New Zealand 2024

As I continue to travel and explore the world (and myself), I keep coming back to the idea of how much I love being in the outback - driving for hours with nothing but beautiful landscapes to see. Stopping by small towns to visit boutique cafes and markets brings me happiness in its purest form. I love developing connections with people from around the world and hearing about the local traditions and stories. Hiking and bushwalking provide a sense of accomplishment, relief and unbounded joy - all at once. Walking around lakes is analogous to meditation. Early September last year, as I was navigating through these thoughts, I wondered - "I hear that New Zealand has some beautiful landscapes to see. It is close to home and I haven't yet explored it. Why don't I go !?"

I started brainstorming ideas on the back of word-of-mouth recommendations and internet blogs. And, within the next two weeks, I had a rough itinerary in place and my return tickets booked!

Below is a written account of my major takeaways. (The original plan is linked here).

Never have I ever had a smooth check-in

If you've read some of my other blogs, you are aware of how susceptible I am to being doomed at airports and car rentals. You can see where this is going 😉 Welcome to the latest episode of "I can't have a smooth check-in". For a morning flight from Sydney to Auckland, we were pleasantly surprised with ourselves with the short line at check in. Within 10 minutes of joining the queue, we were at the counter. With our luggage weighed and ready to go, I was thrilled with the thought of the extra time we had for free breakfast at the Amex lounge. Except, the APP () had other thoughts. What started as "sometimes this happens, let me try again", soon converted into the entire Sydney airport stalling. Over the next 90 minutes, almost every counter was stuck. We watched Marsha trying hard to check us in, scanning our passports at least 20 times. Each time, only to have the system crash instead of saying "OK to board". Over that time, we learnt about Marsha's family, discussed the entire itinerary of our trip and I even tried to take a nap 😴 With only 2 minutes remaining to board, we were finally checked in and started to run to the gate. No flights were missed that day and we made it to Auckland in time - making for a mostly comical but slightly terrifying story to begin with.

Book 1: In the North

Chapter 1: Breaking into the office

On our first evening in Auckland, we decided to check out the Google office. We brought our badges to the building and realized (to our surprise) that we did not have access. Instead of walking back to our hotel (like normal people), we decided to fix this problem (like nerds). First, we tailgated a resident of the building up to the lifts, which is as far as we got. To get to the sixth floor, where the office was, we needed special access. But just as we were going to walk out of the building, we saw another stranger step out. We approached them for help. They kindly guided us to the reception of a different institution on level 1. Once there, we inquired about our options and Ronan was able to provide us with the phone number of the building manager. After explaining our struggles and perseverance to the building manager, they agreed to send someone over to let us in. While waiting, we learnt about Ronan's take on modern history and if/how it plays into the current global political scene. After about 45 minutes, we finally made it to the Google office - mission accomplished 🚀

Chapter 2: Lights, Camera, Action!

When we first landed in Auckland, we did not get many "big city" vibes. We stayed a short walk from the CBD and were surprised to see the lack of people, restaurants and activities.

It was only on our second day in the city that we realized we might have been looking in the wrong place(s). After getting a decent coffee at Chuffed and filling up on baked goods at Luna Bakery (highly recommend both!!). We attended a 2 hour long immersive workshop at Wētā. Growing up, I have never been excited about performance or creative arts. It may be a symptom of my ignorance and lack of skill. More recently, I find myself getting fascinated by art galleries, museums, performance and design studios et al. As part of the workshop, we got close to some of their upcoming and past movie sets and were allowed to play with some of the props and technology that goes into making sophisticated characters, animations and scenery. It was quite different to anything I could have expected and I would recommend this for design savvy people but it can be a good time for anyone really!

Chapter 3: On the road

Although I planned our trip to be during the good months of summer, we seldom found bright sunny skies in the North Island. It rained throughout the week, making walks and driving slightly intolerable. It was not enough to rain on my parade though. Lush green landscapes, tall trees and thousands of cattle grazing set the scene for a picturesque road trip 🐄

We also spent a large amount of time stopping at bakeries along the way. New Zealand is good for many things but it is not popular for pastries, I can see why 😁 I've got nothing against bakeries but my recommendation would be to find something more locally driven. On my list for next time will be -

1. The Maori Hāngī - food cooked under the ground.
2. Kaikōura's ‘seafood caravans’ and some crayfish
3. Humble New Zealand pies - fruit, cheese and meat fusions in a flaky pastry 😋

Chapter 4: Back to the cave

We started driving from Hamilton at 6.30am, even before the sun had risen. After two hours of driving, when we arrived to a isolated trailer and found nobody, we were worried. It was freezing outside so we stayed in our car. It was only after about 15 minutes that we started to see more cars or pulling up. Phew! We were not alone anymore!

After signing our lives away, we geared up and jumped on the bus to begin our descent. Speaking of descents, our first one was a 25m abseil down into the cave. This was my first time abseiling "for real". Intimidating at first, this novel experience soon turned into a satisfying adrenaline rush.

In the cave, the water was quite chilly, even with the wetsuits. We conquered this bravely - part on foot and part in our rubber tubes - forming a human chain, making sure we don't lose anyone. Once we were deep inside the cave, we turned our headlamps off and looked up. What looks like a maggot in daylight, turns into - what looks like - a shining star! As we turned our necks upwards, we saw a million worms, glowing like stars in the night sky, less than 2 meters from our eyes!

How does the worm glow? It doesn't. The glow worm's tail is bioluminescent; it secretes chemicals that react with the oxygen in the air to create light. Which is still pretty damn cool!

We spent some time listening to the flow of the river and looking at the glow worms and then enjoy a hot drink and chocolate - it was like a gold class planetarium ✨

We then rafted back to the cave entrance and keeping up with the caver spirit, we slowly climbed up the wall - thanks to all the bouldering nights 😉

Our tour guide, Tim, is in himself quite extraordinary! Tim was born right next to the trailer that we parked next to. This is as remote as it gets. But, that did not stop him from finding a way to serving in the army for 7 years, which he misses sometimes. Ofcourse, Tim has some cool stories to share and it was fascinating to learn about some of them. Now that he is back to the cave, he plans on taking the business over from it's previous owner. Once that is in motion, he is considering a building a treehouse for himself. If possible, he would like to conveniently zipline to the trailer from there, ofcourse! To go with it, he also contemplates setting up a home in the cave itself! I'd like to come back in a few years to see the glow worms again and attend the (tree)housewarming 🤪

Chapter 5: Eat like a Hobbit

I have watched and enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies but I am by no means what they call a "Ringer''. Luckily, you don't have to be one to find yourself at one of the must-do experiences in New Zealand. Stepping on that Hobbiton bus is like entering an alternate universe. Hearing about The Shire's origins provides a perspective that sparks a deeper connection with the artist, the art and the whole world of fans.

It is interesting to learn how the intersection of extremely different lives - a cattle farmer, a movie film director and an English writer - can bring into existence something so special. (literally) Millions of people, from around the world, fly to the North Island to see The Shire. Now, I am part of those lucky enough to have lived it.

It is crazy to keep a movie set around for 20+ years. It is even crazier to make it a living farm. There are real apple trees and lakes (with real ducks). The Green Lantern actually serves alcohol - one of the best stouts I've ever had! But that is not it. As of only one month before our visit, The Shire has two fully furnished Hobbit holes - with live fireplaces, comfortable chairs and beds, a kitchen, toilet and a gorgeous view of the lake! With every step that you walk in The Shire, there is a view and a story that follows. The amount of thought, love and effort is obvious and overwhelming. There is not one stone left unturned when it comes to providing an unforgettable experience.

"And laugh they did, and eat, and drink, often and heartily, being fond of simple jests at all times, and of six meals a day (when they could get them)." - J.R.R Tolkien.

And laugh we did, and eat and drink! Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, it did. The evening banquet, a.k.a the feast, was absolutely massive and is up there with some of the best foodie experiences I've had. There were 48 of us, distributed into a dozen each on four tables. And the food just kept coming, it was unfathomable! Five types of meat, fish, bread, roasted vegetables - you name it, they had it. And everything was cooked to perfection, which we learned later was all overlooked by one head chef. After an hour of tireless feasting, we were gently escorted out for a few minutes so the tables could be cleared. Now, it was time for dessert. Fruits, tarts, puddings, custard. Once again, it was almost as if they were showing off at this stage. But, guess who is not complaining 😉 True story: Our end of the table was deemed the winner - The 5 of us had totally demolished everything put in front of us 😋

During the tour, I met some other hobbits. It was interesting to learn what motivates people to travel and how those motivations can differ from person to person and yet, align somehow. I met a tech couple who picked New Zealand for identical reasons as my own - to hike all the mountains and live the campervan life.

It is not surprising to see why the making of the Lord of the Rings turned around tourism in New Zealand. If I see myself in the North Island again, I will strongly consider coming back here!

Chapter 6: Feijoa

These days, I often find myself dreaming aspiring to run a cafe&bar and/or living on a farm someday. Living in Sydney, I don't find myself bumping like-minded people but when traveling, I often do! This is a tale of two cities, from my time in New Zealand.

The first one is about Byron, owner of Cocoa Wilds - a boutique, handcrafted chocolate business in Auckland. Byron's story resonates strongly with how I think about my life. Byron was brave enough to use a hurdle in his corporate career as an opportunity to pursue his passion and love for food. I look up to people like Byron and continue to gain more confidence and validation for a similar leap in my own life!

On our way back to Hamilton from Rotorua, we had some extra time to spare. We used this opportunity to drive off road to Sue's farm for some original berry ice cream. Sue stays on the farm with her husband and they grow strawberries (mostly)! They also grow a small amount of orange raspberries - something I've not encountered before. I was not particularly excited about the ice cream but I was about Feijoas. If you haven’t seen a feijoa before, imagine a fruit resembling a lime that – once cut open – looks like a cucumber inside. Feijoas are native to Brazil but the Kiwis have made it their own. A life without Feijoas is unimaginable to a Kiwi. Sue was kind enough to cut open and pulp out some Feijoas for us and it reminded me of sweet lemon - a similar looking and tasting fruit that I grew up eating in India. Sue also told us about the people that stay at their farm for extended periods of time. At the time that we visited, a rugby umpire from the Netherlands was staying with them for 6 months while he worked in the town nearby! The kind of stories that spawn from bold decisions that people take are fascinating to me. I can only imagine what it would be like to leave everything behind and move to a small corner of the world. I am nervously excited about pulling such a trigger at least once in life!

Book 2: South Island

Chapter 1: Life in a Campervan

I have an appetite for driving. Infact, I love road trips to an extent that I actually enjoy driving for hours, over consecutive days as well! So far, I have driven a few different cars in different cities - Hybrids, SUVs etc. But, before coming to New Zealand I had never driven a campervan. I'd never even camper over consecutive days or stayed in a campervan before. So, I was nervously excited to pick up our JUCY and get on with it.

At first, I was actually surprised to see that it was a tad smaller than I'd imagined. For something with a self-contained toilet and kitchen, it was quite small - roughly the same size as a Ford pick up truck. At first, it was quite challenging to navigate the storage and bedding and truth be told, it was a bit congested for three fully grown adults. But, after a few days, you start to understand the layout and work better with it. With a full water tank, gas bottle and enough fuel, you are good to go! And, for an extended camping trip in a country unlike NZ's South Island, I would still prefer a self-contained vehicle like this one.

But, after spending almost 15 days in the South Island, I have come to realize that there is a better way to elevate this experience. Why not increase comfort and convenience while keeping the wilderness and camper vibes consistent, if not making them better!

1. Don't get a self contained vehicle. You don't need to. South Island has some fantastic campsites, equipped with shared kitchens, hot showers, clean toilets, wifi etc. With 2 or more people and enough nights, you could get a good deal on the prices, especially if you get a membership for something like "Top 10". We booked some stays at Top 10 and it was impeccable! 💯
2. Get a car that is fuel efficient and comfortable to sleep in. Now that you are covered for cooking and showers, you can focus on having a car that is cheaper to drive and better to sleep in. This way, you can get to places faster and you won't struggle to go up the many winding roads. And at the end of the night, you have more space to stretch those tired legs 😌
3. Fuel is quite expensive in NZ. There isn't much that you can do about this as an international tourist. If you are a local, getting a rewards card can save you 6c/L almost everywhere. But otherwise, just be sure to account for a few hundred bucks every week for fuel 💸
4. Pack lighter - I found 2-3 shirts and 1-2 long pants to be enough as all the Top 10 sites have a laundry. A better way to use luggage allowance is to pack extra warm layers - beanies, scarfs, good socks, thermals and jackets!

I drove close to 2000 kilometers in the campervan in just under 10 days. That is over 20 hours of driving. And I am not sure if I have ever driven this long without virtually any sign of road kill! In fairness, I did some roadkill in the last couple of days (mostly rats and possums) but otherwise, I was surprised to see no other roadkill. Initially, I was happy to see this. However, I later found this to be closely related to a general lack of mammals and native animals in New Zealand. Now, I am not sure how to feel about this. I hope to see more species introduced to this beautiful country. Only two months ago, I was driving down the 99 bends down to Tasmania's Queenstown. And now, I have driven close to what feels like a thousand bends in New Zealand. Be it next to Lake Wakatipu coming in and out of NZ's Queenstown (different to Tasmania) or Lake Te Anau on the way to Milford Sound, you can see the pearl-like glimmer of sunlight over ripples of blue water! ☀️ Other times, you are driving up (and down) winding roads to Fox Glacier, next to the Tasman Sea, and you can find yourself chasing the snowy peaks of Mt Cook and Franz Josef 🏔️ The roads in South Island are purpose-built for a magical drive with nonstop jaw dropping views - on a sunny day with clear skies, you can get high on the peace, calm and beauty alone. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Homer Tunnel - 1.2km-long tunnel through solid rock - proved me wrong.

I cannot wait to come back to the South Island and drive these roads again!

Chapter 2: Fifty Shades of Blue

For our first night, we decided to stay at Lake Tekapo. Having driven upwards of 3 hours, as we started to pull into the valley on a bright sunny day, we started getting glimpses of the blue water. The gradients of teal in the water, the mountain peaks, the sunlit orange leaves on the trees and the stony architecture of an old church cast a spell on me. I was pulled toward it so much that as we got closer, I wanted to jump out of the car and start running toward the footbridge that offered panoramic view of the valley!

Later that night, as it got dark, I may have seen the most stars, constellations, planets that I have ever seen. No matter where you turn your neck, all you can see is a million stars!

There are a few dozen lakes that we went to over the course of the next 10 days but nothing beat the joy I felt on first setting my eyes on Lake Tekapo!

Chapter 3: Not all those who wander are lost

The drive from Lake Tekapo to Mt Cook is short and fun! Even on a bright and sunny day, you find yourself driving through what I still think was a huge set of clouds but could be mistaken for fog (or vice versa). Every now and then, we saw glimpses of the snowy mountain peak that we were driving toward until we got close enough. On reaching within a few hundred meters of the town, the clouds disappear and you are blessed with breathtaking views of Mt Cook in all its glory.

One of the most popular hikes walks in New Zealand is the Hooker Valley Trail. An easy walk suitable for people of all ages takes you on a soothing journey - crossing footbridges over glacial lakes and rivers, getting closer to the base of the mountain with every step! If you are camping at the doc site, you could do the trail as a post-lunch walk or even a morning walk. If you are lucky enough (like myself), you will be doing this on a clear day giving you the opportunity to see all the creaks spawning from ice melting on mountain edges and the glass like water with a blue tint. Writing about this almost 2 weeks later still gives me goosebumps - what a beautiful planet we live on.

We ended the night with hot showers in our campervan, some astrophotography and fresh linens for the bed 🌃

Later, in Milford Sound, I went on a more indulging hike for the bushwalkers and troopers - Key Summit Track. As the name suggests, there is an enjoyable amount of elevation in this hike and it starts off as a bushwalk but soon the scenery turns into a less greener, windy and cold spiral up to the peak. I did not know this before but found out later (unsurprisingly), this is also one of New Zealand's Great Walks. Although you can spend an entire day staring at the panaromic views of the mountains and alpine lakes, we were time-crunched and needed to jog back the entire 3.5kms on the way down - which was better than it sounds! After questioning (the only time in 12 days) the accuracy of our GPS and driving over yet-another-dirt-road, we camped next to Cascade Creek in what I think was the coldest night of the trip.

Chapter 4: Vino

As part of my planning, I had taken a brief look at what New Zealand wine regions have to offer and Central Otago immediately caught my eye. But, with limited days and the focus around sightseeing, it was never the idea to spend a lot of time trying wineries. With that in mind, I at least wanted to dip my toes into it and it couldn't have been anywhere else than Maori Point Vineyard. As the name suggests, the winemaking here is focused on terroir. Alex moved from America to New Zealand to get his hands dirty in the winemaking industry. Alex is another example of brave people who make bold moves. Apparently, Alex had never been to New Zealand before making a decision one day that this will be the place he will move to, to learn winemaking. It is always great tasting at the bar - not only is it the best seat but it is closest to all the action and opportunities for additional experiences. For me, this was an unadvertised tour of the cellar. Matt Wallace, the winemaker, walked us through the cellar, telling us about his style and preferences when it comes to showing off the region in a bottle of red - including why he chooses specific barrels and what effect that can have over months and years. After drinking generous portions of about 6 wines and buying 2 bottles of Pinot Noir, we headed back on the road. Driving next to the Clutha River, I was pleasantly surprised to notice the amount of small and large scale wine making in Otago and Gibbston Valley. I'd love to come back to Otago to get a better feel of the terroir backed by exquisite views of mountain peaks!

Chapter 5: Forward!

Everything comes at a price. On this day, (fortunately) the price was fear. Skippers Canyon Road is the most dangerous road in New Zealand and one of the top 10 in the world. Almost 20kms of hand-carved road, carved by miners over 140 years ago, it is too narrow, with no guardrails, and the drop-offs leave absolutely no room for error! Naturally, this is a tourist magnet and the only way to access to bungy jumping operations or white water rafting.

The price was definitely worth paying. And we knew this, as soon as we got off the bus and saw the water - pristine clean, with bright sun shimeering over it. The mica shone as if it were gold. It may even be - the river is an active gold mining site with plenty of gold still to be mined! Blue skies, rocky mountain sides and orange and green leaves on tall trees formed the perfect backdrop for our adventurous morning. When we were not tackling the currents, we would notice the occasional mountain goat or remnants of old gold mining equipment. Roughly half way in, we shared the river with some other brave tourists as a girl swung herself over our heads in a Canyon Swing over. A canyon swing is quite similar to a bungee jump, except at an angle and with more oscillations. Further downstream, we saw civilians setting up their own ad-hoc panning stations (powered by their cars). Just before our last current, we paddled through the longest (and only one of two) tunnels in the world where you can raft!

Iker, our raft master, originally from South Africa, came to NZ for 6 months. Months became years and after 7 years, NZ is now home for him. Iker is a rafting veteran and owns a wealth of knowledge about the canyon and New Zealand itself. Before this day, I was aware that New Zealand emerged (from under the ocean) as a result of a tectonic plate collision. What I did not know was that the island is still rising and the peak rises 4cms each year! There are no native land animals in NZ because of its origin and the birds (like kiwi) did not develop as a result (most cannot fly).

Most of us had rafted before (in Poland, Thailand, Tasmania and Colorado) and found the currents in Shotover a little underwhelming. But, the scenic backdrops and the water compensated for it. Knowing that the currents change every couple of years due to rockfall, I'd love to come back in a few years and have another go at it!

After a hot shower, we headed next door, to Canyon Brewing. Same scenery, minus the paddle, add some hot chips and a crisp fruity pilsner - there could not have been a better way to follow up the exercise!

Chapter 6: $10000 Omelet

New Zealand has literally got it all - from hiking in the bushes and rafting in the canyon to kayaking in the lakes - glacial lakes. For our last adventure, we found ourselves in Franz Josef, a few minutes from Lake Mapourika. We spent the morning marveling at the mighty Southern Alps - with a few other tourists and Cody and Dylan (our guides). We kayaked the calm waters for a couple of hours learning about the region’s fascinating geology and exploring the serenity! Fun fact of the day: A Kiwi protection program run by the government has increased the population of almost-extinct kiwi birds many folds, Albeit, at roughly $10,000 per egg 💸

It was great to meet my kayak buddy, Remy - a Dutch bloke taking a gap year to travel NZ and AU. We spoke about our shared love for travel and it was lovely to learn about his passions and philosophy. Later, Remy ended up joining us for lunch and games in the afternoon. He crushed all three of us at chess. But we got him back at exploding kittens. I look forward to meeting him again in Sydney in a few months 😄.

Until next time

My first trip to New Zealand has been a success. I ran into people from all around the world. I was treated to some of the best scenic views I have ever witnessed. I loved driving around the islands. And, I am confident my next visit will be even better 😊

Tips for future self

The most popular tip I got before I began planning was: "Spend more time in the South Island". I've just come back from spending 20 days in NZ. If there is one thing you should learn from my mistakes, it is: "Spend more time in the South Island!". South Island is a haven for nature-intrinsic travelers (like myself). It is home to some of the world's most accessible yet rewarding hikes. I was able to cover some cute walks during this trip but I would love to explore some longer, more challenging hikes with like-minded people in the future.

Speaking of hikes, Alpine Crossing Hike was one of the high/lowlights of this trip. I was looking forward to this challenging 27 km volcanic trek but it was closed due to bad weather (winds more than 115 kmph). In my next trip to New Zealand, I would come back to Taupo to try my luck again 🤞

Some smaller cities have airports for domestic flights. Unaware of this fact, I planned the first part of the trip to start and begin in Auckland and added some days to the trip to make driving around the North island slightly less tiring. In the future , I'd likely fly into (and out of) Taupo or Rotorua and spend more nights there skipping the pit stops in Hamilton and Coromandel Peninsula.

Traveling with friends is fun and tricky 😅

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