Roadtripping New Zealand? Here's what you need to know

I have just arrived back from a wonderful 2 weeks in NZ visiting family & friends in the North and exploring parts of the South Island I havent been to before.

We checked out Hobbiton (my partners is a Lord of The Rings fan), however I actually really enjoyed it and i think I have only seen the first movie!

It's a great little day trip from either Auckland, Hamilton, Taupo. Rotorua, Tauranga. We then stayed in a cute little tiny home in the Waikato area (views for days), and took a trip to Waitomo Caves the following day.

In the South Island, we flew into Christchurch (I would have loved to do the Trans Alpine train but the dates didnt align), so we hired a car and drove from there to Lake Tekapo - this is a stop not to be missed! Its a cute little town surrounded by mountains and so picturesque.

We booked a last minute night sky tour + hot pools and would higly recommend. The stars were incredible with no light pollution and we got to see Saturn through the telescope (ring and all).

From Lake Tekapo I was dying to go Glamping so we drove from there to Valley Views Glamping (approx 2 hours drive) and it did not dissapoint!

There was no electricity so you are off grid so its a great place to switch off and relax.

Another 2 hour or so drive we were at our final stop in Queenstown which never fails to disappoint!

While we were in Queenstown we booked a day trip to Milford Sound which was stunning - we could have driven but thought it would be nice to relax for the day without the pressue of driving. We booked through a company called "Cheeky Kiwi NZ" and couldnt fault it.

Some things to consider when roadtripping:

- Make sure you are aware of the one way fee if you are picking up and dropping off at different locations.

- You have nil excess on your car or you have insurance to cover the excess (someone hit our car and didn't even leave a note)

- You factor in petrol into your budget as fuel is nearly $3 a litre in NZ.

See below some of my favourie eats around Queenstown!

🍴 The Bunker (Fine Dining)"Taste of the South"

🥟 Blue Kanu - (Asian Fusion) "Trust the Wok"

🌮 Margo's (Mexican)

🍔 Fergburger (Phone order to skip the line)

🍟 Devil Burger (Curry cheese fries)

🍦 Patagonia (Icecream/Chocolatier)

🥩 Botswana Butchery (Premium Dining)

🍝 Bella Cucina (Italian)

Gibbston Valley Wineries/Brewery

🍷 Kinross Winery (Delicious lunch)

🍷 Mt Rosa

🍻 Cargo Brewery

🍷 Chard Farm

⭐️ Make sure to book ahead as most restaurants book out far in advance over peak holiday periods and Queenstown is severely understaffed at the moment ⭐️