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New Zealand is a country with fascinating landscapes everywhere you turn, friendly locals, and is extremely backpacker friendly.
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands are a must see on your backpacking trip to New Zealand with blue-green waters, white sand beaches, sun, and tropical islands.
The main town in the Bay of Islands is Paihia and is an ideal spot to base yourself. Paihia is a busy little town with plenty of hostels, heaps of bars, and sits directly on the bay.
While you’re here you’ll have no shortage of things to do – spend your days sailing around the islands, dolphin watching, diving, kayaking, or simply soaking up the sun on the Paihia beachfront.
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula is a quick one hour long ferry ride or three hour drive away from Auckland.
Coromandel offers up a varying combination of beaches, quaint fishing villages, and has great hiking options with the mountainous spine splitting the peninsula in half.
A visit here isn’t complete without sampling Coromandel town’s famous smoked mussels or soaking the day away in your own private and personally dug spa at Hot Water Beach.
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo presents plenty of opportunities for the backpacker.
It’s the most famous spot in New Zealand to skydive and you can only imagine the view of Lake Taupo from 15,000 feet. If you’re still keen to defy gravity, consider the Taupo Bungy which at 47 meters is the highest water touch bungy in New Zealand.
With heaps of hostels, plenty of outdoor activities, and a busy nightlife scene, chances are you might spend a bit longer in Taupo than you originally anticipated.
Kaikoura
Kaikora’s coast is home a huge variety of marine mammals – like bus sized Sperm Whales and playful Dusky Dolphins.
The main street in Kaikoura offers up a couple decent bars for you to spend your evening in and the bakery does a mean Kiwi meat pie.
Queenstown
You’ll want to add bungy jumping to your list as well as a trip on the famous Shotover Jet. If you’re keen to relax, consider a scenic hike up Queenstown Hill or go for a drive to sample some of the famous Otago Pinot Noir from nearby wineries.
The nightlife scene in Queentown is sure to satisfy the backpacker looking for a good night out.
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