{"id":15676,"date":"2024-10-15T10:38:41","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T00:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/?p=15676"},"modified":"2024-10-15T10:38:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T00:38:41","slug":"planning-a-kiwi-road-trip-some-of-the-best-bits-of-the-north-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/blog\/planning-a-kiwi-road-trip-some-of-the-best-bits-of-the-north-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning A Kiwi Road Trip?\u00a0 Some of the Best Bits of the North Island"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We need to admit that our mates across the ditch have a nice back yard in which they can play, and New Zealand (pronounced \u201cNuzilin\u201d) isn\u2019t that far away.\u00a0 And it\u2019s a good place for a road trip.\u00a0 There are not too many things which can bite you, or, if they do, you\u2019re unlikely to die from them.\u00a0 So, what does New Zealand have to offer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having spent a bit of time in both the North and the South Islands, I\u2019ve come across some spectacular places to go see and experience.  The warmer of the two islands is the North, but that doesn\u2019t mean that there won\u2019t be a cool breeze or a bit of rain scampering up from the south every now and then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An airfare from any major Australian centre doesn\u2019t cost a lot flying into Auckland.\u00a0 Obviously, Sydney to Auckland is usually the cheapest.\u00a0 From here, one of the coolest bits (figuratively \u2013 it\u2019s reasonably warm) of the North Island is the narrow expanse of land to the north of New Zealand\u2019s largest city.\u00a0 You will take in some breathtaking coastal views as you journey up through Whangarei up to Kaitaia, and then experience the fun of the white sands along ninety-mile beach, which runs right up to Cape Reinga at the top.\u00a0 Poor Knights Islands are worth a look, and there are plenty of boats that can take you offshore to experience some amazing sights and fishing excursions if you don\u2019t want to stick to the road.\u00a0 Another hidden away gem is the Whangarei Falls, which is easier to drive to.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Tongariro National Park<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Take in the sights around Lake Taupo as well the magnificent central mountains: Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe, and Mt Tongariro.  Tongariro National Park is one of the stunning scenic places to drive in the North Island.  You can ski in winter or mountain bike in the summer.  There\u2019s always plenty of water sports, fishing, and boat excursions in this area as well.  If you\u2019re driving there in winter, be prepared and check the road report, as snow can sometimes close the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

East Coast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gisborne is home to some of the best surfing waves and citrus fruit you\u2019ll find anywhere \u2013 at least on that side of the Tasman.  You can also be the first person in the world to experience the rising of the sun as the new day dawns.  Take your time and travel from north to south, coming toward Gisborne either around the East Cape or more directly through Waioeka Gorge.  Both options are stunningly gorgeous.  If you have a self-contained camper\/caravan, there are many lovely places to stop for the night to take in the culture and the scenic beauty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roads here can be very winding and steep, and keep an eye out for logging trucks, as there are lots of them buzzing about these roads.  Although larger wildlife getting on the road isn\u2019t as common as it is over here (they don\u2019t have kangaroos), the roads around the East Coast can be prone to goats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Coast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Less known about but equally as amazing are the secluded beaches along the west coast of the North Island.  One amazing trip would be heading from Auckland down through the King Country to Tihiroa, then turn westward and go out to the coast, where you\u2019ll enjoy some amazing scenery, stunning land formations, and Kawhia Hot Water Beach.  Yes, you can make a pool on the beach and soak in some geothermally heated water.  Head further south and experience the amazing Waitomo Caves, then go and grab yourself some fish and chips in New Plymouth.  Mount Taranaki (Mt Egmont) is the stunning backdrop to the east, and the beautiful blue ocean is to the west, so you can eat your fish and chips as you watch the sun sink low into the ocean.  Taranaki also boasts some of the best surfing beaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I haven\u2019t even mentioned the Taihape to Napier, route with its red tussock slopes and steep rugged hills.\u00a0 This will really put your hill driving skills to the test.\u00a0 Yes, there\u2019s lots to see.\u00a0 Next time I\u2019ll have to mention some of the great South Island road trips.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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We need to admit that our mates across the ditch have a nice back yard in which they can play, and New Zealand (pronounced \u201cNuzilin\u201d) isn\u2019t that far away.\u00a0 And it\u2019s a good place for a road trip.\u00a0 There are not too many things which can bite you, or, if they do, you\u2019re unlikely to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,3139],"tags":[7981,7938,7980,395],"class_list":["post-15676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-uncategorized","tag-driving-overseas","tag-new-zealand","tag-north-island","tag-road-trip"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15676"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15679,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15676\/revisions\/15679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}