Given how much there is to see and do in New Zealand, is one week a long enough trip? In my fourth letter to my son, I answer the question above while diving into both the good and bad about a visit to the country that stood in for Middle Earth.
Dear Kid,
Back in 2017, your mom and I booked a trip to New Zealand for our wedding anniversary. That summer, the following exchange took place between me and a person who shall not be named (no, not Voldemort):
Me: We’re going to New Zealand in September.
Person: How long are you going for?
Me: A week.
Person [in a serious, perplexed tone]: Ohhh…is that long enough?
Sure, it was arguably rude that, rather than express excitement for our trip, this person questioned whether our trip was long enough. Nevertheless, it’s understandable as to why they posed the question:
- A flight from San Francisco to Auckland clocks in at a whopping 13+ hours
- There is a ton to see and do in New Zealand
In this letter, I’ll dive into the great and not-so-great aspects of our five-day trip to New Zealand’s North Island.
When deciding whether to travel somewhere that’s halfway across the globe, the question above can be tough to tackle. On the one hand, if you’re flying all that way and spending a small fortune on airfare alone, you ideally would travel long enough to experience all of the cool things at that destination. On the other hand, a two-week vacation can be expensive, and for various reasons (e.g. family, work, school, etc.) it’s not always easy to escape from your everyday life for over a week.
Is one week a long enough trip to New Zealand? Read on, then decide for yourself!
THE GOOD
The dining scene is a treat
There are two key factors that I look for when it comes to dining out. First and foremost, the food has to taste good. In my book, New Zealand definitely delivers on taste! Your mom and I were impressed by a variety of meals throughout our trip, but we were particularly enamored with one New Zealand restaurant staple – lamb.
According to Culture Trip, sheep farming took hold in New Zealand in the 1850s, and by 2016, the nation’s sheep population had reached 28 million (7x the nation’s human population!). In the United States, you’ll see lamb on restaurant menus here and there, but not nearly as often as you will in New Zealand.
In New Zealand, lamb is usually roasted, flavored with rosemary (by the way, if this Maui donut shop is still in business when you read this, go and get the rosemary-flavored donut!), and served with an assortment of veggies. Across several restaurants, we chowed down on a variety of lamb creations that incorporated different seasonings, sauces, and complimenting sides. Back in 2011, your mom and I fell in love with roasted lamb in Patagonia. Six years later in New Zealand, we fell in love with the tender, flavorful meat all over again (my mouth is watering as I write this). They even had lamb at the Subway sandwiches chain!
Ambiance is another key factor in my judgment of eateries. If the food tastes okay, but the ambiance blows me away (see my affection for the Rainforest Cafe), I’ll probably still remember the dining experience in a positive light. I like feeling transported into a space that I find so pleasantly intriguing that if I had to hang out there for multiple hours, I would enjoy it.
New Zealand’s eclectic dining scene offers culinary experiences across the entire “cool ambiance” spectrum. Your mom and I treated ourselves at sleek, upscale restaurants (e.g. Amano, Masu, and Nice Hotel). We lounged at a couple of extremely charming Cuba-themed establishments (Fidel’s Cafe and Havana Bar). To round out the spectrum, we indulged at a no-frills, fast food joint (Oppies Takeaway, per your Uncle Nils’s recommendation) that served one of the oddest combinations of cuisines that I’ve ever seen: fish & chips and Chinese food. The food was satisfying, but I remember the ambiance very fondly. With blemished walls and crookedly-hung decorations, the place epitomized dishevelment, but made up for it with spaciousness and an overall comfortable feel. I was so giddy to eat there (partly because of the food and ambiance, and partly because it was our final meal of an amazing trip) that I stood up while I ate.
Che and Fidel, or Che and a young Liam Neeson?
The land is a Lord of the Rings fan’s dream
Over the past couple of decades, New Zealand has experienced a boost in tourism as the shooting location for Peter Jackson’s critically-acclaimed Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies. If you’re not interested in me nerding out about my Middle Earth movie fandom, skip the next four paragraphs!
I was first exposed to JRR Tolkien’s fantasy world of Middle Earth when I read The Hobbit in grade school. I enjoyed the book, but became borderline obsessed with the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movies during high school.
In 2001, I went to see the first movie in the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, with your Uncles John, Mike, and Troy. We were mildly excited, but didn’t know the badassery that we were in for.
I’ll never forget watching the first big fight scene in which the fellowship gets attacked in the mines of Moria. Our lives changed forever when the movie depicted graphic violence for the first time to kick off a wonderfully-choreographed, close-combat battle. As orcs encroach upon our heroes and the fighting begins, Aragorn chops off one of the orc’s heads and dark blood gushes up out of its neck.
At that moment in the theater, your Uncle Mike yelled, “Oh shit!!!”. Feeling like a kid on Christmas morning, I thought to myself, “This is that kind of movie?! This is awesome!!”. That scene marked the beginning of my LOTR movie fandom.
New Zealand is an LOTR fanboy’s dream. Across the country, there are lots of opportunities to visit movie shooting locations, as well as planted references to Middle Earth.
Had we flown to New Zealand’s capital of Wellington, at the airport, we would have encountered sculptures of Gandalf the Grey riding a great eagle, and Gollum reaching for trout over a food court. While the former is a noble tribute to Ian McKellen’s classic performance, the latter is what nightmares are made of.
In Tongariro National Park, we visited Tawhai Falls, the shooting location for the scene from The Two Towers in which Gollum bashes a fish against a rock while singing his “so juicy sweeeet” jingle.
By the way, the cover photo of Tawhai Falls at the top of this letter is my favorite nature photo that I’ve ever taken (at least so far). There are a few reasons why:
- I took it at the shooting location of an iconic scene from a movie that I had watched dozens of times.
- That day, a storm passed through the park. As we waited in the car at the trailhead parking lot, I contemplated skipping the waterfall altogether. It actually hailed at one point, but when the storm let up, I decided to book it to the waterfall.
- Your mom initially decided to stay behind in the car due to the stormy conditions, but as I was photographing the waterfall, she showed up unexpectedly with a smile on her face! I was so pumped that we were able to hang out and be goofballs together at such a cool waterfall.
- While I shot the photo, it was blustery and it started to rain. I used plastic bags to protect my camera from the water. I’m DAMN proud that I shot this photo while conquering the elements!
Other LOTR experiences on the North Island include a visit to the Hobbiton set, where you can take a guided tour of Bilbo’s Bag End home and pay up for a Middle Earth-themed feast. In Wellington, you can visit Weta Cave, a sanctuary of sorts where you can check out sculptures, props, and art prints related to the films. Also in Wellington, you can visit the shooting location where the Hobbits hid from the Ringwraith. If you’re up for a lengthy, intense hike, you can hike up Mount Ngauruhoe, the active volcano that portrayed Mount Doom.
These examples are just a taste of the many opportunities to stoke your LOTR fandom. I look forward to watching all six of the movies and the [upcoming] Amazon original series with you, discussing the novels with you, and [probably] imposing a Lord of the Rings family Halloween costume on you and your mom at some point. I will make sure that you’re thoroughly hyped to visit Middle Earth!
New Zealand showcases mother nature at its finest
One key reason why the LOTR movies were filmed in New Zealand is because of the country’s vast array of naturally scenic backdrops. I’ll let photos do the talking for a bit:
Eye candy in nature is great, but being able to interact with nature makes the experience that much more immersive. Case in point, your mom and I took a dip in the hot springs at Spa Thermal Park near Lake Taupo. The frigid air made relaxing in the hot springs all the more enjoyable. It was basically like hanging out in a hot tub, except surrounded by nature and, due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide, with a subtle egg-like smell in the air.
In addition to the above natural wonders, New Zealand is home to an even more rare phenomenon, a species of glowworms called arachnocampa luminosa. Found in caves around the country, these Harry Potter spell-sounding glowworms produce a bioluminescence to lure prey into their webs. Our guided glowworm trek down into the Waitomo Caves was a highlight of our trip. It was surreal to gaze up at a cave ceiling littered with vibrantly blue-green, glowing creatures. There have been two times in my life that I felt like I was in the movie Avatar (which, by the way, I can’t believe that there will be at least four sequels to by the time you read this): while at Machu Picchu, and while looking up at the glowworms. It was incredible; if you visit New Zealand, jam a glowworm tour into your itinerary!
A bunch of other good stuff
- New Zealand is well-developed – Up until our trip to New Zealand, all of the countries that your mom and I had traveled to together were developing countries (except Japan). While there are many enticing reasons to visit developing countries (see my “middle of nowhere” ramblings in my previous two letters), there are just as many enticing reasons to visit well-developed countries. Simply put, everything in New Zealand is really nice! The buildings are modern. The roads are smooth. Transportation is reliable. Schedules are followed. The risk of contracting Montezuma’s revenge is negligible. Your mom and I returned home thinking, “New Zealand was such an easy trip!”
- New Zealand is relatively safe – When it comes to safety while traveling, I consider two factors. First, how safe am I in actuality? Second, how safe do I actually feel? I felt very safe throughout our trip to New Zealand, both because of research and because of how nice everything and everyone seemed to be around us. That being said, no matter where you are in the world, never let your guard down, kid!
- Maori culture is rich and engaging – Before visiting New Zealand, I had known that the Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and that they dance the haka, but that was pretty much it. New Zealand offers visitors the opportunity to explore the indigenous culture through touristy, but also engaging, Maori cultural experiences. Through our experience at Te Puia, we learned about Maori history, feasted on a traditional Hangi-cooked meal, watched a cultural show, and danced the haka. As your mom aptly described it, it was basically a “Hawaiian luau, but in the cold”.
- New Zealanders are a joy to be around – From our guides, to customer service, to random locals, the Kiwis (a nickname of endearment for the people of New Zealand) that we interacted with were generally very friendly and helpful. Also, I’m a sucker for a good accent, and I dig that New Zealander flare.
- The wine and craft beer scenes are solid – Thanks to its maritime climate, New Zealand vineyards benefit from adequate sunshine hours and cool nighttime breezes. Not only does the wine in New Zealand taste smooth, but it pairs oh-so-damn-well with the aforementioned lamb dishes. New Zealand also has a burgeoning craft beer scene; as of 2019, the country has more breweries per capita than Britain, the United States, and Australia. Having been spoiled while living for four years in the craft beer mecca of San Diego, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and taste of craft beer throughout New Zealand. Kia ora!
THE BAD
You have to travel far and wide to see the country
Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, New Zealand consists of two main islands, North and South (both over 60,000 mi²), as well as a few dozen smaller islands (most under 1,000 mi²).
To answer the overarching question “Is one week a long enough trip to New Zealand,” you first must answer the question, “How much can I realistically see and do in one week?” The answer boils down to the extent to which you’re willing to spend time on the road.
On smaller islands like Oahu (~600 mi²) or Dominica (~300 mi²), it’s relatively easy to bang out most points of interest within just a few days. In New Zealand, because points of interest are spread out over a significantly larger area, you have to travel far and wide to see them.
If you’re out here making it rain i.e. can afford to throw money towards intra-country flights, you can jet around the country and shave off some of those transit hours. If not, you’ll have to hit the road to explore the country.
During our five days on New Zealand’s North Island, we rented a car and drove about twenty hours total. Twenty hours of driving in five days isn’t for everyone. In other words, if you prefer a vacation where you spend most of your time lounging about or staying in one area, a New Zealand vacation probably isn’t for you!
If you do decide to gallivant around the country, the silver lining is that you get to see that picturesque New Zealand countryside. Throughout our drives, we were treated to views of majestic mountains, rolling green hills, and livestock for DAYS.
A bunch of other bad stuff
- Kiwis drive on the left side of the road – Driving in a foreign country can be daunting when the country that you’re visiting drives on the opposite side of the road that you’re used to. We found it easy enough to drive on New Zealand’s highways and country roads. As for driving in the towns and cities, let’s just say that we may have almost turned into oncoming traffic a few times.
- The flight to New Zealand is long – Due to its geographic isolation, to get to New Zealand, you’re probably going to be on a plane for a long time. From SFO to AKL, you’re looking at a 13-hour flight. To put it another way, if you binge watched the first season of Game of Thrones starting from takeoff, you would still have 5+ hours of flight left until landing!
- New Zealand ain’t no tropical island – Ok, the weather in New Zealand isn’t actually bad. I’m just saying that, due to its proximity away from the equator, New Zealand ain’t no tropical island like Hawaii where you can wear a t-shirt and flip flops 24/7, 365. In fact, it was windy, rainy, and cold during our stay in Wellington. We still had a blast in New Zealand’s capital city, but it would’ve been a hell of a lot more enjoyable if the weather was tropical. As far as the weather goes, living in Hawaii spoiled us!
THE BOTTOM LINE
New Zealand has something for everyone. It has fun cities that feature worthwhile attractions and a stellar food scene. It has countless natural wonders including waterfalls, beaches, mountains, geothermal activity, and glowworm caves. It’s generally very modern, clean, and safe. It’s one of the few countries that I feel confident in recommending to anyone.
While I did come away with a few nitpicks, the one that stands out is that points of interest are spread out across the country. To jam pack a week-long trip to New Zealand, you have to be willing to spend a large portion of your trip on the road. Also, due to the size of the country, It would be wise to confine your trip to either the North or South Island.
Based on my experience, it’s not a question of IF you should visit New Zealand. The question is, how long should you go for! I hope that this letter helps you with your answer.
Love,
Dad
P.S. I wrote this letter during your first Halloween season! As I write this sentence in our living room, the baby monitor is on the table next to me. On the screen is you sleeping in your crib, arm extended out to your side, out cold looking like a drunk, passed-out college kid.