Given I am traveling New Zealand solo, I decided that buying or renting a car would not work that well for me for a couple of reasons:

1. They drive on the left side of the road (and I did not want to navigate that while on my own.
2. It’s expensive if you can’t split the costs
3. If I was driving alone and sleeping in the car it would be more difficult to meet people.

This left me with two options: I could buy a pass on one of those hop off/ hop on busses that have a set path or I could try to use the public bus system and buy one ways around the country. After talking to the people at my hostel in Auckland I decided to try my hand at the organized bus trip through Kiwi Experience. I also looked at Stray, but Kiwi Experience had a route that was perfect for me and I was able to get it on sale so it was cheaper! I will write up my thoughts of the Kiwi Experience once I complete my trip in NZ and link it here. The following outlines the route that my pass on Kiwi Experience took me on. If you are driving by car, you wouldn’t necessarily stop at the same stops, but I had no control over my route 🙂

CITY: Auckland

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Oaklands Lodge in the Mt. Eden area of Auckland. When I left California, the only two things I had planned was my flight to Auckland and 3 nights at this hostel. I figured I would land at the hostel, deal with jet lag, and then figure out how best to explore NZ by talking with people. I loved this hostel the minute I walked through the doors. It was homey, warm and inviting. While it is not in downtown Auckland (it’s about a 20 minute bus ride or 50 min walk), the Mt. Eden area is so cute and quaint. I really enjoyed walking around the area, hiking up to Mt Eden for the incredible views and exploring the cute restaurants. The hostel itself has personal lockers in the room, a great industrial sized kitchen, a great common area and nice backyard with hammocks. The folks at the front desk were also very helpful and knowledgable about the area. Would absolutely stay here again!

WHERE TO EAT:

My favorite restaurant that I ate at in Mt Eden was Circus Circus, a fun, circus themed cafe around the corner from the hostel. I had a delicious burger while my friend had a yummy looking plate of pasta.

On a day trip to Waiheke Island with some friends from the hostel, we ate at Too Fat Buns. This was a great (cheapish) option that had great burgers and milkshakes!

The highlight of my meals in Auckland was an ice cream experience like no other. Giapo thinks of ice cream as art and as such, when you walk in the door you are taken to a ice cream tasting where a sommelier of sorts takes you through each flavor. You then choose your ice cream (+ corresponding toppings) and the type of cone (often wearable). Next you must instagram the concoction 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

I was recovering from the 20 hours of traveling so I used my time in Auckland to lay lie and get oriented. However the highlights of my time in Auckland were:

A day trip to Waiheke Island (and easy ferry ride away)

Running to the Domain, a park containing museums and memorials

Walking and reading in Cornwall Park

Climbing Mt Eden at Sunset for the incredible views

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really liked Auckland, but was glad to stay in the Mt Eden Village rather than downtown. Mt Eden was quaint and reminded me of a mix of the US and the UK. It felt very safe. Auckland sometimes get the reputation of just being a bland city and that you should get out into other parts of NZ as soon as you can, but I actually really enjoyed being here for 5 days. My number one recommendation is to take a day trip to Waiheke Island as that was the highlight for me!

CITY: Hot Water Beach

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

There are not many options for accommodation here so I recommend staying at Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park, where we stayed on the Kiwi Experience. The bunk rooms were basic but did the job. They have all sorts of different types of accommodation- camping spots, RV Hookups, private rooms, bunk rooms, etc. The kitchen is fairly basic and didn’t seem to have cutlery, pans etc. so I am not sure how one is supposed to use it. Luckily there is a food stall with breakfast and dinner options so plan to eat that while you are there.

WHERE TO EAT:

As mentioned above, there is not much going on in this “town” and we were only here for a night so the only place ate was at the Holiday Park.

WHAT TO DO:

They are two main reasons to make a stop here: the Hot Water Beach and the walk to Cathedral Cove. Both were fun activities!

At low tide, visitors can dig down in the sand and hot water from underground springs filters to the surface, creating hot pools of water. The water can be as hot as 147 °F (64 °C) AKA HOT. When we were there, there were a lot of pools that had already been dug up so we sat in those instead of digging our own. While the water was certainly WARM, it was definitely not hot. I’m sure if we had dug a little deeper we might have gotten the pool hotter, but we couldn’t be bothered.

After sitting in the pools we changed into walking gear and we bussed over to the start of the Cathedral Cove trail. The walk is not too far (60 min return; roughly 3 miles). This is a must do! Beautiful walk and you end at the famed Cathedral Cove (Macklemore shot a music video here and the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe shot here as well).

Overall Thoughts:

This was a fun stop on the Kiwi Experience. I enjoyed the walk to Cathedral Cove more than the Hot Water Beach, but maybe if you had more time to enjoy the beach (we only had about 45 min) then it would be better. If you are tight on time while in NZ, I am not sure this is worth going out of your way for, but if you are doing the Kiwi Experience, this is a fun first stop!

CITY: Waitomo

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the Waitomo Top 10 Holiday Park. Once again there are not too many options around here as the main thing to do here is caving and there is not major town. That being said, this Holiday Park was set in a beautiful little valley and it was so peaceful. Kitchen was not great so don’t rely on it.

Where to Eat:

There are a few small restaurants within walking distance of this spot. Check them out on trip advisor and see what appeals and works for your budget!

What to do:

The only reason really to stop here is to go caving, but what a great reason! I went on a 5 hr adventure in the caves with The Legendary Black Water Company. We abseiled into the caves, zip lined, tubed, and free climbed two water falls. Talk about an heart racing day. Definitely one of my favorite activities of the trip!

Overall Thoughts:

This is a can’t miss while in New Zealand. I absolutely loved my time in both Waitomo and the caves!

CITY: Rotorua

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTs

ACCOMMODATION:

The Kiwi Experience bus stays at Base Hostel, but someone had told me about another hostel (Funky Green Voyager Backpackers) to stay at so I booked there. If you are on Kiwi Experience I recommend staying at the hostel they stay at because I regret not staying with my friends while here. Inevitably you just end up hanging with your friends the whole time in their room and it was annoying to have to walk back to the other hostel late at night. I literally spent no time at the hostel other than to sleep. That being said the Funky Green Voyager seemed like a great hostel. Great kitchen facilities and very homey feeling. I would recommend staying here if you aren’t with Kiwi Experience.

Where to Eat:

Social club was my favorite spot to eat in Rotorua. I had the most delicious pancakes and it was decorated beautifully.

I love a good ice cream and Lady Jane’s delivered. It’s located at the end of Eat Street, which is a fun walking street with a bunch of fun restaurants and bars.

What to do:

There are a lot of things you can do in Rotorua! I did not get to try everything due to time constraints as well as budget. However, my highlight was zip lining in the native forest nearby. We chose to do the Ultimate Canopy Tour, which included a total of 1200m of zip lines, swing bridges and a snack while sitting on a cliff above the tree canopy. We learned about the conservation efforts in New Zealand, heard the chirps of rare birds coming off the brink of extinction and raced down a 400 meter long zipline. An afternoon well spent!

Hobbiton is a must while in the North Island. I have never been a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, but this was a blast. So fun to learn more about the behind the scenes of this crazy series.

The North Island of New Zealand is where most of the native Maori lived historically and in current times, which is why there is a large cultural presence today. We were incredibly lucky to learn more about this important culture while attending a traditional hangi, which means “all you can eat” at the Tamakaki Maori Village. I highly recommend stopping here for either an overnight or just the dinner.

Rotorua is known for the geothermal activity (hence the noticeable smell of sulfur floating around the town). While the smell is a downside, the hot springs available around town is the silver lining. I enjoyed a relaxing morning at the Polynesian Spa, which was walking distance from my hostel. $32 nzd got me access to 8 pools of varying temperatures (all above 38C).

We also spent an afternoon luging in Rotorua. You take a gondola up the mountain and then race down in a luge cart!

Lastly, on our way out of Rotorua, we stopped at Te Puia, the center for New Zealand’s Maori culture and geothermal wonders.

Overall Thoughts:

There is a lot to do in the surrounding areas of Rotorua so definitely make a stop here. There’s a cute park and nice downtown area. I liked Rotorua and could have stayed a day or two longer.

CITY: Taupo

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Base Taupo. This is not where I would stay if I was traveling on my own, but because all my friends from Kiwi Experience were staying here, so was I. There was a basic kitchen, but there is definitely room for improvement

Where to eat:

I mostly cooked in the kitchen here, but a friend and I had a lovely lunch at Piccolo. Also, don’t skip a stop at Luna’s Gelateria!

What to do:

Through Kiwi Experience, we hopped onto a sailing trip the day we arrived at Taupo. It was fairly cheap and included some pizza for dinner! We set off on the sunny afternoon and headed around the lake. We stopped at some carvings on the rocks (famous in Taupo) and a quick dip in the water (mostly Dutch people who weren’t afraid of the freezing water), before heading back at sunset.

The main thing to do in Taupo is the Tongariro Crossing. This was one of my highlights of the North Island. It’s a 19.4km trek that is rated one of the best day hikes in New Zealand. It can be fairly dangerous due to weather conditions certain parts of the year so be sure to check online before you head out. Also, make sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, lunch, some layers, and a rain jacket. We were lucky that the weather held up fairly well for us. Blue skies and no rain. All we had to deal with was some heavy wind at the top of the passing. Highly recommend completely this trek while in Taupo.

Overall Thoughts:

I enjoyed Taupo, but it wasn’t my favorite. It’s worth a stop here to enjoy the lake and take a day for the Tongariro Crossing, but other than that, move on to other spots.

CITY: River Valley

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

River Valley Lodge is a magical, magical place. This was one of my favorite stops on the Kiwi Experience because there’s no wifi so everyone just sits downstairs in the lodge common room and plays cards and drinks cider. It was so comfy and homey. The room is a 32 person bunk room, which was unique and cozy (good thing you are already friends with everyone on the bus by this point). This was such a picturesque spot, located right on a river.

Where to Eat:

This lodge is in the middle of nowhere so you should partake in their roast dinner offering and just plan to buy breakfast from them in the morning. Both were delicious.

What to do:

I would say there are three main activities: white water rafting, horseback riding, and sitting by the river and reading a book.

I chose to splurge on white water rafting and it was a blast! The guides were great and it was fun splashing around as we went down the river. The best part? You end right in front of the lodge with just enough time to take a quick shower and then hop on the bus.

Overall Thoughts:

I really liked staying at The River Valley Lodge. What a magical place. While there isn’t a ton to do outside horseback riding or white water rafting, it’s a beautiful place to relax and read a book for a day. I wish I had spent a second night here.

CITY: Wellington

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Base the first two nights because that’s where the bus stays and my friends were going to be here their two nights. However, once they were gone and I couldn’t run faster to The Marion! I literally cannot say enough good things about The Marion! The best way I could describe it is it’s as if they asked a group of backpackers what they each would want in their dream hostel and The Marion incorporated EVERY SINGLE SUGGESTION. Free towel? Check. Beautiful kitchen with every cooking apparatus you would want? Check. Beds with an individual shelf, plug, light, and curtain? Check. Fun activities each day/night? Check. Movie room with comfy couches and Netflix already hooked up? Check. Anyway, it’s a no brainer that you should stay here while in Wellington. Like don’t even spend time researching anything else.

Where to Eat:

Because most of my friends left before me in Wellington, I took advantage of cooking at the hostel to save money, rather than eating out.

The two spots I enjoyed were Fidels for a reasonably priced lunch and Zelati for a delicious ice cream. Both are easy to find on/near Cuba St.

What to do:

It rained most of the time I was in Wellington, unfortunately, so I did not do many activities. The Te Papa museum was really fun (and easy to do on a rainy day). They had a great animal exhibit where we learned all about the native and extinct wildlife in New Zealand, but my favorite was their earthquake simulator. None of my friends had been in an earthquake before and it was fun to hear their thoughts. Being from California, I am fairly familiar with earthquakes 🙂

Whenever there was a quick break in the rain, I would quickly throw my shoes on and go for a walk around Cuba St. It’s one of the main streets in Wellington and there are tons of fun shops and restaurants to meander through.

Overall Thoughts:

Wellington was a pretty cool city. It definitely has a more hipster, cool vibe when compared to Auckland. Even though it was raining, I liked walking around and window shopping. If I ever did a working holiday in the North Island, this is where I would want to be!