Let's start this off by saying that New Zealand is an incredible country, with so many things to do everywhere you go. We were lucky enough to have just under three weeks for our road trip, but even so we wished we had longer pretty much everywhere we went. It feels like you need at least six months to properly do it justice! Because of this it is really hard to narrow it down to just a few best bits, but these were certainly some of the things we enjoyed the most...
Hahei
This was our first stop after leaving Auckland, and it certainly set a high bar for the rest of the trip! New Zealand is full of quiet little towns with spectacular scenery where tourism helps boost a lot of the business, and Hahei fits into that criteria. Our first stop was Cathedral Cove, which was definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. It does get very busy, and there is a bit of a walk (45 minutes, some uphill) from the bus drop-off, but the views are incredible from the cliffside paths on the way down, and the rock formations which give Cathedral Cove its name are unbelievable. The sea is also clear and warm (in the summer at least), and the sand is really clean.
Hahei is also just down the road from the Hot Water Beach, which gets its name because of the springs of hot water which bubble just below the surface of the sand, so you can dig yourself your own hot tub on the beach. The water is extremely hot, over 60 degrees, so its best cooled down with a few buckets of sea water. However, like Cathedral Cove, it does get extremely busy, especially because you have to catch the low tide to get the best of it. When we went at 6am there were already quite a few people there, so you do have to be really committed to beat the crowds.
However, one positive of these incredibly popular tourist destinations is that it does draw people away from other spots. Hahei beach is an absolutely incredible white-sand beach, and the water is just as warm and as clear as at Cathedral Cove, but because it is pretty close to the start of the Cathedral Cove trail, when we went there it was really quiet. There's also an ice cream shop in Hahei that does delicious fresh fruit ice cream, it was so soft and so refreshing we were tempted to go back for more!
Tamaki Maori Village, Rotorua
When we were researching for our trip, this was one of the most highly-rated things to experience on the North Island. It was easy to see why, as the whole evening was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. When we first arrived we were told that they would perform a Haka to welcome us, and while we were welcome to film or take photos, we must not smile or laugh, as this would be taken as a sign of disrespect to the warriors performing the Haka. The Haka itself was an awesome sight, with the warriors shouting, gesticulating and brandishing their weapons in a very fearsome way. Once this was over we were welcomed into the village, and taken around different areas which showed us different aspects of the Maori culture, such as the Poi, which are balls on strings which Maori women spin around and thump against themselves in their shoulders or forearms while singing to provide percussion - a very interesting sight, and definitely gives performances more of a visual element than if they were just using hand drums! The men were also given the opportunity to learn a simple Haka, although I don't think our performance had quite the same impact.
We were also given dinner in the village, which was cooked in the traditional Maori way - lowered into a pit in the ground, and baked over hot rocks. It was delicious, I'd never had food prepared that way before - everything seemed to have much more flavour.
Kerosene Creek, Rotorua
As the saying goes, the best things in life are free, and every good trip needs some free activities to balance out the more expensive ones. Kerosene Creek is a stream that flows from some hot springs which seem to be a real feature of the area around Rotorua. Although you do have to drive down a bit of a dirt road to get there (take it easy on the hire car's suspension!) it is so worth it, as the feeling of slipping into the warm water of the stream while being out in the open is absolutely wonderful - although it does make getting back out into the cold air much much harder! I would recommend getting up early to beat the crowds here - I think we were there shortly before 7, and even so there were people there before us, and more arriving as we were leaving as well.
Best of the rest:
Of course, it's impossible to mention just some favourites, so here are some other experiences we would also highly recommend:
Marokopa falls
This beautiful 35 metre-high waterfall is a 45 minute drive out of Waitomo, with a short walk through woodland to get to the viewing platform. Talk about picturesque!
Hells Gate Spa
Built around some of the sulphuric hot springs that make Rotorua so distinctive, this is definitely one of the more unique spa experiences out there, with a 45 minute self-guided tour around the bubbling sulphur pools part of the show, you then cover yourself in the mud which is gathered from near the pools and let it dry on your body, before washing it off and having a relaxing soak in the spa pools. Getting the sulphur smell out of your swimming costumes does take some doing, however - cold water washes and air drying your things is most important. But my skin certainly felt lovely and soft afterwards!
Tongariro National Park/Taranaki falls
Tongariro park is huge, and also the oldest of New Zealand's national parks. As it is also active volcano country the landscape is extremely impressive, with jagged peaks, snowy hills, and volanic rock visible everywhere. Although there are a multitude of different hikes you can choose from in the park, we decided to do the Taranaki falls loop. Definitely a good choice - although very popular with foot traffic, the Taranaki waterfall is beautiful, and there are many good photo opportunities along the way.
Te Papa museum, Wellington
Te Papa museum is known as one of the must-do things in Wellington, and for good reason. There are so many different and detailed exhibitions there you could easily spend a whole day wandering around. While we were there there was an exhibition on the war in Gallipoli which was extremely well-done and moving. It was also free, which was an added bonus!
Now, these are just some of the incredible things you can do on the North island. There is so much variety that there really is something for everyone, whether you're looking for a beach holiday, a hiking trip, to geek out over local culture - or a bit of everything! New Zealand really is an incredible country, we can't recommend it enough!
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