My top 10 experiences – New Zealand

Here comes a samey top 10 list, this time in New Zealand though as I’ve been travelling ‘full-time’ for 2 months there before my homecoming to Stockholm. First at all, I wanna express my gratitude to some kiwis where let me stay at their places in NZ; Simon Holt, Amber Shaw & husband, Ryan Cassidy, Daniel Williams & wife and Michelle Wüst (aussie). Alike the Australian list, this one wasn’t easy to make since there were so many things to choose! I googled some photos cuz I didn’t have any own. And forgive my english! 🙂

SVENSKA VERSION, KLICKA HÄR

Mountainbike in Redwoods (Rotorua)

Photo from http://www.justmtb.co.nz

Famous as a mecca for the mountainbikes. Do I need to explain more?

ADVICE: Stay at the backpacker ‘Base Hot Rocks” and hire their bike. Good price for a good bike.

MINUS: Some parts of the area could be too advanced (for me) to handle. But as long you have control over the bike, you will be fine!

Hobbiton (Matamata)

Since the release of the LOTR trilogy, visiting the Hobbiton has been a dream, which made it all just undescribably to finally stand there along all the cute holes I remembered from the movies. Great guide and free hobbit-beers were what I experienced during that day.

ADVICE: Know the LOTR movies before the visit (No Shit, Sherlock… I know)

MINUS: Invasion of photo-thirsty tourists over there.

Skiing (Queenstown)

I guess you just need to watch the photo to realise why it came with this list?

ADVICE: Stay at the backpacker ”Black Sheep Backpacker”. Easily the best hostel I ever stayed at. It is possibly beacause of my companies were super but the hostel was still amazing.

MINUS: The life as a skier in Queenstown can be an expensive story.

Roadtrip to Cape Reinga (Bay of Islands / Northland)

Beautiful landscape, everywhere. Really everywhere. Everywhere. At the end I actually didn’t think anything was beautiful anymore. When we finally arrived to Cape Reinga, the northest part of NZ, we were standing on the top of the bottom of the world and watching two oceans collide.

That wow feeling, yes that.

ADVICE: A regular weekend is perfectly enough for this kind of roadtrip. Stay at Tapotupotu Camping Area, approximately 1 km from Cape R.

MINUS: The reports for the weather change 24/7 there.

Lost World (Waitomo Caves)

Abseiling 100m down from the land, to a lost world… Um what more to say?

ADVICE: There are lots of tours to choose, just make sure to have a look around before you decide. Because there are such 1000+ caves on the area.

MINUS: Jumping into the dark water wasn’t included in my tour, which I think would be feckin cool.

Mt Ngauruhoe (Tongariro National Park)

Photo from http://www.visitruapehu.com/

As previously mentioned, the LOTR trilogy, when Frodo climbed upwards a volcano to destroy the powerful ring in the lava of scorching heat. It’s the same volcano they used in the movies, or If I got that right, the director Peter Jackson got the inspiration of Mt Ngauruhoe and had some shoots at the area. However, it was a extremely big-time view. Definitely worth to see.

ADVICE: If you plan your trip well, the volcano is easy to find. There is also one-day hiking which is, according to people, one of the world most beautiful hike, just in good weather though.

MINUS: When I was there, it was bad weather.

Garage Project (Wellington)

Photo from http://www.garageproject.co.nz

You buy a specific plastic bottle and fill it as many times you need to in the service station, like a car, but for beers. There are around 8 different petro… beer favoures as you can tell the service personals to fill your bottle with and you pay beer per litre. Garage Project is an actual old service station but now they are using it as a brewery and next to it they have a shop where selling beers.

ADVICE: Less petrol and more beer for the people!

MINUS: Such a station doesn’t exist in Sweden, or?

Roadtrip - West Coast (Queenstown - Westport)

Every corner of the road fascinated me. Think I’ve made such 1 million stops just to get off the car and enjoy of it I could see, which I couldn’t do at the same time as I drove, I’d be dead ages ago. On the road there weren’t just sicky views, but also great activites such as tandem parachute jumping and glacier climbing. I mean… This roadtrip is a must-do in life, no dobut.

ADVICE: Rent/buy a campavan instead for a regular car so you wouldn’t be too dependence of hostels. You could instead drive inside any forest to overnight there and then wake up to the view you choose yourself to see. Drive alone or by company, you will be satisfied however.

MINUS: The weather could be hard to trust. When NZ’s famous long white clouds strike you wouldn’t be able to see the giant mountains.

Castle Hill (Arthur's Pass National Park)

Photo from http://cameronrose.co.nz/

Don’t trust that photo, the stones were so much bigger in real life. I brought this place to my list because of its unusual but wonderful enviroment. Lots of massive stones around on a hill which could be registered as runes from a old castle. But they were just limestones laying there. I enjoyed walking around but I think doing a picnic would be perfect there. All I had that day was a pack of chewing gum, damn.

ADVICE: Picnic, picnic and picnic. People are also allowed to climb up on those stones so dress yourself comfortably.

MINUS: Lots of cows live there so… extreme stink of shit can happen.

Shotover Jet (Queenstown)

Photo from http://www.everythingqueenstown.com/

This stuff was really cool as I got to behold an amazing view at the same time as I was going in a crazy and hazardous speed. Honestly I didn’t feel that adrenaline as I was expecting but it was still a race worth to test.

ADVICE: The company ”Shotover Jet” is obviously world-famous and many stars have been there for the race, like the britain Queen, Elizabeth II for example.

MINUS: Shitty guide for the deaf. The driver knew I was deaf but continued to babble without one only sign signal.

Some quick top-stuffs

The best sunrise: Te Ahumairangi Hill (Wellington)

Photo from http://www.wellingtonnz.com/

 The best sunset: Cape Reinga (Northland)

Photo from mypostcards.frankchang.org

The best coffee: Everywhere (Wellington)

The best rugby team: Uh... All Blacks! (New Zealand national team)

The best burger: Six Barrels Soda ~ Taste the halloumi one! (Wellington)

 A short list of things I wanted to do but couldn’t due to diverse reasons as well as money, time and mood.

Kayak at Lake Taupo (Taupo)

Hiking on flaming volcano (White Island)

Climbing on glaciers (Fox/Franz Josef Glacier)

By the way of conclusion, I want to express an extra gratitude to Simon Holt and his family, who let me stay at his place for well over a month. He also brought me out to different places in NZ which would have been kinda difficult for me to travel to as an alone backpacker.

Ice Bar in Auckland

Thanks for an amazing end of my travelling, New Zealand!

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