North Island--preliminary itinerary
Jun 14th, 2022, 08:37 PM
#21
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A plug for Taranaki
For what it is worth, my favourite part of the North Island is the province of Taranaki. Not so much traffic, many lovely and deserted beaches, incredibly lush forests and pastures, and on a fine day it is hard to beat the views of and from Mt Egmont. You could spend your entire trip there and not run out of things to do. Quite literally a land of milk and honey: there are dairy farms and apiaries everywhere on the volcanic ringplain.. There's not a lot of traffic and you can easily get there by bus or plane from Wellington.
My favourite activities outside of the national park tracks are walking or cycling the coastal walkway near New Plymouth; the Len Lye art museum and shopping for artisan cheese.
Hawkes Bay is nice too, but Taranaki would always get my vote.
Graeme
My favourite activities outside of the national park tracks are walking or cycling the coastal walkway near New Plymouth; the Len Lye art museum and shopping for artisan cheese.
Hawkes Bay is nice too, but Taranaki would always get my vote.
Graeme
Jun 15th, 2022, 08:06 AM
#22
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The highlight of the central plateau is less Taupo and Rotorua and more Tongoriro NP. Try to start your crossing about noon if you are reasonably fit to avoid morning crowds, and north to south is less busy.
Also liked Coromandel but scary driving. Take the inland detour to the huge kauri trees.
Also liked Coromandel but scary driving. Take the inland detour to the huge kauri trees.
Jun 15th, 2022, 08:09 AM
#23
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For what it is worth, my favourite part of the North Island is the province of Taranaki. Not so much traffic, many lovely and deserted beaches, incredibly lush forests and pastures, and on a fine day it is hard to beat the views of and from Mt Egmont. You could spend your entire trip there and not run out of things to do. Quite literally a land of milk and honey: there are dairy farms and apiaries everywhere on the volcanic ringplain.. There's not a lot of traffic and you can easily get there by bus or plane from Wellington.
My favourite activities outside of the national park tracks are walking or cycling the coastal walkway near New Plymouth; the Len Lye art museum and shopping for artisan cheese.
Hawkes Bay is nice too, but Taranaki would always get my vote.
Graeme
My favourite activities outside of the national park tracks are walking or cycling the coastal walkway near New Plymouth; the Len Lye art museum and shopping for artisan cheese.
Hawkes Bay is nice too, but Taranaki would always get my vote.
Graeme
Jun 15th, 2022, 10:05 AM
#24
I've been to new Plymouth, and no I would not move it up your list, considering that the chance of seeing Mt. Egmont is pretty small. The track I walked in Egmont Forest near New Plymouth was particularly full of tricky roots, aka ankle-breakers. The gardens in town were nice, though. I went during the Festival of Lights there, which looks like it is back this year!
Also since you said you are getting nervous about driving, that would drop both Taranaki and Hawke's Bay (beyond Napier and whatever one could access nearby by car or tour nearby) lower down on the list.
October isn't really beach weather for swimming even on the North Island. And more so on the SI. I was snowed on in December there!
The Tongariro Crossing is a difficult (not "light") hike, although there are some shorter ones.
Also since you said you are getting nervous about driving, that would drop both Taranaki and Hawke's Bay (beyond Napier and whatever one could access nearby by car or tour nearby) lower down on the list.
October isn't really beach weather for swimming even on the North Island. And more so on the SI. I was snowed on in December there!
The Tongariro Crossing is a difficult (not "light") hike, although there are some shorter ones.
Last edited by mlgb; Jun 15th, 2022 at 10:35 AM.
Jun 15th, 2022, 11:33 AM
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I am with LGBTQIA’s on New Plymouth. We went there on our last trip before starting our drive along "The Forgotten World Highway. Loved that drive even if it was in torrential rain and high winds and involved us having to help farmers move fallen trees etc.. NP itself was singularly unimpressive in my considered opinion. We were in the area for maybe three days and not a peek of the mountain. If you happen to be an Elvis fan there is an interesting stop at a "museum " nearby.
Tongariro is stunning but it is a pretty hardcore day hike. I wouldn’t attempt it unless you are already a keen hiker as it is not the sort of hike where you can just turn around and go back. If concerned about driving, forget about Coramandel!
Tongariro is stunning but it is a pretty hardcore day hike. I wouldn’t attempt it unless you are already a keen hiker as it is not the sort of hike where you can just turn around and go back. If concerned about driving, forget about Coramandel!
Jun 15th, 2022, 01:05 PM
#26
I assume that mlgb autocorrected to LGBTQIA!
Re Coromandel, I did not drive all the way around the peninsula due to weather (it was raining and skipping it was the better part of valor). Going from Auckland via Thames and on to Whitianga via Route 25, there are points of interest such as Cathedral Cove (easy walk but check the tide charts), Hot Water Beach (a novelty worth a short stop, also tide dependent), and the Kuaotunu to Otama Beach area (Black Jack Road). That part of the "Coromandel" isn't on the rough road around the top end of the peninsula (although it may have been curvy in parts). Whitianaga is large enough to have some decent restaurants.
I stayed above Kuaotunu town in what would be an Airbnb nowadays. I also had the prior night in Thames in a motel.
PS avoid Matarangi!
Re Coromandel, I did not drive all the way around the peninsula due to weather (it was raining and skipping it was the better part of valor). Going from Auckland via Thames and on to Whitianga via Route 25, there are points of interest such as Cathedral Cove (easy walk but check the tide charts), Hot Water Beach (a novelty worth a short stop, also tide dependent), and the Kuaotunu to Otama Beach area (Black Jack Road). That part of the "Coromandel" isn't on the rough road around the top end of the peninsula (although it may have been curvy in parts). Whitianaga is large enough to have some decent restaurants.
I stayed above Kuaotunu town in what would be an Airbnb nowadays. I also had the prior night in Thames in a motel.
PS avoid Matarangi!
Last edited by mlgb; Jun 15th, 2022 at 01:17 PM.
Jun 17th, 2022, 01:02 AM
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Magritten, I wouldn't recommend going to Waiheke on your last day, as you wouldn't be able to truly relax and take your time.
I think it would be better to just enjoy Auckland on your last day. Plus, it's recommended you arrive three hours before your international flight and, going by experience, that sounds about right.How about on your last day visiting an Auckland garden? I trust you've been to the Auckland War Memorial Museum? If not, it has an outstanding collection of Maori and Oceanic art and it's surrounded by the Domain. Or visit the Auckland Art Gallery. Or have along leisurely lunch on the waterfront. My friends who sail enjoy the Maritime Museum. Many Aucklanders seem to enjoy the walk up Mt. Eden.
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/...spx?ItemId=393
Since the borders have opened I haven't noticed many tourists, but I live in Dunedin, not popular Queenstown or Wanaka. The newspapers and TV stations covered the first tourist arrivals who mainly seemed to be friends or family of people in NZ, similar to a woman from Brisbane I met at the gym a few days ago, who was visiting relatives in Dunedin. I see rental cars and camper vans around town but this has been the case throughout the pandemic, even when the borders were closed as many Kiwis have used this time to see their own country.
It's winter now so it'll only be high season for the ski areas such as Queenstown and Wanaka. But these are popular destinations at any time of year. Now that NZ has dropped pre-covid testing, many skiers and snowboarders will be more encouraged to visit. Ski season bookings are already high. Australians account for about 40% of NZ's total international arrivals, but about 64% of those who come to ski or snowboard.
Come summer, I fully expect many more tourists (especially if the cruise ships return) and overseas friends and family of NZ residents, to visit NZ. Until then, apart from the skiers and snowboarders, I expect tourists to slowly trickle in. But life is unpredictable these days.
I think now that Americans are traveling in great numbers during the Northern Hemisphere summer and fall, they're more likely to go to Europe as the exchange rates have been advantageous for them, with many taking trips they've deferred since the start of the Covid pandemic. France, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Germany and other top European destinations are always going to attract more tourists than little isolated NZ.
Places change. I would guess most tourist destinations are more crowded than they used to be, not only with more tourists but with more residents. I'm a native San Franciscan who moved to NZ nearly 11 years ago. When I first traveled to NZ in 1996, the country had a population of 3.7 million, now it's 5.1 million.
I also believe it makes a great deal of difference when and how you travel. Off season and off the beaten track will be quieter in any country. But in NZ, even in peak tourist season, you can always find a quiet, serene, nearly isolated corner of nature for yourselves.
You've picked well by visiting after the Labor Day and outside of New Zealand and Australian school holidays. You obviously did your research.
I once spent a few days in Te Anau before and after an overnight trip on Doubtful Sound. I thought I was being smart by avoiding NZ school holidays, but Te Anau turned out to be packed with Australian families on their spring breaks. It was bustling. Real Journeys had to add another trip to the glowworm caves. While I was taken by surprise by how busy the town was, i wasn't at all bothered by it. After all, even though I'd only traveled from Dunedin, I was a tourist, too--and happy to see the local economy booming. Te Anau has had an especially tough time during NZ's Covid closure to the outside world. From an article in The Guardian: "In Te Anau, Milford’s nearest town, absence of visitors during the pandemic has driven many businesses to the edge of collapse. About 85% of Piopiotahi’s visitors are from overseas, said Paul Norris, chief conservation officer of RealNZ, which runs ferry tours in the sound. Losing them was an immense economic shock. “It’s been survival mode,” he said. “You can imagine, the last two years, there’s been an awful lot of people who have left the tourism industry.”
The Bay of Islands is lovely, especially Paihia and Russell, but I think it would be more enjoyable when it's warmer, maybe early December or March (outside of school holidays and busy February). On my first trip to the Bay of Islands, which was either in May or October many, many years ago, it was rainy, windy and cool. I caught a bad cold and spent the next few days just trying to rest up. My husband and I wanted to go scuba diving in the Poor Knights Islands, but as it was the off-season with few tourists around, the scuba dive operator was only offering weekend dives. We were there midweek, by the weekend my cold was so bad scuba diving was out.
I think it would be better to just enjoy Auckland on your last day. Plus, it's recommended you arrive three hours before your international flight and, going by experience, that sounds about right.How about on your last day visiting an Auckland garden? I trust you've been to the Auckland War Memorial Museum? If not, it has an outstanding collection of Maori and Oceanic art and it's surrounded by the Domain. Or visit the Auckland Art Gallery. Or have along leisurely lunch on the waterfront. My friends who sail enjoy the Maritime Museum. Many Aucklanders seem to enjoy the walk up Mt. Eden.
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/...spx?ItemId=393
Since the borders have opened I haven't noticed many tourists, but I live in Dunedin, not popular Queenstown or Wanaka. The newspapers and TV stations covered the first tourist arrivals who mainly seemed to be friends or family of people in NZ, similar to a woman from Brisbane I met at the gym a few days ago, who was visiting relatives in Dunedin. I see rental cars and camper vans around town but this has been the case throughout the pandemic, even when the borders were closed as many Kiwis have used this time to see their own country.
It's winter now so it'll only be high season for the ski areas such as Queenstown and Wanaka. But these are popular destinations at any time of year. Now that NZ has dropped pre-covid testing, many skiers and snowboarders will be more encouraged to visit. Ski season bookings are already high. Australians account for about 40% of NZ's total international arrivals, but about 64% of those who come to ski or snowboard.
Come summer, I fully expect many more tourists (especially if the cruise ships return) and overseas friends and family of NZ residents, to visit NZ. Until then, apart from the skiers and snowboarders, I expect tourists to slowly trickle in. But life is unpredictable these days.
I think now that Americans are traveling in great numbers during the Northern Hemisphere summer and fall, they're more likely to go to Europe as the exchange rates have been advantageous for them, with many taking trips they've deferred since the start of the Covid pandemic. France, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Germany and other top European destinations are always going to attract more tourists than little isolated NZ.
Places change. I would guess most tourist destinations are more crowded than they used to be, not only with more tourists but with more residents. I'm a native San Franciscan who moved to NZ nearly 11 years ago. When I first traveled to NZ in 1996, the country had a population of 3.7 million, now it's 5.1 million.
I also believe it makes a great deal of difference when and how you travel. Off season and off the beaten track will be quieter in any country. But in NZ, even in peak tourist season, you can always find a quiet, serene, nearly isolated corner of nature for yourselves.
You've picked well by visiting after the Labor Day and outside of New Zealand and Australian school holidays. You obviously did your research.
I once spent a few days in Te Anau before and after an overnight trip on Doubtful Sound. I thought I was being smart by avoiding NZ school holidays, but Te Anau turned out to be packed with Australian families on their spring breaks. It was bustling. Real Journeys had to add another trip to the glowworm caves. While I was taken by surprise by how busy the town was, i wasn't at all bothered by it. After all, even though I'd only traveled from Dunedin, I was a tourist, too--and happy to see the local economy booming. Te Anau has had an especially tough time during NZ's Covid closure to the outside world. From an article in The Guardian: "In Te Anau, Milford’s nearest town, absence of visitors during the pandemic has driven many businesses to the edge of collapse. About 85% of Piopiotahi’s visitors are from overseas, said Paul Norris, chief conservation officer of RealNZ, which runs ferry tours in the sound. Losing them was an immense economic shock. “It’s been survival mode,” he said. “You can imagine, the last two years, there’s been an awful lot of people who have left the tourism industry.”
The Bay of Islands is lovely, especially Paihia and Russell, but I think it would be more enjoyable when it's warmer, maybe early December or March (outside of school holidays and busy February). On my first trip to the Bay of Islands, which was either in May or October many, many years ago, it was rainy, windy and cool. I caught a bad cold and spent the next few days just trying to rest up. My husband and I wanted to go scuba diving in the Poor Knights Islands, but as it was the off-season with few tourists around, the scuba dive operator was only offering weekend dives. We were there midweek, by the weekend my cold was so bad scuba diving was out.
Last edited by Diamantina; Jun 17th, 2022 at 01:28 AM.
Jun 18th, 2022, 05:46 AM
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Thank you so much, Diamantina. Re Auckland, we did go up Mt Eden on our last day last time. It was a perfect day (the kind that makes you wonder why you have to fly back home) and a nice little cap to end our trip. As to Waiheke, maybe that works better if we have more than 1 night in Auckland. And as per your suggestions, it wouldn't be difficult to find things to do there prior to an evening flight home.
I also appreciate your thoughts on the Bay of Islands. Maybe because we've spent the bulk of our time on the South Island, there's appeal in "getting up north," but just not sure where that might be. But really the focus is mainly on just finding the couple of places to hang out and, as always, hope there's another trip (or two) down the road to see what we've missed.
Re your comments on everything getting crowded, I totally understand that. We're traveling in 2022's reality, not 1982's. (If we could go back in time, my wife and I would really enjoy touring Europe in the 1950s. Think Gene Kelly in American in Paris.) But part of my question about how busy things might be gets to the question of spontaneity. On our first trip (2008) we winged it--no reservations and just drove. We'd love to do that again, but I suspect that won't be practical now, particularly if we're trying to minimize driving. But I'd love to wake up in Wellington in the am and say "hey, the weather looks great in XXX, let's catch a plane there."
Thank you for giving us credit for this, Diamantia, but it was actually driven by FF availability!
I also appreciate your thoughts on the Bay of Islands. Maybe because we've spent the bulk of our time on the South Island, there's appeal in "getting up north," but just not sure where that might be. But really the focus is mainly on just finding the couple of places to hang out and, as always, hope there's another trip (or two) down the road to see what we've missed.
Re your comments on everything getting crowded, I totally understand that. We're traveling in 2022's reality, not 1982's. (If we could go back in time, my wife and I would really enjoy touring Europe in the 1950s. Think Gene Kelly in American in Paris.) But part of my question about how busy things might be gets to the question of spontaneity. On our first trip (2008) we winged it--no reservations and just drove. We'd love to do that again, but I suspect that won't be practical now, particularly if we're trying to minimize driving. But I'd love to wake up in Wellington in the am and say "hey, the weather looks great in XXX, let's catch a plane there."
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