Drive New Zealand
The best way to see NZ terrain
A Recommended Hike from Our Farm Stay Hostess
It may have been a tight fit to squeeze four adult women and all of their luggage into a mid-size sedan, but I honestly would not have wanted it any other way. The best way to see New Zealand’s north island was to simply drive it. We started in Auckland and made our way over the course of three days down to Wellington. Before taking this trip, we all agreed that we should make this part of our trip more than just a way to get from point A to point B. If there was something to see or do along the way, we agreed to stop and enjoy it
Our first stop was on our way to Matamata (where we were going to see Hobbiton and stay at a farm for our overnight). We were hungry and found a road-side diner that had incredible breakfast pies (we gobbled them up before taking any pictures!). We didn’t share these pies, and we took advantage of the stop to fill up on food, water, and caffeine in the form of mochas and lattes.
After our stay in Matamata, we made our way down to Taupo, our next stop. One piece of advice we were given from our farm stay was to find a trail about halfway between the two locations. We followed the directions and ended up walking a trail that wound its way along a creek. After we explored the area for about an hour, we decided to continue on. However, we ended up doing a lot of these mini explorations over the next few days!
New Zealand Offers Quaint and Picturesque Landscapes at Every Turn
We Always Had Our Cameras Ready to Take in Any Photographic Opportunity
Don’t Be Afraid of Stopping at Road-Side Diners!
Braving Bridges at Kaitoke Regional Park (Also Known as Rivendell to Lord of the Rings Fans)
Hike to See the Aratiatia Rapids Outside of Taupo
One of Many Roadside Parks Showing Off the Rolling Hills of the North Island