After leaving Keswick at the beginning of Nov 2024, it was time for my return to New Zealand. I’d actually spent 3.5 months there the previous winter, but unfortunately broke my ankle 3 weeks in to my trip. At the time, I chose not to fly back to the UK and stayed in Queenstown to make the most of it, saying to myself I will be back next year to do all the adventures I could no longer have.

Fast forward a year, I’m back in Queenstown after a 1-month road trip around the North Island of New Zealand with my friend Amber, who I’ve known since college. Exploring new places, hiking up mountains and generally just being tourists! I’m enjoying some much-needed down time after a busy summer working 3 jobs to save up for this trip.

I landed in Auckland on the 22nd November, booked a hostel for 4 nights and immediately began searching for a small campervan. This would give me the freedom to travel and have a home on wheels. It’s the best way to explore all the little remote areas these islands have to offer whist saving me money as I wouldn’t need to stay in accommodation. I’ve done so much during these few weeks but I’ll condense it in to a few memorable experiences!

Auckland was nice enough for a few days, some good bouldering walls, nice waterfront and quayside, great Sky Tower views but I was glad to get out the city. The first thing I did was head up to the Bay of Islands, travelling along the West Coast to enjoy beaches, daily waterfall dips and small treks through the bush. The nature is incredible, a very green country and lots of birdsong, wildlife and giant Kauri Trees. Spent the night at Wairere Boulders and Nature Reserve campsite. Unbelievably hot weather, hired some bouldering pads and did a tour of the boulder field climbing lots of awesome limestone with features like big flutings, high crimpy aretes and rounded slopers. Swimming in the Rainbow Falls was brilliant too, a 30m waterfall that had a big cave behind it where, if you’re prepared for the mud, venture behind and see the waterfall from the back. I decided I’d be swimming anyway so barefooted it through the mud, dived through the waterfall and had a wash. Dreamy.

We also took a 4-hour cruise around the Bay of Islands, stopping off on 2 of the 144 islands for an explore and also viewed the impressive ‘Hole in the Rock’ on Motukokako Island, 18m wide and 30m tall and 80m in length. It was believed that before the Māori fishermen set off sailing, the must pass through the tunnel, with there arm extended and if they caught a droplet of water on their palm if would bring good luck. What made this trip even more special was seeing a pod of bottle nosed dolphins swimming inshore. The skipper spotted them a mile off and the boat had an upstairs viewing deck so I could see them from above, surreal. Even the crew were excited as they rarely get to view this many and see how playful they were. Also went snorkelling during the trip and was swimming with Eagle Ray’s and saw plenty of cool fish. What a day this was!

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour did not disappoint either. Took a 2-hour tour round the set, all still original from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies. This had been on my list since I knew it was a thing so was really pleased to be there. That place ran like clockwork with buses ferrying people about, tours every 10 minutes and the place bustling with life. It was magical to actually go inside a Hobbit Hole, walk past Bag End and enjoy a pint in the Green Dragon Inn, walking in the footsteps of the actors. Treated with a sunny day for this made it all the better. Some fun trivia for you all.

Fun fact: After Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings trilogy had completed filming, the crew actually removed the set from the owner’s farm land, leaving it more of less as it was. However, December 2002, Russell Alexander, the farm land owner begins running guided tours of the set. At this stage, it is mostly deconstructed with empty Hobbit holes, paths and the party tree, but word spreads and the tours become very popular. So, when the director, Peter Jackson and the film crew approached the farmer again to ask if they could film the Hobbit Trilogy there in 2013, he agreed to it, but specified that they must leave the set there permanently this time and that is what people see today. Smart guy if you ask me, he’ll be making an absolute tonne off that!

As an avid adventurer myself, there aren’t many activities I haven’t done, and by working in the industry for so long, I find most of the commercial stuff in the UK quite tame. New Zealand on the other hand…! A visit to Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and a 3-hour session with Black Water Rafting kept me entertained! Quickly got kitted up in a nice warm 2-piece wetsuit, grabbed a helmet, head torch and a rubber ring. An unusual combo but unlike anything I’ve experienced! We ventured in to a big cave system and quickly found ourselves ankle deep in water, following the meandering flow of it deeper in to the cave, the level rising. The distant noise of a rushing waterfall becoming more apparent. Some tight squeezes brought us to the waterfall, where we had to jump backwards off the edge in to the dark, plunging in to the cold water before forming a rubber ring chain. It was then time for lights off and we floated down stream below a ceiling of illuminous glow worms, it was like being in Avatar! Magical experience and would definitely recommend doing it!

Rotorua and Taupo. Lots to do in these spots, started off in Rotorua by going up the Skyline Cable Car and having a go on the luge, brilliant fun racing down tracks 1-mile-long weaving down the mountain! They are situated above fault lines in the crust that have deep vents and fissured going all the way to the mantel, as rocks melt heated by the earth’s core, they become magma, combined with gases. Pressure builds up and this heat finds a way to the surface, in this case it gives the towns hot springs! Whilst travelling along the thermal valley we stopping to look at bubbling mud pools, with temperatures of 60-80 degrees, a geyser splurging up boiling water and a visit to Kerosine Creek, a hot spring. This was funky smelling stream with a temperature of 35-38 degrees, really nice once you’re in! Wairakei Thermal Spa and Terrace was also a worthwhile attraction, this water wasn’t treated either but as it was coming out the ground from a different place. When testing the water, it was found to be rich in minerals such as silica, sodium, potassium and magnesium all with various benefits including lowering blood pressure and boosting immune system. It was a hot day anyway but getting n these pools wash lush! Huka Falls were also impressive, the most powerful waterfall in New Zealand, with controlled dam releases through the day, there is 220,000 litres of water per second barrelling over an 11m high waterfall which makes it the most powerful waterfall in New Zealand. It flows out from Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in Australasia, (roughly the size of Singapore which I thought was cool.) Here we hired kayaks and completed a 10km journey to check out some cool Māori carvings, enjoyed swimming in the clear blue lake and jumping off cliffs!

Tongariro Crossing was next up, a 20km hike through the National Park through a volcanic valley with huge volcanoes either side, the views were brilliant. Started off by parking at the end and catching a shuttle bus to this start, to then walk back over the pass to the van. It was a bit odd setting off at the same time as a bus load of people but a few km’s in everyone found their speeds and spread out which was better. A short while after climbing up all 370 steps of the Devil’s Staircase, you cross the highest point of the trail at 1886m, the Red Crater. From this point I got fantastic views over the National Park and the iconic Emerald Lake, gaining its green hue due to glacial sediment which reflects light in a certain way making the lake look green. You can’t swim in it as it’s sacred and also very acidic! From here it’s a long walk back down to the carpark, which you can see the entire 2 hours of time you spend walking closer to it!

Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, also the windiest city in the WORLD was my last big stop! Average speeds of 27kmph. Its location beside the Cook Strait, the only major gap between the mountains running the length of the two main islands cause the wind to funnel through the city. Cool! It has a really nice cable car which connected the cities to suburbs and was built in 1902! The track length was about 780m if I remember correctly and it gains 120m of height. Still hugely popular today, people can ride up and down and enjoy a walk around the museum at the top, where you can still see the original tram from all that time ago. The operators used to charge you twice as much for going uphill to down, most would walk downhill on a nice day. Classic example of making the most money off something! Whilst here I visited the Weta Workshop Tour (Lord of the Rings prop making studio), Te Papa (National Museum of New Zealand), the Botanical Gardens, Wellington Maritime Museum and went climbing 3 times at their gyms. Really enjoyed my time there but that was it for my road trip of the North Island.

Time to catch my Interislander Ferry to Picton and cross the famous Cook Strait and continue the adventures in the South Island. More from this to come!