On our quest to see as much as possible in The Coromandel, a nature-full peninsula just east of Auckland, we came across the Otama Beach swing. Otama Beach itself is a beautiful beach - wide and expansive providing plenty of…
View Post
The Coromandel Peninsula, just a short drive from Auckland, is a haven of natural beauty. When planning our roadtrip here, I had plenty of beautiful places pinned to Google Maps! Cathedral Cove is perhaps the most famous place in The…
View Post
When a clear night fell upon us while camping in our little van, Bongo, in a tiny beach town in The Coromandel, we knew we had to finally give astrophotography a go. There was no wind, the skies were clear,…
View Post
On a mission to see as much as we possibly could on our roadtrip around The Coromandel peninsula, the most popular place to escape to from Auckland city nearby, we planned to drive state highway 25 all around the perimeter,…
View Post
Karangahake Gorge was our first introduction to The Coromandel, a beautiful peninsula near to Auckland and thus popular with city-livers keen to escape into the countryside. There's plenty to do and explore here. Karangahake Gorge is an abandoned gold mine,…
View Post
We had heard only good things from other travelers about trekking up to the summit of Mount Maunganui. We can see why! Not a lot of effort is required for this 30-40 minute trek up the summit via one of…
View Post
Rotorua is well-known as the stinkiest city in New Zealand! This is thanks to the bubbling geothermal activities that call Rotorua home. The city is built around a number of extra-hot mud pools, erupting geysers and sulphuric deposits that all…
View Post
In Rotorua, natural geothermal activity bubbles away all day every day at high temperatures, contributing to the rotten egg sulphur smell that lingers around town! There's plenty of funky places to explore here that contribute to a pretty unique experience…
View Post
Oh, Hobbiton. A place where fantasy blurs with reality and where wonder comes to life. A place where you can run through the Shire just like Bilbo did, yelling "I'm going on an adventure!" and where you really feel like…
View Post
New Zealand is an idyllic travel location - quirky cities, incredible waterfalls, thousands of km of breathtaking hiking trails. And one of the most awesome and convenient ways to get around this two island nation is with your own wheels.…
View Post
The Gisborne Peninsula is a relatively unexplored gem - when comparing to other popular attractions in the country. Understandably so, it's a far drive from most of the typical tourist routes. But for those who do make the effort to…
View Post
What a privilege to be able to say we were the very first people on the planet to watch the sunrise on June 6, 2020. A 6am start saw us walking up 800 steps to the easternmost lighthouse in the…
View Post
We were pleasantly surprised by this hike. Expecting a simple hike with some nice oceanic views, we were actually blown away by the immense beauty that this hike provides. The trail starts by climbing up through private farmland and you're…
View Post
Hawke's Bay is a well-known destination for kiwis to head to for some relaxation time. The region is simply beautiful, tucked on the far east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. At the southern end, you'll find the…
View Post
