I hope this guide made you look up cheap flights to New Zealand, but, if not, send me a DM because I’m a bit concerned for your mental well-being . If you’ve had the opportunity to visit this beautiful country already, please tell me all about it ASAP. Happy travels!

Taupō

Kaikōura

Bay Of Plenty

Waitomo Caves

New Zealand

Matamata

Ngatapa

Waikato District

Manawatu-Wanganui

Southland

Akaroa

Queenstown

Auckland

Rotorua

New Zealand Bucket List

My favourite part of the North Island for outdoor adventures in Aotearoa New Zealand! And it's totally underrated. Yes, Rotorua smells like sulphur... but that's because it's like, literally otherworldly.

While it's nice to visit in the summer, I love a winter getaway in Rotorua because it's easy to warm up at one of the hot springs.

Neither Rotorua nor Taupō are culinary destinations - but I've rounded up some decent places to eat and drink when you're in town.

More details about pricing and where to find stuff on my blog: www.runawaytraveller.com/

Taupō, New Zealand

Rotorua, New Zealand

Best of Rotorua & Taupo

Discover the best of New Zealand in 5 weeks exploring the North and South Island🚍✨

Kaikōura, New Zealand

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Wanaka, New Zealand

Blenheim, New Zealand

Hokitika, New Zealand

Milford Sound, Southland Region, New Zealand

Christchurch, New Zealand

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Manawatu-Wanganui Region, New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand

Wellington, New Zealand

Tauranga, New Zealand

Queenstown, New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand

5 Weeks New Zealand Roadtrip Itinerary and Recommendations 

Rotorua - a town on the North Island that is well known for its geothermal activity and Māori culture. There’s so much to see from 30m tall Geysers and bubbling mud pools, to a living Māori village! 

Taupō - located near the centre of North Island and known for its lake front setting on Lake Taupō. The lake is actually a volcanic caldera that drains into Huka Falls, which is a must see while in the area!! 

We spent two weeks living in Reporoa doing “WWOOFING” and it gave us free accommodation, food every afternoon and two days a week to travel the area and see as much as possible! 

Here you’ll find all of my tried and tested recommendations for the area ⤵️

I hope you enjoy this beautiful area as much as I did 🫶✨

Rotorua & Taupō.

All my favourite places on the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. I've narrowed it down to my top choices to give you some inspo. But I have a more extensive map on Google, with 200+ locations and colour-coded sections so it's easy to navigate. You can even save it to reference once you're on the road! Message me for FREE access. 
Details also on my blog: https://runawaytraveller.com/north-island-map-explore/

North Island, New Zealand

Napier, New Zealand

Best Stops On New Zealand's North Island 

Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings

Depending on how long and how much energy you’ve got you can take a boat trip or kayak there ⤵️ (more down here)

From Acacia Bay by kayak it’s an approximate 4 hour round trip on a clear day! So pack water, suncream, a hat and some snacks!! 

We saw on Google maps that there’s a jetty really close to the carvings but I believe that it’s within a gated community and is not accessible to the public! 

The Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings are one of the North Island’s most popular tourist destinations. At 14-meters above sea-level, this landmark serves as history for the Māori culure. To get here, you must take a boat or kayak, as you obviously cannot walk to it.

You can hop on a sailboat or rent kayaks to see it up close. 

Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings

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About Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings