New Zealand North Island, November 2019

We used Auckland as our base in the North Island staying in a flat with amazing views over the CBD. Auckland felt like a very modern and exciting city and was the biggest and most populated place we had stayed in for a while which made a nice change. There were loads of nice restaurants and bars to explore, along with some picturesque areas like the Auckland Domain (A park in a volcanic crater) and the Auckland Waterfront. Also if you like ice cream, you have to visit Giapos - It's the craziest and most elaborate ice cream shop ever, but also the most delicious!

Rangitoto Island

This volcanic island is only a 30-minute ferry ride away from the CBD as is a popular hiking destination. There are plenty of different hiking trails to do around the island depending on how long you want to stay there. We did the hike to the summit, which is only around a two-hour round trip and gives you cool views over the Auckland skyline on the way. The island is also good for bird watching and is where I spotted this Tui bird (which has both an amazing and also, very weird bird call) and the Quail shown below. You can also visit the lava caves which is a little short walk from the main summit track which is interesting to see.

Hobbiton

Obviously, a must-visit if you're a LOTR's fan. The film set is quite a long way from Auckland but we were willing to make the trip to ensure we could see it. We actually booked a tour that combined Hobbiton with a visit to the Waitomo Caves which are lit up by glow worms. Unfortunately, and very randomly, there was a power cut across the Island which meant that it was closed so we didn't quite make it there - But I've heard it's worth a visit if you get a bit more luck than us haha! 

Waiheke Island

We visited Waiheke Island for an evening for dinner and a wine tasting tour, and once we got there I wished that we had made it a full day trip, as it was so beautiful! It felt very tropical and had some beautiful beaches and viewpoints so would be well worth exploring on your own time. It was really quick and easy to get there too, only around an hour journey by ferry.