Skip navigation

Category Archives: Things to do in New Zealand

Mt. Cook National Park

Mount Cook is the highest peak in Australasia, and its Ngai Tahu tribe nickname is Aoraki. Aoraki means the “cloud piercer”, which aptly describes this 12,349-foot peak.  It’s also home to New Zealand’s longest glacier, the Tasman Glacier, which is 18 miles long and a mile wide.  One way to see Mount Cook National Park is by taking a scenic flight that flies over the park and lands on a glacier.  Tourists can also experience Tasman Glacier by heliskiing.

There is only one hotel within the Park, and that’s The Hermitage.  It has over 200 rooms, for every type of budget, and covers lots of acreage, with many amenities such as family rooms, children’s rooms, and a restaurant.  There are also around 20 alpine huts and shelters for hikers (or trampers as they’re called in New Zealand).

Paparoa National Park

PAPAROA NATIONAL PARK

One of the most beautiful spots in all of New Zealand is Paparoa National Park, on the coast facing the Tasman Sea. Near the town of Punakaiki, centuries of salt water pounding has formed limestone structures that resemble stacked gray pancakes, tens of feet high, like giant pedestals overlooking the sea. Found down between the stacks of pancakes there are blowholes from which pressurized sea water that’s been trapped will suddenly release into a huge plume of sea spray. There are other parts of Paparoa National Park, but the pancakes and blowholes are the most unique.

You also might want to check out the “ballroom overhang”, another limestone structure, but which requires a two-hour treck through subtropical forest. For some, that’s all the more reason to go! Paparoa National Park is located on State Highway 6, in Punakaiki, and the pancakes and blowholes are easily accessible from the highway. Wheelchair friendly, too.

Driving New Zealand

Driving New Zealand is the best way to get around this country. Bus schedules are hard to coordinate and you will lose time and flexibility if you rely on public transportation. If you have all the time in the world and want to save money, then buses are your best bet, however. Don’t forget, when driving New Zealand, stay on the left side of the road, like the British.

Drive to Northland

If you rent a car, then you can take a road trip to Northland on the Twin Coast Discovery Highway. This road loops around the Northland region so you can explore any way you like. There’s the east coast section and the west coast section, so you could do one section going up and one section going down. Time it right and catch the sunrise on the east coast, then the sunset on the west on the return trip a few days later.

New Zealand Driving Tour from Auckland

Driving Tours From Auckland

Starting out in Auckland, which is where most tourists arrive by plane, drive north. About 45 minutes into your drive, you’ll hit BeesOnline. It’s at 791 Highway 16, Waimauku. It’s a restaurant, but they make gourmet honey here, and you can ask to taste their honeys. They serve food, and almost everything has some honey in it.

Drive a little further north and hit Whangarei Falls. It’s free, and located just outside the town of Whangarei. The falls drop 26 meters, or 82 feet, in parallel columns.

For beaches on your New Zealand driving tour, try Muriwai Beach and Aranga Beach. Aranga Beach can be combined with a hike up a steep hill. At the top you get a great view from Maunganui Bluff. In a country known for amazing scenic ocean views, even this one stands out. Muriwai Beach is popular for surfing, and has rocks galore. Located 28 miles northwest of Auckland.

If you make it all the way north to Paihia, save time for some hiking. A nice and easy, scenic hike can be found at Russell. Russell is a short ferry ride from Paihia, with boats leaving every half hour. It takes about fifteen minutes. Russell was the first permanent settlement of Europeans on New Zealand so it’s a good destination even if you don’t want to go hiking. It’s really a vacation town now. There’s a walking path that leads to some very steep inclines, but don’t worry, the hike is pretty easy. You get up to the peak, called Flagstaff Hill. You get a 360 degree view of the Bay of Island region, one you won’t ever forget.