10 Days Road Trip in New Zealand, Part 2 (NORTH ISLAND)

By Liku Layuk Allo - June 13, 2019

Part two of this post will describe our journey in the North Island of New Zealand.

So we took an evening flight from Sydney to the most populous city in North Island, Auckland. We arrived in the middle of the night so we decided just to stay for a night in a hostel near the airport, before we check in to our hotel tomorrow.

DAY 1 (Auckland)

Auckland City Tour

First day in NZ! So pumped up. We packed up at the hostel around 9 AM and we went to bus station near the road, to take a bus to train station. Auckland airport was located outside the city of Auckland, so we still need to take a train to the central. It took around 1-1,5 hours to reach the central. The central of Auckland isn't as crowded as other big cities I have visited. It looks just like a regular city with normal crowd in shopping area and CBD (Central Business District). If Auckland is the most "crowded" city in the North Island, I wonder what the other parts of the country will look like.

After we're checked in to our hotel, we spent the day strolled around the city; checked out a few stores, supermarket, grabbed a coffee.. Basically we're just seeing what the city had to offer. For me, Auckland just look like regular cities. Nothing special. In comparison to cities like Melbourne and Sydney, it probably has lesser crowd and entertainment.

The star of our first day was our lunch at The Ancient Mariner Fish and Chips. We found it through Google (we really wanted to eat fish and chips that day). It's a little restaurant located in the quiet side of the town; Mount Eden area. The interior was quite cute with the marine-kinda vibe to it. But to be honest, the fish and chips was indeed THE BEST. I ordered the Snapper fish with chips menu, and the fish was uber fresh, juicy, perfectly seasoned, and so does the chips. It was a big fish yet we're still craving for more! It was simply the best fish and chips I've ever tried. Major recommendation.

whenever I think about it my saliva starts yelling

DAY 2 (Auckland)

Mount Eden, Devonport, Ponsonby Road

Yesterday was quite tiring with all the walks and luggage-pulling (our hotel was kinda located at the top side of the street), thus we had a great sleep. We have quite a schedule today. Before hand, we need to take our ride for the next 4 days.

We took our booked (via website) minivan at Apex Car Rental office, and the process was quite fast. We're just filling the form, and the car was ready for us. Make sure you took the full pics of the car before you use it, so you may know if you add any scratch or damage to it. Documentation matters.

Mount Eden is a suburb in Auckland which is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the Central Business District (CBD). It's the highest volcano in Auckland. The last eruption was about 15,000 years ago, leaving a crater 50Mt deep. Walk to the top of Mount Eden Volcano, there you'll get a 360° view of Auckland city.

From the mountain to the sea, let's go to Devonport. (doesn't rhyme? ok.)

Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland. Just across the bay from Auckland, this small and relaxing town is the perfect day trip from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The suburb hosts the Devonport Naval Base of the Royal New Zealand Navy, but is best known for its harbourside dining and drinking establishments and its heritage charm.

Devonport beach, nothing but a town-side relaxed beach to walk by with your family or with your dogs

love this Palm Spring vibes

After walking around the beach and park, strolling down the little shops beside the street, bought some souvenirs there as well, we decided to grab some lunch and there is no other perfect place than Ponsonby Road.

Ponsonby Road is packed with boutique fashion stores, chic cafés, bars and restaurants, all just 10 minutes from the city centre. Ponsonby is most famous for its food and drink, so we took some times looking around to finally land our choice with a lovely Italian cafe/restaurant named Prego. We ate two pan of pizzas and onion rings. It was a great lunch. I really love the relax atmosphere of this cafe and the view of the elegant guests, but to be honest I don't really enjoy the waiter's service. The waiter treated us kinda different when we "only" ordered two pan of pizzas (we were so full anyway), it can blatantly be seen from her face. She literally rolled her eyes while collecting the menu back.

We've done lunch and sightseeing, now it's time to go around Auckland city for the last time, and we randomly decided to go to Chemist Warehouse. Girls, if you're looking for some places to spend money, this is the one. Chemist Warehouse is an Australian company operating a chain of retail pharmacies, make-up, body treatments and perfumes. They also have it in NZ. The company brands itself as offering crazy discounted prices for those goods. (JASTIP ALERT). We spent approximately one hour here just for shopping lol.

We went to supermarket for some groceries shopping, decided to end the day and back to hotel so we can get more rest because tomorrow we're gonna leave very early.

DAY 3 (Matamata, Rotorua)

Hobbiton Tour, Whakarewarewa Village

We woke up around 4 AM, shower, check out from the hotel, pack our things into our van and leave Auckland behind with sleepy eyes but very pumped-up feelings. Why? Because that day we finally gonna make it into the long-awaited route: HOBBITON. If you’re a fan of the films and books, or even if you’ve only seen one of the movies, you cannot surpass the opportunity to tour the Shire, Hobbiton. Located in Matamata (the middle of nowhere on New Zealand’s North Island) on a sheep farm. As a nerd I am, it was be a dream came true to be able to visit this place.

Note : You cannot roam around Hobbiton on your own; you have to book a tour and follow a Hobbiton guide through the set.

During high season, it CAN get crowded, They do limit how many people can go on each tour (so it IS important to book ahead!), but they can accommodate a lot of people in each tour group. We booked our Hobbiton tickets here.

The road to Matamata, the little town where Hobbiton resides, takes around 2 hours from Auckland, and we decided to leave early in case if we get lost, no need to be panic because we still have time. The map was quite easy to follow. Along the road, we saw magnificent sunrise by our van windows. It was really beautiful to catch morning while road tripping in NZ. We arrived in Matamata around 7 AM and we stopped by for breakfast at McD. It was very cold even inside the restaurant, we finished our breakfast as fast as we can and we decided to go back to our van to sleep for an hour. We slept, woke up an hour later and drove to the movie set.

We arrived at the Hobbiton office just in time for our tour. Checking our reservations at the reception, they gave each of us a map and the guide directed us to get on the bus.

The guide introduced himself to us and gave us some history lessons about the origin of Hobbiton. Initially, for the filming of The Lord of the Rings, the set was made from materials that were not permanent. Thank the film making-gods for The Hobbit trilogy and the land owners who wanted the set to be made permanent, so now fans can come experience what its like to be a hobbit for the day! We were also watched on TV about Peter Jackson, director of TLOTR who explained the amazing process of making the film accompanied by music scores from TLOTR. It felt magical already. The bus continues to run slowly through a vast expanse of green farms whose beauty cannot be expressed in words. You know what? In that moment, I can't contain my excitement anymore. I was so happy I shed a tear. And we didn't even arrived yet...

Bilbo Baggin's house

It was so fascinating and impressive to hear of all the effort put in to making just this set, twice! You really can appreciate how much time and effort was put in to this set, let alone the whole movie, by seeing the intricate and artistic details in Hobbiton.

I can't just forget about the amazing experience i went through. The guide was entertaining and certainly knew his stuff, adding drama to the narrative as we walked through the village pointing out scenes from the movie and things that many would never have noticed. I imagined the scene where Gandalf came to the village and walked down the lane to Bilbo's house... and so on. As it is a movie set, everything is fake and you know it, but still it is magical when you are there. It was a very well maintained place and the details were amazing tho. We took hundreds of photos of all the hobbit holes that looks so cute, but you have to be patient as there were also a lot of people who wants to take picture. But worry no more: the pictures speaks for itself.

The tour ends with relaxing time and a free beer at the Dragon Inn (the same inn/bar they used in the movies) where the atmosphere was amazing. I chose the ginger beer and it was great. We hanged out for a while at the inn and took some cute pics, of course.

I almost feel devastated when the tour was over. My heart was so full of the warmth of the Shire, the magical place where I saw all the things I have been imagined from the books came true in front of my eyes. God, I need more hours. Highly recommended this experience to any of you, especially if you're a TLOTR and Hobbit fan. Not just to the enthusiast but even if you've never seen the movie. You certainly will want to see them all after this. It was "touristy" but it was worth it all the way.

Leaving Hobbiton with joy and love, we continued our journey to the next city, Rotorua. One hour drive from Matamata, Rotorua is known for bubbling mud pools, shooting geysers and natural hot springs, as well as showcasing our fascinating Māori culture. Among all the Maori culture tour in Rotorua, we landed our choice with Whakarewarewa village tour. It can be booked from their website but this only includes access to the town with an optional tour and optional Maori cultural performance show. We also booked the tour before the holiday even started.

Nothing about the tour was life-changing but I still thought the tour was good and informational.

picture from here

The tour begins by forming into small groups with a tour guide leading the way through the village. The Whakarewarewa Village, is a living thermal village in Rotorua, built upon active geysers, thermal hot springs and bubbling mud pools. As we walked through the small village, we saw and smelled the sulfurous steam arising from the pools and fissures. The people who still live in the village use the thermal springs for cooking, bathing and heating. The guide explained to us, although they are equipped now with modern kitchens and showers, they still cook their vegetables and meat in the “hangi”, which is a wooden box, built into the ground to trap the steam, or in the hot pools. When our guide opened the lid, the air became filled with the smell of meat, herbs and vegetables.

Following the tour, we watched a lively cultural performance by the Maori dancers (and singers). They sang quite beautifully and the small performance show was entertaining and the best part was that they gave us the opportunity to take pictures with Maori people.

We spent the sunset looking at the explosive mud pools from a distance, and finished the day. We went to our hotel, find some meals, and rest for tomorrow.

DAY 4 (Rotorua)

Agrodome Farm, Lake Taupo

What's a getaway without some cute instagram-able / posting-able pictures? Nothing. Before we left our hotel, me and Mamat decided to take some shots at the very classic-Victorian style hotel, Prince's Gate Hotel. To be honest, it was probably my favorite hotel ever, considering my love to anything classic and country. I was feeling like a lady who lives in my noble cottage in the countryside. Darling, would you stay for a cup of tea? *Brit accent*

in front of our condo

interior of the other part of the hotel

had the sitting room for ourselves

The first destination for today was The Agrodome. There's one thing most people associate with New Zealand - sheep! That's why no trip to Rotorua would be complete without a visit to The Agrodome. The Agrodome is a 640-hectare (160-acre) sheep and beef farm which has been opened up to the public. If you love to see some sheep and other farm animals, this is the place to see. An educational and hands-on experience, you'll get the chance to join in on farming activities as you learn about farming in NZ and meet the farmers and their sheep.

You can choose between Agrodome Sheep Show or Agrodome Farm Tour during your visit, or you can choose to do both. The Agrodome Sheep Show is an hour-long interactive experience where you'll be introduced to 19 different breeds of sheep. Agrodome Farm Tour for a taste of life on the farm. You'll be guided by a farmer and introduced to a variety of farm animals. You'll be able to get close to the animals and even hand feed them. You can also taste wine, juice and/or honey, while learning about organic fruit growing.

We chose to do the Farm Tour; but due to an unintentional mistake, my friend who booked the tour chose the Sheep Show instead. The show was cute anyway (if you love animals). The guy was super funny and some of the animals were very active and entertaining to watch. The live shearing and milking was the unique aspects. We then went outside and walked around for a little watching the sheepdog muster, also saw donkeys, ponies, llama, alpacas and other farm life.

Our next destination was Lake Taupo. It was an hour or more from the town of Rotorua.

some snaps from our journey

Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand and North Island with 616 km2. What a spectacle you could think it was the sea. It's so large at a certain point you cannot see the other side! It has easy access for boats; many many boats parked at the port. When we were there, it's so calm. They say they have a lots of activities happen on the lake: such as kayaking, paragliding, cruise, jetboat (we wanted to join the last boat tour was already leaving)... Other than that, we had nothing to do rather than enjoying the weather and took some pics (not much). Maybe because we parked in the other side, or the wrong side, I don't know; we can only see the Taupo town in a distance. Lol. Lake Taupo is a nice lake but isn't the best in New Zealand. Also lacks the majesty of some lakes surrounded by mountains. However, there must be some great views, restaurants, and shops around Taupo itself if you know the way. Too bad we also didn't go to the famous Huka Falls near Lake Taupo.

I just realize that we don't have any pics of the lake :(

Our journey from Lake Taupo to Wellington city took approximately five hours and we enjoyed every minute of the view. It feels like, the more south we go, the better the view is. Chasing the sunset from our van windows was indeed one of the most remarkable moment ever. The red hue of sunset along the horizon brought us to the state of melancholic, it was very beautiful to the point where we need to stop at a rest area in the street side, parked our minivan, and enjoy every minute of the dawn.

If I were a singer or something, this would be the perfect place for me to shoot my music video. Lol. I imagined it will be very suitable place to shoot a MV for a song like Bon Iver's, Kings of Convenience's, or Sufjan Stevens'.

We arrived at a rest area near Wellington after five hours of driving. Unfortunately, due to a bad planning back then, we didn't book a hostel/hotel for the night, and ended up sleeping in the car at the rest area. I can't say that experience was comfortable. It wasn't. Lol. But you know, you had it and you learn.

DAY 5 (Wellington)

Wellington City Tour

We woke up at the rest area, and drove to another rest area in town that has toilet and shower to freshen ourselves before the day starts. We were so relieved that we were finally able to move our bodies, after a night of uncomfortable sleep inside the car. Haha. Thank God that almost ALL stop areas in NZ, free or not, has some incredibly clean toilets. That's one of the thing I love the most from this country. Now, let's explore our last stop in North Island, which is the capital city of NZ itself, Wellington city.

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point. As the nation's capital since 1865, the New Zealand Government and Parliament and most of the public service are based in the city. Wellington is New Zealand's political centre, housing the nation's major government institutions. Wellington is the capital of New Zealand but is a smaller city as compared to Auckland.

Wellington was called “the coolest little capital in the world” by Lonely Planet when it was named in its ‘top 10 cities’ list in 2011. We only spent not even a full day here, because we're leaving for Queenstown in the evening, but I think I can get a glimpse of why the city was called that way. Auckland tends to feel soulless to me, whereas Wellington has such a nice vibe to it. Its easier to walk everywhere. More compact and easier access for someone with no car. Less traffic and a much more relaxed, casual vibe. I kinda dig it. We had a simple breakfast at a little cafe in the town (forgot the name), while looking at the streets of Welly (the nickname of Wellington). After that, we hopped in the famous Wellington Cable Car.

The highlight to any visit to Wellington is a trip on Wellington Cable Car. In just 5 we reached the top of the Wellington Botanic Garden where panoramic views of the city and Wellington Harbour are the reward. The Cable Cars leave every 10 minutes.

This was a great attraction at only $9 per adult (one way) we get to ride the cable car to the top. The tunnel lights are very cool too. A must visit if you are in Wellington. Once we arrived at the top of the Cable Car we get easy access to the Kelburn Lookout, Cable Car Museum, Botanic Garden, Space Place, Zealandia and nice cafes. Due to the lack of time, we only visited the Botanic Garden and the museum. Before you head back down make sure to visit those two (free entry), which provides a big garden and a place with history of the city's symbolic mode of transport.

Botanic Garden is a lovely place to come and walk. It has a playground hidden away in the middle that is good for children, a tree house, and some interesting plantings. It is a great way to get some exercise as there is quite a climb from bottom to top and it is a big garden anyway. Nothing much to do there unless you're up for a walk, run with dogs, picnic with family, or sleeping on the soft grass.

We took the cable car back to the CBD and spending our last hour in Welly with coffee at Starbucks and checking out some stores in the street.

Then we left for Apex Car Rental office near the airport to drop off our minivan. The process was pretty fast, the guy was just checking the car's condition for a few minutes, and he dropped us off to the Wellington Aiport to catch our flight to Queenstown.

pic of our cute shoes (me and Mamat's)

Phew, it's crazy how fast time flies. We only have five days left and I can't help but sad whenever I thought about it. I've gotten to travel to some places and meet many kinds of people and do many kinds of great things, so it's, like, always felt this way. It just lets you know how time flies, especially when you're having fun.

See you in my next post, which is gonna be more incredible of course, because it's South Island post!