I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last three years exploring New Zealand, the home I never really appreciated until I moved overseas. This is a collection of highlights from all of those road trips, hikes and weekends away. You’ll probably notice this list of New Zealand travel highlights skews

For future travel…Beach towns in New Zealand don’t get much better (or more popular) than Mount Maunganui. Just a couple of hours from Auckland, Mount Maunganui attracts big summer crowds with its seemingly endless beach and iconic mountain hike. Throw in some great eating and drinking options, and some other

New Zealand probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think about beaches, but with vast stretches of coastline covering two very different islands you’re bound to visit some on your next trip. Where are the best New Zealand beaches? You’ll have to keep reading to find

One of New Zealand’s most iconic short hikes takes you from the bustling beach town of Mount Maunganui up to the top of a small mountain overlooking the town. It’s known as both Mount Maunganui and Mauo (or “The Mount” to locals) and it’s an active-wear touting Instagrammers’ delight. It’s

Waiheke Island, in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, is home to some of New Zealand’s most scenic vineyards. That obviously means wine is a big reason for visiting, but is it the only one? I’m not a wine drinker (maybe my taste buds haven’t matured yet…?) but still found heaps of fun

There’s nothing better to do on a sunny day in Auckland than to visit one of the nearby beaches. Which one should you visit though? I’ve been to a few, and Anchor Bay, around an hour north of Auckland, is the best I’ve seen. The day trip to Anchor Bay

This post was originally posted in October 2017 and was updated in November 2019. On a recent trip to the North Island we spent a couple of days exploring the Coromandel Peninsula. Rated as one of New Zealand’s best beach destinations, the Coromandel (as it’s known locally) is ripe for

The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island is a wild and wonderful place, full of rugged beaches, mountain views and glaciers. It’s a bit of a detour from the main route through the South Island but you’ll want to spend at least a few days there if you can.