Travel Diary Entry 1: NEW ZEALAND 19/04/2025
- Caroline Candeloro
- Apr 19
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 20
SUPRISE!!!!!!!
I'm in New Zealand!!!!!!!
I'm currently travelling around the North Island. I arrived in Auckland from Perth yesterday, and now I'm on the road, exploring the beautiful scenery of New Zealand.
While everyone at home enjoys Easter chocolate, I've decided to spend my Easter with the Kiwis. I'm also here with Nadia, my long-time best friend, and Violet, my new friend (a.k.a. my two travel buddies for this trip).
So, here we are, three North American girls, navigating the North Island of New Zealand.
New Zealand has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, and it feels surreal to be here; it's a real pinch-me moment. I've dreamt about coming here since I first watched The Lord of the Rings movies about 10 years ago.
If you are unfamiliar with the film series, The Lord of the Rings is filmed in New Zealand, and those movies were a big reason why I chose to come to the North Island. They are my all-time favourite films and some VERY exciting activities regarding the movies will be happening on this trip (hint, hint... wink, wink).
Anyways, this trip is packed with adventure and beautiful scenery. I cannot wait to write about it and take millions of pictures.
I've prepared by deleting half my camera roll for this trip!
As I mentioned, yesterday I landed in Auckland, known as the "City of Sails." It's the biggest city in New Zealand and has a population greater than the entire South Island.
Anyways, I didn't come to New Zealand to see another city, I came to experience the breathtaking nature; therefore, today from 9 a.m. onwards, I've been on the road with Wild Kiwi Adventure Tours and will be spending the next seven days on a bus exploring the North Island with a group of travellers from all over the world!
The adventure tour I booked is called the "North Voyager." It exclusively takes our group to some of the most iconic and beautiful destinations on the North Island, such as Rotorua, Hobbiton, and Taupō.
The itinerary for the North Voyager Tour includes:
Day 1: Auckland to Coromandel
Day 2: Coromandel to Rotorua
Day 3: Rotorua
Day 4: Rotorua to Taupō
Day 5: Taupō
Day 6: Taupō to Raglan (via Waitomo)
Day 7: Raglan to Auckland
So, based on the itinerary above, my first stop today was in the Coromandel Peninsula and even with the aftermath of a cyclone, the scenery was still breathtaking.
(Yes, a cyclone just hit Auckland about a week ago, and there is still a bit of unsettled weather.)
After driving to Coromandel for about an hour and a half, we entered the coastal town of Hahei and walked down to Cathedral Cove.
(Fun Fact: Cathedral Cove is where scenes from the movie Narnia were shot.)
The original plan was to Kayak around Cathedral Cove and explore the turquoise waters and massive rock structures on the boats. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans, so we spent about an hour relaxing on the beach and taking photos instead.
Even with gray skies and rough waters, Cathedral Cove was still picturesque. The walk down to the beach was also very scenic. Getting to Cathedral Cove takes about 45 minutes to walk from the drop-off point, but the walk is exceptionally beautiful, like walking through a rainforest. We saw so much greenery, breathtaking views, sheep, and even a WWI memorial along the way to the cove.
After Cathedral Cove, we drove for another 10 minutes to watch the sunset from the natural hot pools on Hot Water Beach.
Hot Water Beach is a unique natural wonder where visitors can dig their spa pools in the sand. Beneath the surface, geothermal springs heat the water to steamy temperatures, creating a surreal experience right by the ocean.
The beach is best during low tide, and the views are amazing. While at the beach, we learned that hot sand is due to New Zealand sitting right on the boundary between two tectonic plates—the Australian and Pacific Plates.
These massive plates are constantly shifting and colliding. The movement caused volcanic activity millions of years ago, leaving behind hot rocks deep underground. Even though the volcanoes aren't active anymore, the rocks are still hot enough to heat underground water, and that’s why geothermal spots like Hot Water Beach exist today.
This stop was very nice because it allowed me to socialize with the other group and bond over not trying to get burned by the boiling water and sand.
So that was my first full day in New Zealand, everyone!
As exciting as today was, I'm tired and need a good night's sleep because tomorrow is a new day and destination. We hit the road early in the morning and head to our next stop, Rotorua.
Today was a beautiful first full day in New Zealand. I'm incredibly grateful to have experienced this wonderful country, and I can't wait to check back in tomorrow to tell you about Rotorua.
See you soon!
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