Before we begin, New Zealand comes with a warning – Sammy AKA creator of RatPack went for 2 months and ended up staying for 2 years! The place honestly has it all, from metropolitan cities, epic areas of natural beauty, a load of amazing beaches and of course, the wine! If adventure is your things, then NZ is THE place for you.
We’ll be sharing with your our favourite places in New Zealand… including:
- Franz Josef Glacier
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing
- The ultimate mountain views…
- AND of course, how to be cash savvy when it comes to your camper rental!
Ready to be TOTALLY inspired for your New Zealand roadie??
Click images to see more.
The home of the ultimate roadie
It’s no secret that New Zealand is one of, if not THE, most beaut place on earth – have you seen the photos?! It’s insane.
You’ve got the North Island – known for it’s insane coastline and geothermal hot spots. It is also where you’ll find Auckland, one of the major cities in NZ and Wellington, the countries capital.
Then there is the South Island – the larger of the two and home to incredible mountain ranges. It is also where the Southern Alps are located (yup, told you NZ has it all) – so think, skiing, glaciers and insane views. The city of Christchurch can also be found here as well as the country’s largest wine region, Marlborough.
As you can see, there is quiitttteee a lot to see and do, so we’re gonna make life easier for you and narrow down the top places not to be missed.
Getting around
Bus
An epic way to see this beaut country is via the bus service Kiwi Experience – it’s super easy and a GREAT way to meet BackPackers especially if you are travelling solo…
Camper
Buuuuut, if the Bus Pass aint YA thing & you want your own wheels then there is no better place for it than NZ…and we can do all the boring bits for you and find you the best campervan with our camper comparison quote service, so all you need to do is sit back and start planning that epic trip of yours (very jel right now)…
The Ultimate New Zealand Bucketlist
Hot Water Beach
Hot Water Beach gets its name from the fact that within the two hours either side of low tide you can find hot water bubbling through the golden sand – like a natural hot bath!!
It’s a proper bucket list experience! The beach is also a wicked surf spot.
Cathedral Cove
Accessible only by foot on a 2.5km walking track is where you’ll find this epic rock formation.
It is a 10min drive from the famous hot water beach.
To beat the crowds – head there at sunrise or early evening (the perfect time for a sick photo shoot).
Kaikoura Wale Watching
Whale watching is usually a pretty hit or miss activity but Kaikoura is New Zealand’s go to destination to see these incredible creatures.
Get this – there is a 95% chance of spotting giant sperm whales.
The season is from November through to March.
Rotorua
The geothermal world of Rotorua is pretttyyyy damn cool.
An area of so much natural beauty – you’ve got smelly geysers, volcanic parks, lakes and water falls.
The area is the perfect place to take a glimpse at the rich culture and tradition of New Zealand’s indigenous people.
Hobbiton
I’m sure you’ve heard of this one!! It makes a pretty unique day out.
Lord Of The Rings fan anyone? The Hobbit? If so, this is the place for you – a film nerds paradise. It’s also a pretty beautiful place to visit even if you’re not a fan of the films. Who doesn’t wanna walk around a fake village of miniature houses for the day?!
Queenstown
If you’re a bit of an adrenaline junkie, then Queenstown is where it is at!!
In the summer there’s bungee jumping, sky diving, white water rafting and jet boating (to name a few). Then when it turns to winter, the Southern Alps are your playground – yep, you can ski in NZ!!
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui is a pretty little beachy suburb in the North Island.
A chance to slowwww it down and chill out – think white sandy beaches and wicked surf spots.
Mount Cook
The highest mountain in NZ – Mount Cook. This bad boy is 3,724 metres and a pretty epic sight!
The mountain can be found in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park which is home to the highest mountains and the longest glaciers in the country.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
This is an EPIC spot to hike to see the blue pool in Tongariro National Park.. Without a doubt one of the most popular hikes in the whole of NZ and a RatPack fave…
The views of the surrounding scenery are just UNREAL and you’ll see volcanic peaks…
Milford Sound & Fiordland National Park
Milford sound is a fiord – meaning a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs formed by glaciers.
Fiordland National Park is an un-spoilt and naturally beautiful spot, you can’t miss it! Look forward to waterfalls, incredible surroundings and ink black water.
Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo is a small town in the South Island and let me tell you – this place is the definition of picturesque.
The spot is known for being a sick star gazing spot. It is also home to Tekapo Springs Hot Pools…did someone say spaaaaa day?
Aurora Australis
NZ just keeps giving!! So you know about the Northern Lights right? The dancing colours in the sky…well, New Zealand has the Southern Lights AKAÂ Aurora Australis.
So, if you’re lucky you may spot the night display.
About the Author: Sammy
with RatPack Travel?
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From our RatPackers
Super friendly, and speedy service Anna was lovely- she went above and beyond to help us get the best deal. Definitely recommend!
Jenna was absolutely amazing! Made my booking so easy & was a mind of information about all the booking options, helping guide me & my friends on what camper suited us best for our trip. Could not be more helpful even with additional trip tips! Would highly recommend jenna to anyone who needs info / wants to book a camper! Can't wait for my trip.
Tammy was great with helping us get the best prices and packages that suited us best. We will definitely book again through them. Thanks⭐️⭐️
Jenna & George were a great help in booking our camper-van trip around NZ. They got a fantastic discount compared with going directly to the hire companies. They were very friendly and informative.
I have just booked a campervan… excellent phone service from Anna. Very clear explanations. Will write another review after our trip😀
George from Ratpack Travel was really helpful, he talked me through all the different camper options and what would suit me. He sent me links so I could look through the specs myself. Would really recommend ☺️
Ryan and Jenna were fantastic in assisting to book the right camper for our holiday. Would definitely recommend RatPack Travel.
Mikey was amazing to deal with. Super helpful and very informative. Came away with an awesome deal. Highly recommend!!
Thanks Jenna for your time and help
Jules was amazing. Very helpful and knowledgeable and made the experience completely stress free! Would definitely recommend and book through her again!
I have had the Absolute pleasure of corresponding with "George" regarding my upcoming holiday 😀 I was Very flustered in not knowing where to even start... Then I seen their post on Facebook, so thought I'd give it a go!!! Thank Goodness I did 👍 George has taken away All my stress and worries and has done all the work for me ~ how good is that 😉 My holiday isn't until September ~ yet I know if I have Any questions, I can give him a call and he will help!!! I Will Definitely be telling Everyone about this company and the Brilliant customer service I have been shown! I Cannot rate them any higher, mainly because there's only 5 stars to pick, but I rate them 100% the Best Company I have Every had the opportunity in dealing with!!! Thankyou George ~ I will Forever be a Valued, Happy Customer 😃 Kind Regards Cindy 🙏
Great experience booking with them, Anna asked about my requirements and found the best deals for my upcoming trip. Can't wait.
Ryan did an amazing job and guided me through the alternatives of different campervan rentals and helped me to find what suits me for my trip
Planning a huge trip is always a daunting experience but George managed to make the whole experience stress free and enjoyable. Everything from start to finish was personal and easy! Booking with RatPack is like being on the phone to a mate. Super informative, really friendly and we got an amazing deal. All you can ask for really. Thank you RatPack!
Huge thank you to RatPack Travel! We left it pretty late to book our campervan for Tassie and couldn't find many affordable options ourselves. I spoke to Gregg from RatPack on Whatsapp and within 10 minutes he had found us a great vehicle at an amazing price. We've just landed in Hobart and found out we've been upgraded to an even better van at the same price!! Will definitely be recommending RatPack to everyone I know who is planning to travel and see Australia the proper way! Thank you Gregg! ❤️
