Guest post: Lots of surprises in New Zealand

I had planned to spend the next day at the Bay of Islands, which is the northernmost region of New Zealand. It was a 3-hour drive from my apartment, so I started at 7am. 

With nothing but a strong coffee and music to keep me company, I enjoyed the drive to Paihia, one of the more popular towns in Bay of Islands. After grabbing a quick breakfast, I took the ferry ride along the bay. The surprise element of this ferry was that it went through one of the nearby caves, which was a unique experience. I then drove to Waitangi, which is where the Maori treaty was signed. After spending a couple of hours learning about the Maori history, I stopped at their café for lunch. 

Cape Reinga

New Zealand is famous for its green-lipped mussels, which are rarely found in other countries, and not all restaurants serve this delicacy. To my surprise, this café was serving a lot of gourmet dishes, including green-lipped mussels, at very reasonable prices. I treated myself to a portion of fresh mussels, and also had a seafood chowder. Both dishes were lip-smacking delicious!

Road trip to Bay of Islands

After a heavy lunch, I drove further north to the Cape Reinga Lighthouse. This literally is the northernmost tip of New Zealand. The view was spectacular. I stayed there till sunset, and then decided to drive back to Auckland.

I had planned to spend the next 3 days in the South Island, primarily in Queenstown and Milford Sound. I took an early flight from Auckland to Queenstown, and headed to the Adventure Queenstown Hostel. I have stayed in a lot of hostels in the last few years, but this is by far the best hostel in terms of service and facilities. 

Queenstown view

The staff was friendly, and helped me chalk out the details for my time in Queenstown. What impressed me the most about this hostel was that they had GoPro cameras that could be rented, free of cost! I took advantage of this opportunity, and borrowed their camera for all my adventures in Queenstown. 

The Ledge

The first of my adventures was at The Ledge, situated at walking distance from my hostel. I took a gondola ride to the top, and got strapped up for the Ledge Bungy and Ledge Swing. Both activities were absolutely mind-blowing. 

Most bungy locations require the harness to be strapped to one’s ankle, but the Ledge bungy provides more freedom by allowing the harness to be strapped to the waist. The view from the top was amazing, which made the experience even more memorable. Post completing both activities, I decided to try the Luge rides at the same location. Racing with the kids was definitely fun, and it instantly made me feel more energetic.

(Read the first part of this guest post by Keith here)

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Keith D'Souza is an IT professional based in Bengaluru. When he is not doing solo trips, he is undertaking Himalayan treks. He has visited 14 countries till date and intends to hit the 100 mark some day. His introduction is not complete without mentioning his undying love for food, especially local cuisines.