We arrived in Paihia just in time for sunset by the beach which was a perfect first impression of the beautiful bay surrounded by -just as its name says- islands. Bay of Islands Our traveling is very focused on staying within our budget so we can keep on traveling for a long time. However, there are places where you just know you have to give in and pay those extra dollars for a different and unique experience, at least for us. In this … [Read more...] about Bay of Islands & Whangarei
Bay of Plenty and Coromandel Peninsula
The Bay of Plenty had been highly recommended to us so we were excited to see what the sunny coast had to offer and we were certainly not disappointed. Papamoa and Mount Maunganui Our first stop was in Papamoa, but not because we really wanted to - it was the only beach that had an affordable campsite. We couldn’t believe how much the prices had risen in this area. We were used to paying 8 or max 13NZD per person, but here we were talking … [Read more...] about Bay of Plenty and Coromandel Peninsula
Short trip to Rotorua
We had mixed feelings about Rotorua. On one hand, the geysers and steam vents are interesting and worth a stop, but we also read that Rotorua is nicknamed “Rotovegas” because it’s a town fully focused on tourism entertainment which is not particularly in our interest. Not to mention that almost everything had to be done through a tour which we weren’t willing to pay. We did research on some free stops that are worth a visit. Redwood … [Read more...] about Short trip to Rotorua
Queenstown and Wanaka
After leaving Lake Te Anau, we began driving to Queenstown where we would spend one night in my cousins' car outside the shared house he lives in. The drive to Queenstown is worth mentioning just because of a crazy rain and thunderstorm we had on our way. We even had to pull over at one point because the visibility went down to zero. Further along the road, we passed some car accidents and were grateful when we arrived safely in … [Read more...] about Queenstown and Wanaka