As part of our round the world trip #CreativElenaRTW, we are spending about a month in New Zealand; around three weeks on the South Island and 10 days on the North Island. When travelling with our two non-school-age children, we make sure to travel New Zealand by campervan: I believe it is simply the best way to get close up with New Zealand’s spectacular natural landscape.
Below you will find our route across the North Island, as well as tips & experiences on travelling with (young) children in a camper van in New Zealand.
Travelling by ferry (and campervan) from the South Island to the North Island of New Zealand.
After some three hours on the Interislander ferry, we arrive in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital from Picton in the south. We take our camper van to a parking space on the outer deck and head inside the ferry – on deck 2 to be precise, because there is not only a lovely indoor playground waiting for the kids. The waves when travelling through the Cook Strait are also less noticeable here.
Kids’ playground area inside the Interislander ferry between Picton and Wellington in New Zealand.
Wellington, here we go!
24 hours in Wellington with kids (plus a great tip on where to park up your camper van).
Once again, our CamperMate app helps us to find a place where to leave our Big Po (as we have affectionately christened our campervan – after Po the panda in Kung Fu Panda!) in the heart of Wellington.
Due to time constraints, we have only planned to spend one day (and two nights) in the capital of New Zealand. It’s a good thing that there is a paid car park with power supply right by Cuba Street, where even our Big Po, at seven and a half metres long, fits in nicely!
Hello, Wellington! I could never have imagined that one day I would be sleeping in a campervan less than five minutes away from here, when I first visited Wellington in 2008.
From there, it’s an easy stroll to the nearest café and less than fifteen minutes to Wellington Waterfront Walk, with access to numerous highlights in the capital. In addition to Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s national museum, the nearby Frank Kitts Play Area is also a must-see/stop for families. From there, I recommend taking the (obligatory) cable car ride up the hill, if only for the view.
Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s national museum, attracts visitors with its numerous interactive exhibitions and beautifully designed museum shops. It’s best to plan several hours for your visit!
Frank Kitts Park & Play Area in Wellington. The kids love the playground, which is relatively new at the time of our visit and emphasises elements of the sea and Māori culture.
In the relatively small capital of New Zealand, it’s easy to take the cable car to the Botanical Garden high above the city. From there, you can walk back to the city centre via parkland and more playgrounds, past the Beehive, New Zealand’s parliament.
Just a heads up: If you, like me, love food tours, then I can recommend going through my last blog post about Wellington: Eat your way through Wellington with Zest Food Tours!
Exploring Hawke’s Bay and Napier on the East Coast of the North Island.
We continue our trip and move Big Po several hundred kilometres from Wellington to Hawke’s Bay in the east of New Zealand’s North Island. Rocky and Trish, who we contacted via our international Taekwon-Do practice, have invited us to a short guest training session!
In their lovely, friendly Kiwi style, we park Big Po in their driveway and take some trips with them between Napier and Hawke’s Bay, which take our breath away. That’s how beautiful New Zealand is – and how cheerful and intense the joint “break training” with Grand Master Rocky and his students in Hawke’s Bay is!
From Wellington, the route first leads to Levin, a good hour north of the capital. Who would have thought that our youngest would find a town in his name here?
A few hours later we land in Hawke’s Bay, here with Trish at Bluff Hill Lookout above the city of Napier.
The view across Hawke’s Bay is just breathtaking, don’t you think?
It’s fun doing Taekwon-Do training together!
Then of course, so is exploring Napier the famous little art deco town.
Volcanoes and wellness in Taupō.
From Napier, our route takes us back into the interior of New Zealand’s North Island.
We stop at Taupō deBretts Spa Resort & Campground, immerse ourselves in the warm thermal pools of the geologically active centre of New Zealand’s North Island and simply relax for two days.
Unfortunately, dense clouds prevent us from seeing the iconic volcanic mountains of Tongariro and Ruapehu on the southern shore of Lake Taupō. Nevertheless, we take a trip to Turangi and from there to Lake House Eatery to celebrate my husband’s birthday with coffee and cake right by the lake! We get a glimpse of New Zealand’s active volcanic mountains behind us: hot steam rises from the vegetation directly above the lake in many places …
Hello, Taupō! Relax and enjoy at DeBretts campground with access to these wonderful thermal hot pools.
Happy birthday, dear Georg! Quick, before the kids eat up all the cakes ..!
Steam rises from the forest above us … Unfortunately, we are denied a view of the volcanic mountains behind us this time.
Diving into Māori culture with our kids: Te Puia in Rotorua.
A good hour north of Taupō, we stop off in Rotorua, one of the Māori art and culture centres on the North Island of New Zealand. In fact, we learn that the national Māori Arts & Crafts Centre is located right here in Te Puia.
The geothermal landscape with its hot springs has always been home to New Zealand’s first inhabitants. Here, the kids and us marvel at the rich cultural heritage in the form of traditional craftsmanship, beautifully carved canoes and marae community houses, where dancing and singing also take place.
Check this out!
Te Puia cultural centre is home to numerous indigenous artists who live and work here on scholarships.
We visit another “Kiwi House” and get to admire New Zealand’s iconic flightless birds once more.
One of the highlights of Te Puia: the (recurring) eruption of the Pohutu Geyser. The last time I saw one was in Iceland; for my husband and the children, it is the first time they have ever seen such a natural spectacle.
Impressive: singing and haka dancing in the Marae Māori community centre in Te Puia. Photography and filming welcome!
A lovely stop in Whakatane, on the East Coast of the North Island.
It’s less than two hours’ drive from Rotorua to Whakatane on the coast by campervan. We meet up with friends again: Mark and Sisa, who live here with their four children and whom I remember from my time living and working in New Zealand.
They invite us to explore Whakatane with them, a pretty little coastal town with a view of the active volcano White Island in the sea!
Whakatane Bay with the delicate Wairaka statue on the rock in front of the bay, which tells the story of great courage and struggles of newly arrived Māori women.
We love the days with Mark and Sisa’s family, characterised by lots of nature, laughter and cooking together!
Come and visit us soon! Once more, we get to “hide” our Big Po camper van in the driveway of a New Zealand house …
Hobbiton in Matamata: A must-see for families and Lord of the Rings fans.
Before we approach the city of Auckland and return our camper van to the McRent rental company, we have organised, washed, and repacked all our luggage at Mark and Sisa’s house and also sent some of our souvenirs home!
Only one more night separates us from saying goodbye to our Big Po, and we have chosen it to mark the occasion carefully: Matamata campground in the immediate vicinity of the Hobbiton film set. Even though the kids don’t know anything about the fantasy saga of Lord of the Rings yet, they love a visit to the realm of the hobbits!
Hobbiton, the home of the hobbits in Lord of the Rings, was once a sheep station – until it was discovered and (permanently) expanded by location scouts.
We love visiting the many Hobbit homes and recommend spending at least half a day in Hobbiton.
24 hours in Auckland with kids (and returning our camper van).
Finally, the time has come to say goodbye: Somehow far too quickly, even though four weeks in a campervan as a family is enough, really (with a few breaks in houses, staying with friends). Returning the camper van is easy: We make our way to the McRent return site and gladly take up their offer of a free transfer to Auckland International Airport!
From there, we take an Uber and spend one more night in Auckland, in a simple hotel, before our #CreativElenaRTW round the world trip takes us across the Pacific to Hawaii!
Auckland itself is very family-friendly, as New Zealand’s largest city has a number of attractions for little travellers. I can also recommend other food and wine tours in and near Auckland, which I enjoyed on my last visit to New Zealand: Big Foody, Vineyard Hopper, Wild On Waiheke & More: Foodlover Travel Tales from Auckland, New Zealand.
Hello, Auckland! A view of the city’s iconic Sky Tower in the evening light.
We can recommend a visit to the New Zealand Maritime Museum, where all eras of the country’s maritime history are presented.
On the way from Auckland Waterfront to Albert Park: Auckland is characterised by its combination of impressive natural and urban landscapes. Be sure to visit the city’s volcanic mountains, Eden Park or One Tree Hill!
You can also read more about our experiences and travel tips from New Zealand by motorhome in my next post: Campervan Travel in New Zealand: South Island Highlights for families. Our journey takes us from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo and Queenstown all the way to Te Anau and Fiordland, then up the West Coast and back to Christchurch via Arthur’s Pass, Kaikoura, Golden Bay and Picton.
Now to you: Do you still have any questions about travelling New Zealand by campervan? I’ll be happy to help you in the comments.