It’s a family trip to New Zealand! This was a gift to our mom from me and my sister. We saw kiwi, penguins, kea, seals, waterfalls, hot springs and geysers, hobbit holes, forests, and so much more. Completely unforgettable and I absolutely want to go back someday.
Pre-trip: Honolulu
In order to split up the travel a little (and allow everyone to meet up), we first spent a couple days in Hawaii!
Auckland
Our first stop in New Zealand was Auckland. I didn’t plan too much for this portion of the trip since I figured we could just explore the city!
Rotorua
Rotorua was otherworldly! We stayed right next to a geothermal park and seeing all the steam rising from pools, the street, and random vents in the yard was so cool.
Hobbiton
Everyone was super excited to visit Hobbiton while we were in New Zealand! It’s a very faithful recreation of set from the movies.
Queenstown
This was by far the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen! Even the plane ride in was incredible with mountains rising up on either side of us. Trekking up and down the hills got a little tiring, but totally worth it for the views here.
Milford Sound
This was the grand finale of our trip: Milford Sound. It’s actually a fiord (not a sound), and home to fur seals, penguins, and dolphins! It’s super far south (like if you went straight west from where it meets the sea, the first land you run into would be Argentina).
