Just where are we going?

Looking back at this map after our return, I realize I really was just throwing darts at the map. Since most international flights to/from New Zealand come in and out of Auckland, we finished our long flight, and then immediately caught a quick flight to Christchurch. We planned to fly out of Auckland at the end of our trip, which would require us to ferry South to the North with our rental van after exploring the South Island.

As you’ll read here, that’s exactly what we did. After arriving in Christchurch and a too brief recovery, we hit the road, starting in Akaroa, making our way South, through Aoraki/Mt Cook, Wanaka, Queenstown and Fiordland before turning the van North to make a pretty thorough tour of the West Coast, ending our South Island tour with stops at Abel Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough Sound.

Everyone says the North Island has a different “vibe,” and it is hard to put your finger on exactly what it is. A little less drama to the vistas. Fewer tourists. More people that just work, have jobs and live. Of the over five million people that are residents of New Zealand, three quarters of them live on the North Island. We experienced a bit more weather. Days started getting shorter, and we were glad that the majority of the sandfly population stayed on the South Island. We made a beeline for Napier and then into the Te Urewera National Park and the Whirinaki Forest Park. A little jaunt south took us through the otherworldly landscape of the Tongariro National Park with its many volcanoes. Back north for the sulphuric odors, hot springs, and Redwoods of Rotorua. Skirted the Coromandel Peninsula, but cut it short due to rain and winds. Explored the Northlands, Bay of Islands, and then immersed ourselves into the forests of the Trounson Kauri Park. We finished our North Island tour with a few relaxing days at Piha Beach before catching our flight home.

Looking back at our nine weeks in New Zealand, it’s hard to say what we would do differently. We were constantly on the move with most days having a drive of one to six hours. We only spent multiple nights in one place a handful of times, and most days had good hikes, paddles, or both in them. We experienced a lot of the islands, but there were also areas we couldn’t even consider visiting. Did we dig deep enough, or did we barely scratch the surface?