The South Island of New Zealand is one of the world’s premiere and most popular road trip destinations. A star in its own right and criminally underrated is its northern sibling; the North Island, just like Luke Hemsworth, Danni Minogue and Phillip Matera.
To show you how good this area of the world is, we’ve compiled a bit of a road trip for you to hit this summer that takes in places in the north of the north island – forgoing half of the island. These are only places from the centre of the island and up, starting from Lake Taupo.
Waikato to Rotorua
1. LEGENDS OF THE PEAK
If ever there was a country made for an off-road running festival, it’s New Zealand. This one is the ultimate. Legends of the Peak is set amongst the tallest trees in the world – redwoods – in the extraordinary Whakarewarewa Forest, and involves four different events, suited for both elite competitors and mad chillers. At the end of the event, there’s a proper festival – sip on a well-earned beverage, cop some live music, see your friends and whānau cross the line after an epic adventure.
Most countries around the world have one or two impressive natural resources that wow travellers, whereas New Zealand has about 50. One of these is the geothermal walkway at Craters of the Moon, a cratered valley of other-worldly proportions, featuring bubbling craters and steaming vents. Take one small step for man after the other, and remind yourself that this outrageous slice of landscape is in fact still on Planet Earth.
Gindulgence is New Zealand’s premier gin festival, with events in 2023 at Tauranga (November 4), Nelson (November 18) and Wellington (January 20 – 21). The Tauranga one is the one we’re choosing to focus on – set amongt the beaches and volcanic cones of one of New Zealand’s oldest cities, there’ll be free tastings, distiller talks, cocktails and live music. Leave the car keys in your hotel room and grab yourself a G & T in the sun – what a vibe.
“It’s a dangerous business Frodo, going out your door.
“You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
Alright, we know: Hobbition isn’t really the nowhere-near-the-beaten-track sort of vibe you subscribe to get lost for – it’s actually one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations. But it’s popular for a reason, and we’re fairly certain Bilbo Baggins and get lost are akin when it comes to travel and adventure. Walk the charming paths and green hills of The Shire, grab a pint at The Green Dragon Inn, get a photo in front of a hobbit hole and boog under the Party Tree like it’s your Eleventy-First birthday.
New Zealand’s answer to Byron Bay is located about 30 minute’s drive west of Hamilton, on the country’s north-west coast. Raglan is a great option for those looking for a little bit of bohemian luxury in rugged natural surroundings. It’s also ideal for those looking to catch a wave, with New Zealand’s longest point break on offer here. At the end of the day, hit up Ulo’s Kitchen – a funky, family-run Japanese restaurant is undoubtedly the trendiest place to eat in the region, with a DJ deck, eclectic décor, fresh food, local craft beer.
You’ve made it to the big smoke. You’re near the end of your road trip, but it’s not a road trip without getting absolutely lit at least once – fortunately Auckland has you covered. New Zealand’s largest city is in a vibe in a few areas but we reccommend K’ Road, an up and coming section where chilled sundowners and proper disco boogs are equally achievable. Madam George is a modern Peruvian restaurant where you can sample exquisite fare, and a great place to start. Caretaker is an intimate New York-style drinking lounge, and if you’re still going strong later on, InkBar is drum and bass operation open until very late.
The chequered flag to your road trip is on the northern tip of the island – but this is no frantic to dash to the finish line.
We love The Ark – a small houseboat with its own lake, situated in a tiny corner of the world named Kerikeri, a quaint village with an even quainter pub and a winery.
It’s a little wooden shack docked onto the wharf of the lake, with a deck to sit out and read, drink or get a tan, or maybe all of those. Go for a dip in the lake, and forget about notifications – Zuckerberg can’t get you out here.
Sitting adjacent to the hulking, gothic-style, protestant supporting Wesley Church on the fringes of Melbourne’s CBD is a charming little cottage. And inside that charming little cottage is an even charming-er little bar called Caretaker’s Cottage.
Originally the living abode of the church grounds caretaker, it has been there since 1858, but likely never served a Penicillin Milk punch (Johnny Walker black label, fresh ginger, lemon, salted bush honey, camomile, Talisker 10 year float) nor had cracking Guinness on tap, nor had The Avalanches spinning on vinyl.
The cottage was probably lit by candlelight and some stage, but it probably did not illuminate trendy 20, 30 and 40 somethings on date night whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, which this intimate space seems to be perfect for.
It’s more than that though; outside, perched slightly above the rest of the Melbourne CBD, you are sandwiched between skyscrapers and elegant 19th century architecture –a contrast of new and old. It’s a space conducive to conversation.
In its first year of trading, Caretakers placed number 60 on the longlist of the Top 50 World’s Best Bars list, the only Australian bar to make the cut. This week, they went one better and placed 23rd in the 2023 list. Onwards and upwards.
Exploration and surfing have always gone hand in hand.
Olotsara Retreat is a 65km adventure west of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. We say adventure because getting there is no cruise down a highway – expect bumpy roads, rickety bridges and only one sign – ‘turn for Olotsara’.
Once there, you’ll be escorted to one of five rustic bungalows, all with epic beach views. This or a tent on the beach, if that’s more your vibe.
While most surf in the Solomons is in the Western Province, there are more and more waves being discovered in Guadalcanal, too. A stay at Olotsara is a hark back to the 1970s and 1980s, when surfing was still in its relative infancy in the western world, and brand new waves were being discovered every year.
For what it’s worth, there are two main breaks Panukurutu, a right-hander, is about a fifteen-minute boat drive north of Olotsara. Nughu Kiki Tiaro is a break for the goofy footers and is a more exposed break south of Olotsara that attracts more South swell. They also offer board hire, and transport to and from the breaks by boat.
A trip to Olotsara is a great weekend adventure or the perfect add on to an extended trip out to the other provinces. You can get a bus from Honiara that will cost you $60.00 SBD (around $10 AUD) or drive yourself, and there are plans afoot for a shuttle bus.
The 2019/20 fires burnt almost half of Kangaroo Island. The New York Times ran a piece ‘There’s No Place Like Kangaroo Island. Can It Survive Australia’s Fires?’ Three years on, the answer to that is a resounding yes.
Here’s our pick for six experiences at this special destination this summer.
Regenerative Tourism
Any tourism you bring onto the island will help this magical destination continue its bounce, but the KI Wilderness Trail – Fire Recovery Experience is one that will place you uniquely at the heart of the disaster, and the subsequent regeneration. Prepare to be inspired over the course of hikes ranging from a day through to five full days, and see the regrowth of mother nature.
The thing we love about Kangaroo Island’s accommodation is that they all seem to get it; let the location speak for itself. There’s a swathe of epic, low-key stays like Kangaroo Beach Lodge, where the beach you are staying on is so secluded that you could probably walk down it naked down if you wanted (we’re not advocating this but hey, you do you). There’s a bloody nice deck to sit out and enjoy a cold one, while watching the sun set over an extraordinary stretch of Aussie coast.
Uncrowded waves is mostly a pipedream on the mainland these days, but the only locals you’ll need to share with on Kangaroo Island are dolphins. Two surf breaks get lost recommend are Vivonne Bay, where left and righthand waves break over sand, and where there’s picturesque, crystal-clear water, and D’Estrees Bay, a consistent, more advanced wave where there’s picturesque crystal-clear water.
GO DOWN THE DUNES
If you’ve had enough of surfing waves then do the same on sand. Less than a 10-minute drive from Vivonne Bay, hire a sandboard or toboggan and fang down epic dunes – about 70 metres above sea level. Fat bikes are also available.
Whip up a Bahama Mama or a Sexy Monkey at Kangaroo Island Spirits’ Cellar Door Cocktail Masterclass, and get ‘Low Key Island Lit’ which is a special category of lit you probably don’t know about. Kangaroo Island Spirits by the way have been making gin, spirits and cocktails for a long time now – they are the birthplace of Australian gin. They’ve gotten seriously good at it, and so they’ll be winning spirits you’ll be using.
People either seem to love or hate oysters. If you love these salty, slippery suckers, hit up The Oyster Farm Shop, where you can get the freshest local oysters on the Island plus, Wild Marron, Abalone, Abalini, King George Whiting and more.
The Calile Hotel in inner-city Brisbane is like the best of both worlds: a stunning tropical paradise based in the midst of a rising urban metropolis.
It was recently ranked the 12th best hotel in the world by influential and respected World’s Best group, comprised of almost 600 independent industry leaders.
It’s got one of the most aesthetically pleasing swimming pools we’ve seen, set amongst bold architecture which works on every turn.
The colours are very ‘northern-cool’; a term we’re inventing to describe the palette of pastels that seem to work so well on a swathe of new Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast hotels. Palm trees are also very in at the moment, and The Calile has heaps of them.
As we continue uncontrollable runaway train which is the countdown to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, which is down to a mere nine years, it is places like The Calile Hotel which confirm the Brown Snake’s reputation as a city on the rise.
Out: iPhone, traffic and living expenses. In: Fresh air, gum trees and natural expanses
Into the Wild Escapes are a set of tiny homes that seem to be multiplying faster than Catholic rabbits, with almost 50 stays now dotted across Australia’s eastern states.
One of these escapes is Maggie—a beautifully simple, spatially economic structure set in Victoria’s high country beneath some of the brightest stars in the world. The further you make it up the long winding driveway leading to Maggie, the more secluded you feel from the outside world. We highly recommend.
Traditionally, you wouldn’t describe Maggie as luxurious. But then that depends on your definition of luxury—waking up with someone (hopefully) very nice, drinking coffee with a panoramic view of the lush high country? Small home, big luxury vibes.
“You’ve been sentenced to a couple of nights in Pentridge,” — not something you wanted to hear between 1851 and 1997, when the tall bluestone walls of Pentridge Prison housed some of Australia’s most notorious criminals.
If you’re hearing it now though, it’s good news, given the brand-new urban wellness retreat, The Interlude, at Pentridge—a converted jail. And while you’ll walk through the same intimidating prison gates as the likes of Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, escapee Ronald Ryan and even Ned Kelly, you’re in for a slightly different experience.
There are 19 exclusive heritage suites, each created out of the original cells with vaulted brick ceilings, thick cell doors and bluestone walls. The walls they did demolish (to create more expansive bedrooms) took two weeks to break down, FYI. Meanwhile the bar features former cells converted into cosy booths and a wine cellar that was also a cell. A cell-ar, if you will. But the highlight of the entire hotel is surely found below ground, where there’s a candlelit pool that took three months to dig by hand.
One of the world’s most trusted travel brands has turned 50. Lonely Planet has been the bible for adventurous travellers the world over ever since the release of Across Asia on the Cheap in 1973.
Conceived by British-Australian power-travel-couple Tony and Jill Wheeler (pictured below, arriving in Australia in 1972), the little blue books have been like super powers for intrepid travellers over the last five decades, concealed somewhere in a backpack until revealing, when called upon, the coordinates of a bar deep in the Amazon or a difficult-to-find hostel next to waterfall in Thailand, or how to say hello in Yoruba.
The numbers
150 million – number of Lonely Planet guidebooks printed
4 destinations have exceed 2 million copies – Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and India
50 – South East Asia (formerly Across Asia on the Cheap) has been in print for 50 years across 19 editions.
320 – the number of travel writers that have hit the road since the pandemic restrictions lifted in 2022
1 – USSR edition, given that country had dissolved by the time the book had printed
33 – the number of languages Lonely Planet publications have been translated into
95% – the % of destination content covered in Lonely Planet’s printed guidebooks
100% – all Lonely Planet titles are printed on FSC paper
From one set of travelling pioneers to the OG – congratulations on 50 years of bailing us out of trouble in the farthest flung locations.
In the crisp morning air, our feet crunch lightly on the rainforest floor. The only other sound is coming from the birds who holler at each other across the canopy, as if in conversation. One foot in front of the other, I let my mind drift gently away. And then—“oh f*ck!
I lurch off the trail, shouting “it’s a f*cking snake!” My girlfriend, a few paces back, lets out a little squeal and runs an unnecessary distance back. Regaining my footing, I look closer—laying just where my foot was meant to be planted is a perfectly camouflaged carpet python, her scaly back glistening in the day’s light, tongue flickering in and out as she tries to figure out what this big, blonde, hairy alien is doing in her forest.
We are exploring a different side of K’gari, the world’s largest sand island, formerly known as Fraser Island. We’re hiking through extraordinary rainforest where thousand-year-old trees reach up to create a dense green canopy, and crystal-clear streams trickle through lush undergrowth. Right now, we’re two days into the trek and we’re yet to see another hiker hit the trail. The only sounds we hear are the myriad of birds that call this utopia home.
Click play to watch
The story of K’gari’s creation continues to echo in my mind, since it was shared with me by Luke Barrowcliffe, one of the island’s traditional owners. Luke is a part of the Butchulla nation, a group of people who, according to archaeological evidence, have lived on and cared for this island for at least 5,000 years, and possibly up to 50,000 years.
“When we think about K’gari, it’s like home to us, it’s our country,” he says.
“It’s like walking into your own house that you own —when you walk in that door, you feel at home. When we come over here, we feel that same way every time.
“You feel totally removed from urban civilisation. As soon as you come across here, you leave it all behind,” he explains.
According to Luke, K’gari was a white spirit who helped the god Yendingie create the most beautiful place of all. K’gari then decided to rest there, and transformed into the island itself.
K’gari (pronounced ‘Gurri’) in Butchulla language, was created with her eyes forming the lakes—always facing up to the sky country. She was clothed with trees and shrubs before the Butchulla People were created, so as time went on, K’gari would never be lonely. The Butchulla People lived and died by three laws:
This story is with me now as I wander through the same bushland Luke’s ancestors did thousands of years ago. I wonder how K’gari felt when the Butchulla People were forcibly removed from her?
Our sandy trail winds through and around some of the largest and most impressive trees I have ever laid eyes on. We’re in the aptly named ‘Valley of the Giants’ and I feel tiny in their presence. There are even giants among the giants here; some of these satinay trees are a mind-bending 1,000 years old, meaning we are in the presence of some of the oldest continuously living organisms on earth.
As I lean against an ancient trunk, I imagine Butchulla ancestors moving silently through this same forest, gathering food and making shelter, possibly under this very tree. This tree was chilling here when the Vikings were raiding Europe; when Genghis Khan and Marco Polo were born, this tree was already over two centuries old. In Europe, tourists line up to take photographs of ancient artwork and relics, here we can walk among a different, even older, kind of beauty.
It is easy to find an adventure that works for you on K’gari (see our guide below). There’s over 90 kilometres of diverse trails to tackle, and a multitude of operators catering for small group adventures who have an excellent head for sustainability.
Take our pack free, eco-hike for example. Following a much-needed rinse off in the misty Lake Garawongera, we amble dripping and sandy-footed into our picturesque little bush camp. Our tents are set up already, our overnight bags are there waiting to be ripped apart in search of less pungent attire, there are cold beers to drink and fresh food ready to cook. I could ABSOLUTELY get used to this pack-free life.
There’s also plenty to explore here, from wildlife and adventure, to tracing back through the branches of time. It’s even better when you have the opportunity to explore this wondrous island through the stories, songs and dances of its First Nations peoples.
For this island to reclaim its name is powerful and important. The island was formerly named ‘Fraser Island’ after Eliza Fraser, a Scottish shipwreck survivor in the 1830s (who was proven to have lied profusely about the Butchulla’s poor treatment of her). Before that, it was erroneously named the ‘Great Sandy Peninsula’ by Captain James Cook during his 1770 voyage. Neither of these are right or fitting for this slice of heaven.
Luke speaks passionately about his island, and he explains that there is a growing movement for Butchulla People to move back to their ancestral homeland, bringing with them their ancient culture that is completely entwined with this magical place. Hopefully soon, this paradise will have her people back again.
Air New Zealand’s have taken out an award for airline innovation at the Crystal Cabin Awards during the week, with their Skynest concept winning the prize for giving the common person business class privileges.
The Skynest is a way to make sleeping more accessible on long haul flights for those that can’t afford business, and it might just pave the way for other airlines to follow suit.
The Skynest is a block of six sleep pods in a bunk bed configuration which can be rented in four hour slots each flight, allowing passengers to put their head down and actually lay flat for a while. Pretty handy for some of Air New Zealand’s flights, like the 17-hour direct flight between New York City and Auckland, which is one of the longest in the world. It’s been received well and
The Kiwis also added the Economy Skycouch to their growing range of ‘things that make your flight way better’.
It’s essentially just a row of economy seats that can change into a couch after take-off, with a special footrest on each set to make it a little more practical. It’s not rocket science, but like the Skynest, it helps you lay down and sleep on a flight – invaluable in our book.
The not so clever
While the Skynest and Skycouch have been hailed as universal winners, we’re not quite sure about the double decker concept, which has been floated in recent days as another potential innovation in the air.
The double-decker conceivably means more seats could be squeezed into a plan, and you would think more leg room down low.
The downside would be having the seat in front of you a few inches from your face at all times. It doesn’t look too comforting.
It is only a concept at this stage, but we couldn’t imagine many things much more claustrophobic than this seating arrangement for a long haul flight.
(
