Tongariro Alpine Crossing, NZ
Spring in New Zealand: A Road Trip to Remember
If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, like my son, New Zealand is probably on your travel bucket list. Even though I’d never read the books nor watched the movies, I’ve always wanted to visit this land of fields and fjords, a hiker’s paradise with no snakes. It might sound strange, but I have always felt a deep connection with New Zealand, knowing on a visceral level that I would enjoy my time there even though I never set foot on it. I’ve spent many, many hours researching places to go and things to do when planning my dream vacation to the Land of the Long White Cloud (the name in Maori, Aotearoa.) I was hoping to take a month to travel around the country, but with work and other responsibilities, I had to settle for a two-week vacation in November, the last month of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. I knew in my gut that I’d love New Zealand. As it turned out, it proved to be my favorite place on earth. I’d move there tomorrow if I could. I love everything about this beautiful South Pacific nation.
Most everyone would agree that renting a campervan and self-driving is the best way to see and experience New Zealand. Well, we didn’t. We went with a big group of our friends, twenty-five of us to be exact, on a private and customized tour that I painstakingly put together with General Travel New Zealand, a local “Kiwi” Auckland based company. Group travel is not without its challenges – from a logistical and a social perspective. Yet, traveling with a large group of friends proved to be a fantastic experience. I knew traveling around New Zealand was going to be an adventure, but going on our own road trip through the length and breadth of the country was beyond my wildest dreams.
My Top Three Highlights:
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Tongariro Alpine Crossing: This hike was top of my New Zealand bucket list. In my opinion, it’s one of the best things you can do in the country, if “tramping” is your thing. The Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage Site, and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike is one of the most popular in New Zealand, if not in the world. For your efforts, you will be rewarded with panoramic views over volcanoes and emerald green lakes.
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The People: what I treasure most about the trip is the positive interactions both within our group of friends and with the locals. My experience is that Kiwis are friendly and very welcoming to visitors. I never got tired of hearing the Kira Ora greeting. However, I failed to adopt the Kiwi attitude expressed by the saying “she’ll be right.” As the leader of the group in charge of logistics I stressed out every time when things didn’t go according to plan. But my local partners never seemed worried. They just don’t sweat the small stuff. They take things as they go and believe that things will turn out all right in the end.
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The Coffee: what I like most about active vacations is that I can increase my calorie intake. I am no Michael Phelps but spending my days hiking allows me to enjoy things I usually have to avoid in my normal life. My guilty pleasure is coffee, the sugary kind: latte, cappuccino, mochaccino, affogato. These sweet delights are all common espresso drinks in New Zealand where the locals take a break around 10 am and 3pm to have their morning and afternoon tea respectfully. But it’s not tea that they have. They sit down to enjoy their coffee in a real cup and a snack with friends or family. I’ll drink to that!
Our Two-Week Itinerary:
There are SO many things to do and see in New Zealand. I can guarantee you won’t get bored! On the contrary, it is hard to decide what to do and where to visit when you are there because the choices are virtually endless. And you can’t go wrong. Our group’s schedule reflects our goal to see as much as of the country as possible for a large group travelling long distances in a coach bus.
DAY 1: Auckland
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city with a population of 1.5 million people. It is known as the ‘City of Sails’. The highlights of our first day were the walk to the summit of Mt Eden for the 360° stunning views over the city and harbor and the Sky Tower, the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere, offering breath-taking views for 50+ km in every direction. And no, not one brave soul amongst us to take the ultimate leap of faith and jump from the platform 192m above ground.
DAY 2: Coast and Rainforest Walk Tour
The Arataki Visitor Centre is the gateway to Auckland’s coastal rainforest. It offers panoramic views from the sweeping decks, extending from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The highlight of the day was our stroll on the black sand beach, waterfalls, the 1,000-year-old Kauri trees, and wine tasting at the end of the day.
DAY 3: Waitomo, Rotorua
We traveled south through the rich farmland of the Waikato to Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The boat ride in the Glowworm Grotto was spectacular. We continued to the “thermal city” of Rotorua for a visit to the geothermal hotspots and spouting geysers. It is the heartland of New Zealand Maori culture. We indulged in a hangi feast at Te Puia. A hangi, assorted meats and vegetables, is cooked in a pit over river rocks. We ate well and were entertained by cultural performances, including poi dance and a ferocious haka.
DAYS 4 - 5: Tongariro National Park
When traveling we have to learn to expect the unexpected and to always have a “plan B.” Even though it was springtime, on the day we were scheduled to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike, there were strong winds and heavy rain, and the park was closed. So, we changed the plans to do the spectacular hike the next day and do alternative hikes that day. They were nice fillers but nothing to write home about. We were there for what is New Zealand’s most famous day walk.
Tongariro National Park has a World Heritage Status. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing spans the length of Mt Tongariro and takes about 8 hours to complete. Because we had changed the itinerary and had the long drive to Wellington post-hike, we only had 7 hours to complete the hike and be back on the bus and on our way.
It is the most popular hike in the country for a reason. The trail runs through an active volcanic region featuring red craters, emerald lakes, and breathtaking views. It is very different from any other hike I’ve done before. The most fun and stunning part was the descent. Many people around me were either crab-walking down or sitting on their butt. I tried to remain upright, and discounting a couple of falls, I succeeded to gracefully ski through the gravel. I could not get enough of the lakes, colored by the mineral deposits of the volcanoes.
DAY 6: Wellington
We bid farewell the Central Plateau and continued through the lush farmland of the lower North Island, before following the Kapiti Coast to arrive in Wellington, the capital and second largest city. It’s a beautiful city, and the hills and chilly air reminded me of San Francisco, only smaller.
We boarded the Interislander Ferry for our cruise from the North Island to Picton, in the South Island. This is the most popular ferry route in New Zealand, and there’s a lot to see on the way, including the Kaikoura ranges and wildlife. My wish to see Orcas didn’t come true, but we did get to see some dolphins.
DAY 7: Able Tasman National Park
We travelled through vineyards, orchards and the picturesque coastal villages of Tasman Bay on our journey to Kaiteriteri, where we boarded our Vista Cruise to Medland Beach to start our National Park walks. We had an amazing day at Abel Tasman National Park, which is very beautiful and mostly untouched by human development. The trail took us by pristine beaches and a lush reserve that included a swing bridge. We were all grateful to the weather gods for looking after us on this trip.
DAY 8: Franz Josef Glacier
We made our way down to the rugged West Coast of the South Island to find ourselves in rolling hill country which is traversed until you reach the summit of the Hope Saddle and descend into Buller River Valley. We saw the land faults from the Murchison earthquake before we reached the Buller Gorge on the way to Westport. We continued travelling along the rugged coastline via the fascinating rock formations going further south to the West Coast Glacier Region. Formed during the ice ages, the glaciers advance and retreat with seasonal weather patterns. They make for spectacular landscapes surrounded by luxuriant rainforests.
DAY 9: Christchurch
We left the Glacier Region and travelled north through scenic rainforests and flowing rivers on our way to Hokitika, which is the center of greenstone country - the dark green jade the Maori people treasured for its beauty and strength.
We then took the TranzAlpine Scenic Train to Christchurch. This journey is described as "The Great New Zealand Rail Adventure" and is rated as one of the top six scenic train journeys in the world; crossing the spectacular Southern Alps, winding over massive viaducts, through spectacular river gorges and the stunning Waimakariri River valley before arriving in Christchurch.
Christchurch is the international gateway to the South Island, and it is New Zealand's only predominantly flat major city. The Garden City is the South Island's largest city. We were happy to see that the city has bounced back after the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. For me, the highlight was Christchurch’s award-winning Botanic Gardens, boasting an enviable collection of exotic and native plants.
DAY 10-11: Lake Tekapo & Queenstown
One town that I heard a lot about was Queenstown, known as the adventure capital of the world. While some people in our group decided to bungee jump at Kawarau, the first location in the world for commercial bungee jumping, and others opting for a jet boat ride through the narrow Shotover Canyons at over 85kph, most of us chose to do what we love most – hike.
The Ben Lomond mountain looms up behind Queenstown, reaching an altitude of 5,735 feet. The track is a challenging one with an option to start the hike from town, like the locals, or take a scenic ride up the Skyline Gondola to save about 1,476 feet and enjoy the spectacular views from high above. Climbing up to the Saddle we had exceptional lake and mountain views. The adventurous ones can continue up to the Summit. I passed, deciding to descend and tackle more mountains after.
DAY 12-13: Milford Sound & Te Anau
It is with a heavy heart that we departed Queenstown, vowing to come back. We crossed the Waimea Plains on our way to Lake Te Anau, the gateway to the grandeur of Fiordland. From there we travelled onward to Milford Sound through rugged mountains and the breathtaking Homer Tunnel.
We took a boat ride to enjoy the Milford Sound’s awe-inspiring scenery. Then we continued to our guided walk from Te Anau.
The next morning, we laced up our hiking boots for an hike following a portion of the famous Kepler Track. We were rewarded with incredible views and lush forest sections that made the day truly unforgettable.
DAY 14: Dunedin
Where we come to the last day of our New Zealand adventure. Dunedin is known as the “Edinburgh of the South.” It is home to New Zealand’s oldest university, Otago University. We hiked up the World’s Steepest Street – Baldwin Street. We continued to New Zealand’s first botanic garden, the Dunedin Botanic Garden and explored the peaceful gardens. Signal Hill is another city highlight, providing fantastic views of Dunedin city, harbor and the Otago Peninsula.
Final Thoughts: travel in November can be tricky, but we were lucky to get mostly sunny days, except that one day at Tongariro National Park. I feel November is a very pretty month. You get the contrast of the emerald green rolling hills, the Pacific blue ocean against snow-capped peaks, and the mountains. It’s truly awe-inspiring. But not only is the landscape beautiful, but the people also match the land’s beauty.
If you’re just thinking about going to New Zealand, go, just do it!