Welcome to the breathtaking country of New Zealand 🇳🇿 We were lucky enough to explore here for one month, road-tripping and camping our way around the whole country in a rented Britz Campervan, affectionately named Bertie.
Having this much time meant we could properly slow travel, explore both the North and South Islands in depth, and stumble across plenty of hidden gems along the way.
From snow-capped mountains and epic national parks to beach hot pools, Hobbiton, glowworm caves and even swimming with the world’s smallest dolphin. We completely fell in love with New Zealand and can’t wait to do it all again.
From our own campervan experience in New Zealand, we’ve pulled together perfected, easy-to-follow itineraries below, highlighting the very best places to see and unmissable things to do!
More posts about New Zealand:
New Zealand “Know Before You Go”
North Island, New Zealand
South Island, New Zealand
New Zealand Facts
The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington, found on New Zealand’s North Island.
New Zealand split into two islands (North and South), divided by the Cook Strait.
New Zealand is the first country to see the sunrise everyday!
Over 1/3 of the entire country is protected land and marine areas.
Despite being a similar size to the UK, New Zealand only has a population of approx. 4 million, compared to the UK’s 66 million+!
The Maori name for New Zealand is ‘Aotearoa’, which translates to “The Land of the Long White Cloud”.
New Zealand is home to the “eighth wonder of the World” – Milford Sound. We describe everything you need to know in our blog “Getting From Te Anau To Milford Sound“.
Every scene (apart from one) of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise was filmed in NZ, and you can visit many of the filming locations! We find a few during our North Island itinerary.
Farming is the top industry New Zealand, you won’t be surprised to find sheep + cows everywhere you go! There is estimated to be 9 sheep to every person in New Zealand, that’s 40 million sheep!
Staggeringly, only 5% of NZ’s population is human – the rest are all animals!
There are no ‘native’ mammals in New Zealand (excluding bats). Any mammals here have been previously introduced over the years by Maori and European settlers.
You will not find any snakes in New Zealand! There are no wild snakes, and is illegal to own as a pet! This is to protect their vulnerable native wildlife.
New Zealand is the second “safest country in the world”, just beaten by Iceland! (Click to read our Iceland blog posts later!)
It is home to the world’s steepest street, Baldwin Street, in Dunedin. Be sure to check out our South Island itinerary blog.
New Zealand Weather & Seasons
Summer
New Zealand’s Summer months are between December-February. Expect warmer, drier weather and longer days. Expect campsites and tourist hotspots to be much busier too.
Autumn
New Zealand’s Autumn months are between March-May. Expect slightly cooler days, but marvel at the gorgeous autumnal colours.
Winter
New Zealand’s Winter months are between June-August. Expect much colder temperatures (especially in the South), and more rainfall for the North Islands. South remains relatively dry. Expect campsites and tourist hotspots to be much less busy.
Spring
New Zealand’s Spring months are between September-November. Can range from warm / sunny to cold frosts. Expect beautiful new foliage and baby lambs everywhere you go! The end of November – early January is the best time to see blooming lupins.
New Zealand Wildlife
The Kiwi Bird
A flight-less and wing-less bird only found in New Zealand, it is a national treasure and a protected, vulnerable species. See where you are guaranteed to see them in Queenstown, South Island.
The Kea Parrot
The world’s only alpine parrot, these birds have the intelligence of a 4 year old human and are known for being destructive to cars.- pulling off wind screen wipers and eating rubber! We spotted them on the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound!
New Zealand Fur Seals
Keep your eyes peeled around the rocky shorelines of the mainland – you may spot a fur seal colony having a good sunbathe! We spotted them on South Island twice: at Abel Tasman NP and Milford Sound.
New Zealand: Top Wildlife
Hector’s Dolphin
You have the incredible opportunity to swim with the worlds smallest (and rarest) dolphins in the wild – the Hectors Dolphin! Find out more how to Swim With Dolphins In Akaroa, New Zealand!
Yellow-Eyed Penguin
The world’s rarest penguin, and the fourth largest – standing at 65cm tall! Find out where you can spot them on the beaches of the South Island!
New Zealand Sea-lion
Also known as the ‘Hooker’s sea-lion’, it is an endemic species of just 12,000 in the wild, found only in New Zealand See where to spot them lazing on the South Island beaches!