New Zealand: There and Back Again, a Human's Tale
Mar 27
36 min read
Updated: Jul 19
New Zealand has always been very high on my travel list ever since I watched the Lord of the Rings as a child. If you know me, you know I am obsessed with those movies. I knew I absolutely HAD to include a New Zealand trip during my year off from teaching. I toyed with the idea of renting a car or camper van for this trip, but doing that alone is a lot of driving, and I was worried I would get lonely. So, I decided to join an 18 day tour of both islands through Stray Travel. This tour included a guide, all transport within New Zealand, 17 nights of accommodation, all breakfasts, some other meals, and most of the places I wanted to go were on the itinerary. I had to purchase any additional activities like zip-lining or kayaking, but overall I am really happy I booked this tour. It worked out to be very cost effective and I met a wonderful group of people! This is a long blog post so get cozy and make yourself a second breakfast before you sit down to read. 😉
Arriving in New Zealand
My journey began with a flight from Boston to L.A., and then another flight from L.A. to Auckland. This second flight was the longest flight I have ever been on, about 13 hours! I passed the time by watching The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, duh. I also did manage to get about 6 hours of sleep, which was fantastic. Over the course of the flight we were fed two meals and had a lot of snacks. The woman who sat next to me was headed to New Zealand for work. She studies underwater volcanoes as an oceanographer and lives on a ship for a few weeks to collect the data, which was really interesting to chat about. We arrived in Auckland at about 5 AM so I had a lot of time before checking into my hostel. I took a series of buses to get from the airport to downtown. There usually is a train but it was closed because it was Sunday. The buses in major cities in New Zealand all use a card system so you can just swipe your credit card when you get on and off, or you can purchase a bus card. I found my hostel, charged up my phone, stored my bags and headed back out to continue exploring. I got some ice cream, a sandwich, and went grocery shopping! Overall, I really liked Auckland and felt it was very walkable and safe. I spent a lot of time down by the water. I especially liked crossing the bridge over to Wynyard Quarter. There were a lot of restaurants and outdoor spaces to enjoy. There was even a public swimming area that looked very inviting! On my way back to my hostel I stumbled upon a free pro wrestling event which was really fun to watch. I checked into my room, made myself some dinner and got settled for the night.
For my first three nights I stayed at the Auckland City Haka House. This is one location but they have several hostels all throughout New Zealand. I elected to stay in the shared rooms which are all bunk beds. So for about $30 a night, you get a bed, access to a kitchen, laundry machines and a storage area in your room for your items. You can store your food in the kitchen, just make sure to label it! Most hostels provide labels for you to use. The bathrooms/showers are down the hall from your bedroom and usually separated by gender, but some hostels had shared facilities for everyone. If you are planning on staying in hostels my biggest advice is to bring your own laundry sheets or detergent, a towel for the showers, and a lock for your more valuable items. I never really worried about people taking my items, but it is better to be safe and have the option to lock things up. A lot of hostels take credit cards for the laundry but some are still coin operated. Some hostels provide towels for the shower but many of them do not, or it is an small charge to rent one. Most of my stays were in hostels for this trip, and I overall really enjoyed it. It was cheaper than hotels and it helped me save money because I was motivated to use the kitchen to cook my own food instead of going out for every meal. I never felt unsafe and the majority of the hostels were very clean. If you are going to travel around New Zealand I encourage you to stay in a couple hostels, it is part of the experience!
Hobbiton & Glowworms
For my first day in New Zealand, I was headed to The Hobbiton Movie Set and the glowworm caves in Waitomo. Tickets for Hobbiton book out very far in advance, so if you are looking to go and the dates you want are sold out, I would check the Viator website or Cheeky Kiwi! A lot of people manage to get last minute tickets this way, and their tours include a bonus stop at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, which is exactly what I did. Side note, there are Kiwis which are the people of New Zealand, kiwi birds, and kiwi fruit. 🥝 We were picked up in Auckland around 6 AM and started the drive towards Hobbiton. Our guide Liam was from New Zealand and he told us a bit of history on our drive. He talked about the Maori people arriving in New Zealand, shared about their culture and how European explorers like Abel Tasman and James Cook came to the islands as well. We learned that New Zealand has no natural land mammals besides bats, and no snakes! All the other mammals were brought over by humans either by accident or on purpose, and it really disrupted the native ecosystem. You are actually encouraged to hit rats and possums with your car if you see them on the road. 😬 We learned about the "deer wars" and the extinct Moa bird and Haast Eagle. He told us about some of the plants as well, like the cabbage trees and the silver fern. We also learned that nuclear power is not allowed in New Zealand. There was so much more he told us, but I cannot remember it all. We stopped along the way to get breakfast and I tried my first mince meat pie, and it was so good!
We arrived at Hobbiton and got in line to enter the movie set. You cannot drive into the set yourself, so you have to get on a big green bus with your tour guide! One leaves every ten minutes. They play a video explaining why Peter Jackson chose this location, the story of how he got permission to film here, how the set was built and all about the farm it's on, which is still operating! You can see so many sheep on the way in! 🐑 Tip - For the best view driving in, sit on the right side of the bus. You're welcome. The original set they used for The Lord of The Rings was actually taken down, but the owners of the farm decided to turn it into a permanent tourist attraction after it was rebuilt for the Hobbit movies. There are forty four hobbit holes in total! Some are human sized and some were scaled down so they could use them for scenes to make the actors appear larger. Most of the gardens throughout the set are real, so they have landscapers that take care of all the fields, vegetables and flowers. We saw an employee picking out some ripe zucchinis to take home! The amount of detail in the set was really impressive, there was even fake lichen on the fenceposts. The hobbit holes all have different themes too.
We visited Bilbo's house at Bag End. The tree on top is actually a fake tree, and the 200,000 leaves were hand painted, which took several days. You cannot go inside Bilbo's house, but there is nothing inside anyway, which is true for most of the hobbit holes here. The tour lasts about 2.5 hours, and they pace the tour perfectly so you never feel rushed and you have tons of time for pictures. I was really impressed by the organization and efficiency! Towards the end of the tour, you get to go inside a hobbit hole and see all the different rooms, furniture, and different items inside. It is completely interactive, so you are allowed to lay on the bed, sit by the fire, and touch everything! There is even a hobbit sized bath-tub you can sit in. I was ready to move in, I loved it so much! We got to see Sam Gamgee's house and the field where Bilbo has his 111th birthday party. We learned that most of the fireworks were real (except for the dragon one) and the birthday cake actually caught fire when they were filming Bilbo's speech scene!
At the end of the tour you stop at the Green Dragon Inn and get a choice of beverage. They have a stout, amber ale, cider, or non alcoholic ginger beer. These beers are all brewed specifically for Hobbiton. Your first one is included with your tour, but they also have food and other drinks you can purchase. I got the stout and it was delicious! 🍻 The first Green Dragon Inn was burned down on purpose for the filming of the movies, and they hired the local firefighters to play the orcs in that scene to make sure the fire was under control. I thought that was awesome! So it got rebuilt and is now the busiest pub in New Zealand! We got to relax for about fifteen minutes and enjoy our beverages and then we got back on the bus to exit the movie set. My tip for a great photo is when you are leaving the Green Dragon, there is a little dock with a fishing pole. Stand there and you'll have a beautiful view of Hobbiton behind you. If you are looking for a more elevated experience, they also offer a tour where you get to have a buffet lunch afterwards in the Party tent. I saw them setting up for that, and I will have to come back and do that someday!
After Hobbiton, we stopped by a pub to grab lunch and I was able to catch some of the Super Bowl! How American of me. It was not looking too good for the Patriots and spoiler alert, they lost. I enjoyed an open faced BLT with fries, and then we made our way to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The caves contain a species of fly that in its larval stage produces bioluminescence. They all live on the ceiling of the cave and it creates a soft blue light that looks like the stars. The scientific name for the species is called arachnocampa luminosa. You can find glowworms in other caves throughout New Zealand, so make sure to research the area you are visiting, and some caves you can enter for free! We met our guide outside and began our journey into the caves. On our tour, we learned that the caves were about 30 million years old and made of limestone. Over millions of years, water seeps in and slowly erodes the rock leading to the eventual formation of these caves. You can hear the drips of the water falling from the ceiling. We stopped and looked at some stalagmites and stalactites that were in different stages of development. I did not realize that stalactites were hollow tubes in the beginning stages of their formation. Good to know for my earth science unit!
These caves were first discovered by the Maori people living in the area, and then further explored by a Maori chief and English surveyor in 1887. They decided to start letting people enter the caves for a fee, and then it became a popular tourist attraction. The land and caves are still owned by descendants of this chief. These caves are considered a sacred place, so you are not allowed to take photographs while you are inside the caves. It made me really step back and enjoy it instead of worrying about taking pictures the whole time. Inside the cave it was really dark, quiet and there was no wind either. Everything seemed so still. In order to catch food, the glowworms drop lines of sticky webbing down from their abdomens and will pull them back up with insects on them. We got to see this in action which we all thought was very exciting.
Inside the cave there is a large cavern called the Cathedral, and choirs come to sing here on special occasions. They also have weddings here which I imagine is very special. We all sang happy birthday to a woman on our tour to experience the acoustics of the caves. For the grand finale of the tour, you get into a big boat and float down the river underneath the glowworms. This area is where most of them gather so it was quite magical. Our guide stood on the edge of the boat and used ropes on the ceiling to pull us around in the complete darkness. It was very impressive! You look up and it seems as if you are staring at the night sky. The light is so beautiful and it is funny that you are really just looking at bunch of fly larvae. 🤣 There are also huge freshwater eels that live in this river which we did get to see after we exited the cave. I did not know eels got to be that big. Overall, I think it was a really cool experience and I would love to visit some of the other caves in New Zealand! Liam drove us back to Auckland, I made some soup for dinner, and I went to bed feeling exhausted and content, dreaming about hobbit holes and bioluminescent maggots.
Auckland Whale Watch
This morning I woke up feeling very tired, I think the travel was finally starting to catch up with me! I forced myself to drink a coffee because I wanted to be alert for the whale watch today! I booked the Auckland Dolphin & Whale Watching Eco Safari through Viator. I walked down to the ferry area and checked in. The crew explained the plan for the day, went over safety procedures, and we all cleaned our shoes before boarding to make sure no pests were brought on board. This boat also operates as a research vessel so they stopped to take a sample of zooplankton along the way. We all got to look at the plankton after, which reminded me of this plankton class I took in college! They also did a turbidity test by lowering a white sieve into the water to see how long it took to disappear. Sadly, we did not see any whales, but we saw so many dolphins. 🐬 The pod of common dolphins were very playful and spent a lot of time around our boat. It was amazing to watch them turn their bodies to look at us! The crew was taking photos of them to identify the individual dolphins. Overall, it was a beautiful day on the water and I am so glad I went!
Back at the hostel, I checked in with the Stray Travel group and I met my guide for the next 18 days, Kristina. We all introduced ourselves and started to get to know each other. Our group had a range of ages from 19-70 years old and we represented six countries! Lorraine was from Scotland, Chloe and Kourosh from England, Niels, Koen and Margo from the Netherlands, Emily and Laura from Germany, Jim from Canada, and Virginia and I from the United States. All the group tours I've done in the past have been with mostly Americans, so it was nice to meet people from all over the world this time. We then went to dinner at a place called Elliott Stables, which has a ton of different restaurants you can go to with a dining area in the center. I got some dumplings that were delicious. After dinner we all moved into our new rooms for the night and I was so excited to begin the journey tomorrow!
Hahei & Cathedral Cove Beach
In the morning we loaded up the bus with all of our stuff and hit the road! Our bus was big enough to hold around twenty people, but we only had eleven so we had a ton of room which was really nice. It allowed us all to spread out and have places to put our backpacks! We stopped to pick up some groceries for the next few days and throughout the drive Kristina told us a bit about NZ history, wildlife, and culture. We arrived at Hahei Beach Resort where we were staying for the next two nights. Our group had our own little cabin with two bedrooms and a self contained kitchen. The bathrooms were a short walk next door, and we were right next to the beach!
A few of us had booked kayaking for the afternoon, so we changed and walked down to the beach. Virginia and I shared a double kayak. The back seat of the kayak had foot pedals to turn the boat, which took me a minute to get the hang of, but it was a lot of fun to use! I was in charge of turning and Virginia was in charge of telling me if we were going to hit any rocks. 🤣 We made a great team and I am happy to report we did not hit any rocks. We paddled all the way out to an island, went around it and then made our way towards Cathedral Cove Beach. We had to line up and paddle in using the waves to land on the beach. The kayak guides grabbed our boats and pulled us in! On the beach, our guide Mason brought out a set of cups and made us all lattes and cappuccinos. Where was he hiding all of that? He even put cinnamon and chocolate syrup on the top! It was very fancy and probably the best kayak tour I've ever taken. They also take photos during the tour and send them to you after.
We had about an hour to walk around Cathedral Cove Beach and it was stunning! The water was such a beautiful blue and you could see right to the bottom. All around us were huge cliffs, sea stacks, and the famous cave that you can walk through. The rock that forms the cave is volcanic and it erodes easily, so eventually the cave will become a sea stack. Rocks could fall from the cave ceiling at any time, so you are not supposed to stop moving inside the cave! Yikes! On our paddle back to the beach we saw a bird called a gannet diving to catch fish and some red snapper lurking underneath a buoy. We had amazing weather and it was such a fun way to get to see the area. Kristina made everyone wraps for dinner. We all ate outside at the picnic tables and these crazy seagulls were trying to steal all our food and making so much noise! We started to get to know each other and we all went to bed excited for the next day of exploring.
The next day we began by driving to Hot Water Beach. This is a beach that has a hot spring underneath it, so you can dig a hole to sit in and it will fill with hot water! Sounds easy, right? Wrong. It was a lot of work! Kristina taught us the method to find a hot spot by digging your feet in the sand and wiggling side to side to feel for the warmth. It took us a while to find a spot, but it was too close to the waves, so it wasn't an ideal spot to dig. If you are planning on going, make sure you go when it is low tide! We eventually just dug next to someone else and turned it into a giant hole. We built up the walls of the hole so that the waves wouldn't crash in! Once all the digging and wall building was finished it was very enjoyable! The hot water that was coming up was actually so hot it would burn your toes! It was good that some ocean water mixed in every now and then. We went back to our accommodation and everyone had a free day to do whatever they wanted. I decided to walk to Cathedral Cove Beach and see what it was like getting there on foot, which turned out to be a really long walk! There is a shuttle bus that can take you to the beginning of the hike, but it was still a long walk from there. Either way, make sure you bring water and snacks! I took a dip in the ocean and enjoyed the beach for a bit before I walked back. There were several lookout points with really nice views too. I actually think the kayaking was the easier option to get to the beach! I made dinner for myself and then a group of us played cards. I taught everyone "spoons," and we also learned a game called "shithead," which ended up being played quite often on this trip! It was a lot of fun and we all had some great laughs. After dinner I got an ice cream cone and several of us watched The Lord of the Rings before heading to bed because we were going to Hobbiton tomorrow! Before you ask, yes I knew this was part of the tour, but I wanted to go twice. 🤓
Karangahake Gorge, Hobbiton Round Two, & Polynesian Spa
On our way to Hobbiton we stopped for a quick walk at the Karangahake Gorge. We did part of the Windows Walk trail and got to walk through old gold mining tunnels and cross some cool bridges! Before my trip, I did not realize how big the mining industry was in New Zealand. The walk was pretty easy and you follow the old rail track. The tunnels are really dark so you do need a flashlight. There are also pieces of old mining equipment that you may see along the way too. At the end of the walk you reach a bridge which crosses over the gorge.
We stopped in Matamata for lunch and then headed to Hobbiton! It was pouring rain for most of the day, so I was really happy that I had already been once. Even in the rain, it was fun to go a second time and look more closely at things I may have not noticed before. Our tour guide asked if anyone wanted to recreate the "I'm going on an adventure!" scene, so I did it! It was pretty funny. As you can see, I look like an injured gazelle when I attempt to run. This time I tried the cider at the Green Dragon Inn, which was also very good!
Tonight we are staying in another Haka House in Rotorua. Rotorua has a ton of geothermal activity all around it, which makes the whole town smell a bit like a rotten egg! Chloe, Virginia, Margo and I went to the Polynesian Spa after dinner. The spa is set on the edge of the lake and has several different pools with various temperatures. We tried a few different pools, but our favorite was the one closest to the lake. It would be fun to come back here during the day. You could even see some of the minerals floating in the water and it had a blueish tint. It was a rainy day, so it was actually really nice to be in the hot pools relaxing and my skin felt amazing after! If you do go to any natural hot springs or a spa in Rotorua, just know that your bathing suit will smell a little funky after, so my tip is to bring an old one that you don't really care about.
White Water Rafting in Rotorua
Today I went out of my comfort zone and signed up to go white water rafting! If you enjoy white water rafting, you have to do it here! The Kaituna River has the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, Tutuea Falls (23 foot drop)! I know many people that have gone rafting back home in the U.S., but for some reason I was too nervous to ever try it myself. I am so glad that I mustered up the courage, because it was so much fun! Koen, Kourosh, Jim, Chloe, Niels and I all went together, so we got placed in the same raft. We very quickly went over the safety procedures, equipment, and how to paddle and sit down inside the raft. We got wetsuit tops to keep us warm, helmets, and lifejackets. I thought the water would be a lot colder, but it was actually not bad! We started by going over some light rapids and a few small drops and practicing paddling as a team. Our guide Jasper would yell out commands like "right side, left side, forward, and backward" to tell us what we needed to do! We all swapped around seats a few times so everyone got a turn in the front, middle, and back of the raft. For the big waterfall drop, I got to sit in the front of the boat with Kourosh! The drop was scary and our entire raft went underwater, but somehow we popped up at surface without anyone falling out! So much water went up my nose too. We watched other groups go over and saw a few boats flip! I am really glad we didn't flip! We got to swim in the river and take turns leaning out of the raft and putting our faces into one of the rapids. We were awarded the "best looking" raft of the day! Afterwards, you get to go in a sauna which was so nice. Then we headed back to Rotorua for some lunch and walked around the thermal pools in Kuirau Park. There is a free foot soak that you can do here if you want. We stopped at some bubbling hot mud pools on the way to meet our host for our next accommodation.
Kohutapu Lodge
Tonight we were staying at Kohutapu Lodge, one of my favorite places we stayed. We met up with our host Ina on the way and she led us to some carvings that depicted the Great Migration of the Maori people. No one really knows exactly what island they came from before arriving in New Zealand but there are several different theories. These carvings showed all the canoes crossing the sea. It was really interesting to see the carvings and hear about the history.
We then drove to the lodge and met Shandy, Nade, and a few of our other hosts. The Lodge is a really special place to stay and is Maori owned. Their goal is to share their culture in an authentic and non performative way. We got to see them prepare a traditional hāngī dinner by heating food with hot rocks in an underground pit oven. They layer the food with wet cloths and cover it with dirt. The food takes a few hours to cook. We learned a game called Mau Rakau, where you pass sticks in a circle left or right, and try to grab your neighbors stick without dropping it. It was fun and really challenging! Everyone enjoyed it, I think we played four or five rounds. Kourosh won the first round so he got a free drink at dinner! I made a mental note to try this game with my students next year. After our game, we tried some fried bread and medicinal tea. I really liked the tea and the leaves can be used to treat eczema. After our snack, we learned the "Ka Mate" Haka. The Haka is a traditional Maori ceremonial chant and dance. Warriors would do this before battle. These days it is done before important events, at celebrations like weddings, and can be used as a form of protest. There are several different versions of the Haka, and it is very passionate and full of expression. If you are a rugby fan, the New Zealand All Blacks do one at the beginning of every match. It is very intimidating! Shandy instructed us and we practiced the words and the movements several times. It was challenging to put it all together, but we did it! There is a lot of foot stamping and arm slapping involved. Once we mastered the Haka, Ina taught us how to weave flax leaves and we each made a little fish out of our leaves. By the time we did all that, our dinner was ready! Our meal included coleslaw, fried bread, salad, stuffing, chicken, pork, potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. We ate out of woven flax bowls which was what Maori people would traditionally use. My favorite part of the meal was the sweet potato stuffing. The whole meal was so delicious and filling! We also got some fruit and custard for dessert.
At dinner we learned all about how the Lodge gives back to the community and provides opportunities to young adults to travel and meet other indigenous youth from other parts of the world like Australia and Canada. The program is called Native Nations United. By coming to this Lodge, we were helping to fund all of the wonderful things they are doing for the community. After, we all gathered in a circle and introduced ourselves and shared a positive highlight of our time in New Zealand so far. There were people on other tours as well, and it was nice to connect with each other as strangers. This is what the human experience is all about, connecting with each other! I went to bed feeling really grateful for this experience and so happy that these people shared a part of their world with us. We slept in little cabins, and I got to sleep in the loft which was fun. I was so sad to leave the next day! If you are looking for a cultural experience that feels authentic, this is the place to go!
Taupo
In the morning we were fed a delicious breakfast and then had to depart. We drove to the Kerosene Creek which is a river that is heated by hot springs. It is about a five minute walk and you can go swimming here. The river was pretty strong and it was not that warm, but I went in anyway! It was smelly too! It was interesting, but I probably would skip it next time. We headed on to Huka Falls, which is a huge rushing waterfall with bright turquoise water.
This may have been my favorite waterfall in New Zealand. People do kayak in it, but it is very dangerous. We headed onto Taupo and watched Koen go bungee jumping which was very exciting! After watching the bungee jumping, I think I might try it someday! I had booked a sunset cruise that evening, but it got cancelled due to strong winds. Instead, I walked downtown to the famous McDonalds airplane. I ate my chicken nuggets in style. ✈️
Tongariro and Gollum's Pool
Today we drove to Tongariro National Park and were supposed to complete the Tongariro Apline Crossing, which is about 12.5 miles and takes 6-9 hours to complete. You also get a view of some crater lakes and Mt. Ngauruhoe, which was the inspiration for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings. Sadly, the weather was too rainy so the hike got cancelled, and it was so cloudy we couldn't even see Mount Doom. You could say our hike was doomed. 🫠 Cancellation for this hike is quite common, so if you are really interested in doing this hike, you should plan to stay in the area for a few days to get a better chance of being able to complete it. We only had one day, so that was it for us! We still did part of the hike in the pouring rain, which was sort of miserable, but we got to see a really cool waterfall, Taranaki Falls. This part of the hike was not that difficult, but it was really cold, windy, and raining so we all ended up completely soaked by the end of our walk. Luckily my rain jacket kept my top half dry.
We headed to Tawhai Falls after, which is also known as Gollum's Pool. They filmed a scene from the Two Towers here, so I was excited about it. Gollum is singing a song while hunting for fish. Virginia, Emily and I walked down to see it, but everyone else stayed in the bus. It was overflowing with water due to all the rain, but I'm glad we went down there. We got to our rooms at The Alpine Chalet, which felt like luxury! Chloe and I got a room all to ourselves with our own bathroom and kitchen. The hot shower felt amazing after being soaked from our hike. We all took turns drying our shoes with the blow dryer and relaxed for a few hours. We all went to Schnapp's next door for dinner, which Stray paid for because our hike was cancelled. I thought that was a nice gesture. I got a burger with fries and a chocolate ice cream sundae! 🍨
Wellington
After Tongariro we started making our way towards Wellington! We stayed in Wellington for two nights. On the way we passed towns that had statues of carrots, bulls, and a giant gumbo boot. New Zealand has a lot of quirky statues everywhere. We stopped in the gumbo boot town and had a competition to see who could throw the boot the furthest, and Niels won! We checked into our accommodation in Wellington at The Cambridge Hotel, and we stayed in the backpackers side. It was ok, but not the best hostel we have stayed in. I went out for a walk and went to the Te Papa Museum, which is an excellent museum. Your ticket grants you access for 48 hours so you can go more than once. They had really interesting exhibits on Maori culture, astrology, and an exhibit with huge sculptures of World War I soldiers. The star navigation section reminded me of what I learned in French Polynesia. 🌌 Then I went to find some of the LOTR filming locations near Mount Victoria. I grabbed some chicken and fries for dinner and a few of us hiked up to the top of Mount Victoria for sunset. The view up here was very nice, and the hike was a honestly a lot harder than I thought it would be. Koen, Kourosh and I all went back to the LOTR film spots and took some fun pictures at Frodo's Tree and Hobbit's Hideaway. These exact spots were not well marked so it took a little time to find!
The second day in Wellington, I treated myself to a fancy coffee at an Orange themed coffee shop on Cuba Street. It was so cute and the coffee had orange zest on top! Koen and I booked a session at The One Room, which is a LOTR museum. A lovely woman named Kathy runs it and lets you check out all of the things she has collected from the films and try on some costumes! She has several autographed pieces, sword replicas and stories about going to the premiere of the last movie in Wellington. We spent about two hours here dressing up as all sorts of characters, and she had so many of different props for us to use too. I think my favorite costume was the Arwen dress for me, and Legolas for Koen!
Next I took a bus to the Weta Workshop, which is the studio where many of the props, prosthetics and weapons were created for the Lord of the Rings movies. They have also worked on other films like Avatar, King Kong, Black Panther, and so many more! Chloe and I went on the tour together, and it was really interesting. First, we learned about the process to cast and make molds of actor's faces, which seems like an absolute nightmare if you are claustrophobic. We went into the armor room which contained Sauron's entire costume, several swords, helmets, and chain mail from several different films. We learned about the different ways to make the chain mail for costumes, which we got to hold and feel for ourselves. I learned that the Weta Workshop also made the large soldiers in the WWI exhibit at the Te Papa museum! Inside the workshop you can see the blacksmiths creating the weapons which is really cool! I purchased a leather LOTR notebook from the gift shop. After this we met the rest of the group for dinner and said our goodbyes to Koen, Laura and Margo! The next day we were heading to the South Island on the ferry and they only joined the tour for the North Island. We all played some card games and went to bed.
Ferry to the South Island
The next morning we met two new people who joined our tour for the South Island, Blain from Ireland and Lea from Denmark. We drove to the ferry, which was huge! It had multiple levels for cars, buses, and trucks. The ferry crosses the Cook Strait. The ride was about four hours and we got to see some dolphins on the side of the boat. On board, I got some beans and hash browns for breakfast, some dumplings for lunch, and we played some card games to pass the time. We got off the ferry in Picton and the drive onward from here was gorgeous. The roads were really windy here with beautiful views around every corner. I did start feeling a little carsick with all the twists and turns. We stopped at the Pelorus Bridge where they filmed part of The Hobbit. The water here was so clear and looked refreshing, I wish we could have stopped to go swimming! We then drove through Nelson, which has some nice beaches. Apparently this town has the overall best weather in New Zealand! Good to know. We continued to our hostel for the next two nights, The Barn in Marahau, which was right at the entrance to Abel Tasman National Park. Fun fact, my mom and sister stayed at this same hostel when they traveled here over ten years ago! The Barn has a variety of accommodation styles, including some "glamping" tents that were right on the water. If I came back, I would really want to stay in one of those tents! ⛺️ This was another great stay, and Lorraine, Chloe and I all had a very large room to ourselves. It was nice to not be in a bunk bed for a change! We all went to get pizza together at The Park Cafe down the street from us which was delicious.
Abel Tasman National Park
Chloe, Jim and I all went kayaking this morning. We met our guide Scarlett who was so nice and helped us get our equipment ready. We drove down to the ocean in a wagon pulled by a tractor which was not what I was expecting, but a lot of fun! We got into our kayaks and paddled for about an hour and took a break on the beach. We got to enjoy some cookies as a snack, and then continued on our way to Observation Beach. On the way we paddled out to an island to look for fur seals, and we were successful! A few of them were up on the rocks sunbathing, and we saw a couple babies too! They were so cute, and I'm glad we got to see them. The pups are born around December/January, and then in April the seals will leave and start to head out towards deeper water. At Observation Beach we had a picnic lunch with sandwiches, apples, juice, and cake. This was all included in the tour and the sandwiches were huge! We then hiked about 1.5 hours to Anchorage Bay. The hike was challenging and had very steep sections! We walked around the beach a bit and then the water taxi picked us up. We went so fast and one poor man in the back of the boat got completely soaked! For dinner, Kristina made us a pasta bake with garlic bread and salad. We walked to the beach to watch the sunset which was really beautiful. I would love to come back to this area someday and do some more exploring!
Franz Josef Glacier
Today we made our way to Franz Josef. Unfortunately, one of our tires on the bus started to leak so we had to stop and wait for someone to come out and fix it. We snacked and played games in the bus while we waited. Once that was fixed we continued on our way, stopping at the Punakaki Pancake Rocks! I honestly thought these rocks were going to be lame, but I really enjoyed it! We came at a good time too because the waves were strong with high tide, so we got to see some of the blowholes going off! 🥞 I treated myself to an ice cream after.
We continued onto Hokitika and saw the famous driftwood sign. I got some soup for dinner at a pizza place and walked the beach a little bit. We made it to our hostel in Franz Josef, Rainforest Retreat. This hostel has a mix of different style rooms and cabins, and there is also a hot tub and sauna on the property! When we were unloading our bags, we saw three Kea's which are huge parrots! They are rare, so I was really happy to see them. They are known to be very smart and curious birds, and often damage people's cars trying to break in!
The next day, Emily and I went kayaking and we had an amazing time! If you are counting, this was my third kayak excursion. Our guides were Pickles (yes you read that correctly) and Fara. They were really nice and excellent guides! Pickles made lots of jokes and kept us laughing and Fara knew so much about the local wildlife. We loaded up into the kayaks and began paddling on Lake Mapourika, which had a lovely view of the Franz Josef Glacier. We stopped for a hike through the rainforest and enjoyed some cookies and hot chocolate before kayaking back. The kayaking was very enjoyable here and they also took pictures of us. Here are some fun facts I learned!
New Zealand has two species of eels, short finned and long finned eels. They will migrate all the way to Tonga against the current to lay their eggs, and their eggs float back to New Zealand!
White herons, or egrets, are seen as a sign of good luck. We did see one today!
Kiwis (the bird) almost went extinct but were saved because of the Nest Egg Project. Eggs were collected to make sure the babies survived and then the kiwis were released into the wild. This helped the population recover!
Kiwis are nocturnal, and females will lay an egg that is 1/3 the size of their body! Males will then incubate the egg while the female recovers.
There are bright blue mushrooms. We got to see a few of these on our walk.
The Maori people will tie a knot in a specific type of tree when children are born, and when those kids reach adulthood, the tree will have grown and formed a perfect sized walking stick. I cannot remember what the tree is called.
There are about 5000 glaciers in New Zealand and only 20 of them are found on the North Island. 🏔️
Emily and I grabbed some lunch at a little cafe and then I decided to check out the Wildlife Center. They have a rare type of kiwi bird, some blue penguins, and lizards called Tuataras. In the kiwi exhibit, it is dark with only a tiny bit of red light. Kiwis are nocturnal, so they try to make it feel like their natural habitat. You had to be very quiet and look for the kiwi with just your eyes. The kiwi was a lot bigger than I expected, and it was just digging in the ground with its beak, really cute! They also have a very good sense of smell. I continued on to the penguin exhibit. I went at feeding time, so I got to hear a bit about the penguins, watch them catch fish and how they got here. Many of them were injured due to boat strikes, dog attacks, or even car accidents. Those penguins really shouldn't be driving! 🤣 Anyway, the center rescues them and cares for them here because they wouldn't likely survive on their own in the wild. Some are eventually released if they make a full recovery. I walked back to the hostel and went for a dip in the hot tub. We then went out for pizza and attempted to do karaoke for Niels' birthday, but all the screens were broken. So we improvised and did it anyway! A few Australian dudes joined us and they eventually took over. I think if I ever come back to Franz Josef I would stay a bit longer and try to do some hikes and maybe even a helicopter ride! 🐧
Fox Glacier, Wanaka, and Queenstown
Today was a long travel day from Franz Josef to Queenstown, but it was broken up with a few different stops along the way. We started by doing a walk around Lake Matheson to see a view of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook. The view from the bottom of the lake was beautiful and had a mirror effect. We grabbed some breakfast at the cafe and continued on our way. We stopped at a beach to look for some Hector's dolphins, but did not see any. The rocks on this beach were so flat, the perfect rocks for skipping! We all took turns trying to see who could skip the rocks the furthest. We continued on and stopped at Thunder Creek Falls, which was an epic waterfall basically on the side of the road! We also made a stop in Wanaka to get some dinner and check out the famous Wanaka Tree. I went to a delicious restaurant called Big Fig, and had one of my favorite meals of the trip here. We finally arrived in Queenstown, where we were staying for the next four nights, and my last stop on the tour! 😢
On my first day in Queenstown I went ziplining in the morning. On my way there, I saw that Fergburger was celebrating their 25th anniversary, so I had to get a burger! It was pretty good, and I washed it down with a chocolate gelato milkshake. Since it was a special occasion, I also got a free cookie and a special pin. I took the gondola to the top of Bob's Peak and checked in for the zip-line adventure. This was really fun! We did 6 zip-lines and each one was a little different. I thought the 3rd and 4th were the most fun! Our guides had us try different "challenges" on each one, like hanging upside down, doing a "trust fall" and screaming as loud as we could. I did all the challenges! Below us there were people mountain biking, which looked really crazy!
In Queenstown you get a view of a mountain range called "The Remarkables," which are named this because they run exactly North to South. If you have seen the Lord of the Rings, the lighting of the beacons scenes were filmed using these mountains as the backdrop. After zip-lining, I met up with Chloe, Emily, Niels, and Blain to do the Queenstown Luge. It was basically like real life Mario Kart. 🏎️ There were two different tracks to try, and you do get going pretty fast! The carts took a bit of practice to steer and I totally got stuck a few times. After dinner, we found a bar that did karaoke and we all signed up for some different songs. At the end we all sang "Take Me Home Country Roads." For everyone's sake, I will not show that video, but I think we did a pretty good job!
The next day I went jet boating in Skipper's Canyon. 🚤 A jet boat uses the water to propel it instead of an external propeller. The boat goes very fast, you sort of feel like you are floating on the surface, and you can go in very shallow rivers. The bus ride to get Skipper's Canyon was crazy! The road was very skinny with huge cliffs on either side. People say it is the most dangerous road in New Zealand! I can't imagine trying to pass someone on this road! Our driver pointed out some specific areas like the "Gates of Mordor" and "Gorilla Rock." We got a very quick safety briefing, put on life jackets and got into the boat! It was so much fun and our driver spun us around a few times. It did get a little chilly so make sure you bring a sweatshirt! My only complaint was that I wish it was longer! There were a lot of sand flies here before and after our boat ride, so I was glad I had pants and a jacket on! On the way back, we stopped at a really nice lookout point to get a view of the canyon!
I went home and changed to get ready for my wine tasting with Altitude Wine Tours! The tasting was a few hours long, and it was just me and two other couples. Our guide Ash was very nice and easy going! Southern New Zealand is known for it's red wine, especially Pinot Noir, so that was highlighted at each winery. The first stop was Gibbston Tavern and we tried five different wines here. One of them was named after a dog! We got to meet the dog too, and he sat right next to me. I felt chosen. I really enjoyed all of the wines we tried... or maybe that was just the wine talking?! 🍷 The next stop was at Kinross Winery, and here we got to try 7 wines! Or was it 8? There was a lot of wine, ok? We also got to share a huge charcuterie board which I was thankful for! This winery felt a bit fancier than the first. Our final stop was at Altitude Brewery, which specializes in IPA's.
At the end of the tour we each got a free wine glass. Somehow this made it all the way home without breaking. The wine tasting was a lot of fun and I enjoyed all the wine, but it did feel a bit rushed. If I were to do this again it would be nice to slow down a bit to both enjoy the wine and the beautiful scenery. I met up with everyone for our last group dinner. Our guide, Kristina was leaving us and a new guide Leon was taking over for the rest of the trip. We all said our goodbyes and Kristina gifted us us each a hand painted picture to remember our travels by. Mine was the kayaks in Cathedral Cove. It was so sweet of her, and I felt lucky to have had such a lovely guide for most of my trip! She really went above and beyond to make sure we all had an amazing trip! All of us got ice cream at Duck Island and went to bed.
Milford Sound & Lord of The Rings Tour
Today was my last day with the group and we went to Milford Sound! The ride from Queenstown was very long, about five hours. We stopped a few times along the way for snacks and toilet breaks. The morning was very foggy, rainy and misty so we couldn't see much of the scenery on the drive down. Leon was excited about the rain because he said the rain makes Milford Sound exceptional! He was correct. We did a Milford Sound cruise which was about two hours long, and we got to see so many waterfalls. At first it was raining, but it started to clear up by the end of the cruise. The boat ride was beautiful and I spent most of it outside on the deck. We got very close to a few waterfalls and even saw a baby fur seal! This area reminded me a lot of the fjords I saw in Norway. On the way home we all were so tired and slept most of the ride. Leon was a champion for driving us all the way there and back! I really don't know how he stayed awake. We stopped to see the Misty Mountains and to pick up some dinner at an Indian restaurant. I tried butter chicken for the first time and I loved it! We all ate together and headed to bed.
In the morning I said my goodbyes to everyone else who was continuing on the tour, Jim and I stopped our tour in Queenstown. Today for my last day I decided to do one final Lord of the Rings activity! I booked a half day tour with Trails of Middle Earth, and it was just me and two other people! Our guide Benji picked us up in town and drove us to several locations where the filming took place. He was even so kind to store my luggage on the van before I went to the airport. We went out to locations in Skipper's Canyon, Arrowtown, and Gibbston. We stopped at spots where they filmed the Arwen scene where she faces the ring wraiths at the river, where Aragorn falls of the cliff, and a few others. Benji had so many facts about the films to share with us, I was so impressed! He even had real scripts from the film to look at which was really interesting. We even acted out a few scenes.
My favorite location was where they filmed a scene where Isildur puts on the ring and jumps into a river and ends up getting killed by orcs and floats face down in the river with arrows in his back. We learned that the stunt double that filmed this scene had to do eleven takes and got hypothermia from how cold the water was. Benji also had a gollum mask and an orc mask for us to try on too! He did some "movie magic" and made us disappear after putting on the ring. I still don't understand how he did this.
Throughout the tour he would quiz us on different things from the books and movies! I would say I got 70% of his questions correct, but it made me want to go back and read the books again! We also got to look at some replicas of swords at the end of our tour and dress up as characters. I decided to be Sauron. Overall it was a really fun day and I learned a lot about the films that I did not know before. After the tour I grabbed a quick lunch before heading to the airport to continue onto the next part of my adventure!
Overall, I was really happy with my trip to New Zealand. I am already excited about the idea of coming back here someday and spending more time in the areas I enjoyed, and of course going to new places as well. If I came back, I would love to try and do the Tongariro River Crossing, check out Kaikoura, and spend more time in both Abel Tasman and Franz Josef. Till next time! ❤️ 🇳🇿 🥝
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