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Before we begin, New Zealand comes with a warning – Sammy AKA creator of RatPack went for 2 months and ended up staying for 2 years! The place honestly has it all, from metropolitan cities, epic areas of natural beauty, a load of amazing beaches and of course, the wine! If adventure is your things, then NZ is THE place for you.

We’ll be sharing with your our favourite places in New Zealand… including:

  • Franz Josef Glacier
  • Tongariro Alpine Crossing
  • The ultimate mountain views…
  • AND of course, how to be cash savvy when it comes to your camper rental!

Ready to be TOTALLY inspired for your New Zealand roadie??

Click images to see more.

The home of the ultimate roadie

It’s no secret that New Zealand is one of, if not THE, most beaut place on earth – have you seen the photos?! It’s insane.

You’ve got the North Island – known for it’s insane coastline and geothermal hot spots. It is also where you’ll find Auckland, one of the major cities in NZ and Wellington, the countries capital.

Then there is the South Island – the larger of the two and home to incredible mountain ranges. It is also where the Southern Alps are located (yup, told you NZ has it all) – so think, skiing, glaciers and insane views. The city of Christchurch can also be found here as well as the country’s largest wine region, Marlborough.

As you can see, there is quiitttteee a lot to see and do, so we’re gonna make life easier for you and narrow down the top places not to be missed.

Getting around

Bus

An epic way to see this beaut country is via the bus service Kiwi Experience – it’s super easy and a GREAT way to meet BackPackers especially if you are travelling solo…

Camper

Buuuuut, if the Bus Pass aint YA thing & you want your own wheels then there is no better place for it than NZ…and we can do all the boring bits for you and find you the best campervan with our camper comparison quote service, so all you need to do is sit back and start planning that epic trip of yours (very jel right now)…

The Ultimate New Zealand Bucketlist

Hot Water Beach

Hot Water Beach gets its name from the fact that within the two hours either side of low tide you can find hot water bubbling through the golden sand – like a natural hot bath!!

It’s a proper bucket list experience! The beach is also a wicked surf spot.

Cathedral Cove

Accessible only by foot on a 2.5km walking track is where you’ll find this epic rock formation.

It is a 10min drive from the famous hot water beach.

To beat the crowds – head there at sunrise or early evening (the perfect time for a sick photo shoot).

Kaikoura Wale Watching

Whale watching is usually a pretty hit or miss activity but Kaikoura is New Zealand’s go to destination to see these incredible creatures.

Get this – there is a 95% chance of spotting giant sperm whales.

The season is from November through to March.

Rotorua

The geothermal world of Rotorua is pretttyyyy damn cool.

An area of so much natural beauty – you’ve got smelly geysers, volcanic parks, lakes and water falls.

The area is the perfect place to take a glimpse at the rich culture and tradition of New Zealand’s indigenous people.

Hobbiton

I’m sure you’ve heard of this one!! It makes a pretty unique day out.

Lord Of The Rings fan anyone? The Hobbit? If so, this is the place for you – a film nerds paradise. It’s also a pretty beautiful place to visit even if you’re not a fan of the films. Who doesn’t wanna walk around a fake village of miniature houses for the day?!

Queenstown

If you’re a bit of an adrenaline junkie, then Queenstown is where it is at!!

In the summer there’s bungee jumping, sky diving, white water rafting and jet boating (to name a few). Then when it turns to winter, the Southern Alps are your playground – yep, you can ski in NZ!!

Mount Maunganui

Mount Maunganui is a pretty little beachy suburb in the North Island.

A chance to slowwww it down and chill out – think white sandy beaches and wicked surf spots.

Mount Cook

The highest mountain in NZ – Mount Cook. This bad boy is 3,724 metres and a pretty epic sight!

The mountain can be found in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park which is home to the highest mountains and the longest glaciers in the country.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

This is an EPIC spot to hike to see the blue pool in Tongariro National Park.. Without a doubt one of the most popular hikes in the whole of NZ and a RatPack fave…

The views of the surrounding scenery are just UNREAL and you’ll see volcanic peaks…

Milford Sound & Fiordland National Park

Milford sound is a fiord – meaning a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs formed by glaciers.

Fiordland National Park is an un-spoilt and naturally beautiful spot, you can’t miss it! Look forward to waterfalls, incredible surroundings and ink black water.

Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is a small town in the South Island and let me tell you – this place is the definition of picturesque.

The spot is known for being a sick star gazing spot. It is also home to Tekapo Springs Hot Pools…did someone say spaaaaa day?

Aurora Australis

NZ just keeps giving!! So you know about the Northern Lights right? The dancing colours in the sky…well, New Zealand has the Southern Lights AKA Aurora Australis.

So, if you’re lucky you may spot the night display.

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About the Author: Sammy
You can never EVER forget where your from – In my case Manchester, UK. But for now and for...

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15 March 2024

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14 March 2024

I can only sing Ben’s praises when it comes to booking a camper van. He managed to price match for a competitive company and was so helpful with providing us with all the information we need for our upcoming trip to New Zealand. Excellent communication throughout and overall a lovely, stress free booking experience. Thank you!

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Kris made what could have been a complex process, quick and efficient….many thanks for the money saved from alternatively going direct to suppliers

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13 March 2024

I had an exceptional experience renting a campervan with Ben's assistance. From start to finish, Ben provided top-notch customer service, answering all my questions promptly and ensuring a smooth rental process. We were able to book a camper van at a reasonable price within a couple of hours. I highly recommend Ben and Ratpack Travel to anyone looking for a hassle-free campervan rental experience.

James Read
13 March 2024

We were really struggling to decide on campers, plans and general itinerary. However when we found RatPack it really made life easy Reuben jumped on lots of calls with us and ran through all our options multiple times.

Jonny Gould
12 March 2024

Reuben gave us a phenomenal service, from listening to what we wanted at the start, through to researching a range of options whilst giving his recommendation with context and finally supporting the booking using his personal contact. I cannot recommend the service enough, and it was so easy to manage through WhatsApp even though we’re on the other side of the world!

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11 March 2024

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