After a wonderful bop around the Southern half of New Zealand, we booked flights to head up to Auckland in the North. After renting a car in a super sketchy, dark parking lot, we made it to the attic-turned-Airbnb where we crashed for the night. We were raring to go on hikes, so we only budgeted one day in the main city.
Exploring Northern New Zealand
My sister and I chose to divide and conquer our logistics for this leg of the trip. She took on the role of adventure-planner and I booked our accommodations and rental cars.
Touring The Historical Hub of Auckland
Whenever I go to a new spot, I check if there are any other FIRE-minded folk in the area. This time, I was in luck! The Physician on FIRE himself—along with his family—were also in Auckland! We arranged to meet on a walking tour of the city. But first, we fueled up on the best dumplings I’ve ever had in my life. I was thankful that my time in Taiwan taught me how to say ‘Thank you’ in Mandarin. Check out Yo Si Kitchener St (update: sadly they are now closed) around the corner from the Art Museum (which is free to visitors!)
Our exuberant guide pointed out statues, street art, and shared stories about the city’s Māori heritage. I was struck by the contrast between Queenstown and Auckland, one surrounded by enormous mountain ranges and the other dominated by a city skyline.
Physician on FIRE is one of my favorite bloggers! I met him at FinCon a few years prior, and was excited to see him again. It’s always inspiring to meet early retirees who have made big, courageous changes to leave the workforce. Together with his wife, Rayce, PoF retired early, homeschooling their two sons and designing an adventurous life as a family.
Here’s a photo I snapped of them while checking out the enormous trees that adorn the parks of Auckland:
Taupo
In Taupo, we stayed with some very social and friendly Kiwis. They were happy to give us all kinds of recommendations and prepare us for our big hike the next day. We were grateful for the advice to book a shuttle. The service promised to pick you up in the middle of the night so you could sleep on the way, instead of driving yourself and risking not being able to find a place to park. They also lent me a jacket, as they warned temperatures would drop at altitude and I hadn’t brought many layers.
Tongariro Crossing Trek
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is located in the Tongariro National Park – New Zealand’s oldest national park and a dual UNESCO World Heritage Site. The trek itself is one of the most famous, offering a taste of Middle-Earth magic and vistas of Mount Ngauruhoe, known as Mount Doom from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Along the way, signs warn that you cannot turn around and must commit to a steep climb. At the top, we were rewarded with a view of the Red Crater, a geological formation surrounded by peaks and steaming vents.
After the total demolition of our muscles and morale on the never-ending staircase that was the Mueller Hut hike, we mentally prepared for an even more difficult trek. However, despite passing the numerous doomsday signs and warnings of the grueling conditions, we were pleasantly surprised to make it to the top without a hitch.
The 19.4 km (12 mile) Tongariro Crossing is likely more difficult in poor conditions, but we were lucky to have a clear day. Still, I was thankful for my extra layer as the wind picked up.
On the descent, we slid down the sandy backside of the mountain. We watched from on high as dots of little people made their way along the ridge to the clear Emerald lakes.
On the way down, signs helpfully remind you of the region’s active volcanic activity.
The trek was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. We made it back in time for the shuttle and fell asleep again on the way home, where we got a personalized drop off at the driveway of our Airbnb.
Māori Cave Carvings
As we had two days in Taupo, our hosts also recommended taking a boat to see the Māori Carvings. Colonialism decimated the native population with generations of mistreatment and erasure, like here in the States. However, I appreciated that every day as a tourist I was reminded of the Māori people. In thrift stores I’d spot somebody with a face-tattoo indicative of their heritage. Our hosts had a Māori dictionary on the table and were taking lessons in the language. Our walking-tour guide welcomed us with a traditional Māori greeting.
Crafted by master carver Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell and his team in the late 1970s, the carvings depict traditional Māori legends and spiritual symbols etched into the rock surface. While I was tempted at first to consider the Māori Cave Carvings a modern tourist trap, I actually appreciated that not every mural has to be ancient to be important.
We took a boat cruise there, cupping our hot chocolate and sheltering from the rain. On the way back, they taught us how to fish, letting one brave volunteer attempt to bring in the line (it was me. I have never touched a fishing pole in my life.)
Can You Believe We Almost Skipped it?! Hobbiton!
I learned on this trip that my sister has never seen the Lord of the Rings movies, which was mind-boggling and also explained why she had little interest in going to see Hobbiton, the film set. Luckily, I convinced her to squeeze it into our itinerary. Thank goodness we did, as it was a true highlight. From the bus getting stuck by loads of romping sheep to the gorgeous landscapes and enthusiastic tour guides, we loved every minute of it.
Even someone who is unfamiliar with the movies could appreciate the landscape. It’s an immersive experience of a rare “permanent set”. Unlike many film sets that are dismantled after shooting, Hobbiton with its whimsical hobbit holes is there to stay.
The tour concludes with a visit to the Green Dragon Inn, where visitors savor a complimentary hobbit-themed beverage. Whether you are a die-hard fan or even if you’ve never seen the movies, the Hobbiton tour is absolutely worth it. Don’t be like us, book it ahead of time (we were SO lucky to get a last minute slot!)
Glow Worms
Energized by our cider, we were not yet complete with the day’s activities. My sister had told me in no uncertain terms that she was not here to ‘slow travel’. She was here to grab New Zealand by the horns, which meant after our Hobbiton tour, we were off to do some night kayaking to see glow worms in the wild.
One of the popular destinations for this unique experience is the Waipu Caves (North of Auckland), however we stayed in Tauranga.
We paddled along the river, surrounded by lush vegetation. Our guides helped us battle the current past a waterfall to mossy caves. These caves are home to Arachnocampa luminosa, a species of worm that emit a blue light, attracting prey. As our eyes adjusted to the darkness, the cave walls gradually filled with the ethereal glow of thousands of tiny lights of the glow worms.
It was as if we were looking at stars on land, peaceful pinpricks through the darkness. My camera couldn’t capture the pricks of light, so just imagine the first time you laid on your back to see the milky way. It was like that. We floated on the still water to the sounds of droplets and our tour guide regaled us with Māori tales about the stars.
Leaving New Zealand
Every single thing we did in New Zealand was ‘the highlight of our trip’! Each day we experienced something that took our breath away, from the landscapes, to the jovial people, to the brilliance of little worms. It is truly a paradise destination.
I mean what other place is famous for so much, from their exquisite pies to knock-out vistas? Personally, I’d go back just to have this flaky-crust meat pie (oh and those dumplings).
I loved the perspective that something doesn’t have to be ancient to be important or worth seeing. So much of my travel has been to places dominated by sites that are hundreds or thousands of years old, yet things of value are always being created and discovered. One imagines what it might have been like for people of that time. Perhaps they might have simply said “Eh, that statue went up last week, big deal!”
I live in NZ, educated in Auckland, presently living in Wellington. Love that you enjoyed the trip!
I love glow worms – while the kayak through a cave version is amazing, there are some local places where you can see them on a shaded dirt wall. Its a small slice of amazing!
Id totally pick the glowworms over the movie set, but then i get to see the movie set quite often (there are numerous filming sites around the country).
We do do good pies here, also fish and chips, coffee, wine and beer. Our cheese is amazing too.
Yes in one little airbnb tiny home we stayed in, the locals showed us they had glow worms in their own back yard. It was stunning! Hope to go back someday!
What an incredible trip, and pictures. The landscape is so varied and breathtaking. I have long wanted to visit New Zealand. I also have daydreamed about living in Hobbiton (after seeing the Lord of the Rings films), where I imagine they have lots of those flaky meat pies washed down with Hobbit-friendly beverages, so it’s good to see the pictures and hear it’s worth visiting!
A future NZ trip is on my bucket list. The river trip with the glow worms…wow.
Never been to New Zealand, but if I had to pick 1 from the list, it’d be a hard choice between the trek and the glow worms… but I’d probably go with the glow worms because I’m assuming that’s more rare than a hike.
Lord of the Rings: I tried to watch the movies once in college with friends, turned out they were the extended edition, then got lost story-wise in the first movie, turned it off, and never looked back.
Yes it can be easy to get lost story-wise, I found that even while reading the books! And I think you’d be quite happy with the glow worms 🙂