NEW ZEALAND

RECOMMENDED ROUTE

New Zealand is a very small country in comparison to a lot of others so whichever way you go, you haven't lost too much time but the logical route would be to start in the Auckland or Queenstown and do a return loop around the coast . If you're short on time then definitely prioritise South Island, My favourite spots were Abel Tasman, Wanaka and Queenstown. In the north; Taupo, Bay of Islands and Tawharanui but there are so many beaches that are so beautiful.

MONEy

Approximate Conversion Rate - 1 GBP = 1.95 AUD

Average Costs Per Day:

Accommodation - 20 GBP

Food - 5 GBP if cooking your own hostel meals, 15GBP if eating out

Transport - Kiwi Experience Bus - Prices Vary - Check Sales

Monthly Budget - 2500 GBP - includes majority of activities on offer e.g. skydives, bungees, hobbiton, etc..

Visa

If you're from the UK you can get a 6 month electronic tourist visa.

Useful Apps and Websites

Kiwi Experience - you can get a route guide along with things you can do along the way.

So for New Zealand we were lucky enough to have family living in Auckland which meant that we got to have a little bit of a rest from constantly being on the move. With that in mind, we spent 3 weeks with them and 3 weeks travelling. With the time limit, our budget and based on recommendations we’d got from other people, we decided to go with a Kiwi Experience bus pass. This is a great option if you’re pushed for time and are not really sure on which route you’re going to take. We opted for the Tiki Pass which started in Auckland, travelled through the north, over to the south island via ferry (ferry ticket not included in the pass), down the west coast and then up to Christchurch where the pass ended.

A few things I’d mention about Kiwi Experience are that; the majority of people you meet on the bus are 18 – 24 year old brits, so there is a great social environment (and a lot of drinking), there are multiple stops in the majority of the routes that are there to make Kiwi Experience money and they sell these passes as “hop on, hop off” but I wouldn’t say this was the case as you have to make multiple stops each day before you get to your end location. Also they give you a minimum time to do the route but in my opinion it really isn’t enough time and if you were to do the whole of New Zealand I would give yourself 5-6 weeks. With accommodation, you get your first night at the accommodation guaranteed but you could be paying the same price for a 4 bed dorm as you do for a 10 bed, it’s just luck of the draw. If you’re going during peak times, try and figure out your route beforehand so that you aren’t stuck in a place with no buses going out because they tend to fill up very quickly and accommodation isn’t always readily available. All of that being said, our experience on Kiwi Experience was amazing, we got a real taste of the country, met so many friends and made some incredible memories. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to whilst we were there but, now we know more about the country we would go back and hire a car or a campervan so we could travel more flexibly.

By the time we arrived in NZ we were pretty low on funds so, we decided to cook in the majority of hostels but I have still included a few places we ate at or recommendations. Also be aware that the WiFi in the majority of the hostels was TERRIBLE!! So make sure you’ve downloaded your Netflix films beforehand haha!

Hot Water Beach

Accommodation – Hot Water Beach Holiday Park – really nice accommodation close to the beach – kitchen facilities – 4 bed dorms
To do - cathedral cove, beach

Waitomo

Accommodation - Kiwi Paka - good 4 bed rooms - not bunk beds - shared small bathroom
To Do - glow worm cave

Rotorua

Accommodation – Base – 8 bed dorm – private bathroom – messy kitchen
To do - te puia free geothermal hot springs tour (led by Maori people), redwood walk (dusk - lit up with lanterns), kiwi sanctuary, Tamaki Village (authentic Maori experience)
To eat - Hells Pizza, papa tazio

Taupo

Accommodation – Base – 4 bed dorms and a private bathroom – we didn’t use the kitchen facilities as we got free pizza on the boat
To do – BYOB cruise, Huka Falls, craters of the moon

Wellington

Accommodation – Base (again!) – 6 bed dorms – shared bathroom – but you get a free dinner!
To do - Zelandia (eco sanctuary), Mount Victoria
To eat - Best Ugly Bagel, burgerfuel

Abel Tasman

Accommodation – Kaiteri Lodge – 8 bed dorm – VERY CROWDED (barely enough room for everyone’s bags – shared bathroom – really nice pub attached and good kitchen facilities – beach 2 mins walk
To do - national park – get a water taxi in – we did the seals and sands where we even managed to see dolphins and whales!

We chose to spend extra time here and we’re so glad we did, honestly one of the highlights of my trip was getting the water taxi to the national park and getting to wander round. We really liked this accommodation too!

Franz Josef

Accommodation – Rainforest Retreat – This accommodation is SO nice!! It rains a lot of the time in Franz Josef so staying here is ideal if you’re stuck inside – shared bathroom - good restaurant, amazing CLEAN kitchen, and big dorms – don’t really have any criticisms about it
To Do - Helihike

Wanaka

Accommodation – Base – try and avoid staying here if possible – this is the only accommodation where I would go against what kiwi recommend – the kitchen is horrendous – the dorms are okay but if you’re staying extra days then they make you check out the following day which is a pain – instead look at the Purple Cow which is very close by and gets much better reviews.
To do - Roy’s peak, the lake bar, cinema paradiso, mount iron, blue pools
To Eat - Burrito van (on the same road as the hostel, to the left as you walk out), patigonia for icecream

If you’re looking for beautiful mountainous views and a place you can totally relax then Wanaka is perfect. We chose to spend extra time here as well and there are some lovely walks. A lot of people opt to do Roy’s Peak but I want to save that for the next time I visit! Instead I climbed Mount Iron for sunset which was beautiful and not a strenuous hike (1.5 hour return).

Queenstown

Accommodation - Nomads – Very good hostel – good kitchen, facilities and location – shared bathrooms – big dorms – if you’re lucky you could even get a room with a balcony – if you’re staying extra days then make sure you book ahead as it tends to get booked up.
To do – gondola and luging (mini kart racing), Milford sound, bungee jump, sky dive, jet boat, Queenstown Hill
To eat – fergburger (little bit overrated but worth a try, make sure you ring up and order to avoid that ridiculous queue), devils burger (cheesy curry chips after your night out), taco medic (MUST GO), @thai, hawker and roll (also in Christchurch), balls and bagels
Nightlife - world bar, winnies, surreal, rhinos, loco, 1876 (prinks), cowboys, bermuda

Wow Queenstown, I think everyone falls a little in love with this place. There’s a great atmosphere and plenty to do, especially for adrenaline junkies. Another reason we loved Queenstown is because you end up with a lot of people you met along the way who may have stayed extra days here or there. There’s an unreal party atmosphere so make sure you go out and then the next day when you’re hungover sit back and take in all the views. One of the main things people tend to do is so a day excursion to Millford Sound, unfortunately for us an avalanche took out the main road a few days before we arrived so we will just have to add it to the list for next time!

Lake Tekapo

Accommodation – Lakefront Lodge – really nice kitchen – 1 minute from the lake – shared bathroom – limited wifi and service
To Do - Mount John summit walk, lake pukaki, Mount Cook national park

Christchurch

Accommodation - YMCA - 4 bed dorms - shared bathrooms
To Do - botanical gardens, scooter round the city
To Eat - Pot Stickers and Dumplings

Overall New Zealand is absolutely insane and has so many unique things to offer, we loved everything we did there and will definitely return to see the rest of this naturally stunning country.