Despite always being referred to as ‘the north island’ the 14th largest island in the world was officially only named in 2013. It became Te Ika-a-Maui which translates from Mauri as “The Fish of Maui”. The ‘southern island’ is considered to tbe the most beautiful which is surprising since The Fish of Maui has a sub tropical climate similar to Australia, is surrounded by white and black sand beaches, has many sub tropical islands and has the best preserved examples of Maori culture.
Saying that, I normally divide my itineraries by natural and city attractions but without intending to this post has turned in to an outdoor guide to New Zealand, as the country isn’t really known for its architecture or cities. I even surprised myself by including very few LOTR locations but maybe that’s because the quest wouldn’t have been nearly so epic without the CGI waterfalls and with a few relaxing days at the beach or hot pools! Haha
So without further ado, let’s explore the Fish of Maui!
1 Piha Beach
This black sand beach (even though it looks golden below) may be stunning but it’s also NZ’s most dangerous beach. The quick turning tides either side of Lion’s Rock has earnt the beach the highest number of lifeguard rescues in the country! But a beach this beautiful isn’t about to be avoided, especially with such great surf, making it the number one day trip from Auckland. Walk the ‘walls’ of the beach to get amazing shots like this one below, or alternatively climb the Lion’s Rock to get a private view of the Tasman Sea!
2 Kitekite Falls
Just a 45-minute trek through the dense tropical forest from Piha Beach and you will emerge into the clearing of Kitekite Falls. The magical three-tiered waterfall cascades for 40m before flowing into a natural pool frames by mossy rocks. Onlookers who reach the waterfall from below often miss out on the pools at the crest of the falls, which if you get the right angle can look like an azure infinity pool!
3 Anawhata Beach
Whilst all the Auckland day-trippers are running to Piha beach you should consider running to Anawhata Beach, just a few kilometres north of Piha. The beach’s natural defence, a 20 minute steep gravel path from carpark to sand, has kept away the hoards that Piha accommodates and keeps this cove a peaceful hide out even in the height of summer! The beach also has a collection of strange rock formations for those of you who didn’t want to miss out on climbing Piha’s Lion’s Rock.
4 Cathedral Cove
This cove may not have featured in LOTR but it definitely did in the Narnia Chronicles! You should recognise it from the second movie when the children emerge from the London Underground into this cove (if only)! Cathedral Cove is without a doubt in the top 5 locations on any NZ bucket list. What you can’t see from inside the cave is that there are shady trees overhanging the entrance, the kind that would look at home in a Mamma Mia set. Reach the cove by walking around from Hahei Beach at low tide and you’ll be sure to spot this surreal cave entrance!
For an extra treat, kayak out to Motueka and Poikeke islands just out of the bay and explore the islands away from the crowds. Your own paradise!
5 Wai-O-Tapu
Translated from Maori, Wai-O-Tapu means ‘Sacred Waters’, which include the Champagne Pools, Inferno Crater Lake and Lady Knox Geyser which constantly erupts 20ft in to the air! The strong sulphur odour can be smelt as far as the town limits, so get the peg ready as soon as you pass the Rotorua town sign!
Though you definitely can’t swim in any of these three volcanic pools, you can venture just outside the park to ‘Hot ‘n’ Cold River, where swimming is allowed. Many locals prefer this hot spring to the more well known Kerosene Crater which often gets too hot. The secret to Hot ‘n’ Cold is behind the name: it’s where a hot spring and normal cold river meet, making the temperature is easy to regulate by swimming around to find the perfect mix of temperatures.
6 Waitomo Caves
NZ’s glow worm caves have been at the top of my list for A LONG TIME! Combine that with the tubing tour and I couldn’t be any happier! Though there are about 10 cave systems from which to explore the fluorescent world of these glow worms, the most popular by far is Waitomo!
The majority of the world’s glow worms can be found in Australia and NZ. But despite being called glow worms, the bioluminescence is actually being emitted from the larvae of an unusual type of fly! Just like spiders, glow worms create long strings of sticky looking beads to catch their prey. Failing this, the larvae utilise a natural chemical reaction which emits a mint blue light from within their stomach, to lure in their prey! It may seem tempting to touch them but the larvae are very delicate and must not be groped. Sorry guys!
7 Whangaroa Harbour
If you were planning on going to the Bay of Islands but increasingly heard stories of how packed it can get then head to the far lesser-known, but equally stunning Whangaroa Harbour and impress the locals with your choice.
Narrow tiny fjords separate the fingers of the forested cliffs and volcanic outcrops, the two largest of which are the bare volcanic plugs, St Paul (best view form here!) and St Peter, which shade the two towns of the harbour, Whangaroa and Totara North. The sheltered harbour conceals numerous hidden coves and beaches for adventurers to explore between dips in the harbour’s emerald waters.
8 Bridal Veil Falls
Perhaps one of the most overused names when it comes to waterfalls, almost as bad as the number of pubs called The King’s Head, but that doesn’t mean this waterfall is any less special! (The Maori name for this fall is Waireinga – ‘leaping falls’) Just look at that turquoise plunge pool! This may be one of the most accessible waterfalls in the country, a maze of stone staircases and wooden walkways lead you to all the viewpoints but unfortunately no swimming is allowed due to the water not meeting public health and safety regulations. Strictly a look and don’t touch scenario. Gutted!
9 O’Neill Bay
This beach is loved by surfers but also landscape photographers who you can see trying out all the different angles this beach offers. It’s so secluded that it can only be reached by swimming or walking around from Bethells Beach, the next bay along! This is the best end of the beach to arrive at. As you edge around the cliff Kauwahaia Rock will come in to view, a little island right on the beach which is fun to climb and from which you can get a shot of the surfers out in the bay at sunset! The adventurous among you may be lucky enough to find the caves dotted around the edge of the beach.
10 Waimangu Volcanic Lake – Frying Pan Lake
Despite being renamed in ’63, the name Frying Pan Lake has stuck! The acidic water in the volcanic crater stays at a sizzling temperature of 50-60 degrees throughout the year and constantly billows steam from its surface, which rolls out of the valley like a private cloud canopy. (Just to give you an idea – water at 60°C takes one second of exposure to cause third-degree burns!) Peer through the mist and you will realise the surface of the lake seems to be bubbling, even boiling! This is caused by the CO2 and hydrogen sulphide gas bubbling to the top.
With half the properties of the periodic table melted in to the lake and water hot enough to remind you of that horrifying boat scene in Dante’s Peak (volcano disaster movie) I hope you have realised this is NOT one of NZ’s hot springs for bathing!
11 Aorangi Forest
The southernmost point of the north island, The Aorangi Park, features some of NZ’s most bizarre geological formations, the Putangirua Pinnacles (below) and two enormous slabs of rock known as Kupe’s Sail and Whatarangi Bluff. Lord of The Rings’ fans may know this stone forest by another name though… The Dimholt Road, home of The Army of the Undead who help Aragorn win the battle for Minas Tirith!
Hike to Pinnacles Hut via Web Creek (one man suspension bridges over waterfalls).
12 Whangarei Falls
This 27m curtain waterfall flows over a basalt column rock face which is great to climb on if you’re not afraid of slipping. Often hailed as one of the most beautiful waterfalls in NZ (which is saying something!) the falls and their pool was once a sacred place for Maori tribes who would come here to bless and bath their dead or ill as the water is known for its healing powers.
13 Omanawa falls
Definitely one of my favourite wild swimming spots in NZ as not only can you swim in the large pool beneath the waterfall, but you can also climb into the cave behind the cascade for a view behind the curtain! You’re not really meant to go here as the falls are fenced off due to safety concerns, with a few accidents happening each summer, but locals and tourists alike can’t stay away from such natural beauty.
If you do want to go, please be careful and ideally go with a local! If you can’t, then here are some VERY BASIC instructions: hop over the gate by the roadside, walk for about 10 minutes before reaching another gate which is usually unlocked, walk on a bit further and you will reach the old viewpoint from above (photo below). Just beyond is the entrance to the old tunnel which may be blocked with metal sheets. Try your luck and maybe it will open. If not, climb over the gates and instead of entering the tunnel, as you would years ago, walk OVER the hill! This is the dangerous bit as there is no path and the hill is very steep. Do not climb down if you doubt you can and even if you feel confident, hang on to every tree root you can. You may have to scramble over a little bit of the cliff face, but there are ledges and roots to hang on to, then you can climb down the ladders to the pool (ladders aren’t maintained). I hope you make it safely, always tell someone you are going! DO NOT attempt the walk after it has been raining, the walk is dangerous enough when the path isn’t slippy!
14 Putaruru or Hamurana Spring?
Putararuru seems to be the favourite blue spring at the moment, mostly because it’s free unlike Hamurana, which charges $18 per adult! Until about 4 years ago, it used to be possible to swim in the magical springs, but after they caught media attention, they became too popular and the tourists were ruining the ecosystem. The iconic green reeds under the water have only just returned! It’s a pity you can’t get closer to the magic, but the blue springs are still mesmerising no matter which you end up choosing!
15 Whirinaki Canyon
I was really gutted I couldn’t find a better photo of this canyon for you guys as it’s truly magical! This canyon lies in one of the world’s last prehistoric rainforests. Some of its trees are over 1000 years old! This mystical forest is home to many beautiful natural treasures including waterfalls and a lagoon, but my favourite by far is the Te Whaiti-Nui-a-Toi Canyon. This little canyon is lined with fractured basalt columns completely draped in a mossy blanket tucked in at every corner. Despite its tiny size, the impact of the lush moss against the deep black of the rock makes for a dramatic photo!
16 Rotorua Redwoods
You may have gone to Rotorua for the volcanic springs, but you shouldn’t leave without exploring its Californian Redwood forest! The tree walk (photo below) combines a chain of 28 suspension bridges, connected by balconies slung around 27 majestic 117-year-old Redwoods, allowing you to see these giants up close whilst floating 20 meters above the forest floor. The magic doesn’t stop there! Come back at night when the park lights big copper lanterns hanging between the trees and the walkway feels as if it were leading you into a fairytale!
17 Tarawera Falls
If you follow the Outlet Trail (2 hours either way) you can watch as the Tarawera River disappears beneath the ground before dramatically re-emerging, forcing its way out of the 65m high fissures in the lava cliff behind Tarawera Falls! The towering walls are the result of a colossal lava flow around 11,000 years ago and it’s through the cooled lava tubes that the river disappears and re-emerges along your hike. This was the same eruption that created the deadly Frying Pan Lake I mentioned earlier!
18 Donut Island
Whenuakura, as it is less popularly known, can be found by kayak 1km from Whangamata Beach on the mainland and entered via a 40m high sea cave. The inactive volcanic blowhole at the centre of Donut Island has two small beaches either side of the turquoise lagoon. Draping the walls of the lagoon are an indigenous tree, the Pohutukawa, known for its bright-red flowers in the summertime. The entire island seems to have floated down from the Philipines!
Though it’s not the secret it once was, it is still a paradise on earth that needs to be respected. So if you go, book a tour with a local kayak company who can tell you the myths lying beneath the crystal surface of the lagoon and protect this national treasure.
19 Manapouri Mermaid Pools on the Tutukaka Coast
The Tutukaka Coast is the turning off the main road just before Bay of Islands and is your last chance to see a bit of the coastline without the crowds. Whilst I strongly recommend you trek around the entire Tutukaka coastline, one spot in particular you should keep an eye out for is Rahomaunu Island, which juts out into the sea and is only reachable at low tide by venturing over the rocks.
Te Wai o Te Taniwha AKA The Mermaid Pools have unfortunately been so badly treated that locals have managed to get the council to close them off indefinitely to everyone in order to restore them. With nearly 1000 people visiting every weekend, some people had been leaving suntan lotion bottles and sanitary pads by the pools and even defecating next to it on the rocks. (Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I’m surprised this happened in NZ, a country which attracts nature lovers!) Before social media put this place on the map for the rest of the world, it had been a sacred place for Maori tribes and a serene bathing spot for respectful locals. I hope it gets cleared up and I might be able to visit in the future, leaving nothing but footprints!
20 Bay of Islands
So here it is, the more commercialised version of Whangaroa Harbour, The Bay of Islands. But I’m sure you can see from the photo below why crowds aren’t a reason to skip this natural attraction. Well, 144 subtropical attractions to be exact. You can explore them in any way you can think of, kayaking, biking, paragliding or sailing. Combine them and you will get to see as many of the bay’s treasures as you want. There are too many attractions to name, but some of my favourites are Urupukapuka Island (1st photo), Motuarohia Island (2nd photo), The Hole In The Rock, Oke Bay, Waewaetorea Island, Moturua Island.
21 Tararua Woods & Rata Forest
Surprisingly, this mythical looking forest wasn’t used in LOTR despite being buried in moss and laden with vein like roots to trip up unsuspecting hobbits. Even more surprisingly, neither was Rata Forest, which has even more gnarled trees which produce a canopy of red flowers!
22 Katioke Regional Park (Rivendell)
Kaitoke Regional Park was the filming location used to create Rivendell, though unfortunately the waterfalls were CGI. Take one of the many trails through the park and it’s easy to see why it was chosen for the House of Elrond. Not only is it a tranquil place, but magical as the light filters through the vines on the trees and the sound of the river gurgling in the background. No visit would be complete without seeing a few of the wonderous Weta Workshop creations which can still be found in the park, such as Frodo’s Rivendell bedroom, Elrond’s House and the bridge in the kissing scene between Arwen and Aragorn!
Once you have explored Rivendell, immerse yourself further by taking a dip in the Hutt River or the Kaitoke Hot Springs (some of the nicest I’ve see in NZ).
23 Castle Point Lighthouse
This might be the tallest lighthouse on NZ’s north island, but that’s not why I’ve included it. Instead, I’ve chosen it for small bay just around the corner from it at Castle Rock, called Deliverance Cove. If you are feeling brave, climb to the top of Castle Rock’s bluff and get a photo of the spit sweeping out to the lighthouse. While you’re up there, see how many seals you can spot. It’s not always easy to tell them apart from the rocks!
24 Marokopa
A great side trip from the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves is the beautiful Marakopa Falls, a staggering 35m high waterfall cascading over black basalt columns. To get to the waterfall you will follow a trail through fern grottoes hiding natural gems such as the Mangapohue stone bridge and the Piripiri caves. For the adventurous among you, there is a chance to go inner cave tubing here!
Take a further detour if you have time to hike to the mouth of the Marakopa river and see the dramatic switchback inlet to the sea and the rugged green peaks beyond.
25 Tree Trunk Gorge
Tree Trunk Gorge trail is an otherwordly sub tropical 12km trail reaching through the Kaimanawa Forest of dense native red beech trees alongside the Tongaririo River. As you near the second half of the trail, the volcanic rock starts to expose itself amongst the ferns. Towards the southern end of the track, the 145 million year old volcanic peaks come beautifully into view from an exposed ridge.
Watch Red Bull ambassador Nouria Newman literally throw herself and her kayak in to the gorge!
26 Hobbiton
In 1998, Sir Peter Jackson’s team of location scouts were conducting an aerial search for a possible location for Hobbiton when they came across the Alexander farm, which at the time was a 1,250 acre sheep farm. Luckily, the farm had no signs of the modern world, no power lines, no buildings overlooking the valley and no roads other than the farm track to be seen! A fully immersive world of Hobbiton!
With help from the NZ army, 39 temporary hobbit holes were constructed and burried in to the hillside in complete secrecy. Filming began in 1999 and tours began no later than 2002, incredible when you think that between those years the set was bulldozed, leaving only 17 plywood facades of the former hobbit houses!
Tours start at $75 which includes a fully guided 2 hour tour around the 12 acre set of the hobbit holes, the Mill and ends in the Green Dragon Inn where you will enjoy a complimentary drink!
27 Weta Workshop
As someone who loves movies and creating art, this is my Mecca, but it’s also a paradise not just for LOTR fans but also movies such as District 9, Tintin, Avatar and oldies such as the Thunderbirds! The most popular tour by far is the combo tour of The Original Weta Cave Workshop Tour & The Miniature Effects for just $48! If that’s the cost of being in creative heaven, I’m going to have to go more than once!
28 Kerosene Creek
This is such a popular spot that bathers have transformed the stream in to bubbling pools using mini rock walls to create a dam beneath the heated waterfall. The waters reach a cosy 42 degrees so it’s advised you don’t put your head under the water! Whilst we would all like to think this is the secret spot we are told it is, it’s certainly not, so be prepared to share your bubbles with other people! If you’re wondering about the name, you won’t be after you get a whiff of this hot pool.
29 Hot Water Beach
I love how literal place names seem to be in Australia and New Zealand and this one is no different. Hot Water Beach rents out shovels for $10 so beach goers can dig their own hot pool spas to lounge in on the beach. The water beneath the beach, or rather in one spot (see where everyone is grouped in photo below), is at the perfect temperature 2 hours either side of low tide. The hot water is a result of a volcanic eruption many million of years ago that has left residual heat that filters up to the beach via two fissures.
30 New Chums Beach
This is the poster child beach of New Zealand at the moment. It’s also been voted as one of the top ten golden sand beaches in the world! Unlike the world’s other top 9 beaches, this one is completely undeveloped and only accesible by hiking and that’s after you’ve used your own transport to drive here! The viewpoint above the beach is definitely the highlight of the hike and in my opinion is far more beautiful than going to the sandy beach itself!
31 Karekere Waterfall
Karekare Falls can be found in the western part of Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, which was the filming location for the very emotional movie “The Piano”. The waterfall’s plunge pool isn’t only surrounded by an unfurling fern forest but an easily accessible hike and it’s one of the few waterfalls in New Zealand which is open year round for swimming.
