{"id":8614,"date":"2018-02-15T13:12:12","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T17:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/?p=8614"},"modified":"2020-08-24T14:02:15","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T18:02:15","slug":"road-trip-north-island-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/road-trip-north-island-new-zealand\/","title":{"rendered":"A Road Trip on the North Island of New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting off the Beaten Path<\/em><\/p>\n

New Zealand has been popular self-drive destination with well-maintained and signposted roads and spectacular scenery around every corner. During your itinerary planning, you are sure to come across dozens of suggested itineraries, ranging from a few days to a month, including the country\u2019s most-visited regions. For a truly memorable trip, we suggest enhancing your itinerary and discover a diverse array of scenery and off-the-beaten-path experiences on three of the North Island\u2019s highways.<\/p>\n

The drive will give you the opportunity to relax and explore white sand beaches with rolling surf beaches. See crystal-clear lakes and streams, natural spas, bubbling mud pools, volcanic mountains and Hobbit holes. Experience Maori culture, gourmet food and excellent wineries.<\/p>\n

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Cathedral Arch, The Coromandel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From Auckland, head out on the Pacific Coast Highway to The Coromandel. There is over 248 miles of coastline, including Hot Water Beach, where you can dig your own thermal spa on the shore.\u00a0 Walk, boat or kayak to Cathedral Cove to experience the magic. Explore old-world towns and visit some of the many studios and galleries to uncover The Coromandel creativity. Outdoor lovers can enjoy the hiking the Coromandel Costal Walkway or cycling the Hauraki Rail Trail, sampling homegrown produce along the way.<\/p>\n

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White Island<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Drive further down the coast to the Bay of Plenty and visit New Zealand\u2019s only active marine volcano, White Island. Enjoy an evening kayak tour through the glowworm canyon or take a boat trip to remote islands in the coastal Bay of Plenty. Learn about local history and legends that surround the iconic Mount Maunganui \u2018Mauoa\u2019. The region is the kiwifruit capital of the world visit a local orchard with Kiwifruit Country. Visit the house that came home – a fully carved Maori ancestral house that traveled the world for over a century before returning home to its people \u2018Mataatua\u2019. Explore Moutohora Island, home to a range of rare flora and fauna and endangered species such as the NZ Kiwi and Tuatara.<\/p>\n

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Mt. Hikurangi (by Te Runanganui O Ngati Porou)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Discover a unique corner of New Zealand, Tair\u0101whiti – Gisborne. Visit Kaiti Beach, the site of Captain Cook\u2019s first landing in New Zealand (1769). Experience the sacred mountain of Ng\u0101ti Porou, a mystical spot that is the first in world to greet the sun each day. Hikurangi dominates the sitting 5,755 feet above sea level adorned with nine carvings depicting M\u0101ui and his wh\u0101nau (family). The unofficial \u2018Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand\u2019 be sure to visit one of the boutique wineries on the wine trail including Matawhero, Millton\u2019s, Kirkpatrick Estate, Spade Oak, Wrights and Bushmere Estate (wineries with cellar doors).<\/p>\n

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Craggy Range Winery, Hawkes Bay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the southern end of the Pacific Highway lies Hawke\u2019s Bay, the country\u2019s leading producer of red wines, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah, as well as some stunning whites. Explore New Zealand\u2019s Art Deco center, Napier, which was rebuilt in the 1930,\u2019s after a huge earthquake. Join a guided walking tour of Napier\u2019s city center or perhaps take a step back in time, and explore by vintage car. Walk the forest trails of the Ruahine and Kaweka Forest Parks and be sure to visit the Cape Kidnappers gannet colony. There are some glorious beaches that stretch along the coast for a sunset stroll or relaxation.<\/p>\n

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Turn inland on the Thermal Explorer Highway to Great Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in Australasia (the same land mass as Chicago). Take a cruise across the lake to visit the Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings, towering 46 feet above Mine Bay, this is one of NZ\u2019s most extraordinary modern art works.Go fishing for rainbow or brown trout in the world famous Tongariro River or relax in a thermal mineral pool below flowing silica terraces. Be sure to visit Huka Falls NZ\u2019s most visited natural feature, a thundering 36-foot high waterfall where 58,117 gallons of water blast over the falls every second. Hire a bicycle and cycle the Great Lake Trails or perhaps shoot for Par on one of our Championship golf courses.<\/p>\n

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Emerld Lakes, Summer Tongariro Alpine Crossing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From Taupo, travel south on the Volcanic Loop Highway to Ruapehu, home to both Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks. Yea round, enjoy a guided walk on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, while during the winter months; you can hit the slopes during ski season. For something different, take a RailCart tour along an historic railway line or perhaps try stand-up paddle boarding within the National Park. There are plenty of walking trails through the stunning rainforest or take to the water and kayak down the mystical Whanganui River.<\/p>\n

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Maori Cultural Performance, Rotorua<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Complete the loop and pass through Taupo to Rotorua, the geothermal wonderland on the North Island. See bubbling mud pools, clouds of steam and natural hot springs. You can also experience Maori culture with demonstrations, performances and traditional foods available around the city. Try OGO, where you roll down a gentle slope inside an orb, a large ball made of transparent plastic. Soak in the healing waters of the Polynesian Spa or the restorative mud of Hell\u2019s Gate. Learn and see everything farm related at the Agrodome and meet New Zealand\u2019s flightless nocturnal bird, the kiwi at Rainbow Springs. Swim, sail or jetboat in one of the 18 lakes that surround the city or test your ability with a grade 5 rafting trip on the Kaituna River. Walk through a real life enchanted forest at Redwoods Treewalk and stand on millennial trees at Rotorua Canopy Tours.<\/p>\n

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Hobbiton Movie Set<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a few days exploring Rotorua, travel north to Matamata, a small township located in the shadow of the Kaimai Range Mountains, made famous by the Hobbiton\u00a0 Movie Set that was created for Peter Jackson\u2019s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. Join a guided tour of the set and wander past the iconic Bag End and welcoming Hobbit holes before stopping for a refreshing drink in The Green Dragon\u00a0 Inn. There is also a great selection of farmstays available in the area to enjoy great kiwi hospitality and perhaps get hands on experience milking cows or collecting farm eggs.<\/p>\n

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Hamilton Gardens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a full day sightseeing, head to Hamilton for an overnight stay. Explore the themed garden collections at Hamilton Gardens before traveling to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari for a guided tour of the ancient forest and wetlands.<\/p>\n

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Spirit Cave Waitomo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Make your way to Waitomo Caves where you can enjoy a wide range of underground activities \u2013 from peaceful glowworm viewing tours to adrenaline-fueled adventures. Be sure to allow time to visit Ruakuri Cave, which was first discovered 400-500 years ago by a young Maori hunting for birds.\u00a0 The cave offers a captivating blend of subterranean experiences.\u00a0 Journey down through the spectacular spiral entrance, and marvel at the softly folding shawl-like limestone formations and crystal tapestries. Hear the distant thunder of the subterranean waterfalls and get up close to the glowworms.<\/p>\n

After a fun-filled journey, return to Auckland before flying down to the South Island to explore some very different sights and experiences.<\/p>\n

For more information about travel to New Zealand’s North Island, check out Down Under Answers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BudgetYourTrip.com is proud to have Down Under Answers as a sponsor.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Zealand has been popular self-drive destination with well-maintained and signposted roads and spectacular scenery around every corner. During your itinerary planning, you are sure to come across dozens of suggested itineraries, ranging from a few days to a month, including the country\u2019s most-visited regions. For a truly memorable trip, we suggest enhancing your itinerary and discover a diverse array of scenery and off-the-beaten-path experiences on three of the North Island\u2019s highways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_type":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1294,1242],"tags":[551,150,514,72,100,167,306,883,71,553,992,15,217],"class_list":["post-8614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-zealand","category-road-trips","tag-adventure","tag-beaches","tag-car","tag-food","tag-guide","tag-itinerary","tag-journey","tag-new-zealand","tag-planning","tag-scenery","tag-self-drive","tag-travel","tag-traveling","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-14 05:07:55","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8614"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11236,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8614\/revisions\/11236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.budgetyourtrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}