Aotearoa New Zealand is known for its pristine natural landscapes but the North Island often gets overlooked in favour of the dramatic scenery of the South Island. Beyond Auckland and the Hobbiton Movie Set Tours, I hadn’t heard much about the best things to do on the North Island before my trip. After spending 5 days on the North Island of New Zealand, I’ve rounded up the best things to do on the North Island, including Hobbiton, Waiotapu Geothermal Springs, Rotorua, the Bay of Plenty and Hamilton Gardens.
Still on my wishlist are the Coromandel, Tongariro National Park, Wellington and Waiheke Island.
Hobbiton Movie Set Experience
You don’t have to be a Lord of the Rings fan to appreciate Hobbiton. Built on farmland to serve as the setting for Hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings franchise, the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour is absolutely incredible. Not only is it beautiful and unbelievably idyllic, but it’s seriously large – a genuine village! I was expecting it to be smaller, or less impressive in real life, but Hobbiton is not just cinema magic. Access is only via guided tour, which takes you walking all over the Hobbiton Village, past more than 40 charming hobbit holes, inside a Hobbit Hole (home), and ends with a drink at the pub from the film, the Green Dragon. Don’t miss this, it’s easily one of the best things to do on the North Island of New Zealand.
Hobbiton sells out weeks in advance, so make sure you book as early as possible. It’s a 2 hr 15 minute drive from Auckland, so you may want to stay closer, such as in Hamilton which is a 45 minute drive.
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland was the best surprise of our trip to the North Island of New Zealand. I hadn’t even heard of it until the morning that we’d visited, as I scrambled to find the best hot springs in Rotorua to visit (after reading terrible reviews online for the one I’d planned to visit). Waiotapu is a large geothermal park in the Rotorua region. There are 3 looping tracks through the park, but you can see the best sights on the shortest, the 1.5km trail which is pram and wheelchair friendly. There are steaming hot springs and acid green lakes, but my favourite spot is the Champagne Pool, which looks like an ever changing artists palette of bright yellow, green, red and turquoise. Allow 1.5 hours to explore.
Hamilton Gardens
The Hamilton Gardens may be the North Island’s best kept secret! Located in the pretty river city of Hamilton, the Hamilton Gardens is a sprawling public garden with a collection of dozens of themed gardens. Explore gardens such as the Italian Renaissance Garden and the Indian Char Bagh Garden in the Paradise Collection, the Sustainable Back Yard and the Egyptian Garden in the Productive Collection and the Tudor Garden or the Surrealist Garden in the Fantasy Collection. Entry is currently free, but a small ticket fee is expected to be introduced in 2024. Either way, it is absolutely worth spending an hour or two here – it is truly one of the best things to do on the North Island of New Zealand and such a unique place!
Hike Mount Maunganui
Mt Maunganui gives its name to the surrounding beach town, which is one of the loveliest beach towns on New Zealand’s North Island. Hiking Mt Maunganui is one of the most popular free activities in the Bay of Plenty, and hikers will be rewarded with stunning coastline views. I was planning to hike Mt Maunganui on our trip to they Bay of Plenty, but I fractured my ankle shortly before the trip – one for me to try next time!
Mount Maunganui Beach & Cafes
Mt Maunganui is one of the trendiest beach towns on the North Island of New Zealand. It reminds me a lot of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, like Mooloolaba or Coolum. It’s lined with lovely cafes, bars and restaurants, and has a beautiful beach which is popular with families. Mt Maunganui is definitely worth a stop if you’re on the Bay of Plenty! Make sure you stop into Elspeth Bakery onto your way into town for coffee, brunch or one of their mouthwatering bakery items.
Dinner & drinks on the Auckland Viaduct
Often mistaken for the capital (that’s Wellington), Auckland is the largest city in the North Island, and all of New Zealand. I didn’t spend long in Auckland, but if you’re in town, make sure you head to the Auckland Viaduct for dinner and drinks. It’s so pretty in the evening along here, and there are lots of great restaurants and bars to choose from. We had dinner at St Alice, which has lovely marina views and has a delicious menu – I’m still thinking about the caramelised kumara!
Rachel Springs in Rotorua
Rotorua is a town and region on the North Island of New Zealand famous for its geothermal activity and hot springs. While there are several hot spring and mud pool experiences in Rotorua, visiting the town of Rotorua itself to see the small but beautiful Rachel Hot Spring is very worth doing. Located in the Rotorua Government Gardens, entry is free to the gardens. Stop for breakfast afterwards at the Arts Village Cafe, just up the street.
Duck Island Ice Cream
Duck Island Ice Cream is available across New Zealand, but its original ice cream parlour is in Hamilton. It was so delicious, we stopped in twice over the course of our trip, on our way in and out of the Waikato region! It’s absolutely worth a detour. I couldn’t go past the toasted marshmallow both times, but there are plenty of flavours to choose from. Take yours to go, and take it down to a park bench along the Hamilton River.
On my list for next time:
The Coromandel
The Coromandel is one of the most popular holiday destinations on the North Island of New Zealand. The Coromandel is a peninsula southeast of Auckland, famous for its beautiful beaches and Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. It’s a 2.5 hour drive from Auckland.
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is one of the most magnificent national parks in Aotrearoa New Zealand. It’s more than 80,000 of otherworldly landscapes and was used as the setting for Mordor in The Lord of the Rings. Tongariro is the oldest National Park in New Zealand, and has been awarded dual UNESCO World Heritage status for its outstanding natural features and for its cultural significance to Maori peoples. Tongariro National Park is home to three volcanoes, so it’s important to educate yourself about the risk and check the current volcanic activity before visiting.
Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island is an island on the North Island of New Zealand, known for its cycling trails and winery. It’s a popular day trip or weekend destination from Auckland, and a popular wedding destination.
