New Zealand is bigger than it looks.
In square footage, it's a little larger than the the state of Oregon -- with roughly the same size population.
But it's a loooong country. If you superimpose the shape of New Zealand on the East Coast of the U.S., NZ fills, roughly, the space between Pennsylvania and Florida. That's a lot of ground to cover. And we want to cover as much of it as we can while we're here.
So far, we've seen a lot of the Auckland region, heading out nearly every weekend to a new destination. Still it seems we've just scratched the surface. And when I start looking at the rest of the country and all of the amazing places just waiting to be explored, I get a little...well, overwhelmed.
I want to make sure we at least hit the highlights, which is why I thought I'd put together a list of places we really want to see -- or things we really want to do -- in New Zealand. I'll break this bucket list of sorts into a few posts, starting with 5 must-dos on the North Island. (I'm also including Instagram accounts for each so you can see the sights for yourself!)
If we can check these destinations off our list, I'll be happy. And then I'll make another list ;)
1 The Coromandel
About two hours from Auckland by car, the Coromandel Peninsula is a coastal community to the north east of us with a bit of everything New Zealand is known for: gorgeous coastline, rugged terrain, hot water beaches. It's also famous for the Pinnacles, a group of picturesque mountain peaks, and the Karangahake Gorge where the Windows Walk leads through old gold-mining tunnels and crosses an Indiana Jones-esque suspension bridge.
Check it out on Instagram.
2 Mount Taranaki
This big beauty, an active but lazy volcano to the southwest of us on the North Island, is an Instagram star. And you can see why. It's amazingly photogenic and just begging to be explored. We actually have a trip to New Plymouth planned for next month. That will put us in the foothills of the beast, so expect to see some iconic shots in our Insta feed.
Check it out on Instagram.
3 White Island
This is a really interesting place. It's the most active volcano in New Zealand, sitting 30 miles off the east coast of the North Island. Uninhabited, the island rises about 1,000 feet above sea level and has been "smoking" since it was first noticed in the 1700s. Intrepid travelers can take a tour boat to the island -- passing dolphins and whales along the way -- and then don a gas mask and tramp around the crater with a guide. Part of me thinks this would be terrifying. Part of me thinks it would be awesome. Not a chance I could get the boy to do this adventure though. ;)
Check it out on Instagram.
4 Lake Taupo
The largest freshwater lake in all of Australasia, Lake Taupo fills the crater of one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the last 5,000 years. I dream of taking a canoe out here, taking in the sights and gliding past the ancient Maori rock carvings that pop up on my Instagram feed every few days. The lake's also known as the "Trout Fishing Capital" of New Zealand. Maybe Shane could actually catch something here ;)
Check it out on Instagram.
5 Te Paki Sand Dunes
At the northernmost tip of the North Island, Te Paki is a fascinating ecosystem with hills, cliffs, wetlands and dunes. Not just any dunes; huge sand formations you can surf down. I've never done anything like that before -- but all those years of sledding in my backyard should make me a pro ;)
Check it out on Instagram.
