Adult Under Construction: The Great Green and Blue North

When I extended my stay in New Zealand, my new visa tied me to my job in Arthur's Pass. As a result, my mobility was slightly more limited than it had been under my working holiday visa. I had left most of the North Island unexplored when I ventured South, intending to revisit it later. When I stopped work at the end of April, over a month before my visa expired, I finally kept that promise to myself.

My plan was to tour the North Island in a rented campervan. It would allow me greater mobility than the bus network, and the ability to create my own itinerary as I went. Luckily, May is the beginning of the low season for tourism in New Zealand, and quite a few rental companies offer relocation deals as they prepare for the summer's onslaught of tourists. I managed to find such a deal through Spaceships Rentals, the terms of which were pretty simple: if I picked up the van in Christchurch and returned it to Auckland, I could have it for as many days as I wanted at 50% off. Not bad. I did have to pay for the ferry, which costs significantly more with a vehicle, and $30/day for insurance, simply because of some complications with my finances.

I rented the van for 16 days, and spent much of my time driving. It had been two years since I'd driven any motorized vehicle, and I was content to be behind the wheel in one of the world's most beautiful countries for hours at a stretch. My van was equipped with a gas cooker and a bed, so my only concerns were food, fuel, and finding places to park overnight. The last was the greatest challenge, not for lack of space but for the legal uncertainty surrounding overnight parking. Some New Zealanders have an extreme mistrust of “freedom campers” - tourists who attempt to travel the country while paying for as little as possible. I am not one of those, I just believe that driving around with a bed in the back of my van is pointless if I still have to pay for somewhere to sleep. But I managed to avoid paying much, either by finding free places or staying at the reasonably-priced Department of Conservation sites. And once or twice I treated myself to a night at a campground for the better facilities, location, and added security.

Blessed with good weather, I drove just over 3800 kilometres in 16 days, and have now seen pretty much every part of the North Island except Wairarapa and Wanganui. Here's a few of the highlights:

Highway 35 north of Gisborne is a series of bays with plenty of freedom camping and countless spectacular views. Whale Rider was filmed in this area. I passed through as the sun was going down, unfortunately, but what I saw was incredible. That drive also took me to the East Cape, where I was one of the first people to see the sun rise on May 4. The sunrise was blocked by cloud, but the drive back as the sun rose along the hills was a treat.

The climb to the low peak of Mt. Taranaki was short but strenuous. I think it was the first time I've stood on an active volcano. The small town of Okato on the Taranaki coast was a nice place to stop for a bite, and New Plymouth is probably the most underrated urban centre I've been to in the entire country.

Northland was surprisingly awesome. It's much bigger than I realized and I missed plenty of things. What I did see in my brief visit included the Waipoua Forest, which holds the largest trees in the country; Cape Reinga, where the Tasman meets the Pacific; Waitangi, where the treaty that began the country was signed; and Whangarei, another underrated urban centre. The biggest surprise, however, was Hokianga Harbour. I had to pull over when I got my first glimpse of it – stunning.

The whole trip was great and I would have happily continued it for the rest of the month. But I returned the van to Auckland, flew to Wellington for a three-day visit, and then flew to Christchurch to meet my parents, which is where the next phase of my departure from New Zealand began.