Adventures in New Zealand / Auckland, Waiheke Island, and Beyond

new zealand auckland

When I meet people who have traveled all over the world, a question I love to ask is what their favorite destinations are. Time and time again, people have told me that New Zealand is one of their top favorite places. And I’ve heard this from many different types of people—from backpacking 20-something year-olds to round-the-world sailors in their seventies.

We’ve even heard from very well-traveled surfers that New Zealand is a favorite surf destination. Yes, seriously.

After hearing so much great hype, Eric and I planned to spend five weeks in the land of the long white cloud. We had read about premium uncrowded surf, natural wonders galore, and really lovely people. What we found was all of the above and a whole lot more.

waiheke island

There’s so much to do and see in New Zealand it’s almost overwhelming. When Eric and I started planning our itinerary, we had a long list of places we wanted to visit in the North and South Islands. When we actually put pen to paper and worked out the logistics, we learned very quickly that it just wasn’t possible to hit every place on our very long list… yep, even with five weeks. Here are only a few of our failed attempts…

new zealand route
new zealand route

There’s simply so many amazing things to do and see in New Zealand, you could spend a couple years touring around. Then add in the factor that we wanted to hit a whole bunch of surf spots… but if we were to visit so many, then we’d have limited time in each spot, which meant limited windows for good conditions.

We had to make some hard decisions and hope that Poseidon would cooperate in the wave department. After several rounds of attempted destination planning, we settled on a rough itinerary.

Even though we had heard a lot about the incredible South Island, we planned to spend more time in the North Island because that’s where the bulk of the consistent surf is. Here’s our final route:

Spoiler alert: we had a seriously awesome trip and loved New Zealand. Friendly people, beautiful country, fun (sometimes very uncrowded) surf, and heaps of things to do and see.

Since we covered a lot of ground, we’ve split up our journey into three different blog posts. This is post #1 and the other two are on the way, so stay tuned!

Part 1: Auckland, Waiheke Island, and Beyond
Part 2: Surfing New Zealand / The Best Waves I’ve Ever Had
Part 3: South Island Adventuring (coming soon)

AUCKLAND

auckland new zealand

We flew into Auckland in early February at the peak of New Zealand’s summer. We decided to stay in one spot for a week to catch up on some work, so we settled into Browns Bay, a small town in North Auckland.

Browns Bay reminded us a bit of back home in North San Diego, so we settled in quite nicely. A sleepy little beach town full of craft beer, tasty food, and gorgeous views… what’s not to love?

girl with surfboard on oceanview balcony

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We caught up on some work, relished in staying put for a week in one place, and managed to binge watch Stranger Things (if you haven’t seen it then as soon as you finish this blog go watch it. Seriously. Immediately.)

new zealand brown's bay
new zealand auckland
new zealand brown's bay house
auckland
new zealand brown's bay

After our week in Browns Bay, we headed to Auckland proper to explore the city for a couple days. We had actually heard from a few people that we shouldn’t spend much time in Auckland… but we decided to not listen to that advice, and it was a good reminder to always check things out for yourself.

We loved our time in Auckland! A lovely (and shockingly clean) city full of museums, parks, and fantastic restaurants.

We walked all over the city exploring main attractions and picture perfect neighborhoods like Parnell and Ponsonby. We took a really great free walking tour and learned about the city’s architecture and history.

We visited New Zealand Maritime Museum and Auckland War Memorial Museum where they house a treasure trove of artifacts from Maori culture and New Zealand’s relatively short, but rich history. And of course, we stuffed our faces with delicious food, craft beer and coffee. Because it was so darn delicious.

auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand city scape
auckland new zealand clock tower
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand cafe cezanne
auckland new zealand street art
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand white a frame house
auckland new zealand high rise
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand classic car in front of house
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand cafe sidewalk seating
auckland new zealand boat in harbor
auckland new zealand
eric leaning against rail
auckland new zealand house entry way
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand sidwalk with palm trees and flowers
auckland new zealand
auckland new zealand museum maori house
auckland new zealand museum large bird fossil

During our stay, the Auckland Lantern Festival was going on, which is the biggest festival in Auckland. The festival celebrates Chinese New Year and Chinese culture. Hundreds of intricate hand-made lanterns fill the Auckland Domain Park and it’s truly a sight to see.

auckland lantern festival
auckland lantern festival lanterns at night
auckland lantern festival dragon lantern
auckland lantern festival
auckland lantern festival cat riding sheep lantern
auckland lantern festival
auckland lantern festival

WAIHEKE ISLAND

waiheke island

After Auckland, we ferried out to Waiheke Island, one of the many islands in the Auckland region that just happens to be packed to the brim with wineries. Lots of wine, food, and ocean views… we’re there. We embraced our inner epicureans and leaned into consuming delicious things.

waiheke island sailboat in harbor
waiheke island wine cheese plate and charcuterie with harbor view
waiheke island
waiheke island barstools and table overlooking vineyard
waiheke island trees lining dirt road to vineyard
waiheke island
waiheke island french fries with flight of beer
waiheke island vineyard villa
waiheke island
waiheke island old tree on hill
waiheke island man posing in front of vineyard
waiheke island
waiheke island
waiheke island
mudbrick vineyard
mudbrick vineyard
mudbrick vineyard
mudbrick vineyard

After a whirlwind tour of Auckland, we were ready to hit the road and scout some surf! We bought some cheap wetsuits, rented a car, and headed to Ahipara in the very north of the North Island. And you won’t believe what happened next! Kidding… but seriously, the surf was awesome.

new zealand
next destination: Northern point breaks

Check out Eric’s lowdown on our adventures of surfing New Zealand (we scored)!

xo, Tara 

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