North Island: Comprehensive Maps of Activities

The North Island of New Zealand is where you’d find volcanoes, learn about Maori culture, and visit giant trees, caves and cities.

After two years of living in Aotearoa over the pandemic while on the Working Holiday scheme, I have thus translated my blessings and learnings into a post specifically for those heading to Te Waipounamu for their explorations in this South Island post.

I thought, why not do another one for Te Ika-a-Māui or the North Island? While I had not spent as much time as I had in the South, I’ve covered all the regions. I dove in the Poor Knights’ Islands of Northland, visited the Pinnacles in Coromandel, and even climbed Mt Taranaki near New Plymouth!

I’ve written many posts about my adventures in New Zealand. This article is just one of the many guides. Check out my 2-weeks South Island itinerary if you are a traveller looking for inspiration.✨

I was in New Zealand from 2020 to 2022. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog. It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!

Auckland Noms

Auckland feels like another Singapore to me. 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.

Nonetheless, I still made time to visit a few spots. Here are the top 5 activities I’d recommend if you’re in Auckland:

1. Visit the key attractions in the city. I visited the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Mt Eden and an aquarium. Include a visit to the top of the Sky Tower and catch a memorable sunset and panoramic views of the city! I wasn’t too keen on that back then, choosing to visit the night markets instead…🤡
2. Cruise the Hauraki Gulf. Discover the resident whales and dolphins.
3. Scuba dive Little Barrier Island or Goat Island. Explore the rich marine biodiversity in this part of the world. A friend took their Open Waters at one of the islands outside Auckland City.
4. Island hop to Rangitoto Island. Grab a ferry and visit the youngest volcano in New Zealand. There are a few excellent tracks on this pest-free island. Cross the bridge to the adjacent isle Motutapu, which is listed as one of the oldest landmasses in the Gulf.
5. Indulge on a weekend at Waiheke Island. Book a beautiful holiday beach resort for that much-needed getaway. Waiheke Island is just a ferry ride away from Auckland. Visit their vineyards while you’re there! A friend used to live and work in one of their vineyards – such dreams!

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Northland

I spent five days exploring the Northland in a rented campervan, a day before Auckland went into a week-long lockdown.

Northland is beautiful for its coastal areas, caves, and giant dunes. Here are the top 5 memorable activities gleaned from my Northland campervan adventure:

1. Spot the clash of the seas at Cape Reinga. The white foam indicates where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean collide. According to Maori legends, Cape Reinga is where spirits supposedly depart to the other world.
2. Sandboard the giant dunes of Te Paki. Can you believe there are sand dunes in New Zealand! Rent a board and whirl away an hour or two.
3. Explore Waipu Cave. My first cave with an abundance of glowworms. It’s free! Photographers would love it here.
4. Scuba dive the sea at Poor Knights Islands. Not a diver? You could snorkel or kayak and explore the area. The largest sea chamber is in this region. This was an excellent day trip for me.
5. Marvel the majestic Tane Mahuta. The biggest and oldest Kauri tree lives in the Northland. Mother Nature’s wondrous creation.

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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 for shellfish.

I have no idea how to slot in Coromandel, so here it is.

Seasonal work I did in Te Puke:

1. Kiwi Grading (Apr 2021)

Here are my memorable 5 activities in the region:

1. Hike Mt Maunganui. It’s an easy hike. I climbed the mountain several times. Enjoy the beautiful panoramic views of Tauranga while you’re at the top! You could also skydive from Tauranga and enjoy that prized aerial view of Mt Maunganui and the sea from the top. 
2. Harvest shellfish at Papamoa. Check the tides before going and observe fishing etiquette.
3. Catch the sunrise at the Pinnacles. This short trek in the heart of Coromandel was fun, especially from the hut to the viewpoint. It was all ladders and scrambling!
4. Enjoy the spray at the top of Wairere Falls. The tallest waterfall on the North Island looks gorgeous from the bottom. Felt like a typhoon at the top.
5. Snap the desktop-worthy wallpaper at Cathedral Cove. The beautiful sister of the Cathedral Caves in the South Island.

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East of North Island

Napier is a delightful sunny coastal city in the wine-producing region of Hawke’s Bay. But I didn’t live or work in Napier. My time was spent picking blueberries in the neighbouring town of Hastings.

Aside from those two places, I’ve also hiked my ninth and last Great Walk around the sacred lake Waikaremoana in this part of the North Island, enjoyed a night of freedom camping in our new camper car at Gisborne, and drove to the longest place name in the world (opens to map) for the thrill and curiosity of it.

Seasonal work I did here:

1. Blueberry Picking (Mar 2021)

The top 5 fun things I’d recommend to do in this region, apart from drinking wine:

1. Hike Lake Waikaremoana. The multi-day walk is easy and doable all year round. It is the journey to the lake that annoys me – pothole-ridden roads!
2. Climb Te Mata Peak. Another hiking trail but a much shorter one (half-day). The view at the top was impressive. Avid mountain bikers would enjoy the terrain.
3. Catch the first sunrise at Gisborne. The easternmost region receives the first ray of the sun. Enjoy the sea breeze and people-watch on the beach.
4. Do a 3D2N road trip on the Eastern Cape via SH35. Travel from Opotiki and end at Gisborne or vice versa. The 334 km journey will take you to secluded beaches, rugged coasts and charming villages. A road trip full of stunning vistas. 
5. Visit the largest mainland gannet colony in the world. There’s an albatross colony in the South Island at Dunedin. There’s another impressive bird colony in the North near Napier.

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Centre of North Island

The centre of North Island, as I classify it, has so much to do!

There are two stunning Great Walks in this region – trekking in the volcanic region of Tongariro, and the unique canoe track on Whanganui River. Working Holidaymakers/ ski bums may be found in this part of the area during snow season, as the ski resorts on the North Island are found here.

Taupo and Rotorua are craters in a Volcanic Zone of New Zealand, with several natural and private hot springs to boot. Do you know that Lake Taupo is a supervolcano? 🤩

I love Rotorua! Here are the top 5 activities I’d recommend in this region:

1. White water raft the Kaituna Cascade. Raft the world’s commercially highest fall!
2. Trek in Tongariro National Park. Hike in an alien landscape. Mount Doom of LOTR is around the corner.
3. Canoe the great Whanganui River. Eight hours of paddling every day in the remote wilderness. Bliss! ❤️
4. Soak in hot springs. There are private and public pools, mud pools, and natural springs in Taupo and Rotorua.
5. Enjoy autumn vibes at Rotorua Centennial Park. Beautiful shades of red and orange for your IG collage.

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West of North Island

I worked as a lamb rearer near Hamilton for three months. This region saw me doing spectacularly thrilling activities such as abseiling into the depths of Waitomo Caves and scaling the peak of Mt Taranaki (2518m).

Seasonal work I did in this region:

1. Lamb Rearing (Spring, Aug 2021)

Here are the top 5 activities I did or would recommend for their region:

1. Abseil into the Waitomo Caves. A free-hanging 100 m abseil and spelunking in the cave with glow worms, scrambling on boulders, and swimming in underground rivers. You could also black water raft in the caves.
2. Climb Mount Taranaki. This is a full-day challenging climb that took me 10 hours for a return trip! You could do an overnight trek to Pouakai Tarns to enjoy the sunrise/ sunset with Mt Taranaki in the background.
3. Explore the Forgotten World Highway. A self-proclaimed Republic of Whangamomona within New Zealand – how intriguing! The journey to the secluded town was a charming road trip with interesting stops. 
4. Visit the Hamilton Gardens. One of the best gardens in New Zealand. It features many smaller gardens inspired by different parts of the world.
5. Catch the cherry blossoms around Cambridge in Spring. ‘The Town of Trees & Champions’ has beautiful streets and several places blooming with cherry blossoms. The road beside St. Peter’s School is one of the more popular ones.
6. BONUS: Visit Hobbiton Park. Relive the scenes from LOTR and the Hobbit trilogy.

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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 stopover between the two islands.

Here are the top 5 activities to consider while you’re in Wellington:

1. Visit Te Papa museum. This is one of the best in New Zealand to learn about the country’s history and Maori culture. We spent half a day there but know some who visited it on consecutive days!
2. Discover the city on foot. Car park fees kill. Most of the attractions are within walking distance. We had delicious Malaysian food at Little Penang, walked around the city centre, and took photos with that strange creepy hand at Civic Square. There are public buses to places further away like the Botanic Gardens.
3. Hike Mount Victoria. Conveniently located in the heart of the city with panoramic views. Visit during sunrise or sunset for dramatic visages!
4. Explore the filming locations of Lord of the Rings. There are several scattered around Wellington. Mt Victoria is one of them. Hop over to the Weta Workshop and learn about props making for the movies.
5. Climb to Cape Palliser Lighthouse. Out of the way from Wellington City but worth the road trip! We spent a night freedom camping by Palliser Bay in Ngawi before climbing the many steps to Cape Palliser Lighthouse with the coastal wind howling at us.

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Conclusion/ Rambles

That summarises most of the enjoyable things I did and would recommend to others as a Working Holidaymaker!

The North is split into 9 local regions – Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taranaki, Manawatu-Wanganui, Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington. But as I’ve mentioned in my post for the South Island, I relate more to my classification. 😆 Despite being the smaller of the two, the North Island has two more regions than the South Island!

Anyhoo, find all my New Zealand posts, including town/ city-specific guides, multi-day treks, activities and jobs I’ve done on this page.

Enjoy your travels on the North Island!