New Zealand is hands down one of my favorite places to visit. This country is so beautiful and diverse, and the people are extremely nice and welcoming. We traveled NZ in a camper van, and being able to experience nature while camping was an experience I will never forget. Were not big city people, and prefer to be out in the country, so here are a few off the grid experiences that we really enjoyed.
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Visit the seaside village of Piha.
Piha is a beautiful dramatic black sand beach just outside of Auckland. This beach is popular with the locals, and after visiting you will understand why. It is vast and dramatic with rugged cliffs at each end, and lion rock in the center dividing North and South Piha beaches. Lion rock is Piha’s war memorial and you can climb half way up, but not all the way to the top. The village is backed by the Waitakere ranges regional park, which has beautiful rainforests and trails to waterfalls. “Kitekite falls” is a 2.2 mile hike up to a dramatic 3 tiered waterfall, with a swimming hole below the falls. Whether walking the vast beach or exploring the rainforest, Piha is definitely worth the visit.
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Picnic at Muriwai lookout.
Muriwai lookout track is not far from Piha beach, and the short walking track leads to a viewing platform with some of the best views on the west coast. If your visiting from August-March, you can check out the Gannet colony that nest here. The view from the colony is super impressive, with the thundering waves below and black sands of Muriwai beach stretching to the North. This spot is perfect for a picnic lunch while watching the birds nest and listening to the waves.
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Drop into the lost world.
If you like a little adventure, I highly recommend abseiling (repelling) into the the lost world, one of the highlights of our trip. Located in Waitomo, the lost world is a 100 meter (328 foot) cave. Its not for the faint of heart, dropping off the platform and free hanging over this massive void will give even the most adventurist butterflies. However I felt extremely safe, the guides at “Waitomo Adventures” were very well trained and experienced. You abseil slowly down to the bottom of the cave, bouncing and turning to to take in the sights, all the while the roar of the Mangapu river echoes from the cavern below. You then climb your way through the cave exploring glowworms, gigantic formations and huge caverns. We did the 4 hour tour, and It was perfect, not too short or too long. Check out Waitomo Adventures to get more information.
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Waikite valley thermal pools.
After a long day of hiking and exploring, Waikite valley thermal pools was just what we needed. Located right outside of Rotorua this facility offers several pools (with varying temperatures) fed from the “Te Manaroa springs”. Because the are drained and refilled every night, the pools are extremely clean. If you have children, there is a large pool kept at 96ºF, perfect for swimming. They also have restrooms complete with showers, laundry facilities, and campsites for RV’s. While your there take a stroll on “Te Manaroa” walkway to see the violent boiling water of the spring. Check out there website for more details.
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Ohope beach and the town of Whakatane.
This beach town wasn’t on our itinerary but after finding epic waves we ended up staying 2 nights. The warm waters, abundant sunshine and safe waters of Ohope beach is popular with the locals. Located at the west end of Ohope, is a 15 minute walk to a hidden gem, Otarawairere beach. This secluded beach is only accessible by foot or kayak and is totally worth the effort. The town of Whakatane is super cute and worth checking out, it has adorable little cafes, bookshops and boutiques. This little town and beach was one of our favorite places to visit.
These were just a few of our favorites in this amazing country! If your thinking about camper-vanning, check out “5 Tips for Camper-vanning New Zealand”. If you’ve traveled NZ I would love to hear about your experience, please comment below..
