10 top things in the North and South Islands you MUST do!
- Whale Watching in Kaikõura
This was one the best day of our whole 6 months of travelling. We saw 3 Sperm Whales and were joined by a couple of pods of Dusky Dolphins. It was incredible!
We booked this tour with Whale Watch Kaikõura as they were the highest reviewed on Trip Advisor and I had also seen them mentioned on a few different blogs. They are a Maõri owned company who value the conservation of whales and the surrounding environment, whilst educating tourists. Each tour the goes out collects and records any information of the whales seen contributing to the scientific research that is carried out by Whale Watch.
Each member of staff was so knowledgeable and answered all the questions they could. The whole experience was so professional and educational, and we had the added bonus of actually seeing 3 Sperm Whales! To find the whales, the boats used a hearing piece that the captain listened to by lowering one end into the water. No invasive technologies are used to locate and they are monitored at all times when spotted, so that no distress is caused when observation on a tour happens.
One note I will say, it can be rough if you experience seasickness. We went on a day that was moderate seasickness and it was quite choppy. If you’ve got better sea legs, you’ll be fine but if not, stock up on travel sickness tablets and sit near a window to watch the horizon. If you do suffer, don’t let it put you off going. Seeing a whale completely trumped any feeling of icky-ness I had – I forgot all about it as soon as we saw one and the staff were excellent at dealing with it too!
- Hobbiton – if you’re a LOTR fan, this will be on your list!
Essential for the LOTRs fan, Hobbiton is a great activity in the sun or rain. We only did the standard movie set tour as it is rather pricey – $89 NZD, but we couldn’t miss the opportunity to go. If you have a bigger budget, the ticket options with a lunch banquet, evening banquet or second breakfast tour would definitely be something to consider. We did debate the evening banquet one, but it was just too much for our backpackers budget. However, I would say we still got a full experience just going on the standard ticket. It felt like we really had been transported to the shire which was quite magical!
Also – the guides are really knowledgable as well, so ask as many questions as you can!
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing
An absolute essential part of a trip to New Zealand! If you are fancying taking on a challenge then completing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the one. The trek is around 19km and is regarded as the best one-day trek in New Zealand and in the top 10 best one-day trek’s in the world!
The trek is tough, and the weather can be unpredictable so keep this in mind when planning to go. We had to delay our trek for a week or so until the weather improved. However, when the weather is good, the trek is so rewarding and the views really are spectacular. I have completed the crossing twice and both times, were tough but so exhilarating. If you are a regular hiker, you’ll likely have hiking shoes with you. If you are not, it is possible to complete in trainers although I absolutely would not recommend. We survived but it is risky, the terrain is really mixed so proper shoes really are needed and we would have completed many more hikes in New Zealand had we had actual walking shoes.
To complete the walk itself, you will need to park at the end of the hike (Ketetahi Car Park) and have pre-booked a ticket for the shuttle bus & for this car park. I have used Tongariro Crossing Shuttles and Tongariro Expeditions. Both are good, and offer an early start time which are better for getting on with the trek as you want to be back before it’s dark. Both times I have been on the 7:15am bus and this has had us completing the trek in the late afternoon. The shuttle bus will take you to the start of the trek, and then you complete the hike by walking back across the volcano and valleys to the car park.
I do strongly recommend the trek, but please do pay attention to the weather and your own abilities. There are points that you can climb to which allow you to see the volcano (Mount Tongariro) on fairly flat ground, before turning back to the start and of course, if the weather worsens, don’t power on.
- Star Gazing in the Dark Sky Reserve
An unexpected but amazing part of our South Island route. I had Lake Tekapo on my list for a long time, but it wasn’t until we arrived that my partner discovered that the lake was situated in the Dark Sky Reserve. Views of the milky way were possible and I saw my first ever shooting star. It was absolutely incredible. As we were on a budget, we stargazed on our freedom camp but if you have a bigger budget then a trip to the Dark Sky Project has some incredible experiences to fully immerse yourself in.
I’ve added a photo below – the stars were so incredible that my partner was able to capture this just on his phone. We had to get a photo just for the memories, but it really doesn’t do it justice!
- Rotorua Thermal Pools
Geo-thermal activity is a big part of New Zealand and Rotorua is especially a great place to experience it. There are lots of options depending on budget and I have done both a free and paid experience. The free experience is what we did this time and I have to say, it was as impressive, if not more, than the paid one. Kuirua Park is located right next to Rotorua city centre and allows you see the bubbling geo-thermal activity up close. I couldn’t believe how many lakes and steaming vents were just there in a local park, all for free. There is even a free thermal foot bath, so you can sit and experience the naturally heated water, without going to a paid experience.
There are loads of places for parking which super handy for a campervan and that’s all free too. Toilets, picnic areas, a Saturday market can also be found, so its definitely a good spot to visit whilst in Rotorua even if you’re geo-thermal’d out.
If you’re looking for a full experience, Hell’s Gate came highly recommended. When I visited in 2020, we did The Hell’s Gate Experience. It was pricey but so good and it included access to the geo-thermal park, a Mãori carving experience (makes for a fab souvenir) and a soak in the natural mud baths and spa. The experience is currently priced at $105 NZD per adult and can be booked on their website.
- Milford Sound & Kea Spotting
Travelling to Milford Sound was high on my NZ list. I was so excited! The whole drive from Te Anau (the nearest town) to the sound was part of the experience as the drive was one of the most scenic drive’s we did in our 6 weeks. It takes around 2 hours to get to the ferry terminal, so definitely allow enough time to stop off and see the sights.
The cruises of Milford Sound are all fairly similar in route so we chose one that suited our budget best. It’s actually better to go after rainfall or on a rainy day (something we hadn’t realised) so keep this in mind when booking – you actually want bad weather! Whilst on the cruise you’ll get to see waterfalls up close (a waterproof is essential) and even see a few dolphins or seals. The cruise lasted a couple of hours which was so nice as you felt that you really to see the sound and it’s features.
As well as seeing the beauty of Milford Sound, you might even be lucky enough to see some Kea’s! We spotted 3 on our way to the ferry terminal and another one, on the way back which we were able to stop and see properly. If you’re not sure what a Kea is, they are an Alpine parrot and native to New Zealand. Super curious creatures and with no natural predators, they are really inquisitive with humans. They are really rare and it is important to report the sighting of them so that they can be monitored for conservation purposes. I’ve popped the link for the reporting database here!
- The Themed Highways
If you’re doing a longer roadie, I’d absolutely recommend fitting in as many of the Themed Highways as possible! They take you off the normal boring routes and round some really interesting areas with loads more activities to do. Even if you have less flexibility in your route, you might be surprised how easy it is to incorporate these highways – or even parts of them, into your drives. We didn’t do many of the activities along the way but we did as much of the route as we could.
Our absolute favourite was the Forgotten World Highway. It is a 155km route that contained around 30km of unpaved road, something we had no idea about until we’d finished the route as we lost all signal and had to just follow it and hope for the best! It’s one of our fave memories from the trip and is a real story to tell. If you’re in a hired camper, I’d take this route with caution but you don’t need avoid it!
- Arthur’s Pass
I was lucky enough to previously visit Arthur’s Pass back in 2020. Unfortunately at the time, I didn’t have the luxury of stopping off and taking it in as we had to get to Christchurch urgently. However, this time, we allowed plenty of time for us to explore. We stayed in the National Park and took our time on the drive through and back, stopping at the lookout points and landmarks such as the famous Arthur’s Pass National Park sign. The whole area is just incredibly beautiful.
Whilst exploring the National Park, there are many hikes and walks to do too. You can find more information in Arthur’s Pass village where there is a visitors centre. Arthur’s Pass is also another hotspot for Kea’s so if you haven’t got to Milford Sound yet, or you haven’t seen a Kea, then keep your eyes peeled here. There’s a good chance you’ll see one, as there’s often sightings in the village.
- Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony
Going to see penguins in New Zealand had never occurred to me, but it’s actually a popular spot for colonies. A vary of species can be found around the South Island but our favourite was in Oamaru. These adorable blue penguins are the smallest penguins in the world and they nest right here.
The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is well worth a visit. We booked onto the Evening Viewing General Entry and I think these tickets were by far better than the premium seats. Whilst the premium seats are closer to where the penguins come up out of the sea and the seats are slightly comfier, the General Entry seats have a unique view of the penguins! Situated behind the General Entry stand are more penguin nesting boxes and some of the penguins that live in those boxes have found a shortcut through the General Entry stand to their home. So if you’re lucky (and we were very lucky!) a fair number of the penguins will come under the fence and down between the two stands. It was totally surprising and so funny to see them taking a shortcut to their little homes.
Whilst the colony programme started in 1992 is a tourism operation, it is also a site of long-term conservation. The programme focuses on protecting the penguins habitats and ensuring the colonies long-term stability. They also have an onsite rehabilitation centre to look after any sick or injured penguins that are found whether they are part of the blue penguins or not.
It was really special for us to go and see this colony in person as my partner absolutely loves penguins – they are his favourite! To see such a successful programme in action was amazing and I’d recommend it to anyone.
- Aoraki Mount Cook & National Park
This may be the last one of the list, but that’s because I had to save the best for last. Aoraki or Mount Cook was possibly the most phenomenal sight of our New Zealand trip. At over 12,200ft this astounding mountain is the highest in New Zealand. It has 23 peaks, is the home of many kea’s and also has 27km long glacier, called the Tasman Glacier.
I knew Aoraki would be impressive, but photos I had seen did not do it justice. The whole area is just spectacular, including Highway 80 which gives some of the best views of this huge giant and all it’s surroundings.
There are around 10 walks that begin in Aoraki Mount Cook Village, located at the end of Highway 80 and they include the Hooker Valley Track and Kea Point, both of which we did. The return is under 3 hours each and both are of reasonable terrain. Hooker Valley Track was my favourite of the two as it involves walking across 3 swing bridges right in the valley and at end you come to a glacier lake that has icebergs (!!) floating.
The whole National Park is just remarkable. I cannot describe in words how beautiful it actually is. There is also so much to do besides the two walking tracks I mentioned, including star-gazing, helicopter rides, glacier tours or dining in restaurants in the village with views of the mountain. If you haven’t got Aoraki Mount Cook on you itinerary, add it now!
hannahshildrake.co.uk 
Thanks for this top 10! NZ is definitely an underrated destination
LikeLiked by 1 person