Where to start? Auckland

Auckland is a great place to start a New Zealand road trip. It’s a chilled-out city with great nightlife and a relaxed vibe. Take a few days to get over jetlag, explore the city’s street art and do some thrifting on K-Road. There’s a bunch to see as well, from the famous Sky Tower to the Wētā Unleashed exhibits for hobbits and elves alike.

North Island - see the Māori culture and explore the mountains

Feeling refreshed and ready to get on the road? Get to the Motorhome depot and pick up your Mighty Camper, your key to getting the most of out your New Zealand road trip. Make sure you have your road trip playlist ready (how about Open Road by Kiwi local Ra Costelloe?) and then an easy drive out of town can transport you into another landscape entirely. Take a spin up to Coromandel and enjoy sunset over the beaches from your home on wheels. Then head down to Matamata to check out the stunning hobbit holes in Hobbiton.

Your next stop should then be Rotorua where there are a ton of adrenaline activities to choose from but also a great chance to interact and discover the Māori people and their unique culture. These iconic experiences will create core memories that you will treasure for life.

Next, ensure you step into the lakes and mountains with a drive on from Rotorua to Lake Taupō where you can do jetboating and see some epic sunsets. Then, take the Desert Road on to Tongariro National Park and walk the Tongariro Crossing for the best views of Mount Doom (Mount Ngauruhoe in real life).

After some epic mountains, you can turn east or west. East takes you towards Hawke’s Bay, equal parts rugged coastline and sensational wineries. West takes you along some stunning roads – the Forgotten World Highway to Taranaki National Park to get some great pics of the volcanic cone and then down the Surf Highway 45 where you can enjoy the many surf breaks on this lesser explored coastline. The choice is yours!

Whichever road you take, make sure you go through the Remutaka Crossing road en route to Wellington, another scenic road that goes from forest to mountain pass to city in a matter of minutes. Once you’ve arrived in Wellington, check out the bars and live music on Cuba Street, an entirely different vibe to the North Island’s nature and scenery.

South Island – Great Walks, glaciers and stargazing

When you are feeling a new adventure, book yourself (and your motorhome!) onto the ferry to cross the Cook Strait to South Island. Hit your first highlight with a drive through the mountain passes to Nelson, the jumping off point for another of New Zealand’s ‘Great Walks’ – the Abel Tasman Coast Track. Abel Tasman National Park hugs the sub-tropical coastline so take a few days to soak up the sun in New Zealand’s sunniest microclimate.

When you’ve walked the coast, take the epic west coast drive further south, enjoy a visit to the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, visit the jade artisans in Hokitika before ending up at the glacier above the rainforest – Franz Josef! Take a break from the road trip in Franz Josef village and enjoy a whole host of activities. Hiking up to the glacier, rafting on the river, take a helicopter up to see the huge icy crevasses – there’s enough to keep you camped up here for ages.

On the other side of the alps range that you can see from motorhome is Mount Cook. Take the epic drive through mountain roads, across roaring rivers, along the shores of crystalline lakes to reach Aoraki / Mount Cook village. This is a must see as you can set off from your home for the day, hike down the Hooker Track to the banks of the beautiful glacier lakes to see chunky shards of glacial ice the size of your motorhome drifting in the azure lake – you have to see it to believe it. Speaking of unbelievable sights, in the evenings make sure you take a walk out into the inky night and let your eyes adjust, then look up to see a canopy of bright stars above – the best stargazing to be had in Mount Cook’s dark sky reserve.

The big finish - Queenstown

All good New Zealand road trips lead to Queenstown – perched on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. A town with a big heart but even bigger mountains surrounds. Say farewell to your camper here but keep the memories that you’ve made on the road.

However, don’t feel that you are bound to the earth because one of Queentown’s famous attractions is about to take your feet off the ground – the world famous AJ Hackett Bungy Jump. It’s going to be a nervy start but take the leap of faith and the resulting buzz will carry you through the next three days of exploring.

A couple of suggestions for optional side quests include heading out to Fiordland National Park – visit the majestic Milford Sound on a cruise or tick off another of New Zealand’s ‘Great Walks’. The Routeburn Track is the most famous, but the Kepler Track is equally as spectacular and the Hollyford Track is a unique quest from mountain to sea.

Whatever you choose, Queenstown is the ultimate celebration of New Zealand’s finest qualities – great scenery, great people, excellent vibes and the ultimate Kiwi adventure.