New Zealand Guide | North Island Maps | Working Holiday
This post is part II of my maps series, where I explore the places I visited in New Zealand. When the world was in a lengthy lockdown due to the pandemic, I was having one of the most memorable moments of my life – working and exploring New Zealand! Two years on a Working Holiday visa is a long time, and what better way to record my experience than to pen it down – and share it with you – in this blog?
So here is the second part of my maps series for the North Island.
If you’ve missed the South Island, here it is.
If you have not read my guide to the Working Holiday Experience/ Singapore Work Exchange Programme, here it is. I have listed everything from application for visa, bank, IRD, stuff to bring, finding accoms, searching for jobs, buying insurance, getting a car - basically everything I could think of for a worry-less experience.
Make sure you save this page, or my maps, to supplement your travels across the country.
I was in New Zealand from 2019 to 2022. This post may be updated periodically.
Auckland Noms
Auckland is just another Singapore to me, where I could find the best noms to satisfy my Asian palate. I did no work here – unless you count the disappointing HelpX experience work – and spent my time in Auckland mostly eating and visiting friends.
My map is heavily biased towards food.
Northland
We spent five days exploring the Northland in a rented campervan, just as Auckland went into a week-long lockdown. Northland is beautiful for its coastal areas, caves, and giant dunes.
Top 5 activities I’d recommend:
- Marvel at the clash of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean at Cape Reinga. The white foam indicates where the sea and ocean meet.
- Sandboard down the giant dunes at Te Paki. Rent a board and whirl away an hour or two.
- Explore Waipu Cave. And get your free dose of glowworms. Pro photographers would love it here.
- Scuba dive the sea at Poor Knights Islands. Or you could snorkel. The largest sea chamber is around the area.
- Enjoy the presence of the majestic Tane Mahuta. The biggest and oldest Kauri tree lives in the Northland.
Tauranga + Te Puke + Coromandel
I spent most of my time on the North Island grading kiwi fruits in Te Puke, the capital of the hairy green fruit. Tauranga city is next to Te Puke town, where we frequented for groceries and noms. Papamoa, a suburb of Tauranga, has beautiful beaches to catch shellfish.
I have no idea how to slot in Coromandel, so here it is.
Work I did (seasonal):
- Kiwi Grading (Summer, Apr 2021)
Top 5 activities I’d recommend:
- Hike Mount Maunganui. And enjoy the beautiful panorama visage of Tauranga surrounded by water.
- Hunt for some shellfish at Papamoa. Check the tides before going and observe the fishing etiquette.
- Catch the sunrise at the Pinnacles in Coromandel. The short trek from the hut to the viewpoint was fun with ladders and minor scrambling.
- Enjoy the spray at the top of Wairere Falls, the tallest waterfall on the North Island. The scene is akin to a typhoon.
- Snap the desktop-worthy wallpaper at Cathedral Cove. The beautiful sister of the Cathedral Caves in the South Island.
East of North Island
Napier is a beautiful coastal city in the wine-producing region of Hawke’s Bay. Instead of living or working in Napier, I spent a total of one week picking blueberries at Hastings, a city 18 km inland from Napier.
Napier and Hastings aside, I hiked my ninth and last Great Walk around a revered lake, enjoyed my first night camping in our new camper car at Gisborne, and drove to the longest place name in the world.
Work I did (seasonal):
- Blueberry Picking (Summer, Mar 2021)
Top 5 activities I’d recommend:
- Hike Lake Waikaremoana. The multi-day walk is easy and doable all year round.
- Walk up to Te Mata Peak. Another hiking trail but a much shorter one (half-day). The view at the top was impressive. Avid mountain bikers would love this area too.
- Indulge in some delicious seafood or Malaysian dishes. I enjoyed a lobster at Takitimu Seafoods and had my most expensive char kway teow at Faith Hope Love Cafe.
- Catch the first sunrise at Gisborne. Or enjoy the sea breeze and people-watch on the beach.
- Do a 3D2N road trip around the Eastern Cape. And visit that easternmost knob of the North Island.
Centre of North Island
The centre of North Island, as I classify it, packs a punch!
There are two stunning Great Walks in this region – Tongariro which is a volcano, and Whanganui which is a sacred river. Fellow Working Holiday visa holders slash ski bums may be found in this part of the area, which houses the only ski resorts on the North Island.
Taupo and Rotorua are craters in a Volcanic Zone of NZ, with several natural and private hot springs to boot.
Top 5 activities I’d recommend:
- White water rafting at Kaituna Cascade. Raft down the world’s commercially highest fall.
- Do a multi-day trek in the Tongariro National Park. Hiking in an alien landscape. Mount Doom of LOTR is around the corner.
- Canoe down the great Whanganui River. Eight hours of paddling every day in the remote wilderness.
- Soak in manicured and natural hot springs. Paid and unpaid around Taupo and Rotorua.
- Enjoy the autumn vibes at Rotorua Centennial Park. Beautiful shades of red and orange for your IG collage.
West of North Island
Kiwi Grading aside, my next longest job stint in the North Island is as a lamb rearer around Hamilton, where I worked for almost three months. My partner and I have also abseiled into the depths of Waitomo Caves and scaled the peak of Mount Taranaki.
Work I did (seasonal):
- Lamb Rearing (Spring, Aug 2021)
Top 5 activities I’d recommend:
- Check out the glowworms and fossils in the Waitomo Caves. A free-hanging 100 m abseil – how exhilarating!
- Climb Mount Taranaki. If not, you could do an overnight trek to Pouakai Tarns and enjoy the sunrise/ sunset.
- Explore the Forgotten World Highway. The self-proclaimed Republic of Whangamomona reigns within!
- Visit the Hamilton Gardens. A smattering of gardens inspired by different cultures.
- Catch the cherry blossoms around Cambridge in Spring. ‘The Town of Trees & Champions’ has beautiful streets, and several locations with cherry blossoms. The road beside St. Peter’s School is one of the more popular ones.
- Bonus: I am not a fan of LOTR, but there is a Hobbiton park in Matamata, somewhere in-between Hamilton and Tauranga.
Wellington
Not much on the map! I did not spend a lot of time in the capital of New Zealand, using this city as a bypass between the two islands.
While we were there, we visited the museum, had Malaysian fare at Little Penang, walked around the city centre, and took photos with that strange creepy hand at Civic Square.
If you want to hike, you could climb Mount Victoria. Fans of Lord of the Rings rejoice – you could explore the filming locations scattered around Wellington (Mt Victoria is one of them), and a Weta Workshop in Wellington.
The highlight for me around the Wellington vicinity was freedom camping at Ngawi and walking up the steep stairs to Cape Palliser Lighthouse.
Ending
And this is it for the North Island!
I’m sure many of you have been to more places on the North Island than me, particularly Auckland and Wellington. Nonetheless, I hope I have been thorough. Write to me – IG/ FB – if you think I’ve missed out on something critical.
And while you are here, why not check out my South Island maps too? I spent more than a year working and exploring this region.
Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy your Working Holiday Adventure!
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