New Zealand Adventure

I highly recommend saving up the money to make the trip to New Zealand. The natural scenery and wildlife is absolutely incredible. This photo was taken in Purakaunui Bay in the Catlin region of the Southern Island. My brother and I camped right along this beach, falling asleep and waking up to the sounds of the ocean waves and sheep. This was the first stop on our month long adventure. The South Island was packed full of incredible hikes, glaciers, cliffs, lakes, and fjords. 

From here we drove and camped, sometimes stayed in hostels, all along the western coast of the south island eventually making our way up to the Picton Ferry. We took the ferry to the north island and continued driving and camping, staying longer in some places than others. We found ourselves in a small coastal town called Raglan and loved it so much we stayed for 5 nights instead of our planned 2 nights. The community of people we found at a Backpacker's hostel and the incredible surfing conditions are what kept us there.  Hobbiton (The Shire) was just a 2 hour drive away and we were beyond impressed with how The Lord of The Rings came to life on the little movie set surrounded by miles of farmland. 

If you are planning your own New Zealand adventure I suggest buying a tent and renting a car instead of a big camper RV. You will help out the environment and you will save money on fees. It worked great for us! And there are plenty of hostels to catch a good night's sleep in a bed if you need a break from a night in a tent.