7 days in New Zealand
I’ll be honest with you guys, I did absolutely no research when I planned my trip to New Zealand. I booked a flight to Auckland and had nothing else planned. Luckily New Zealand is the perfect travel destination for this type of procrastination. The first thing we did was book a rental car. They drive on the left side of the road over there but don’t worry, they are used to Americans attempting to navigate the roads and have huge arrow signs at every turn reminding you which lane to stay in. Half of the fun of traveling through New Zealand was experiencing the breathtaking views while getting to our destinations. Get ready for some winding roads along the mountain side. The air was crisper, the colors were brighter, everything just seemed more magical there. My only regret was that I didn’t have more time. We spent 7 days there and that was barely enough to scratch the surface of the North Island.
Day 1:
After landing in Auckland we decided we didn’t really want to spend time in the actual city, after all most metropolitan cities are the same and we wanted to get out and see nature. Our first stop was to check out the glow worm caves in Waitomo. Most of the day was spent with travel. Since I didn’t have anything planned in advance for lodging I ended up booking a room at the Waitomo Caves Hotel. Trust me when I say the hotels near the caves are severely lacking. Don’t be fooled by the fancy pictures on the website. This hotel was seriously something straight out of a horror story. It was in this 19th century building in the middle of nowhere. Random abandoned wells on the property. The bedrooms had paintings of creepy old ladies hanging on the walls. Lets just say I slept with one eye open that night.
Day 2: Black Water Rafting
The next morning we decided to go on the Black Abyss tour which is a combination of zip lining, abseiling, cliff jumping, and tubing through the glow worm caves. This is probably the most thrilling and adventurous way to see the caves. You can also go with less adrenaline pumping tours as well but we wanted the full experience. If you have time I would definitely recommend this as a stop on your trip.
One night at the haunted hotel was enough for us so we decided to drive to Taupo right after our excursion ended. We booked a room at the Hilton Lake Taupo. We had dinner at Jolly Good Fellows which is a British Pub that was pleasantly surprising.
Day 3:
We started the day by exploring the shops and restaurants that line edge of Lake Taupo.
After lunch we drove to Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park. This is a beautiful geothermal park where you can see hot springs and mud pools. You buy a ticket at a riverside cafe and a boat comes to ferry you over to the park.
We had dinner at the Bistro Lago. I recommend the Lamb meatballs if they’re still available.
Day 4:
The one thing I really wanted to do was hike Tongariro National Park. Unfortunately while we were in New Zealand Cyclone Debbie was wreaking havoc with the weather. We woke up the next morning to clear skies so we thought, “Isn’t today a great day to jump out of an airplane.” New Zealand is known for skydiving so we couldn’t leave the country without giving it a try. We chose Taupo Tandem Skydiving to jump with.
Whats a better way to relax than to hit the hot springs? Taupo has many different options for hot springs. We chose Wairakei Terrace. Its adults only and costs $25 per person for access to the thermal pools. There are also some free options to choose from such as Otumuheke Stream.
Day 5:
We booked a white water rafting trip for day 5 in Rotorua but due to the recent cyclone the water levels were too high and our excursion was cancelled. Not wanting to waste a day due to the storms we decided to head to the Polynesian Spa. This place was literally paradise. They had massages, facials, thermal pools and a cute little cafe with fresh juices and food. It was the perfect solution to a rainy day.
Day 6:
Before we headed out of Taupo the next morning we made a quick stop at Huka Falls. Theres a quick 20 minute hike you can do to get a better view of the falls.
Our next stop was Hawke’s Bay. If you thought the scenery before was amazing just wait until you see the wineries. The views were magnificent. We stayed at Porter’s Boutique Hotel. The hotel is located in the middle of a small town surrounded by shops and restaurants. There is plenty to do within walking distance.
Day 7:
Our last stop was to Te Mata Peak. The view from the top is breathtaking.
That rounds up the 7 day trip. If I had more time I would have fit in the Hobbiton tour but my travel partner wasn’t really a big LOTR fan so I’ll save that for my next trip to New Zealand. Trust me I’ll be back.
