New Zealand (Aotearoa), known to the world as both the real-life Middle-earth is a country that feels plucked from a fantasy. This is a land where the rich traditions of Māori culture are woven into the fabric of daily life, where tranquil hikes can end with a heart-pounding bungee jump, and where the ground itself steams and bubbles with geothermal power. It’s a place that promises not just sights, but a profound connection to nature and culture.

Day 1: An Alpine Arrival & The Fergburger Quest

As the plane flew towards Queenstown, I saw snowy caps on the mountains and a jagged landscape. The view transported me back to a bygone era. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a plane and seen such a view. Future note: always get the seat next to the window in New Zealand. New Zealand doesn’t feel real at times. You see the mountains and hills fold into one another. You see the clouds form like cotton, no doubt shaped by the millions of sheep littering the grassy knolls. If you listen closely, you can hear a song being played from a bygone era, a melody that harkens back to a time when men wore swords and life brimmed with nothing but hope. Perhaps the hope was simply to cross one hill, only to then quickly realise another stood just behind it. Here, nature rules; not with an iron fist, but with a loving touch to the forehead that mirrors the generosity shown by the people who call this place home. I don’t think my words do it justice because they can’t. New Zealand is a fantasy, and everyone deserves their own fantasy.

Accomodation:

I stayed at the Flaming Kiwi. Reasonably priced and near the city centre for Queenstown. If you are driving, they also have parking out front.

Queenstown itself is like a cute alpine village. I wasn’t expecting there to be so much to do. It is the adventure capital of the world, so maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised. The waterfront and Lake Wakatipu are something else. I arrived on a Saturday, so the market was in full swing. I loved the food options on offer; you can get everything from momos to local Māori cuisine.

I wanted to get familiar with the area, so I headed to the Queenstown Gardens. To end the night, I headed to Fergburger. This is the spot to hit if you want a burger. It took ages to get it, so I suggest walking around the city while you wait, but once you do get it, it won’t disappoint.

Day 2: Queenstown’s Thrills: Luges, Skydiving & Kiwis

I had a day to spend in Queenstown, and I decided to fill it with as much random stuff as I could. I headed to the Gondola ride first. The views of Queenstown are spectacular. When you are at the top, you can take part in the luge. These are gravity-powered go-karts. You push the lever back to brake and hold it in the middle to accelerate. These are good fun, though it’s annoying that you have to wait so long in the queue to go again. I would only pay for three rides; if the process were faster, I’d go for more.

After this, I headed to indoor skydiving. I’m a chicken when it comes to the real thing, so I figured, why not fake it!? When the wind hits you, your arms ache afterwards, but you certainly feel a rush. The VR experience was so-so and short. Despite this, I get why people love bungee jumping.

Later, I headed to the Kiwi Park. Whilst I thought this was expensive for what it is, you can get a glimpse of a rare animal on the verge of extinction. The kiwi is an odd animal. It uses its snout to get food, like an elephant. As it is nocturnal, you can’t take photos of it and you need to see it in a dark room.

Day 3: The Majestic Drive to Milford Sound

I booked an excursion to Milford Sound via GetYourGuide.com. However another day, another 5 am start. I have to remind myself these early mornings are worth it! You drive through the Southland region for two hours. Honestly, I can barely remember what this looks like as I was asleep for most of it. Stopping off at Te Anau for breakfast was much needed. It’s a small town that services the needs of visitors to Milford Sound. Following this, we took a long drive through the Fiordland National Park. This was such a cool drive. We saw the world’s only alpine parrot, the Kea. We saw waterfalls buffeting the rocky walls as they fell.

We saw beautiful purple lupins line the pathways. We saw a lake that reflected the sky so perfectly that it is known as the Mirror Lakes. We saw moss lining the trees like fur.

After these stops, we ended up at the star attraction, Milford Sound. You board a commercial boat which takes you across the waterway. We saw minerals lining the craggy cliffs. The most special moment is seeing New Zealand fur seals. Seals! They look so fluffy.

Day 4: Windy Wellington & A New Year’s Welcome

I flew from Queenstown to Wellington. It’s a short flight. I recommend sitting near the window to get the best views of Queenstown and the mountains.

Accomodation:

I stayed at the Trek Global Backpackers. This is more of a party hostel. If that isn’t your thing I’d avoid. The rooms are threadbare so I don’t suggest this place if you want something fancier.

The world’s breeziest city is Wellington, and believe me, you feel it as soon as you walk through the city. Sadly, it did mean on the day I arrived, the city was grey and raining. I didn’t let that deter me, though, as I headed to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. You can easily lose a few hours here. The best part was learning more about Māui (it turns out Moana is a fun portrayal), the Gallipoli campaign (and the huge lifelike statues), and how immigration has impacted New Zealand.

Afterwards, I took the famous cable car up to the botanical gardens. The walk down was fun, and the gardens are a joy to walk through.

Wellington Botanic Garden.

I eventually made my way to Mr Go’s for some delightful bao buns.

Eventually, the clocks neared midnight. I walked to the waterfront and observed some fairly tame fireworks as the clocks struck 12. It is so cool that I’ve been in the country that welcomes the New Year first out of them all.

Day 5: A Middle-earth Detour at Weta Workshop and a Māori Cultural Welcome in Rotorua

It was time for a New Year’s treat: Weta Workshop booked via GetYourGuide.com. Here, they made props, armour, and swords for The Lord of the Rings. They’ve also worked on projects like Power Rangers, District 9, and The Chronicles of Narnia. These guys are real powerhouses in the film industry. It’s awesome that they bring in artists who actually work on these films to lead the tours. After the tour, I flew to Rotorua.

Weta Workshop

Accomodation:

I stayed at the Stay Hostel Rotorua. My room was tiny, but thank god they provided a fan. Also, this place has parking too. It’s slightly away from the city centre, but not too far. It’s in a quieter part of town.

What’s struck me most since coming to New Zealand is how Māori culture is far more integrated, compared to the indigenous population in Australia. People speak the language everywhere. Children are encouraged to learn from a young age. Signs have both Māori and English spellings. This is different from Australia, where it can sometimes feel like lip service.

On my first evening in Rotorua, I went to the Cultural Experience and Seasonal Māori cuisine at Te Pā Tū booked via Viator. This was sensational. The first half of the evening is spent learning more about Māori culture, like herb gathering, farming, and games (tītī tōrea refers to the stick games). We were treated to singing performances and the Haka. My favourite part was hearing about a famous love story through a Māori song. I believe the song was called Pōkarekare Ana, meaning “Rippling Waters”, which tells the tale of a woman journeying across waters to reunite with her beloved. The singers were so good. In fact, they were all so talented it blew me away. Then we enjoyed a Hāngī feast, where food is cooked underground. This night was perfect; one of my favourite nights whilst travelling. Even better, towards the end, the singers treated us to songs from across the world. I can’t even begin to describe the brainpower and talent that takes.

Cultural Experience and Seasonal Māori cuisine at Te Pā Tū.

Day 6: Rotorua’s Thermal Wonderland & Redwood Canopies

I spent the morning at Wai-O-Tapu, a thermal wonderland. The geothermal activity here makes it a popular place to visit. It’s unique because of the variety of volcanic features to see. Our first stop was the Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts to heights of 20 metres every day at 10:15 am, although it does need a bit of help to perform. The two standout places for me were the Champagne Pool and the radioactive green lake. The steam rises so much you can’t make out much of the pool, but the red coating along the edge is alluring and inviting, despite the dangers! The green lake is another stunner; it looks like a toxic waste dump from a nuclear plant. The hiking paths are straightforward to navigate. Give yourself two hours here.

Luckily, the bus driver dropped me off near the Redwood Treewalk. Here you can either zipline or walk amongst the canopy on specially constructed walking frames. Most people come here at night because it’s beautifully lit up. However, the queue can get long, and they only allow a certain number of people on at a time. I finished the walk in 30 minutes. I thought it was expensive at £20.

Afterwards, I went hunting for Pounamu. These greenstone carvings are intricately designed to represent an important aspect of Māori culture. I recommend the Mountain Jade stores. In fact, if you go to the information centre located in the centre of town, they’ll give you a card for 10% off at the store. One thing you won’t forget is the smell as you walk around Rotorua. Hydrogen sulphide hangs in the air. This is a naturally occurring gas from the area’s geothermal activity. This can be discomforting for some, but you’ll get used to it.

Day 7: A Final Spa and a Taste of Home

On my last day in Rotorua, I headed to the Polynesian Spa. The slightly acidic and alkaline waters are said to have healing properties. I certainly felt good after my visit. For lunch, I went to the Vnam Kitchen. Vietnamese food is good in Rotorua, and this is no exception.

For my evening meal, I went to BailwalG, a pure vegetarian Indian restaurant. It’s so random to me that there’s such a huge Indian community here. I even passed a Swaminarayan temple! After this, I flew to Auckland.

Accomodation:

I booked K Road City Travellers. The rooms were fine, and having a big kitchen handy. Location wise, I was near a number of great restaurants. At night, I felt unsafe. The road was filled with drunks and people taking drugs. I’d avoid staying in this area.

Day 8: Auckland’s Icons: From Sky Tower to the Gallery

I grabbed an early morning coffee and walked to the local cinema. As this is the land where The Lord of the Rings was filmed, I wanted to watch The War of the Rohirrim. It lacked the gravitas of the original trilogy; nevertheless, this was an enjoyable way to spend the morning. There are a few nods to the original series.

Later, I headed to the Sky Tower. This is the iconic symbol of Auckland. I didn’t go up the tower, but many do for fabulous views of the city. You can even walk along the top!

My dad and I are big rugby fans, so I had to get him an official All Blacks top from the All Blacks Experience. This is the place to go if you want something personalised and official.

Straight after, I headed to the Auckland Art Gallery. Entry is free, and there are a number of exhibits displaying New Zealand and European art. They even have pieces by Picasso and Monet.

I took a stroll around Albert Park. I grabbed a few photos of some spectacular trees and the city skyline.

Views from Albert Park.

From here, I walked around Britomart and the coast. I found a number of funky stores to peruse. If you want to grab some clothes from swanky independent stores, shop here. This area is expensive, so if you are looking for an affordable meal, visit Queens Rise at One Queen Street. On the 2nd floor, you’ll find many inexpensive places to eat.

Day 9: Museums and Gardens

I decided to walk to the Domain Wintergardens. Though fairly small, it’s a beautiful garden. Nearby is the Auckland War Memorial Museum. This neoclassical building houses a huge collection of treasures from the World Wars and other battles important to the founding of New Zealand as a nation. They even have an exhibit on Volcanoes. Did you know Auckland is situated right near dormant volcanoes? If one were to erupt, it would be devastating for the city.

I wandered the streets of Parnell, which houses a number of cute independent shops. From here, I walked to the New Zealand Maritime Museum. This houses a huge collection on everything from sailing and immigration to traditional Māori boats. This is a fantastic museum. Afterwards, I grabbed a bite to eat at Chaiyo Malaysian Cuisine. The food is good quality and fairly priced.

Day 10: Waiheke

Off the coast of Auckland lies the island of Waiheke booked via GetYourGuide.com. The island is well suited to making wine. As with all wine tours, I started the day full of hope and optimism to learn more about wine. I ended the day absolutely plastered. The island has a lot to offer but, alas, I departed back to Auckland using the Fullers360 ferry. Be warned, the early morning ferry is busy!

Having wine on Waiheke.

Day 11: Hobitton

My final big activity of this epic adventure was fittingly at Hobbiton booked via GetYourGuide.com. This is the largest permanent movie set in the world, and a small army of specialists meticulously maintains it. Any keen Lord of the Rings fan will be overcome with emotion when visiting The Shire. You can walk the hallowed turf and marvel at the houses carved into the greenery. You end the tour at the Green Dragon pub with a complimentary drink. Hobbiton is about two hours from Auckland.

At night, I ate at Pici, a modern Italian pasta restaurant. It was reasonably priced and delicious. If that doesn’t take your fancy, then you can eat at one of the many establishments in St. Kevins Arcade. And if you don’t like any of the places here, I recommend the Asian food market area across the street. I loved Sneaky Snacky. The quirk of this place is that the top of the burger is a doughnut. I wasn’t sure about this, but it actually worked!

Day 12: Flying home

In the morning, I took an Uber to Auckland airport, as I found public transport in New Zealand to be unreliable.

I’m sad to be leaving this wonderful country, but I know this isn’t the end! I want to thank Shaw and Jessie for helping me plan my trip.