 Come with us on a road trip across the North Island of New ZealandStarting our New Zealand adventure with converting our camper van into a home for the next year, going on our first wine tasting tour, discovering the untamed East Cape and then hiking the Coromandel Coastal Walk. We show the most beautiful places on the North Island of New Zealand From 2018 to 2019 Trevor and I had the luxury to travel through New Zealand for a year on a work and holiday visa. For many years we have had the fantasy of exploring this special place on the other side of the world (from Europe). Ever since my sister had been here in 2006 and returned back home with amazing stories and pictures of the incredible landscape and friendly Kiwis, I had the longing to visit this place and see it with my own eyes. It didn’t take much convincing for Trevor to join my plan. So we sold the majority of what we owned back in Hamburg and moved to New Zealand. After some work on our camper van, who we lovingly call Wallace, we spent most of the year exploring the hidden gems that the country has to offer!
Arriving in New ZealandOn a fresh spring day in October 2018 we first set foot on New Zealand soil. The rumours seemed to be true, everyone was friendly and welcomed us with big smiles. Though we were well prepared and had all the paperwork together, we were slightly nervous before the security control. Well, there was absolutely no need for nervousness! They let us into the country! Our Airbnb host welcomed us and even drove us, hungry like little birds, to the next food shop where we got our first impression of Kiwi fast food, a nice hearty roast with kumara (similar to a sweet potato), pumpkin and peas. Over the next couple days we researched where to buy a van and a week later we bought Wallace and started our van conversion. Our first two weeks we stayed in Papakura, a small suburb south of Auckland, New Zealand. We spent the time BBQing with friends, buying a car and getting our first impressions of our new life in New Zealand.
A friend of my sister offered us to stay with him in Taupo while working on the van. A kind offer which we accepted wholeheartedly! We arrived late at night, greeted by Terence's smiling face and here we stayed for almost one and a half months designing and building our soon to be home and sometimes banging our heads against the wall.  First trip in Wallace from Papakura to Taupo Taupo is a fun place to be! Lots of young people, events and activities, such as the Huka Falls, a natural hot pool right by the river, hiking up Mt. Tauhara, bathing in thermal pools, skydiving above the Great Lake Taupo, Tongariro Crossing, skiing in the winter and so much more!
Before we knew it, we were finished with the conversion! Just one last carpet square to attach to the ceiling then off we were on our first road trip in Wallace! Leaving The NestOn December 6th we left Taupo behind and headed to the Hawkes Bay. This being our first road trip, we hadn't really seen much of the country and were a little surprised not to see sheep everywhere, instead we saw thousands of cows in all directions! Times must have changed from when sheep ruled New Zealand (or so we thought). It was raining hard but the resulting rainbow arced beautifully over the impressive rainforest covering the mountains. Slowly emerged Kairakau Beach, our first campsite, which we keep deep in our hearts since we had such a wonderful few days at this very remote, hidden gem. Hawke's Bay to GisborneIt’s no secret that Trevor and I love wine, which made Hastings and Napier in Hawkes Bay even better. It is the biggest wine region on the North Island with many excellent smaller, family run vineyards. Almost no mass producers to be found. In general, this region is the Mecca for food and wine lovers. The perfect place to go on our first wine tasting tour EVER! Why we haven’t done it before while living in California or Germany you ask? Good question! We researched the best rated vineyards and had a blast trying all different kinds of wines, from crisp, tangy Sauvignon Blanc to rich and complex Cabernets. Wine Tasting Around New Zealand  Another highlight was the Hawkes Bay Farmers Market, it is New Zealand’s oldest and largest farmers market where farmers offer an abundance of locally grown produce, such as fruits, vegetables, wine, honey, baked goods and so much more. Even after having visited many farmers markets around the country, this one is still our favourite. An added bonus, there was a baby goat! If you are in the area on a Sunday, don’t miss out on that one! Read more about the country’s best farmers markets
Hastings itself is well worth a visit. There is so much to see, the plentiful fruit orchards, great architecture, a world class rose garden, Firmley Park, Art Deco, and street art! We really enjoyed the coffee and snacks at The Artisan Cafe as well as at Cupple. Read more about NZ Coffee Scene At that time we spent only a day in Napier but we still liked it a lot. If you need some exercise, check out the Te Mata Peak, a good hike that rewards you with incredible views. Also the Maraetotara Falls is worth checking out. Trevor actually went for a quick swim in the freezing water!
On the way from Napier we went on a short hike to Shine Falls, starting off with making our way across a sheep field then through a forest which offered some shelter from the rain. The forest, mist and rain made for a mystical atmosphere. After 30 minutes, we arrived at a majestic, cascading waterfall that looked as if it could have been the entrance to an ancient temple ruin.
On the way to Gisborne we stayed at some cool campsites. One night we slept next to a playground that was ruled by chickens and the next night we parked the van on a muddy sheep field next to Lake Tutira. We did feel a little bad about invading the sheep's home, but it was too much fun to watch them in the morning when they surrounded our van.
In Wairoa we found a unique campsite next to a beach that was covered in drift wood. There was basically nothing there and no other campers around, but there was fast and free wifi! :D Gisborne is an old industrial town with a small port but you also find pristine beaches that are great for surfing and swimming. On Saturdays you can indulge in some great local produce such as coffee, wine and veggies at the Gisborne famers market. For us, Gisborne was also the gateway to the East Cape.
East Cape to Bay of PlentyMost campers skip the East Cape since it is a bit of a detour but we are so glad we decided to continue past Gisborne making our way along the coast. We would recommend this trip to anyone! It is such an impressive area that is not overrun by tourism like many other regions in New Zealand. Along the sides of the roads, we saw old cars and even school buses, abandoned in the wilderness (sometimes upside down) with the earth reclaiming the remains. One house had a truck loaded with logs casually parked in the front yard, because why not? Another interesting thing people liked having in the yard, old rusty shipping containers, again why not! Before getting to the east cape someone told us we will feel like we are 20 years back in time. And so it was. Thinking back to this special area we'd describe it as eerie, mystical and atmospheric yet safe from the rest of the world and its influences, for better or worse. At the same time we discovered some amazing, empty beaches along the road.  A good representation of the East Cape's charm In Bay of Plenty we got to swim around and spend time on some amazing beaches. One night we stayed next to Onemana Beach, which is a cool spot with silky smooth sand and big waves. Close by was Octopus Bay, which we got to via a 30 min walk through forest and fields. Almost alone we enjoyed the strong waves, having a blast.
It was also in Onemana where we became big fans of the protected New Zealand Oystercatcher and NZ Dotterel. They are cute, rare birds that have a funny way of running on the beach, searching for food with their long beaks. Both birds build their nests directly on the beach which makes them an easy target for predators and trespassing humans. New Zealand does a good job protecting these species by bordering their breeding area for protection. We also had a short hike up Paku Summit to soak in the wide stunning views of the bay of plenty before we made our way to The Coromandel. Read more about NZs beaches
Coromandel to Kawau BayWhen first arriving in Auckland everyone recommend visiting the Coromandel, but what was this mysterious, fantastical sounding place we asked ourselves? Well, it’s one of New Zealand’s most beautiful peninsulas close to Auckland which makes it the ideal weekend getaway and vacation area. The first stop was Cooks beach, we found a sweet, not too busy camp spot, had a bunny visit for dinner and went for an evening stroll on the sea floor while the tide was out. Among us were about 40 Oystercatchers on the evening hunt. One of our highlights here was a two hour long cruise along the coast (in a rubber dinghy!). In the early morning we started from Whitianga with only a handful of other people. We had a great, knowledgeable guide that explained everything about the area and the different coves we visited. Crossing Mercury Bay, heading to Cathedral Cove we passed beautiful coastline, white sandy beaches and turquoise water framed by jagged cliffs. It was on the way back that we were suddenly surrounded by a pod of around 70 bottlenose dolphins having a blast jumping out of the water around us and surfing in our boats wake. It was our first NZ dolphin encounter and we absolutely loved it!
Hot Water Beach is apparently one of those places that you "have" to visit… well we were not too impressed. On a small space about the size of a tennis court, around 200 people sat digging holes in the sand to reach the hot water below. We watched the spectacle for a bit but decided to continue walking along the beach to avoid the tourist trap. Good decision as we then spotted dolphins close to shore! Despite the light rain we jumped into the water and joined the surfers out there. We got really close to some more bottlenose dolphins! Overwhelmed by the feeling of excitement and happiness we stayed in the water until shivering. To warm up, the hot pools turned out to be very practical, especially since they were pre-dug by the crowds before!  Famous Hot Water Beach On a side note, while driving more north you'll notice a lot of little stalls alongside the road. They may look unassuming but don't miss out on them, they're filled with local produce grown by the farmers and at better prices than the supermarket! After the beach, we were hungry from all of the excitement so we stopped by Hangry Burger and enjoyed some of the best burgers we’ve ever had!
Next stop, Matarangi. An empty campsite, where we had Tacos with self made Guacamole which we devoured accompanied by an incredibly beautiful sunset over the lake and mountains, what more could you ask for!
We made it to Opito Bay but the rain and mist made it difficult to see much. Guess we need to return some day! Thankfully there was Luke’s Kitchen on the way back that provided some refuge. Excellent pizza, chill music, tasty drinks and wifi! We stayed for a few hours and a few beers.
Christmas came around and what better place to celebrate Christmas Eve then inside the van, it was absolutely pouring! We stayed in a parking lot right next to the street in Coromandel Town. For dinner: candy, some wine and a little whisky. Next to us were some other campers, so at least we were in this together! On Christmas Day it cleared a little so we were able to go on some smaller walks. Kauri Block Track, Waiau Falls and Waiau Kauri grove, also got to hug a 700 year old tree!
Kauri are New Zealand’s biggest trees. Most of them are around 600 to 700 years old and standing next to one makes you feel pretty small. Unfortunately they were also a great source of wood for building houses and furniture. Back in the day, 96% of Kauri trees were logged. Today, kauri dieback is their biggest threat. It’s a disease that’s brought into the forest on the shoes of walkers. To help prevent this, you have to clean and sanitize your shoes before entering a kauri forest. Save the Kauris! Another highlight was New Chums Beach. After the weather cleared up we walked about 30 minutes to get to this gem! It felt like we were in paradise, the sun was warm, the water clear and refreshing. Before you reach the beach you can also climb up to a viewpoint, you have to make the small detour, it's incredible! Once again we were rewarded with an outstanding view. Christmas was saved!  One more stop at Wharf Café in Coromandel Town before we drove along the coast heading to Fletcher Bay. The drive itself was incredible, driving along the coastline on the narrow road, beneath us the blue Pacific Ocean clashing against the cliffs, sandy beaches, some islands in the far distance. As if the drive alone wasn’t beautiful enough, our campsite was right next to the beach with a stunning view. A quick swim in the ocean before we finally enjoyed our belated Christmas dinner! We spent the night outside gazing up at the clear sky with its billions of stars, the Milky Way and counting shooting stars while listening to some chill electronic music. With the feeling of being tiny and insignificant in this giant universe but also thinking of the infinite possibilities presented to us by virtue of being alive, we went to bed. Coromandel Coastal WalkThe next morning we got up early to go on the Coromandel Coastal Walk which was our first 7 h long hike in New Zealand. The backpack was packed the night before full of snacks, supplies, water and camera equipment. We left with the sun rising. The beginning of the hike is a gentle climb through pasture land with the coast on left and endless fields of cows to the right. We greeted the cows with some moos but for some reason they just ran off... guess it was a bit early for them. As we got further, we saw endless, pristine coastline covered with small trees, ferns and bush with the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean to our left, simply breathtaking! Continuing on, we started walking through a beautiful mini forest of Kanuka, fern, Manuka and small palm trees.
Eventually, about half way through the first stretch, we ventured off on a steep side trail that led to a rest area where the forrest breaks and you can view the spectacular emerald blue ocean. You feel small standing on the edge of this cliff dwarfed by a force of nature.
A few hours later we finally made it to Stony Bay. To mention right off the bat, the name is accurate, the bay is seriously stony. We sat down next to the water for a break but soon we were off tackling the return journey. It felt even harder going back, the afternoon was in full swing and Nora was seriously angry at the trail for being steep (for a very long time!). Luckily towards the end of the hike the trail passes a little bay. It looked so inviting and I was in need of a break! It took some convincing for Trevor to come along but he soon realized his wife was right. We jumped in the shallow, clear water and even saw a Stingray cruising along!
For a first long New Zealand day hike, the Coromandel Coastal Walkway was everything we could have hoped for. The trail and the surrounding area will always hold a special place in the heart. The last half hour we felt like Frodo and Sam returning to Hobbiton after a long adventure.
Shortly before we did the walkway trail, a video showed up online of a woman swimming in the ocean, accompanied by a mother orca and her calves. On the boat tour we rode through that exact area in Hahei where this happened, so the hope was to be able to see Orcas at some point, and we did! Not on that tour but when we were returning from Fletcher Bay and were driving alongside the coast. Nora noticed something big in the ocean next to us, 3 Orcas and a calf. Throwing caution to the wind, we quickly pulled to the side of the road to observe these beautiful animals. Thank you universe! Needless to say, we left the Coromandel with wonderful new memories. Next campsite was in Tapu next to the beach where Wallace got stuck in the sand. Thankfully we quickly got help from some locals. Nora dug the wheels free and the others pushed the van out. Two minutes later another van arrived and got stuck in the same spot. The third van we all warned not to drive further. In Kaiaua Beach, Trevor was doing his typical thing, skipping stones down by the water when two little twin girls decided to help him collect stones to throw. The girls were very fond of Trev and didn’t want him to leave but it was past their bedtime and Trev's arm was getting tired from throwing rocks. Their lovely parents were from Tasmania and France and they took some nice photos of us as we said goodbye. This is one of the things that makes travel so rewarding, meeting unique people from all over the world with interesting stories to tell and sharing a small experience with them.
Read more about our road trip across the North Island
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