Given its close proximity to our hometown of Hamilton, this part of the Coromandel is one that we visit often. New Zealand summers don’t only  have to be about the beach so we usually like to make a stop at the Karangahake Gorge, just past Paeroa. The gorge is stunning and there are some nice…

The East Cape of New Zealand is wild and empty and relatively untouched by tourism. Its a long drive to get there but the rewards are great indeed. Our starting point was the lovely town of Gisborne where there are vineyards and beaches galore. A good place to get your bearings is at the Titirangi…

Tongariro National Park is one of the best places to visit in New Zealand if you are an outdoor lover. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the hike you want to do and at about 5 and a half hours to complete, it is a bit of a challenge. If you have a friend who is…

Auckland is one of the best cities to live in the world and we were lucky enough to live there for 3 years. There is an incredible amount of things to do and sights to see. We will start with the food – Auckland has anything you can imagine – including the best curry (outside…

This is what Lonely Planet says about Hamilton: “Landlocked cities in an island nation are never going to have the glamorous appeal of their coastal cousins. Rotorua compensates with boiling mud and Taupo has its lake, but Hamilton, despite the majestic Waikato River, is more prosaic.” We initially thought prosaic sounded nice until we googled…

While the Waikato holds most of my heart, Northland holds the rest. It is truly paradise, think endless deserted beaches, fresh seafood and gorgeous campgrounds. This blog post is only a small taste of what the area has to offer but covers an area that is easy to do in a weekend. On this particular…

This part of the world is truly spectacular and if you have the time then it is well worth the long drive north. After all that driving you will bee in need of a snack so stop in at Mangonui Fish Shop for some fish and chips. Yes it is always pretty busy and yes…

The Bay of Islands in Northland is a top top tourist destination for a reason, it is beautiful. However, it is busy and the beauty of it can only be truly appreciated by boat, which can be a bit expensive if you are not in possession of one. It is still definitely worth a visit…

While you can be forgiven for only sticking to the coast on your trip to Northland, there are a few places inland that are worth checking out, even if its just on your way to your next paradise beach. This is my very brief blog post on a couple of places to visit. First off…