We were excited to get to spend Waitangi Day in New Zealand and see a celebration while traveling around. We attended the largest celebration in the South Island, held outside of Christchurch in Okains Bay at the Maori and Colonial Museum. Unfortunately, we were pretty underwhelmed with the events. There were so many people for…
The ferry was fantastic! It’s basically a cruise ship – there are several restaurants, wifi and a movie theatre. The weather wasn’t too great, so we didn’t miss out too much by not having a view, but we scoped out the different areas so that in the way back up we can get a good…
This post is part of our 35-day road trip in New Zealand! After catching the rugby games in Wellington, we walked back through Cuba Street to our Airbnb, checking out some of Wellington’s nightlife before two days of sightseeing. Day 1: Market, Somes Island, and the Waterfront Harborside Market Sunday morning kicks off in Wellington…
Wednesday after our Tongariro Crossing hike, we took it easy; a leisurely wake-up, a big breakfast, and then a quiet drive to our next AirBnb in Ashhurst. Staying on a Farm Carol’s place is advertised as a mini-farm, one of the reasons I picked to stay there. On two acres, with the main house and…
The Taupo Volcanic Zone is a large V-shaped area in the North Island full of geothermal activity. The weather cleared up so we took off to see some pretty wild and unique things! Disclaimer: Some of the activities mentioned in this post were received free of charge or at a discounted rate. We were psyched to have…
Our next stop in the Tauranga region was Kiwifruit Country. We’d seen kiwi orchards all along our drive in the North Island. The plots are often surrounded by barrier trees that have been trained to be tall and thin. The barrier trees block noise and wind to protect the trees. What are Kiwis? It doesn’t…
After camping at McLaren Falls and kayaking with glowworms, we packed up our camping gear and took off to hike Mount Maunganui. Mount Maunganui is located in Tauranga, the 5th largest city in New Zealand with a population of just over 100,000. We stayed at a fantastic Airbnb – one where the second B really…
After the hiking Karangahake Gorge, we packed up for our next destination: Tauranga. We booked a private tour with Waimarino Glow Worm Kayak Tours, which departed from McLaren Falls Park. Disclaimer: Some of the activities mentioned in this post were received free of charge or at a discounted rate. We were psyched to have their support, but this…