Places Not To Miss In New Zealand
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)…
with RatPack Travel?
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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 AKA Aurora Australis.
So, if you’re lucky you may spot the night display.
From our RatPackers
Reuben was fantastic..he walked me thru how to do everything on line!! I'm computer illiterate 😔 explained everything re gear, insurance, etc..I was so impressed..recommend this company to anyone Ratpack also does all the searching for you for the best deals, a win win situation ..
I’m really glad to find this service. Reuben, the agent that helped me, was really helpful, communicative and informative about my travel needs and requirements. He found for us the best price for a campervan in the market (we also did our own research, but for sure he got the best option) and he made sure to follow up, answer my questions and call me to give me information about what we were looking for. Thank you very much!
I had Ben talk me through the entire process of booking a campervan, it was very seamless and he was beyond helpful. I strongly recommend this company for any future adventures.
Ben did everything to make sure we got the best deal! He was very kind, friendly and made sure we got everything we needed for our trip. Everything went quick and somooth and we can't wait for our east coast road trip!
Jenna rescued our trip! Her incredible support, coupled with excellent communication and a positive approach, made all the difference. I highly recommend reaching out to Ratpack for an exceptional experience. :)
Jenna was so lovely and so helpful to help me book a campervan for my first time going to WA!! Would 100% recommend this service. Thanks Jenna!
Excellent communication. Fantastic response to all enquiries I made, Joe was great from the beginning would recommend highly 👍
Rat pack (Joe is the man!) was an incredible resource for my friend and I to book a camper van for our upcoming trip next month. We had tried looking ourselves but vans were disappearing FAST and despite our worries, Joe hooked us up with a great option and discount. He was patient, well-informed, professional, and reassuring - just what we needed. Thanks rat pack, keep up the amazing (and free!) services… you’ve started us out on the right foot for an amazing adventure ahead!
I can't thank them enough for how quick and personal my booking was! They really got me the best deal even with a last minute booking and made the booking keeping in mind everything that we wanted! 100% going to us them to book ny next trip!!
Really straightforward system to book our camper, Gregg was really helpful and thorough - looking forward to our trip!
*Incredible service* *they don’t lie about the discount (around £500 for us!!)* *Easy* I just sent them a WhatsApp message, loosely detailing mine and my girlfriends plan. I got a response the same day, we then scheduled a phone call to discuss our plans further. Gregg was the chap who helped us out, and he couldn’t have made it any easier. We explored all options, types of motor, dates, prices, route of the trip. We covered all bases and within 30/40 mins we confirmed our travel. We will 100% be using these guys again for our following trip! Thanks:)
Jenna was amazing and so so helpful at getting us organised so late minute. And even directed me to another colleague to help me organise my activities when travelling up the coast. Super exited for our adventure now 🚐
George made the whole booking experience super easy and smooth for me. Would definitely recommend!!
Fair play to Reuben he made my experience of booking a campervan so easy! Great guy, found the best rates and went out of his way to make sure I had the best option! Highly recommend
Service impeccable avec Ben! On cherchait un van depuis quelques semaines déjà et on commençait à se perdre au travers toutes les compagnies et options possibles. RatPack nous a vraiment permis de trouver un van qui correspondait à ce qu’on voulait. Ben a répondu à toutes mes questions avec patience et gentillesse. Je recommande 100%
