Whanganui Camping: Holiday Parks and Freedom Camping Spots

Whanganui camping. Whanganui sits on the river that shares its name, close to the coast, which means the camping options here stretch from beachside holiday parks to riverside sites deep in the national park. You can wake to the sound of surf at Castlecliff, park the campervan under trees a short drive from town, or…

Turangi Trout Fishing: A Practical Guide to the Tongariro

Turangi Trout fishing. Turangi sits at the southern end of Lake Taupō, and the town has staked its reputation on trout. Locals and tourism operators call it the trout fishing capital of the world, and the Tongariro River running past the township explains that claim better than any brochure can. There are only two species…

Whakatane Camping Sites: Holiday Parks, Beach Camps and Freedom Camping

Whakatane Camping Sites. Whakatāne sits on the edge of the Eastern Bay of Plenty, and the district around it packs a lot into a small area. Local tourism listings sum it up neatly: golden beaches, steaming hot pools and lush native forests, all close together. For campers, that combination is hard to beat, because you…

South Island New Zealand Road Trip: Routes and Planning Tips

A South Island New Zealand road trip is one of the simplest ways to see the best of Aotearoa. Snow-capped mountains, foaming waterfalls and wild sandy beaches sit within reach of each other on a well-planned loop, and the driving itself becomes part of the trip rather than a chore between highlights. The catch is…

Restaurants in Whakatane: Where to Eat in the Bay of Plenty

Restaurants in Whakatane. Whakatāne has a habit of surprising people. You turn up for the river, the coastline and the sunshine, then discover the eating is genuinely good. The district’s visitor website describes the area as brimming with culinary delights, and the listings back that up: wood-fired pizza, Indian and Turkish kitchens, Mexican plates, barbecue,…

Whanganui Restaurants: Where to Eat and Drink in the Little City of Cool

Whanganui Restaurants. Whanganui has quietly become one of the North Island‘s better small city food stops. Cuisine Magazine sent writer Alexia Santamaria to the city for a feature titled The Little City of Cool, and her takeaway was that Whanganui has plenty to keep visitors fed and watered. Discover Whanganui’s official Eat & Drink pages…

Ohakune New Zealand: Carrot Capital at Mount Ruapehu

Ohakune New Zealand is a small town at the southern end of Tongariro National Park, tucked close to the southwestern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, the active volcano that shapes the skyline of this part of the North Island. It sits in the Manawatū-Whanganui region and is classed as a minor urban area, which makes the…

Things to Do in Whakatane New Zealand: Coast and Culture

Things to Do in Whakatane New Zealand. Whakatāne sits on the Bay of Plenty coast, where a wide river meets the sea and the sunshine tends to stick around longer than most places in the North Island. The town is small enough to wander in an afternoon, but the surrounding district packs in beaches, bush,…

Accommodation in Whakatane New Zealand: Where to Stay

Accommodation in Whakatane New Zealand. Accommodation in Whakatane. Whakatāne packs a surprising amount of choice into a compact riverside town. The official visitor site for the area describes a spread that runs from luxury serviced apartments and motels through to camping grounds, backpackers and five star glamping, with apartments and holiday homes filling the gaps…

Restaurants in Ohakune: Where to Eat by Mount Ruapehu

Restaurants in Ohakune. Ohakune has a habit of surprising people. It looks like a modest mountain town, the kind of place where you expect a dairy, a pub and maybe a pie cart, and then you find a wood-fired pizza oven, a Thai kitchen with an indoor garden, a burger joint packing out the room…