New Zealand is a truly inspirational and wonderful place for the travelling Northern Irishman. Ulster people like travel blogger Jonny Blair love it and they have highlighted some of the key backpacking in New Zealand tips on articles like this. To begin with it is a country of pure nature and happy people and needs to be explored so check out our top tips on touring New Zealand.
There are great people here. Looking at the 2,000 plus posts still to be converted from my written notebook to this website, I noticed that New Zealand occupies a bigger chunk of them than I expected so condensing is required. My two visits (2007, 2010) to this disconnected country were enchanting, exhilarating, non-stop and yet over in a flash. I've written a bit about my time there before especially in the early days, but here's an easy access top 20 while I'm still young enough to remember this sort of madness.
New Zealand was the first country in Oceania that I visited, some 2 years before I even landed in Australia. On my only two visits to the more recent Zealand they have been quite lonely, thought-provoking and inspiring journeys. Both times I backpacked alone, often without purpose. It might be one of the furthest countries away from your hometown (as it was for me) but this list will hopefully convince you that it's worth investing in some flights to New Zealand. It's a country just aching to be visited by everyone. Here's my personal top 20, though a top 100 could easily have been concocted.
Bungy Jumping in Auckland, North Island is a cool activity. I had just checked into my Auckland hostel, jet lagged to the hilt and was asked if I fancied going on a free bus tour of Auckland the next day, including the option to do a bungy jump. Having just flown in from Los Angeles, I was so tired, I didn't know what I was doing so I said "yes". This was back in 2007 around the time I had just started my travel blog. The next morning I was straight off from a bowl of weetabix onto a bus. The driver asks if anyone wants to do a bungy jump (must have been 20 of us in the bus) and nobody except me put my hand up. There I was off to Auckland Harbour bridge for a bungy jump. Epic. Three Irish girls joined me after and did the bungy (Ornella, Laura and Shauna). It's still the one and only bungy jump I have ever done. Of course I'd do a bungy jump again someday, but the way this one happened was mad so I don't think I could match that adrenalin again. I had a beer in Devonport afterwards and was totally still jetlagged. So this, and a few beers in the bars of Auckland was my crazy welcome to New Zealand.
Head on the Glow Worms Trek, Franz Josef Township, South Island. On my second visit to New Zealand, I headed to the west side of the South Island and ended up in Franz Josef for a few nights. In here I met some cool people over dinner including Natali and Alex (from Israel) and we decided to do our own night time glow worm trek. I organised it and we headed with torches on a dodgy walk through the rain on what was a great night where we saw glow worms and got free shots in the bar (thanks to me finding some coupons in the hostel!).
The experience of Climbing Mount Maunganui, North Island. When working in London in 2006-2007 I worked with Steve Jones from New Zealand. It was time for a reunion in 2010 when I met up with Steve on the north east coast of the north island.
Tamaki Maori Village, Tamaki, North Island - If you thought I was going to be the pro British male, think again, this country is Aotearoa in Maori, not New Zealand. The natives were here long before the British came in and it's highly important to know and respect. I headed to the Tamaki Maori Village in the North Island for a Maori performance and some Hangi food. It was another fantastic memory where they make me perform a dance and ritual in an old school custom built Maori Village by a fire. I was leader of my pack and got a souvenir to keep.
Head out to the amazing Pohutu Geysir in Rotorua in the north island. It's an experience you will never forget. For a travelling Northern Irishman I loved it.
There are great people here. Looking at the 2,000 plus posts still to be converted from my written notebook to this website, I noticed that New Zealand occupies a bigger chunk of them than I expected so condensing is required. My two visits (2007, 2010) to this disconnected country were enchanting, exhilarating, non-stop and yet over in a flash. I've written a bit about my time there before especially in the early days, but here's an easy access top 20 while I'm still young enough to remember this sort of madness.
New Zealand was the first country in Oceania that I visited, some 2 years before I even landed in Australia. On my only two visits to the more recent Zealand they have been quite lonely, thought-provoking and inspiring journeys. Both times I backpacked alone, often without purpose. It might be one of the furthest countries away from your hometown (as it was for me) but this list will hopefully convince you that it's worth investing in some flights to New Zealand. It's a country just aching to be visited by everyone. Here's my personal top 20, though a top 100 could easily have been concocted.
Bungy Jumping in Auckland, North Island is a cool activity. I had just checked into my Auckland hostel, jet lagged to the hilt and was asked if I fancied going on a free bus tour of Auckland the next day, including the option to do a bungy jump. Having just flown in from Los Angeles, I was so tired, I didn't know what I was doing so I said "yes". This was back in 2007 around the time I had just started my travel blog. The next morning I was straight off from a bowl of weetabix onto a bus. The driver asks if anyone wants to do a bungy jump (must have been 20 of us in the bus) and nobody except me put my hand up. There I was off to Auckland Harbour bridge for a bungy jump. Epic. Three Irish girls joined me after and did the bungy (Ornella, Laura and Shauna). It's still the one and only bungy jump I have ever done. Of course I'd do a bungy jump again someday, but the way this one happened was mad so I don't think I could match that adrenalin again. I had a beer in Devonport afterwards and was totally still jetlagged. So this, and a few beers in the bars of Auckland was my crazy welcome to New Zealand.
Head on the Glow Worms Trek, Franz Josef Township, South Island. On my second visit to New Zealand, I headed to the west side of the South Island and ended up in Franz Josef for a few nights. In here I met some cool people over dinner including Natali and Alex (from Israel) and we decided to do our own night time glow worm trek. I organised it and we headed with torches on a dodgy walk through the rain on what was a great night where we saw glow worms and got free shots in the bar (thanks to me finding some coupons in the hostel!).
The experience of Climbing Mount Maunganui, North Island. When working in London in 2006-2007 I worked with Steve Jones from New Zealand. It was time for a reunion in 2010 when I met up with Steve on the north east coast of the north island.
Tamaki Maori Village, Tamaki, North Island - If you thought I was going to be the pro British male, think again, this country is Aotearoa in Maori, not New Zealand. The natives were here long before the British came in and it's highly important to know and respect. I headed to the Tamaki Maori Village in the North Island for a Maori performance and some Hangi food. It was another fantastic memory where they make me perform a dance and ritual in an old school custom built Maori Village by a fire. I was leader of my pack and got a souvenir to keep.
Head out to the amazing Pohutu Geysir in Rotorua in the north island. It's an experience you will never forget. For a travelling Northern Irishman I loved it.
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during becoming a computerised nomad, check out the options for Northern Ireland backpacking and a new atmosphere of backpacking on the move and becoming a backpacking Ulsterman.