuzzi felt great for all of our sore muscles! We also rewarded ourselves with some beers, played some board games and took a loooong looooong nap!

Day 8:  Explore Wellington

It takes anywhere between 5-6 hours to drive from Taupo to Wellington (or longer if you take multiple breaks!). Driving in New Zealand was amazing, we made multiple stops along the way since we were distracted by the scenery! And it’s not just about having the best beach or the best national park. It’s the whole package and the remarkable diversity of landscapes. The whole country is the beauty of our planet concentrated, magnified, slightly improved and put closely together in what looks like a God’s version of miniature park of world wonders. 

There is also a wine and cheese tasting venue that overlooks the most gorgeous scenery in Boomrock! It is a bit of a drive to get to, but it is totally worth it. They have a wine challenge where they gamify the whole experience, you are not only made to taste the wine but are also educated on some of New Zealand’s finest wines by a local wine connoisseur! Stuffing cheese and wine in my face was a fun way to spend the afternoon!!

We reached Wellington in the evening and went out to explore the city!  Rajesh and I really loved the vibe of Wellington, it reminded us of a tinier version of Melbourne!  It has a pretty young and fun population which means that there’s a great bar and going out scene in town. We hit the local clubs later! There was live music, drinks and loads and loads of sweaty bodies crammed against each other on the dance floor! The club had exceeded its legal capacity by about 200%. People may have been sitting on top of each other, it was hard to tell! But we had a great time! We had Lebanese for dinner and it was pretty great too! We didn’t catch any sleep because we had a flight to catch early next morning, so we explored the nightlife in wellington and ended the day playing videogames with a bunch of university kids until 3 in the morning!

Driving around NorthIsland was a lot of fun! We can’t wait to do it again!! We missed experiencing the black water rafting in Waitomo caves! It looked really interesting and scary at the same time and if you are an adventure junkie, we suggest you give it a go! 

Well you made it to the end!!! HURRAY!!! [Throws confetti!] THIS IS THE END OF THIS BLOG! Now you are released from this prison!! Toodles!!

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