2025 New Zealand North Island

Herb loves going somewhere warm for his birthday, and since this was the big 70, we wanted to make it a special one.

We usually plan our trips around great hiking and photographic opportunities, so after deliberating for a while on several possibilities, we decided on the North Island of New Zealand. We had been to the South Island last February and truly loved everything about it - the food, the people, and the incredible scenery, so we figured we might as well finish what we started and get a taste of the North.

From what we had heard, the islands are actually quite different. The South is defined by the Southern Alps, with its dramatic high peaks (like Mt. Cook), glaciers, stunning aquamarine lakes, and rugged and expansive landscapes.

In contrast, the North Island is dominated by volcanic activity of all sorts - active volcanoes, geothermal areas, and hot springs. It has fewer mountains and more rolling hills, forests and farmland.

While both have beautiful beaches, the North island, with its warmer water, is better for swimming and sunbathing, while the South Island’s beaches have more dramatic scenery and wildlife.

Once again, we resorted to our favorite way of travel, and rented a campervan from Wilderness Motorhomes in Auckland. This method of transport has two major advantages for us. We can unpack all of our stuff once into the van and travel around like a turtle with everything we own on our backs. Plus, when you stay in campgrounds, rather than hotels, you get to meet and mingle more with the local population (Kiwis as they call themselves).

However, the downside of renting a campervan is that driving a 7.4 meter van in a country known for its narrow, winding, steep roads can be quite challenging, especially when driving on the left side of the road.

After flying into Auckland and staying at an airport hotel for one night, we picked up our camper van at Wilderness Motorhome Rentals and hit the road for our 11-day camping adventure.

Kudos to Herb for safely conquering some pretty hairy driving situations.