Our first stop was Cape Reinga, located in the northern part of New Zealand’s North Island. It stands on a steep cliff 290 meters above sea level and is the northernmost lighthouse in New Zealand. It is also a key icon and popular tourist destination in New Zealand. Heading north to the very tip of the North Island, this is where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean.
The Cape Reinga Lighthouse was established in 1941. It is a white, 10-meter-high lighthouse and is the last one in New Zealand that you can climb. It faces the vast South Pacific Ocean.
Locals believe that the souls of deceased Māori people leap into the sea at Cape Reinga, returning to their sacred homeland, Hawaiki. Therefore, the lighthouse holds a special significance as a guide for these spirits.
Cape Reinga: Visit the iconic lighthouse at Cape Reinga. From here, you can enjoy the breathtaking view where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. Listen to the stories about the place’s significance in Māori legend.
From the parking lot to the Cape Reinga Lighthouse, it’s a downhill walk of about 2 kilometers, and it can only be done on foot.
Next to the lighthouse, there’s a sign showing the directions and distances from the lighthouse to many major cities around the world. This is also one of the must-photograph sights for visitors.
Mount Eden was once a volcano, but now its crater is covered with grass. From the summit, you can enjoy views of Auckland’s cityscape and spot the Sky Tower, though it tends to be very windy up there. To get to Mount Eden, just search for “FRIEND AND WHAU CAFE” – you can drive halfway up the mountain and walk the rest. From the top, you’ll have a great view of the Sky Tower.
After leaving Mount Eden, we headed to Farm Park, which offers free parking and the chance to get up close with cows, horses, sheep, and rabbits. It was drizzling when we arrived, and from a distance, we spotted a charming little cottage bursting with flowers. Curious and seeking shelter from the rain, we decided to check it out. Inside, we found many families with children.
A staff member handed us a small board with multiple-choice questions, and the answers were hidden throughout the cottage. The quiz was all about bees, and we found it surprisingly fun. The flowers inside were absolutely beautiful, and we enjoyed solving the quiz while admiring them, occasionally checking a dictionary and waiting for the rain to stop.
When we handed in our answer board, we were told we got only one question wrong! To our surprise, the staff gave us an eco-friendly bag and a few coloring sheets as a reward.
After leaving Farm Park, we headed to Hamilton Gardens.This garden is made up of many sections, including a Chinese garden, American garden, Japanese garden, Italian garden, and more. On weekends, many families and friends gather there for picnics. The locals enjoy life and leisure in such a simple way. Since we had a 12:20 reservation at the Hobbiton filming location, we only had time for a quick visit. The Indian Garden was quite beautiful.
Exploring the entire park takes about half a day to a full day. If you’re particularly passionate about gardening, you might want to consider staying in Hamilton for a bit longer.
Information about the park: Parks in New Zealand are different from what we might expect, as they rarely have restaurants or shops. From what I recall, there seems to be an information center, but I don’t think there’s even a café. So, it’s best to bring your own food and water.
Hobbiton filming location, $120 per person, 501 Buckland Road, Matamata. Highly recommended!
If you haven’t seen the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit trilogies, it’s fine. I suggest spending a little time watching the beginning of the first film; these movies are usually available on flights to New Zealand.
The earliest outdoor scenes were filmed here, but the cute little houses were taken down afterward. All the interior shots were done in Wellington. Some die-hard fans found this place because of the party tree featured in the films.
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
The “glowworms” in this cave are actually a different species from the ones we usually see flying around. They are small, glowing insects that live in caves. These unique “residents” of the cave emit a series of sticky threads that resemble strings of pearls, with their green luminescence resembling starlight. When the lights go out, the green glow dots layer upon layer on the cave walls, sparkling on the dark water surface, creating the illusion of traveling through a blue-green galaxy.
The Waitomo Glowworm Caves experience includes three main caves: Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Ruakuri Cave, and Aranui Cave.
The most famous and commonly visited is the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, which shares its name with the cave system. Here, you’ll have a boat ride guided by a boatman or tour guide, which takes about 15-20 minutes. Photography is not allowed inside the cave. It’s a great option for those with a tight schedule.
Ruakuri Cave: If you have enough time, I highly recommend visiting this cave. It’s a great value and, most importantly, you can take photos! The tour lasts about 2 hours, so be mindful of your schedule.
Highlights of the tour include seeing glowworms, underground rivers, and the sound of rushing waterfalls, along with stunning limestone formations. Most importantly, you can take photos! Yellow lighting areas allow for free photography, while the blue-lit glowworm areas do not permit flash photography. Another fantastic photo spot is the dreamy spiral staircase at the cave’s entrance.
Additionally, activities like black water rafting and the Black Abyss tour are available here.
Aranui Cave:
The smallest and most delicate of the three caves, without glowworms.
To reach this beautifully ornate cave, you need to walk through a forested nature reserve. Inside, you can get up close to prehistoric limestone formations, with stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones in shades of pink, creamy white, and brown. The cave is also rich in Māori mythology and legends.
Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, located along the Coastal Walkway, is a recently built structure shaped like a fishbone. You can follow the walkway all the way to the Wind Wand in New Plymouth’s city center, but it takes about 2-3 hours. We only walked a short section before driving to the Wind Wand, where we explored another part of the walkway.
Egmont National Park
Egmont National Park is a mountainous area made up of three volcanic cones, with Mount Taranaki being the largest. Known as New Zealand’s “Mount Fuji,” the park radiates outward from Mount Taranaki, with multiple entrances, each offering different trails to explore the snowy peak. However, traveling between entrances often takes about an hour.
To capture a photo of the mountain’s reflection on the lake, you’ll need to navigate to the Pouakai Crossing entrance. Initially, we set our GPS to Egmont National Park, thinking it would only take 10 minutes. However, the navigation point was still far from the actual entrance, and we had to walk another 20 minutes to reach the trailhead.
The hike up to the suspension bridge was a bit nerve-wracking, but just after 9 a.m., the wind blew away the clouds covering the snowy peak, giving us the clearest view of the mountain.
Next, we navigated to the visitor center (2879 Egmont Rd, Egmont National Park). There are several trails from there, most taking around 2-3 hours. We chose a small forest path and hiked uphill for about 40 minutes, but it felt like the trail stretched on endlessly. Just as we were considering continuing, midday clouds began to roll in, so we decided not to head to the Pouakai Crossing after all.
The Pouakai Crossing is closer if you start from New Plymouth, but from the visitor center, it takes about an hour to get there by car, plus another 2 hours of walking to reach Mirror Lake. It became clear that to fully explore the snowy peak, a full day of planning would be necessary.
I often feel that New Zealand and Iceland share many similarities, as if they are two isolated corners of the earth—one in the north, the other in the south. Iceland is known for its many waterfalls, as well as its volcanoes and glaciers, while New Zealand boasts deep lakes and, like the North Island, volcanic and lava landscapes. When it comes to waterfalls, Huka Falls in New Zealand and the Children’s Waterfall in Iceland have some similarities, with powerful currents and deep blue waters.
At the Huka Falls scenic area, parking is limited to 30 minutes. However, once we got down there, we realized that walking around the waterfall only takes about 20 minutes, different from the trail descriptions we found online. We spotted people across the river enjoying the view from another lookout but couldn’t figure out how to get there, so we had to let it go.
After leaving Huka Falls, we headed to the Craters of the Moon, which was a short drive away. Upon arrival, we bought tickets and followed a 45-minute boardwalk trail. Even before reaching the craters, we could see faint smoke rising in the distance. Along the trail, we got up close to the geothermal activity, with bubbling magma and small craters releasing heat. The air was thick with the smell of hydrogen sulfide, adding to the surreal experience.
On our way from the Craters of the Moon to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, we passed another lookout point for Huka Falls. Curious, we stopped to check it out, only to realize it was the platform we had seen earlier, offering another great view of the falls.
Both Taupō and Rotorua are known for their geothermal activity, with several geothermal parks in the area. Among them, the Craters of the Moon and Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland are some of the most famous. Rotorua also has geothermal parks both within the city and in the surrounding areas, where you can even witness geysers.
The way these geothermal parks are visited is quite similar. They feature designated trails and wooden boardwalks, preventing visitors from stepping into areas where hot steam rises from the lava. Visitors can choose between shorter loops or longer walks along the trails. In my opinion, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is especially worth a visit—it features a colorful Champagne Pool, reminiscent of those found in Yellowstone National Park.
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is larger, featuring three different trails. After reaching the Champagne Pool with its vibrant mix of yellow, orange, and red hues, you can continue on the second and third trails to discover even more fascinating geothermal sights. Along the way, you’ll encounter abundant sulfur deposits and emerald-green hot springs. However, some sections of the boardwalk are still under construction, with no railings in certain areas, leaving you walking right next to 100-degree pools—a bit nerve-wracking, to say the least.
Kuirau Park is a geothermal park with bubbling hot springs.
Strolled around Lake Rotorua briefly, had dinner at a Thai restaurant, then drove to the hotel.
Accommodation: VR Rotorua Lake Resort (Booked through Booking, $162 per night, recommended). The hotel has a hot tub with thermal baths and lake view rooms. However, it gets dark early, so the lake view isn’t visible at night, but you can see the stars.
At Huka Falls (highly recommended, very impressive), you can see the spectacular glacier-blue waterfall.
Wairakei Terraces
