Affectionately nicknamed Windy Welly, New Zealand’s capital city Wellington is quirky, cultured, and gorgeous. This harbor-hugging city is a vibrant mix of art, film, and sea air, where creativity swirls.
In one day and two nights, you can see the highlights of this charming city, and very likely experience a few gusts of wind.
In this post, I explore what to see in Wellington, a city where art meets adventure, and where even the blustery weather is part of the charm.
Arriving in Wellington
If you’re coming from the South Island, you’ll arrive by ferry into Wellington’s huge harbour that embraces you with jutting peninsulas to the right and left.
I dropped off my rental car in Picton on the South Island and picked up a second car for touring the North Island moments after docking. The process is a breeze. This time, I get a black Chev Trax that feels a bit big for me, but it handles well and is comfortable to drive.
Julia directs me into the traffic streaming alongside the harbour for the short drive to the Museum Apartment Hotel across the street from the water and New Zealand’s premier Te Papa Museum.
We’re given a two-bedroom suite with balcony on the fifth floor. I loved this place! The Museum Apartment Hotel is awash with interesting artworks in the public areas—sculptures, paintings, and installations.
It’s already 6:30 in the evening by the time we get checked in so we drop off our luggage and walk across the street to a Malaysian restaurant. After two good curries and some garlic naans, we stroll down Wellington’s main drag.
Lots of restaurants and young people make for a lively street, our first big city stroll since coming to New Zealand.
Best Day in Wellington
If you have just one day in Wellington as I did, then I suggest focusing on four sites: the WETA Workshop (where the props for Lord of the Rings, among many other films, were created), Victoria Park, the spectacular Te Papa Museum, and the harbour area.
Visiting the WETA Workshop
For us, first priority is a tour of the WETA workshop. If you have any interest in all in film (and who doesn’t?), then you must take this tour.
Here’s a tour offered through GetYourGuide. Booking well in advance is highly recommended.
The Weta workshop is located in the suburb of Miramar, a regular neighborhood spread across the hilly Miramar peninsular. Light traffic makes driving there from downtown Wellington a breeze.
Our Experience Touring the WETA Workshop
We arrive early and are able to get on the 10 am tour instead of waiting until 11 am. Just before the tour, we snap photos of Gollum and a troll outside the workshop. Photography inside the workshop while on the tour is forbidden.
The cheerful American guide, who is an actress herself, takes us on the tour where we learn how many of the effects and models used in Lord of the Rings and other films are made.
We get the opportunity to hold various props including the two types of chain mail used in the Lord of the Rings movies—the heavy version made of steel and the super-light version made of rubber.
Apparently, studly Viggo Mortensen wore the heavy stuff a lot of the time. He also lugged around one of the real swords for many of his scenes, although apparently not for the scene where he holds the sword aloft for long periods in Return of the King.
We’ve already heard from a few of the guides on other tours in New Zealand about Viggo’s prowess. He’s the actor mentioned most frequently and with the most respect.
Check out the WETA Workshop Gift Shop
The tour ends in the gift workshop (of course), where Julia and I both make purchases.
I buy a very nice black bag with the slogan “Be Creative and Make Cool Stuff” and Julia buys a black t-shirt with the same slogan. I promise not to carry the bag at the same time she wears the t-shirt.
Victoria Park in Wellington: Into the Woods of Middle Earth
Victoria Park spreads like a thick green blanket over a mountaintop close to the WETA Workshop. We wind up the flanks of the mountain and park where Julia’s i-phone tells us is the beginning of a track leading to a key location in the Fellowship of the Ring.
Even I remember the scene where the four hobbits cower under the roots of a huge tree while the scary Ringwraiths snort and stamp just above. Small signs pointing to the location are thoughtfully provided.
We walk back and forth along the track, taking pictures and trying to imagine the scene. Meanwhile, mountain bikers speed pass, one narrowly missing me. I don’t think he noticed. The forest bristles with black, twisting trees. Pictures can’t quite capture the deliciously menacing atmosphere.
Panoramic View of Wellington
We drive up to the top of the hill to enjoy a panoramic view of Wellington. It really is a very good-looking city. It reminds me a little bit of Vancouver, but windier and more Pacific feeling. I can see why lots of young people choose to live there.
Touring Te Papa Museum
Te Papa is billed as New Zealand’s top museum, and for good reason. It’s large, free, and a bit overwhelming, but well worth several hours of your time. I love museums, and this one is a keeper.
New Zealand’s national museum is home to over two million objects representing art, natural history, New Zealand histories, mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), and Pacific cultures. You can spend a lot of time browsing through the exhibits and learning about New Zealand.
A highlight is the earthquake simulator. I am uncomfortably reminded that the same Ring of Fire that runs through New Zealand passes under Vancouver. Earthquakes are pretty much a daily occurrence in New Zealand, although most are too small, thankfully, to be felt.
I could have used another day to tour the permanent collection.
In addition to the permanent exhibits, the museum hosts special exhibitions. Both of the ones I toured were wonderful.
Gallipoli Exhibition
The Gallipoli exhibition was mounted to commemorate New Zealand’s participation in World War I.
The exhibition includes massive models of eight people involved in the conflict—seven men and one woman. The models defy description. They are 14 times larger than humans and created with such incredible skill that every pore and hair and sweat drop is visible. The figures anchor a wrenching exhibit about the disastrous Gallipoli campaign.
At the end of the exhibition is a stack of paper poppies. Visitors are invited to write on one and drop it in a giant vat.
I write “In Memory of my great-grandfather who was killed at the Somme.” It is comforting to realize that 100 years after his death, Corporal Seaton is still remembered and mourned by a great-granddaughter he never knew.
Dreamworks Special Exhibition
On the top floor of the museum is another special exhibition that is the direct opposite of the sobering Gallipoli exhibit. This one costs $15 but is well worth it. The subject is Dreamworks animation, and through a variety of multimedia exhibits explains the animation process and all the work that goes into making animated features such as Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, and more.
Huge screens loop footage to explain the various processes—from story boarding to drawing to background painting to character development to music scoring (not necessarily in that order).
Wellington Harbour
After visiting the museum, we stroll through the very attractive harbourside park next to the museum before grabbing a takeaway (not take out I’ve discovered) pizza and retiring to our lovely room for a quiet evening.
Eating in Wellington
While I opted for take-away during my visit to Wellington, there are plenty of better options. Here are suggestions for four places to eat in Wellington:
Logan Brown Restaurant and Bar (Cuba Street): a fine-dining standout in Wellington.
Ortega Fish Shack: praised for its seafood and warm ambiance.
Rita: modern, stylish kitchen with local ingredients.
The Old Quarter: a lively fusion-cuisine escape for an informal evening out.
Staying in Wellington
I highly recommend Museum Apartment Hotel in downtown Wellington, particularly if you enjoy art, along with a spacious suite to spread out in. Here are some other options:
As our whirlwind one-day visit to Wellington draws to a close, here again are the four things I recommend during during your visit:
Weta Workshop in Miramar — where cinematic magic comes alive, and props, armour, and effects from films like The Lord of the Rings are crafted.
Victoria Park — a lush green lookout above the city, blended with cinematic forest trails and sweeping views of Wellington’s rooftops and sea.
Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa Museum) — New Zealand’s national museum, where culture, art, nature and history intersect in awesome gallery spaces.
The vibrant harbourfront — the youthful, energetic waterfront that frames Wellington’s bay
Whether you’re here for film magic, museum marvels, sea-spray walks or forested hill climbs, Wellington manages to fold them all into one dynamic city. May your next visit stay windy in the best possible way, with a rental car ready, taste buds primed and your camera set for adventure.
More New Zealand
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
If you’re looking for a wonderful way to experience Abel Tasman National Park on New Zealand’s South Island, then I highly recommend taking a multi-day kayaking and hiking trip with Wilsons Abel Tasman. Their tours perfectly blend comfy accommodations and gourmet food with serenity, mild physical challenge, and soul-nourishing beauty.
Abel Tasman National Park is where golden sand meets turquoise sea, and the forest hums with ancient life. The best way to fully enjoy the park is by hiking its quiet trails and kayaking along the shore. You can experience the park independently, but if you’re traveling and don’t have camping gear, consider taking a tour.
I chose a three-day Kayak & Walk Adventure with Wilson’s and experienced a seamless mix of luxury, logistics, and natural wonder. Wilsons Abel Tasmanorchestrates every detail so you can simply breathe, paddle, and walk your way through paradise.
In this post, I provide a detailed account of my experience on the Wilsons three-day Kayak & Walk Adventure in Abel Tasman National Park. Note that the company provides many other tour options, from half day hikes to five-day adventures and even custom itineraries.
NOTE: I paid in full for my experience with Wilsons Abel Tasman and receive no income from them. I wrote this post solely to share what I consider to be one of the best Multi-Day tours I’ve taken in fifty years of traveling.
Day 1: Starting the Abel Tasman Multi-Day Trip
The day before the start of the journey, Julia and I stay at Grand Arden Monaco-Nelson (definitely recommended) where two sturdy black carry-on style duffle bags are delivered. That little detail endears me to Wilsons before I even start the tour.
From the moment I open my lovely new bag to when I empty it of salt and sand-crusted clothes at the end of the tour three days later, every detail is cheerfully taken care of.
Promptly at 10:15 am, a bus collects us for the 40-minute ride to Motueka through New Zealand’s breadbasket: rolling fields of apples, hops, and grapes stretching to the horizon.
Our driver shares local lore such as how tobacco once dominated these valleys until it was replaced by healthier, more sustainable and less tax-intensive crops.
At the Wilsons office in Motueka, I put my cash, my phone, and my passport in the company safe and receive my day pack which I load up with a jacket (never once needed), my camera, the company-provided water bottle, my bathing suit and beach towel, a pair of water shoes which will apparently be needed later in the afternoon, and the obligatory bottles of insect repellent and sun screen.
I experience a few moments of terror giving up my phone, but decide that three days with no access to a screen will do me good. Julia does not give her phone up, although the following day she puts it in her back pocket and then sits on a rock.
The screen cracks and she is not amused, but fortunately, the damage is not terminal.
The Boat to the Start of the Track
From Motueka, we drive to Kaiteriteri and board a sleek boat for a one-and-a-half-hour ride up the coastline. What takes one and a half hours by fast boat going up will take three days coming back via track and kayak.
The scenery is pure fantasy:
Golden crescents curve around turquoise seas
Forested hills roll into the distance
Beaches glow like honey under the sun
We sit on the upper deck, faces kissed by the wind. The boat stops at quiet coves to drop off hikers and pick up others. A highlight is passing the famous split apple rock.
We land at Tōtaranui and get ready for what will be a seven-kilometer walk along a portion of the Abel Tasman track to our first stop—the Meadowbank Homestead where the ancestors of the Wilsons first settled as pioneers back in the 1880’s.
First Steps on the Abel Tasman Track
I eye the rest of our group — couples from England, Belgium, Santa Fe, and Auckland — and silently rank their apparent fitness levels. My desk-bound winter self is nervous.
The first part of the track is an easy stroll past the campground. However, too soon, the three-foot wide, evenly graded, hard-packed track starts to climb. I hate that my breathing turns quickly to gasps. Will I be the lame duck of the group, trailing far behind, praying for quick death?
Fortunately, I manage to keep up with Garrick, our knowledgeable and cheerful guide who, bless his Kiwi heart, stops frequently during the climb to point out flora and fauna and talk about the sobering effects of climate change and the damage wrought by centuries of misuse by humans, particularly during the past two centuries.
I learn that New Zealand’s unique bird life once thrived without predators until the Māori and later the European colonists introduced mammals like rats, stoats, possums, and other furry wee beasties. The result? A 97% drop in native bird populations.
That’s a lot of birds gone forever. The forest we walk through looks primeval but is in fact second growth, just like in my home in British Columbia. Birds are in evidence but there are so many fewer than there once have been.
We pass traps set to protect the remaining birds from marauding mammals. At the summit of this portion of the track, we’re rewarded with a view of a golden arc of beach fading into a vivid turquoise sea.
We then head downhill, occasionally glimpsing the ocean but mostly enclosed in forest. The track leads to an empty beach. We walk along it for a fair distance, the sun blazing. I look for wetter sand that doesn’t give as easily, but progress is slow.
Then it’s back up the track for another climb—steeper but not too long. My confidence grows. The track then winds over mostly flat ground enclosed on both sides by lush forest.
The Great Estuary Crossing
We arrive at a wide estuary, and Garrick instructs us to put on our water shoes quickly. There is little time to lose if we want to make it across the estuary without swimming.
We think he’s kidding.
None of us really believes we’ll walk in the water for long, but we’re soon proved wrong. The water quickly rises to knee level. Each step is a slog and the distance to the other side of the very wide estuary keeps getting longer.
I love the feel of the salt water on my hot, sandfly bitten legs and the view all around is achingly gorgeous in the late afternoon light, but there is no escaping the considerable effort required to keep going.
Wimping out is not an option. I start to count steps as I forge onward through water that millimeter by millimeter gets deeper. The other side is still very far away.
Garrick takes off his pack and holds it above his head. Seriously? Yes. The next part is deeper, a lot deeper.
We all hoist our packs over our heads and forge ahead. The water rises up to my thighs, then to my buttocks, my waist and halfway up my chest. We keep walking. I think of my camera in the pack. I’d not put it in the provided plastic liner. Would I really need to swim? The water keeps rising. Centimeters replace millimeters, and still dry land is far away. The water reaches my armpits.
Then, to my relief, the water starts to recede. We keep slogging step by step and the water falls steadily until finally we reach sand.
Here’s Julia after the walk; you can see how high the water got.
Garrick promises us that we need to walk just another ten minutes to the lodge. The fast-filling estuary stretches to our left; the bush to our right. My water shoes are packed with pebbles. I finally give up trying to coax the pebbles into shiatsu-like positions and pull off the shoes to walk barefoot over the sand.
Meadowbank Homestead: Comfort in the Wild
Champagne greets us on arrival. The lodge, a lovingly rebuilt 19th-century homestead, offers gourmet meals, private bathrooms, and comfy beds, all framed by estuary views that glow at sunset.
After downing a glass of chilled champagne, my next priority is a shower in the huge modern shower enclosure—too big to be called a stall. Few things in life feel more divine than hot water sluicing over a sand-encrusted body.
I change into dry clothes and join the group on the veranda where I quickly acquire a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The sun floods the estuary with a flaming golden light, the water an iridescent turquoise.
Day 1 Dinner
Dinner consists of soya-soaked noodles with bright crunchy greens followed by rack of lamb accompanied by a spinach salad and barley risotto with Parmesan cheese. Dessert is cheese and crackers for me; cheesecake for Julia.
Every bite is excellent.
Coffee in the lounge is followed by a presentation about the family who settled this place. It really is a fascinating story that even includes a murder.
Day 2: Kayaking and Connection in Abel Tasman
Breakfast starts at 7:30 with granola and yogurt followed by a cooked option. I choose porridge served with real cream and brown sugar. Hot toast is delivered to the table by the hard-working guides.
Morning Walk
At 9 am, we start off on a morning walk to a bay where the kayaks await. Julia has a cold and decides to stay at the lodge. She will catch the coastal boat at noon, hang out on the beach for awhile, and then walk the final two-hour stretch with Garrick.
The first walk of the day takes us up gentle switchbacks to a spectacular lookout. I like gentle switchbacks. They require effort and sweat but not to an excessive degree.
From the top, the track heads back downhill to the ocean. Just before we arrive at our destination, a series of wooden bridges across the estuary provide a welcome diversion. It is all so incredibly scenic.
I arrive at the beach to find kayaks lounging like fat red and yellow crayons on the golden sand.
Kayak Safety
After being instructed in kayaking safety, we each squeeze into our skirts and life jackets, looking for all the world like a troupe of aging and demented ballerinas.
We learn how to get into the kayak, attach the spray skirt, work the pedals, and then get out of the kayak. We also learn about capsizing and are assured it will not happen. I hold on to that thought.
Out on the Water
Finally, we push the kayaks into the water and are seated for real. I’m paired with a Belgian speed demon who sets an Olympic trial pace. I find out later that he was a rower in his youth.
Within seconds, my arms are aching and I seriously question the wisdom and even the possibility of five more hours of paddling. Dip, twist, dip, twist, the pace he sets shoots us forward. Finally, Jack our kayak guide, yells at us to stop and wait for the rest of the group to catch up.
Fine with me. I have no need to be the fastest kayaker, although apparently my companion does.
Spectacular Kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park
We kayak at a slower pace across an azure sea past golden crescent beaches and around islands crusted with jumbled white rocks. Sea birds with skinny black necks cry into the wind, and the plump brown jelly beans basking on the rocks turn out to be seals.
One of the seals rolls into the sea and swims towards us—waving his fins and doing somersaults.
We’re not allowed to go closer to the seals than twenty meters but if the seals come to us to play, that is okay. We’re lucky to experience a full on seal encounter with a good five minutes of frolicking to remind us that life is joy.
Kayak Sailing
After paddling quietly around an island, we head out across a wide expanse of ocean heading south. Jack gets us to raft the kayaks together and tells us we are going to sail. The two women at the front of the two outside kayaks hold the bottom two corners of the square black sail. Straps from the top two corners are wrapped around two paddles held aloft by the two men in the two outside kayaks.
The sail is raised and we’re off. When I look at the land, I feel like we are not really moving, but when I look down at the wake rushing between my kayak and the one next to me, I see a considerable wake. We are sailing as fast, maybe a bit faster, then we can paddle but with a lot less effort.
Evening at Torrent Bay Lodge
At the end of a wonderful day of kayaking, we ground our kayaks on the sand in front of Torrent Bay Lodge. I make my grateful way to my room to find Julia is already there, showered and relaxed after a two-hour hike along the track.
After a hot shower, I change into my one dry outfit reserved for the evenings and join the rest of the group out on another picturesque veranda overlooking the ocean and a soft pastel sunset.
Dinner is perfectly cooked salmon, cheesy potatoes, and salad followed by key lime pie. I try to stay up as long as possible, but by 9:30 pm, my eyes no longer keep open.
We turn off the light and drop into the heavy sleep of the well-exercised.
Day 3: Farewell to the Golden Coast
Dawn rises over the Tasman Sea the next morning as we enjoy a breakfast of zucchini fritters, bacon, and assorted breads, juices, and coffee or tea. The food really is first rate.
On this the last day of the three-day trip, I kayak for the morning and then walk for the afternoon. Julia again takes the boat to the lunch spot while I kayak. We’ll walk together in the afternoon.
Kayaking with Jack
On the second day of kayaking, I am fortunately paired with Jack, the guide. The Belgian speed freak has left early and I can comfortably enjoy a much less frenetic experience. My right arm is very sore after day one and so I often need to rest it.
Fortunately, for much of the morning, we drift slowly past seal-crusted rocks ringing an island that has been made into a bird sanctuary. The cacophony of bird sounds is lovely to hear, but apparently it’s only a whisper compared to how the birds sounded back when Captain Cook arrived in the 1700s.
The bird song that had shattered the dawn at four in the morning every day was so loud that Cook had been obliged to move his ships farther out to sea so his crew could get their beauty sleep.
Lunch on the Beach
After our morning of kayaking, we meet Julia on the beach and enjoy our packed lunch. The company has seen to every detail. On both mornings, the group can pack their own lunches from an assortment of food laid out on the back porch of the lodges.
Along with plenty of healthy choices are a few bins of candy—jelly beans, fudge, licorice. What’s not to love?
Last Walk Along the Track
Our last afternoon is spent walking the final portion of track before we reach the beginning of the park where we’d caught the boat two days earlier.
Garrick sets a leisurely pace along a track fortunately devoid of any steep bits. The scenery on this last day is as spectacular as ever.
A Wilsons bus picks us up (they really have their infrastructure organized well) and delivers us back at the office in Motueka where I settle my bar bill for the two nights and then board a minibus for the trip back to our hotel in Nelson.
The three days have been perfect in every way.
Reflections
The Abel Tasman Kayak & Walk with Wilsons Abel Tasman isn’t just a trip — it’s a love letter to nature, a reminder of balance, and an invitation to slow down.
I can’t recommend it highly enough. Here are some more tour options in Abel Tasman National Park from GetYourGuide:
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
Our three-week New Zealand odyssey is entering its final, golden chapter.
After geysers, glowworms, and volcanoes, we trade steam and sulfur for hobbits, hot sand, and good wine.
From the rolling green hills of Hobbiton to the wild beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula, this last stretch of our journey feels like New Zealand is giving us a fond farewell tour — part fantasy film set, part seaside dreamscape.
Our last days exploring New Zealand’s North Island is a series of perfect contrasts: whimsical Hobbit holes and sweeping coastal cliffs; sultry hot pools and breezy beach walks; a glass of prosecco on a vineyard terrace and a pint of ale in the Green Dragon. Finally, we land in Auckland — the City of Sails — for a birthday celebration on Waiheke Island, a few sheepish adventures up north, and a last look at this country that has utterly stolen our hearts.
Here’s a map of everywhere we visited in our last few days in marvelous New Zealand:
Is the movie set for Hobbiton an over-priced tourist trap? Kind of.
Is it worth visiting? Absolutely!
The roads leading across lovely rolling countryside to Hobbiton are empty on the first wet morning of our trip as we drive an hour from Rotorua to Hobbiton.
We anticipate no crowds and lots of time for people-free photos. Five minutes after turning off the empty main road onto an empty side road, we drive into a parking lot teeming with tour busses and cars.
Where did they all come from? It’s like they are breeding like, well, hobbits.
Make sure you book your tickets well in advance of your visit:
We are assigned our giant green Hobbiton bus for the 11 am tour. The bus winds up a steep road that runs across property belonging to the Alexander family. The property is one of twelve properties scouted for Hobbiton.
Considering the cash cow that the movie set has become, I should imagine the family is very pleased to own the chosen property. Apparently, after Lord of the Rings, the set was left to grow weedy and neglected. However, after the set was revived for the shooting of The Hobbit movies, the site’s potential as a tourist destination was realized.
I am prepared to be underwhelmed and am very pleasantly surprised. Once we clamber off the bus, our friendly guide takes us on an hour-long walk around the set that ends up at the Green Dragon, where we are given a pint of ale or cider.
The big attraction is the incredible attention to detail and the beauty of the set. It’s impossible not to snap pictures continuously. We are lucky that the site is not too crowded and so we are able to get lots of shots without people. It it is all just so darn cute.
It’s impossible not to smile as we wander the small pathways that wind around the set, revealing new and frankly adorable vistas at every turn.
In the gift shop after our “free” glass of ale in the Green Dragon, Julia lays out some serious dollars on souvenirs before we climb back into the car for the drive up to the Coromandel Peninsula.
The Glorious Coromandel
I’d heard the under-visited Coromandel Peninsula was a must-see, and it doesn’t disappoint. We’d debated between the Coromandel and the Bay of Islands, but skipping the extra driving turns out to be a wise choice.
Our three nights — one in Whitianga and two in Pauanui — give us a chance to slow down and simply enjoy the views. Sightseeing consists of spectacular drives, a few good tramps in the forest, amazing beaches, and a fair bit of just hanging out.
Our drive north from Hobbiton to Whitianga on the east coast of the Coromandel takes us up and over two mountain ranges with a good supply of New Zealand’s typically twisty roads and one-lane bridges. I am getting pretty good at the driving and take the curves like a pro (but a slow pro).
We arrive at Whitiagana around 4 pm and check into the Beachside Resort Motel Whitianga across from a wide beach, then set off again almost immediately for Hot Water Beach–reputed to be one of the top ten beaches in the world.
Hot Water Beach
Hot Water Beach is best visited two hours either side of low tide. I check the conveniently supplied tide tables at the hotel reception and realize that if we don’t go this afternoon, we won’t see Hot Water Beach at all.
Low tide is 6:30 pm. The next day, it’s very early in the morning and even later in the evening. Although tired after a long day of Hobbiting and driving, we pull on bathing suits and set off back the way we have just driven.
A 30-minute drive south brings us to the turnoff for Hot Water Beach. Armed with the spade we got from reception back at the hotel, we join the throngs of bathers at a small area of sand exposed by low tide.
Many pools are already dug and many already vacated. The pools fill with hot water from the geothermal activity bubbling away just under the sand. In places, the sand is too hot to walk on.
We settle into a pool and dig into the sand to release more hot water. Occasionally, yelps of pain cut the evening air as people nearby tap into more heat than they want. Just a few yards away, the Pacific Ocean pounds into the beach as the sun sets.
Yeah, it’s pretty cool.
Cathedral Cove
The next morning, we set off along the same road south, this time to Cathedral Cove, which is not far from Hot Water Beach.
Cathedral Cove is accessible only on foot or by water taxi. We opt for the water taxi which whisks us in ten minutes from the beach next to the car park to one of the most beautiful beaches on the Coromandel.
We loll about in the sun for several hours and enjoy swimming in crystal clear waters from a smooth sand beach (no beach shoes required here!). Here are just a few of the stunning pictures I took.
Tours in the Area
Here are some tours from GetYourGuide that include both Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove:
From Cathedral Cove, we drive down the Pauanui to a lovely suite at the Grand Mercure Puka Park Resort billed as a tree hut.
We do feel a bit Tarzan-like standing on the balcony and looking into the top branches of the surrounding forest.
The beach, however, is spectacular and deserted. We snap a lot of pictures.
Tairua
On our second full day on the Coromandel, we drive over to Tairua, a charming little town across the estuary from Pauanui.
I buy a lovely ring for me and a necklace for my mother at a little art gallery and chat with the lady about art. We then drive as far as we can up Mount Paku and walk the steep track to the top.
We are told later that by climbing Mt. Paku we are sure to return to the area. Well, I wouldn’t say no to that. Mt. Paku is a volcano that rises high above Tairua with spectacular 360-degree views from the top (and a fair number of hungry mosquitoes).
Auckland & Waiheke: Birthday Bliss in the City of Sails
We bid farewell to the Coromandel and encounter traffic and freeways for the first time in weeks.
Auckland feels huge after the serenity of the countryside, but the Sky City Grand Hotel quickly wins us over with its harbor views and plush comfort.
My Perfect Birthday
In New Zealand, I get two birthdays. On March 18th, friends from Australia post their Happy Birthdays on Facebook and then on March 19th, my friends and family up north post. I like stretching out my birthday over two hemispheres.
Julia has organized a special trip for my birthday and finally reveals what it is. At 4 pm, we take a 35-minute ferry ride to Waiheke Island (Auckland’s answer to Bowen Island but with vineyards) and enjoy a Twilight Wine Tour and Dinner. The whole evening is perfection. Waiheke Island is stunning with ocean vistas from every hilltop.
Wine Tour on Waiheke Island
We are the only people on the tour so our cheerful driver takes us on a few unscheduled loops around the island before we end up at the Batch Winery.
Here we sample four wines–starting with a lovely Prosecco and ending with a Cabernet. Since Julia does not really like wine, I am obliged to also sample her wines.
We are then served a two-course meal that is one of the best meals we’ve had in New Zealand. As we eat, the sun starts to set over the Pacific Ocean. Magic!
If you’re in Auckland, I highly recommend booking a wine tour on Waiheke Island. Here’s an option with GetYourGuide:
On our last full day in New Zealand, we drive north to explore Wenderholm Park, a fairytale landscape of tangled trees.
Our next stop is the little town of Matakana. Today is market day and the little village center is thronged with stalls selling mostly food. We grab lunch from various stalls and wander around. Matakana definitely puts the “ch” in charming. I buy a jar of wonderful peanut butter only to have it confiscated at security the next day as we board the plane for home. Sigh.
Finally, we give in to curiosity and visit Sheepworld, north of Auckland — a delightfully quirky and surprisingly informative attraction.
The 90-minute sheep show is run by a very entertaining and sheep-sharp man. We learn about the two breed of sheepdogs used in New Zealand–the “looker” and the “barker” and then file out to the paddock to watch three dogs (two barkers and a looker) herd a flock of sheep.
The guide talks a lot about how the dogs–all of which are puppies–are trained. I’ve never seen sheepdogs at work and I must say they are very impressive.
We are then directed back into the barn to watch the sheep shearing. The guide talks a lot about the work of the sheep shearer-brutally difficult and requiring tremendous skill. I am fascinated. Who knew sheep could be so interesting?
Finally, we are given bottles to feed some of the lambs. Major cute attack.
Auckland Aquarium and the Journey Home
On our final morning, we take the “shark bus” to the Auckland Aquarium. It’s pricey and claustrophobic, although the penguins are undeniably charming. We head back to town for a last lunch before the final drive to the airport.
After having driven over 2000 kilometers without nary a scratch in three weeks, I’m relieved to hand over the keys at the airport and then to hit the shops for one last sweep of souvenirs.
Conclusion: A Farewell to the Land of Magic and Mellow Moments
The takeaway from my three weeks in New Zealand as expressed in these six blog posts is my hope that people will consider a trip to this most interesting and easy-to-manage countries.
New Zealand pretty much has it all: amazing scenery, spectacular beaches, plenty of adventure activities, thousands of kilometers for tramping, compelling culture cheerfully presented, friendly people, empty roads, and good food and accommodation options.
New Zealand also feels very safe. It is comforting to tramp through forests and not worry about being killed by snakes, crocs, bears, spiders, etc., or people for that matter. Never once, even in downtown Auckland at night, did we feel in any danger.
Kia ora, New Zealand — and thank you for the memories, the majesty, and the marvelous journey.
More New Zealand
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
A road trip through glaciers, gold towns, and coastal magic
Introduction: One of the World’s Great Drives
The long drive from Queenstown along the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island to Picton to catch the ferry across Cook Strait to Wellington must rank among the planet’s most scenic.
You’ll marvel at out-of-this-world lakes and peaks, explore gold rush towns like Hokitika and Nelson, and experience the swoon-worthy beauty of Abel Tasman National Park.
Driving is absolutely the best way to see this wild region of New Zealand.
During a three-week road trip around New Zealand, I spent five days driving from Queenstown north to coastal Nelson, and onward to Picton. Here’s how it unfolded — and what I recommend if you’re planning your own South Island adventure.
Highlights of New Zealand’s South Island
Experience fantastic scenery: Wanaka, Hokitika Gorge, Punakaiki, Abel Tasman National Park
Driving time: 1.5 hours (but allow longer for photo stops!)
The drive to Wanaka from Queenstown is truly spectacular. Traffic will probably be light as you wind through remote mountain passes, each turn revealing yet another postcard perfect view.
In Wanaka, I stayed at the Alpine Resort Wanaka THC in a spacious one-bedroom apartment right on the lake. The property is a short stroll along the shoreline to the lovely town of Wanaka, where you’ll find plenty of good restaurants.
Wanaka feels calmer than Queenstown with more locals and fewer thrill seekers, yet with the same staggering scenery and great access to hiking and cycling tracks.
Tip: Stay two nights here. Hike Roy’s Peak, take a lake cruise, or visit the quirky Puzzling Worldattraction.
Here are some options for things to do in Wanaka from GetYourGuide:
Here are some more great options for hotels in Wanaka:
Alpine View Lodge: Serene garden and terrace, family rooms available
Lakeside Apartments: Gorgeous place with apartments overlooking Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring National Park.
Wanaka to Hokitika: The Long Wild Drive
Distance: 419 km | Realistic time: 8–9 hours
The longest driving day of our trip is from Wanaka north along New Zealand’s wild west coast to the beach town of Hokitika—a distance of about 419 kilometers.
Google maps estimates the driving time at five hours, but the people at Google maps have probably never driven the actual road. The reality is more like nine hours.
The drive is well worth the effort. The road curves through rainforests, over one-lane bridges, and along stretches of windswept beach. You’ll want to pull over constantly just to breathe it all in.
Tip: Fill your tank in Wanaka — petrol stations are few and far between on this stretch.
Stop: The Hokitika Gorge
A short detour off the main road leads to the Blue Pools Track — a gentle 3 km return walk through native forest to a suspension bridge. Look down to see water the color of blue jay wings swirling at the base of masses of jumbled rocks.
I highly recommend doing the walk, but be warned that you may attract several unwanted guests. By the time I returned to the car, my ankles were running with blood from sandfly bites. Nasty buggers.
Tip: Slather exposed skin liberally with repellent!
The West Coast Glaciers: Franz Josef & Fox
The West Coast is home to two of the most accessible glaciers in the world — Franz Josef Glacier (Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere) and Fox Glacier (Te Moeka o Tuawe). Both descend from the Southern Alps into lush temperate rainforest, a phenomenon found almost nowhere else on earth.
I decide not to stop to explore the glaciers which require significant hiking time that I don’t have in my packed itinerary. Also, the clouds have rolled in to obscure the glaciers, and as a west coast gal with plenty of trips to the Canadian Rockies under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of glaciers over the years.
But if the weather cooperates and your itinerary is flexible, I suggest stopping for the night and exploring a glacier or two.
Explore options:
Guided heli-hikes (the best way to actually walk on the glacier)
Arriving in Hokitika, I head straight for one of its famous jade workshops. Hokitika was founded in the 1860s during the West Coast gold rush, when fortune-seekers from around the world crowded its muddy streets. Today it’s quieter, but still brimming with creative energy.
After much deliberation, I buy a pikorua (jade twist pendant), a traditional Māori design symbolizing connection and life’s winding path.
The historic town center, with its heritage buildings, quirky cafés, jade shops, and art galleries, is worth a wander. Finish your evening by watching a breathtaking sunset over the Tasman Sea.
Don’t Miss: The Glow Worm Dell
After dark, I suggest you walk about a kilometer to the Glow Worm Dell, a free attraction just outside town.
I arrive to the edge of a pitch dark forest to find several cars parked nearby and an interpretative sign advising visitors that glow worms are ahead and to enjoy them in silence.
Handrails are provided for you to grope along as you walk up a small track in total darkness. If ever there was a good location for a serial killer, this would be it.
Fortunately, within about five minutes, you’ll enter glow worm fairyland. Spread out all around and above you are points of light from glow worms suspended from the trees.
Stay awhile to drink in the glow worm vibe. It really is like flying through Neverland.
Tip: Keep quiet to let everyone enjoy the moment — and bring a small flashlight for the walk back to town.
Staying in Hokitika
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the hotel I stayed in Hokatika (no hot water for my morning shower!), but fortunately, there are many good options. Here are two I wish I’d stayed in:
Rimu Lodge: A few kilometers outside the town, this place looks fabulous!
The road between Hokitika and Nelson is narrow and winding and jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
You’ll hug cliff edges, snake through rainforests, and occasionally need to slow to a crawl to cross one-lane bridges (very common in New Zealand!). I get quite proficient at inching around sharp curves and making use of pull outs to let cars behind me pass.
Fortunately, the road is just about as empty as all the other roads I’ve encountered so far on New Zealand’s South Island.
Take time to stop to snap photos and inhale the sea air. Here’s the rental car I drove from Queenstown to Picton. Oh, and the view.
Driving Tips:
Keep left! It sounds obvious, but many international drivers forget on quiet roads.
Pull over to let faster cars pass — locals will thank you.
Plan shorter driving days; distances can be deceiving.
Carry snacks and water, and don’t rely on constant phone service.
Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks)
Heading north, make sure you stop at Punakaiki, famous for its “Pancake Rocks” — limestone cliffs eroded into thin, stacked layers that resemble giant piles of flapjacks.
When the tide is right, the ocean surges through blowholes, sending up plumes of spray. Even on calm days, the sea views alone are worth the visit.
Arrive early to beat the crowds. The track winding around and through the rocks leads to stupendous views both of the stacked rocks and out to the Tasman Sea.
I’ve always been a sucker for cool rock formations and the formations at Punakaiki are as good as anything I’ve ever seen. The sea is relatively calm so the famous blow holes are quiet, but I still get many wonderful shots.
Nelson: Sunshine, History & the One Ring
After driving through several mountain passes, you’ll finally reach Nelson, one of New Zealand’s oldest cities and sunniest spots. Founded in 1841, it quickly became a hub for shipping and early settlers. Today, it’s known for its arts scene, beaches, and nearby wine country.
I recommend staying at the Grand Monaco Arden Nelson, a gorgeous hotel about 10 kilometers west of Nelson. The hotel is set up to look like a ye olde English town in the Cotswolds. The apartment we’re given includes a large living room and kitchen with a separate bedroom. There is also laundry.
After dropping our bags, my daughter Julia and I take a taxi into Nelson’s compact center. I’ve done more than enough driving for awhile!
Julia, a devoted Lord of the Rings fan, has her heart set on going to the shop run by the jeweler who created the original ring for Lord of the Rings films.
The jewelry on display is fantastic. I pick up one of the rings (not THE One Ring) and ask the price. The attendant tells me it costs $2,500. I put it down again, quickly.
The One Rings on display all cost $1000 and up. Fortunately, Julia has done her homework and knows that replica One Rings retailing for around $100 are available. She asks the attendant.
“Oh, you want those ones. We keep them in the back.”
“Okay, can I see them?”
With a resigned air, he fetches a tray of “cheap” One Rings from the back and looks long-suffering while Julia makes her selection. While not solid gold, the One Ring that she purchases is gold-plated and comes in a lovely souvenir box. She threads it through the chain around her neck and leaves the shop a happy woman. Well, why not?
Exploring Nelson
Nelson’s downtown is charming and walkable, filled with art galleries, gardens, and heritage buildings.
Wander up to the Nelson Cathedral and stroll through the lush gardens beside it, then browse local outdoor shops (closing promptly at 5:30 — New Zealand time is early!).
The next day we embark on a three day, two night hike and kayak tour of Abel Tasman National Park with Wilsons. That incredible experience gets its own post: Abel Tasman National Park: Experience a Multi-Day Kayak/Hike Adventure.
Staying in Nelson
In addition to the Grand Monaco Arden Nelson, which I highly recommend, here are some other accommodation options in Nelson:
Nelson to Picton: Wine Country and Coastal Views
After the Abel Tasman adventure, we rest up in Nelson before driving to Picton, where we’ll catch the ferry to Wellington.
The guide on the Abel Tasman adventure advised me to take the super-scenic Queen Charlotte Drive to Picton. I take one look at the corkscrew curves on the map and opt for the longer, gentler inland route. Even this “boring” road winds through vineyards and mountain vistas that are still breathtaking by any standard.
Tip: The region around Blenheim and Picton is the heart of Marlborough wine country, home to some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blancs, including many of the wines I’ve been sampling on this trip (after the driving day is over, of course). I am hooked on New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and have made it my mission to sample as many varieties as I can during the course of the trip. It’s a responsibility I take very seriously.
Here’s a wine tour you can take from Nelson with GetYourGuide:
When you rent a car in New Zealand, you can’t take it on the ferry between the North and South Islands. I have no idea why, but fortunately, the process goes very smoothly.
I park our trusty Toyota rental car, walk up to the Budget counter adjacent to the ferry terminal, drop the keys, walk across to the terminal and drop our bags, and then stroll into pretty little Picton for a bite to eat before the ferry arrives.
When the huge ferry slides into dock, join the throngs of foot passengers, and if your budget allows, make your way to the Premium Lounge where there are plenty of comfy seats by the window along with free soft drinks and okay food, and a cash bar.
The journey takes three and a half hours. Most of the time, you’ll probably be staring out the window at the stunning view of Marlborough Sounds.
New Zealand really is a ridiculously beautiful country!
Final Thoughts: The Magic of the West Coast
From the glacier valleys to the jade shops, from glow worms to golden beaches, the wild west coast of New Zealand’s South Island isn’t just a route. It’s an adventure that I highly recommend.
Practical Travel Tips
Best time to go: November–April (warmer, drier months)
Car rental:Book early; pickup in Queenstown, drop in Picton
Sandflies: Bring heavy-duty insect repellent — trust me
Weather: Expect rain — it’s what makes the rainforest lush
Apps to download: Google Maps, CamperMate (for fuel & facilities)
More Posts on New Zealand
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
No trip to New Zealand is complete without spending time in the simmering center of New Zealand’s North Island, where the ground steams, the lakes bubble, and the air smells faintly of sulfur and adventure.
Allow at least four days to explore the core of New Zealand’s steamy North Island: hike among volcanoes in Tongariro National Park and steep yourself (sometimes literally) in the geothermal wonders of Rotorua.
It’s New Zealand turned inside out — the raw earth on full display. In this post, I cover the highlights of the steamy North Island:
Guided hike in Tongariro National Park
Geothermal Sites in and around Rotorua
Māori Evenings in Rotorua
Here’s a map of the places mentioned in this post:
If you’ve taken the ferry from the South Island to the North Island, you’ll set off from Wellington (#1). It’s a leisurely four-hour drive north to Tongariro National Park, a distance of 336 kilometers.
Don’t Miss Bulls
The drive takes you through the lovely little town of Bulls (#2) where I suggest you stop for lunch and enjoy the plethora of bull puns.
Social-a-bull is the town hall, Relieve-a-bull is the town toilets, Read-a-bull is the town library, Delect-a-bull is the café where we eat lunch, and on it goes.
Love that Kiwi humor!
Tongariro National Park
Spend at least two nights and a full day (preferably two full days) in Tongariro National Park (#3), a spectacular area of New Zealand’s North Island. You won’t run out of hikes and drives to explore this incredibly scenic landscape.
I recommend you take a guided walking tour (or even attempt the nineteen kilometer Tongariro Crossing), check out jagged lava rock formations on Mount Ruapehu (#4) and best of all, take a scenic flight over Mount Ngauruhoe (#5), AKA Mount Doom.
Read on for details!
Staying in Tongariro National Park
Since the closure of the iconic Chateau Tongariro in 2023, accommodation options are somewhat limited in the park. Here are some suggestions:
Skotel Alpine Resort (#6): Family friendly place close to the Tongariror National Park Whakapapa Visitor Centre
The Park Hotel Ruapehu (#8): Affordable accommodations in a stunning alpine setting in Tongariro National Park
Tongariro Crossing
The big attraction in Tongariro National Park is the Tongariro Crossing, one of New Zealand’s most popular tracks. It’s a nineteen kilometer one-way track that takes hikers up and over an alpine pass between Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro.
While planning my trip to New Zealand, I seriously considered doing the crossing. My daughter (intrepid travel companion Julia) studied maps, while I worried about having the right boots and clothes.
The hike lasts for about eight hours. That’s a lot of walking!
Despite our misgivings, we decided to give it a go and booked to take a guided crossing with Adrift Tongariro Guiding.
Then, a few weeks before flying to New Zealand, we chickened out and decided to cancel the crossing and opt instead for the half-day hikes also offered by Adrift Tongariro Guiding. You can check availability of the tour with GetYourGuide:
Half Day Tongariro Hike with Adrift Tongariro Guiding
The tour is advertised as an alternative for people who have decided not to attempt the entire crossing or don’t have the time. The itinerary is vaguem, dependent on the will of the group on any particular day. Well, how hard can it be?
Here’s my experience completing the two hikes during the morning. Spoiler alert, I totally recommend it!
Hike 1 to Soda Springs
We are picked up at our hotel at 8:30 am by a young man in a white van and driven along with four people from Barcelona to the trail head for the Tongariro Crossing. We join the throngs for the first hour of the hike.
Note: If you decide to do the Tongariro Crossing, be warned that the trail can get very crowded. It didn’t look like a lot of fun to me, to be honest!
Just before the trail veers upwards to the Devil’s Staircase, we hang a left and scramble up to Soda Springs—a waterfall across the valley from Mount Ngauruhoe.
We are blessed with perfect conditions for the first hour of the hike. The sky is achingly blue and the perfect cone of Mount Ngauruhoe is postcard perfect.
Hike 2: Hike up Mount Pukakaikiore
After we hike back to the car park, the guide drives about ten minutes for the start of our second hike. This one takes us up an extinct volcano and is considerably more challenging than the well-groomed track of the Tongariro Crossing.
We start off walking through waist-high bracken and heather along a very rough track full of holes waiting to swallow ankles. The guide presses cheerfully on and we follow, pushing aside branches, watching anxiously for holes. We emerge from the thick bushes that in most places obscures the track to find ourselves on the flank of a small, presumably extinct, volcano.
We are to climb to the top along a barely defined track.
The slope is very steep, and really too much for me, but the guide insists I can make it and so I start up. He suggests short steps and a steady pace. After about fifty meters, he asks if I’d like a pole. I grasp at it like a drowning woman.
It feels precarious and exposed on the steep slope, although compared to the giants surrounding us, the volcano we are on is pretty tame. E ven so, I don’t dare look down and I dread looking up to see how far there is to go.
The Spaniards pass me at a annoyingly speedy clip and I’m obliged to show my ego to the door. I’ll be glad if I can make it to the top without tumbling backwards. If it takes half the day, well, they can wait. Maybe they can have a siesta at the summit.
I plod slowly, painfully up, up, up, the slope rising steeply, the guide several paces above exhorts me forward with cheerful optimism. Julia stays at my side, willing me forward, assuring me that I’ll feel great when I make it to the top.
I count the steps one to ten, pause, breathe, count another ten steps, pause, breathe. I’m Edmund Hillary making the final ascent on Everest (he was a Kiwi after all).
Up ahead, the Spaniards and the guide are already at the top. The guide tells me the steepest part is over. Yeah, right. Ten more steps, pause, breathe, look. Indeed, the top is within reach.
I gather my resources (such a great phrase) and push my legs to the top, striding with some confidence and less pain now that I am sure of victory.
In comparison to the monster volcanoes spread out before me, little 500,000 year old Pukakaikiore looks like a forgotten pimple on the volcanic plain, but I feel like I’ve just summited Mount Doom.
For the rest of the afternoon following our descent, I gaze across the valley at it with great satisfaction. Dwarfed by Mt. Ngauruhoe’s tall and perfect cone—the star quarterback looming over the washed up old guy spitting memories in the corner—little Pukakaikiore remains my personal Everest.
Mt. Rupahoe – Lord of the Rings Location
After lunch and a bit of a rest from our morning hike, we set off to explore the ski area on Mt. Rupahoe, the third of the three large volcanoes populating the park.
Just above the ski area is, according to Julia’s handy Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, the location where many of the scenes with Frodo and Sam climbing Mount Doom were filmed. The area is apparently rife with cool black rocks.
Well, indeed it is. The drive up to the ski area is as spectacular as so many of our drives in New Zealand.
We park and follow signs to the Mead Wall. A short hike brings us to a ridge strewn with rocks that look like they’ve been tossed by giants. Filming up here must have been a challenge!
Tongariro Flightseeing Tour
We wake up to greet a perfect day. The volcanoes are 3-D cut-outs against the stark blue skies. We decide to cap our Tongariro visit with a flightseeing tour.
Julia calls promptly at 8 am when the Mountain Air company just down the road opens and books us for a 9:30 flight of 25 minutes that will take us over the Tongariro Crossing and around Mt. Ngauruhoe.
Just Julia and I board the four-seater plane along with Oliver, our pilot.
Julia rides shot gun at the front while I squeeze into the back seat. For the next 25 minutes, we are treated to close up views of the volcanoes and 360-degree views of the entire Tongariro National Park and beyond.
I snap picture after picture, pausing every so often to just watch awestruck at the landscape spiraling into eternity below me. We fly over and around Mt. Ngauruhoe and see clearly the lava flows from the various eruptions over the past decades.
People apparently climb the shifting scree slope, but I can’t find what route they could use. No climbers are on the mountain this early in the day. To me, the perfectly circular cone looks impossible to climb from every viewpoint.
After 25 minutes that feels like 5 minutes, we land on the grass field with barely a bump, happy and a bit sad to be back again on earth. We agree that the cost of the flight is worth every penny.
Back in the car, we head north for our next adventure—two nights in the middle of a giant caldera otherwise known as Rotorua.
Rotorua: North Island Must-See
It’s just a two hour drive to Rotorua. We made two stops: at Lake Taupo and at Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.
Lake Taupo
Definitely include a pit stop at Lake Taupo (#9), the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. A highlight is Huka Falls (#10) which we stop to admire. It’s a raging white water spectacle surging through the shallow gorge.
There is no charge to visit the falls or use the car park.
If you have time, linger awhile at Lake Taupo and take one of the many cruises to view Māori rock carvings. Here are some options with GetYourGuide:
About half an hour south of Rotorua, Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland (#11) is a must-see. Set aside several hours to enjoy what has to be one of the coolest (well, hottest) geothermal areas I’ve ever seen—and I’ve been to Yellowstone.
Bubbling mud, hissing fissures, boiling lakes with day-glo colored edges, a pool the color of toxic waste are all spread across an area laced by walkways. Signs everywhere exhort visitors to keep to the path, the implication being that one false step leads to death.
At the Champagne Pool, I ask the ranger guy if anyone has ever been injured at the site. He tells me that back in the 1960’s a local teacher visited the site with his dog. In those days, a fence did not separate the walkway from the Champagne Pool. The man’s dog ran into the pool and the man ran after the dog to save it.
Both died—quickly. On that sobering note, we keep snapping pictures, awed by the display of nature’s true colors.
After enjoying the stunningly steamy landscapes at Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, we drive a few more kilometers to the lovely town of Rotorua (#12).
Staying in Rotorua
I recommend staying in the the charming Millennium Hotel in Rotorua (#13). We’re given a lovely room on the Club floor with access to the swanky Club Lounge where we get free canapes and wine in the evening and breakfast in the morning.
Here’s a map showing some other options:
After getting settled at the hotel and enjoying some free canapes and champagne, we get ready to go do our first of two Māori experiences that we’ve booked in Rotorua.
Māori Experience #1: Te Pau Tu – The Gathering Place
Our first experience is at Te Pau Tu – The Gathering Place (#14). Our ticket includes a pick-up from our hotel.
During the fifteen-minute drive to Te Pau Tu, the voluble Māori guide entertains us with a commentary about the village and what we are about to experience.
One of the men from the tour group is appointed our Chief. The driver explains that when we arrive at Te Pau Tu, we will experience the traditional Māori welcome challenge. Warriors will come out of the village and challenge the visitors.
We are cautioned to not, on any account, laugh or even smile at the actions of the warriors. We are, however, allowed to take pictures.
Arrival at Te Pau Tu
We arrive at the village and join another four tour groups, each with its own chief (all men). The five chiefs are lined up in front of the 150 visitors (or thereabouts) and await the arrival of the warriors and the commencement of the welcome ceremony.
Everyone takes the request to keep a straight face very seriously. No one dares even crack a smile.
Three women appear above the entranceway and blow conch shells to announce the arrival of a canoe paddled by five warriors. They stamp and roll their eyes and stick out their tongues as we all watch with sober concentration.
Finally, a branch is laid at the feet of each chief and noses pressed twice, called the hongi. That is the signal that the welcoming ceremony is complete and the visitors mau enter the village.
We are also allowed to talk and smile again.
Craft Demonstrations
As darkness falls, we file into a recreation of a Māori village and are separated into five groups. Each group is taken around to five different learning huts where we are given demonstrations of various Māori crafts and practices.
We learn how the Haka is performed, watch a demonstration of games played back in the day to train warriors, learn that the word “tattoo” is a Māori word, see a demonstration of the poi balls used by the women in dances, and learn about Māori weaving.
The demonstrations are very well done by the men and women who participated in the welcome ceremony. The atmosphere is relaxed and cheerful. It feels like a family business that is really making a solid go of it.
Performance and Dinner
After the demonstrations, we watch the food that will be served for dinner being lifted from the ground. The cooking process on hot rocks under the earth is called Hangi.
We then enjoy a performance of songs and dances before being directed into the dining hall to enjoy a buffet dinner of chicken, lamb, and vegetables cooked in the ground and several good desserts (not cooked in the ground).
On the way back to the hotel on the bus, our entertaining driver sings songs—some solo and some participatory.
Get your tickets well in advance for the Te Pa Tu Māori Cultural Experience with Dinner:
After a lovely breakfast in the exclusive Club Lounge at the Millenium, which we have virtually ourselves, we set off to tour the Rotorua Museum (#15). On the way, we stop to admire a fantastic yarn-bombed tree outside the Rotorua Arts Centre.
It’s Sunday morning and a small craft market is set up on the grounds of the arts centre. Julia stops to buy some crocheted measuring tapes and chat with the lady about crochet.
We start by touring the grounds of the Rotorua Museum—a fabulous, Tudor-style concoction that once housed the hot spring baths that attracted visitors from all over the world. The grounds also include a rose garden.
Laughing Pool
I take pictures while Julia amuses herself by throwing her shadow over the roses just as I snap them. She can’t stop laughing.
Minutes later we walk to the lake edge—a steaming expanse of geothermal activity dotted with signs warning against leaving the track. One of the many interpretative plaques tells us that a small natural pool just off the track is called the Laughing Pool.
Apparently, the gasses emitted make everyone who takes a dip in it giddy with laughter. Hmm. That might explain our strange outbursts of hilarity.
Rotorua Museum
The Rotorua Museum has an excellent display about the Māori people from the time they arrived in New Zealand about 1,000 years ago to today. We have a hard time tearing ourselves away.
Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Baths
Hell’s Gate (#16) is a geothermal area of steaming, bubbling gray pools that also includes mud and sulfur baths open to the public.
I’ve always wanted to roll around in a mud bath. Don’t ask me why. Maybe I was a hippopotamus in a former life.
We arrive at Hell’s Gate in the early afternoon and pay the admittedly steep admission fee. If you don’t have your own wheels, you can take a half-day tour from Rotorua to Hell’s Gate with GetYourGuide:
After arriving, we stroll around the geothermal areas in search of an area to enjoy our picnic lunch before plunging into the mud and sulfur pools.
We find a picnic table up in the trees, a little bit away from the pungent sulfur smells gushing out of the hissing steam holes and mud pots. Two large tour groups from a cruise ship stampede past.
Instead of following them to see what else the area has to offer (a hot water waterfall and geyser well worth seeing), we slip around them to start our mud/sulfur bath experience, secure in the knowledge that the bathing area is too small to accommodate the tour groups.
Experiencing the Mud and Sulfur Pools
We strip to our bathing suits and are directed to one of three gray pools. Ours is quite large and unoccupied.
I had envisioned a kind of mud pile that I roll around in, but the reality is a warm pool of gray water that a lot of other people have sat in. We inch in, feeling globs of mud under our feet.
We soon realize that the drill is to scoop up handfuls of mud and smear them all over our arms, necks, and faces. Of course every time I dip my arm into the muddy water (it’s about two feet deep), I wash off the mud I’d just slathered on.
Some skill and foresight is required to achieve, and more importantly sustain, sufficient coverage. We are allowed to spend up to twenty minutes in the mud pool which turns out is more than enough.
After clambering out, we take a good long shower and then inch into the hot sulfur pool which is really just a big hot pool. The sulfur pool is quite a bit hotter than the mud pool so we last about ten minutes before deciding to call it a day.
We shower and get dressed, stop into the gift shop, have a quick ice cream cone, and return to the parking lot.
Should you go? It’s expensive; I’ve not going to lie. But then again, when do you ever get to roll around in mud? I’m glad I went, although the sulfur smell impregnates my bathing suit with such ferocity that several washings, along with dips in pools and the ocean was not sufficient to remove the smell.
If you go, consider wearing an old bathing suit that you’ll not mind tossing after the experience.
Te Puia Māori Experience
In the late afternoon, we set off for our second Māori, this one at Te Puia (#17), one of Rotorua’s major geothermal attractions that includes a kiwi habitat; a school for Māori carving, weaving, and stonework; and Rotorua’s biggest geyser.
The bus picks us up first and then trundles all over Rotorua picking up more people until finally we arrive at Te Puia and get a sticker designating us as Combo Visitors.
We get the guided tour of the grounds followed by a Māori welcome, a song and dance performance, and the feast. The experience lasts about five hours.
A Māori guide takes us around the grounds with a group of about forty people. We are lucky to arrive at the main geyser just as it blows its top—an impressive site indeed.
The craft areas are pretty much deserted since it’s a Sunday and few students are working. No problem—we get extra time in the fine gift store.
Māori Welcome
We are assembled in front of the Marae—the meeting house—at around six pm to witness the traditional Māori welcome.
The ceremony is the same as the night before, although this time only one man is designated chief. We are again requested not to smile or laugh during the ceremony. Several warriors emerge from the Marae and challenge the group with gestures and stylized movements.
When finally the branch is laid in front of the chief and accepted, we are welcomed into the Marae for the performance. The dancers are as energetic as the ones the night before.
Buffet Dinner
The buffet dinner of the hangi and other food served after the performance is a bit posher than the dinner we had the night before. There is a greater variety of food and the dining area is a bit more upscale.
Geyser Gazing
The Te Puia experience also includes a last look at the geyser in the moonlight. We board a jitney that takes us out to the geothermal area where our host talks about Māori legends and traditions while we wait for the geyser to blow.
It usually performs hourly, but of course the exact timing cannot be predicted. We are very fortunate when just ten minutes before we are due to return to the front entrance, the geyser decides to put on a spectacular show. Plumes thirty meters high shoot straight up into the star-spattered sky, the heat steaming glasses and cameras.
It’s a magical end to the evening.
Which Māori Experience?
So which Maori experience do I recommend? I honestly can’t decide because both are awesome. I think my recommendation would be to go see the geysers and geothermal activity at Te Puia (and they really do have a great gift store) and then do the dinner evening at Te Pau Tu – The Gathering Place
The Te Pau Tu experience is less posh than Te Puia, but a bit more authentic-feeling. The performers talk with small groups of people while they demonstrate the various crafts. Both experiences feel like family affairs (which I believe they are).
The main point is that a visitor to Rotorua should experience at least one Māori evening that includes, at a minimum, the welcome ceremony, the hangi, and a performance.
Although both evenings cater to tourists (well, who else?), the cheerfulness and enthusiasm of the guides and performers feels genuine.T
Conclusion: Steam and Story
From the icy volcanic peaks of Tongariro to the bubbling mud of Rotorua, this steamy center of New Zealand’s North Island feels alive in a way few places do.
The ground moves, the air steams, the legends breathe. You can hike across a mountain born of fire in the morning and soak in a hot spring by night. It’s elemental, theatrical, and utterly unforgettable — a reminder that in New Zealand, the earth doesn’t just sit quietly beneath your feet. It performs.
