We wanted to cover as much as possible in New Zealand in the time we had…and boy did we. Our itinerary was jam packed – it took months of research. Basically, we did not want to miss a thing.
This itinerary was the perfect balance between covering as much of the country’s landscapes and wilderness, experiencing the local attractions, and leaving time to explore the quaint towns – all on a child friendly schedule. A few things that helped with planning:
- Google maps to plan journey and drive times; it was fairly accurate and mostly over estimated so it worked out well in real life
- Blogs and reviews; we used other peoples’ experience to help plan and see what we wanted to do
- Trip advisor; mainly for restaurant recommendations
- Pre booked most excursions and some restaurants for specific times
Key thing to note; you need to hire a car out there. None of the following itinerary could have been done without being able to just jump in the car and drive.
We flew into Auckland, explored North Island NZ and made our way to the bottom of South Island then flew back from Queenstown. Here’s how it went…
Day 1: Auckland
The day we flew in we looked around Aukland for a while, did a little shop to make dinner and have breakfast and then KOed for the evening. We knew we would have more time in Aukland on the way back so weren’t to worried about seeing too much.
Day 2: Matamata | Waitomo | Rotorua
Planning Hobbiton, glow worms and Mitai Maori village all in one day was hectic but doable! It was go go go all day but somehow didn’t feel rushed. We had enough time at each little town and got to fully enjoy each experience – and had. It worked out really well to end in the village as we got fed the most wholesome dinner to end our day.
We got an early start to catch the first Hobbiton tour, it was much better than I had expected – I’m not a huge LOTR fan so didn’t really have high hopes. It was all stunning though, a lot of fun for the kids too as they got to run and explore the whole little village. The enthusiasm of the tour guides rubs off as they speak so passionately of the whole set.
Waitomo glow worm cave was brilliant, such an awesome thing to witness. If you have a fidgety or active toddler maybe plan to go during naptime or when they’re tired. My little one wanted to run around and was a little screamy at times making it difficult to hear the tour guide. It’s also a fact that noise scares the Glowworms so they “shut down” and don’t glow as much. Luckily the little one was quiet enough to not scare them away but just something to consider.
We then drove to Rotorua for the Mitai Mouri village experience and this was a perfect end to our evening. It was entertaining, educational and so wholesome. Also one of the best meals of the whole trip. A lot of reviews say it was too commercialised but honestly I thought it was great. We stayed the night in Rotorua and drove to Lake Taupo the next morning.
Day 3: Lake Taupo
I wish we had more time in Lake Taupo, it was a stunning area to stay in and the house we stayed in was gorgeous. The views were stunning and because of the nature there is loads to do. Wherever you’re staying the night in Lake Taupo, look up at the sky, the stars are incredible – everything in space looks so close. We spent hours just chilling outside and staring at the night sky; we saw about five shooting stars every 20-30 minutes. It was just such a beautiful experience.
After some breakfast we went straight to Huka fall – do not skip this! The vast waters, the sounds, the wind – everything about being here felt so peaceful. We had a very eventful time here. We went for a little walk through the walking paths along the water falls and hubby decided to have a little dip in the lake for a cold plunge. Then Myla also fell in so we had to go back to car to change her! When we left Huka Falls, I left the boot open and we realised down the road and saw a trail of luggage left behind us. We had to drive back to collect our small suitcase, duffel bag kids trainers and crocs that had all fallen out! Luckily nothing had been taken as I just think overall in NZ the people are so friendly and kind.
After Huka Falls we went to the Geothermal pools which was lovely, it was warm and felt a bit dirty at first. But we got used to it and cleaned off in the cold part of the lake which was super clear! There were little pockets of warm pools within the rocks which was cool and then as you got closer to the middle of the lake it got colder and colder.
Day 4: Lake Taupo | Wellington
In the morning we had some time to explore Taupo town centre. We had breakfast in a cute little cafe on the main strip and chilled near the lake for a while. The town centre is so clean and overlooks the lakes and mountains. We walked around and let the kids play at the sun dial for a while before heading off for our drive to Wellington. We planned to stay in Wellington so we could catch an early morning ferry to South Island. We had lunch in one of the towns along the way – it’s very easy to stop in each town as you mostly have to drive past each one anyway. So we just stop whenever someone needed the loo or when we got hungry.
Wellington town was similar to London, it gave Camden vibes. In the evening we ate at a restaurant called Mr go’s and the food was delicious! They also gave us free fried ice cream as they heard we’d come from London 🙂
Day 5: Wellington | Kaikoura
We booked the first very first ferry of the day from north to south via Interislander – the cars can drive on so it was very easy and quick. The journey was fairly smooth, a little wavey during some parts but nothing too uncomfortable. There was SO much to do on this ferry to keep us all occupied. It was a 3.5 hr journey from one port to the other so we as parents were so impressed with the activities on board. The free activities included a soft play (a big one at all), magician show and colouring competition (colour pages and pencils provided). They also had a cinema screening of Trollz which you could pay extra for. The on board cafe and coffee bar was also a big win with us adults. All of this active fun on board mean that all the kids had a good old nap for our onwards journey from the south port to our final stop for the day Kaikoura.
The drive to Kaikoura was 2 hours but extremely scenic. Every drive in NZ is scenic so they don’t seem tough or boring at all. Actually I really enjoyed driving there. About 20-30 minutes away from Kaikoura we stopped off at a viewpoint where there were hundreds of seals, baby seals, newborns, adults. It was so fun watching them go about their day and the kids LOVED it.
We checked into a beautiful little airbnb within a complex and ate in the small town centre at a Pizza place to fill our bellies.
Day 6: Kaikoura | Christchurch
We started the day with a lovely brunch in Kaikoura town centre and headed off to Llama trekking which was amazing. We went on a 1 hour walk with our lama down to the river and back again. The track was buggy friendly so we should’ve taken the buggy as the kids got tired.
We then headed to a local seafood barbeque shack for a few bites before heading to Christchurch.
We checked into the lush house and then went to a local supermarket for some drinks and food to make in the air bnb.
Day 7: Christchurch
In Christchurch we headed out after breakie, took a picnic with us and went to some stunning viewpoints with trekking paths. We went to Sugarloaf Scenic Reserve, Awaroa bay and Canterbury where we could see down to Sumner beach. We spent a few hours exploring and found a seated area to enjoy our picnic. This was such a cool experience as there were wild sheep and horses just roaming around!
In the evening we headed into Christchurch central city for dinner at Zodiac, Asian cuisine.
Day 8: Lake Tekapo
We checked out leisurely and made our way to Lake Tekapo. On the way we stopped at a couple of viewpoints and also for lunch in Ashburton. After checking in to our house which was right on the lake we walked around and found a viewpoint up a hill to watch the sunset.
Day 9: Lake Tekapo
Hooker Valley track day. The weather was awful down there – warning – take waterproofs, raincoats, warm jumpers/heat tech underneath. I think due to the weather and the gloomy day, I personally didn’t feel this trek was worth the ending but I’ve heard that when the weathers good it is beautiful…like glacier waters and bright blue/green reflections.
The best thing about this quaint town was the star gazing experience. I am so glad we decided to do this last minute and stayed up for it. It was a long day and we went late night (past midnight – without the kids), but it was SO worth it. Learning about astrology and the experience of star gazing was one of the best things I’ve ever done. The stars were so clear. Floating in a warm pool, laying back watching the stars – honestly I think I fell asleep and I would pay to do it all again 🙂
Day 10-15: Queenstown | Milford Sounds | Wanaka
I’ve grouped these days together as we stayed in Queenstown and did day trips so that we could have a base for 6 nights and spend Christmas in a nice home.
Queenstown is known as the adrenaline town of New Zealand and it’s obvious why. There is so much to do here and we ticked off three big thrills. We went on the Nevis swing which was incredible! So much fun. We did the Shotover jet ride along the riverbank…INCREDIBLY FUN. I highly recommend taking kids over 4 (check age limit), they would LOVE IT! Lastly we did the Skyline luge rides – this was a boxing day treat for us all and it did not disappoint. From the view to the luge rides to the dinner at the end..everything was amazing. The dinner was way more than we expected. It was a full on buffet with everything you could imagine to the highest of quality – If you’re considering the dinner package, go for it!
While in Queenstown we did day trips to Milford sounds (a cruise) and Blue pools. Both worth the time and effort. Stunning, stunning scenery and really peaceful. This was such a nice, calming and beautiful way to end our trip. One tip I have if you’re travelling with young kids is take some packed lunch/snacks for both. Try booking one of the earlier times for Milford Sound Cruise (obviously give yourself enough time to get to the cruise departure port), so you have time to unwind and let the kids run around before they crash! There isn’t much space to run around on the cruise ship.
Day 16-18: Aukland
After a super packed holiday, it was so nice to have a day to chill, sort out luggage and pack. We spent an evening with family and had the most incredible last meal in NZ cooked by the wonderful @rags_pantry
A few things I’d suggest for Aukland; Sheep shearing farm, go for a walk in the town centre, botanic gardens, Bungee from the sky tower.
Overall an incredible trip that we are so grateful to have experienced. I would go back in this lifetime as New Zealand is just one of the most beautiful countries I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.
As always if you have any questions, reach out!!
