An Epic New Zealand Road Trip
There’s a lot to see in New Zealand. Shannon Ullman shared the highlights of her three month road trip itinerary with Travel Pulse.
Auckland is a great place to start a road trip. It’s one of the easiest ways to rent/buy a car or campervan and most flights arrive at Auckland’s international airport. Ullman suggests heading to the waterfront for great views, the Auckland Domain for a picnic and a nice walk and dining at Skytower for a meal with a view. K-Road is full of thrift shops, dive bars and lots of international dishes, while Ponsonby Road is the perfect place for a craft beer, coffee, live music and visiting trendy boutiques.
The Bay of Islands north of Auckland is known for its water excursions, sunny weather and history. Get on the water with a kayaking or boat tour around the bay or soak up the history at the island of Russell and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
The Coromandel with its beaches, coastal views and quirky towns offers highlights like hot water beach, Cathedral Cove, Paeroa and Thames.
Waitomo is famous for its abundance of glow-worms. Tours offer everything from tubing and zip lining to rock climbing and boat cruising down the cave rivers.
The Tongariro National Park is well known from its debut in the “Lord of The Rings” film. It’s a great place to hike through the volcanic landscape of the park.
Wellington, New Zealand’s quirkier city, is well known for its arts, youth culture and innovative vibes. Ullman’s highlights were Cuba Street for shops, bars and restaurants, Te Papa Museum, the Wellington Chocolate Factory, The Weta Workshop and Six Barrel Soda Co. where you can taste-test craft sodas.
Nelson, Ullman’s first stop on the South Island, is full of quirky surprises. It’s a hotspot for breweries and hops growing. Visit Mac’s Brew pub, the Elf Café and tour around the hops growing areas while you’re there.
Abel Tasman National Park is known for its beauty. Kayak or hike to experience the beautiful landscape.
Making a visible comeback from their 2011 earthquake, Christchurch is full of street art, interesting construction and places to eat. Make sure to check out the art murals around the downtown center, the RE: Start shopping center made of re-used shipping containers and also home to a range of food trucks, the farmer’s market at Riccarton House and the Twisted Hop restaurant for locally made beer.
Driving through Arthur’s Pass will give you incredible views.
To read more about her road trip please click here.
Article Source: Travel Pulse, Shannon Ullman, April 28, 2016
Image Source: Twitter – Pure New Zealand
