There and back again- A Travel Counsellors Tale.. in North Island New Zealand

New Zealand. What can I say? It has to be the most stunningly beautiful country I have ever been to. So much to see and do here and never enough time! Here is my blog on just some of the great places to visit. North Island Travelling in March which is end of Summer/start of Autumn, we arrived in Auckland from a great flight courtesy of Air New Zealand who have to be the best airline I have ever flown on! Plenty of leg room, comfy seats, good food and wine, plenty of entertainment and great service. I am not a fan of flying and possibly for the first time ever I can say I actually enjoyed the flight! Air New Zealand also offer seamless connections to all other airports in New Zealand. Wine tasting and Tramping in Waiheke After a day of relaxing and recovering from the jetlag in Auckland we headed for the harbour and hopped on one of the many ferry trips to one of the various islands that depart daily. We chose Waiheke Island, only a 40-minute journey away, and wow - what a gorgeous place. It is wonderfully scenic and full of vineyards, olive groves, beautiful white sand beaches and award-winning wineries. There are hop on/off bus tours with commentary and you can spend all day exploring. We however were feeling adventurous and decided to take our own wine-tasting hike - known as "tramping" in New Zealand! We had a map showing where all the wineries were - what could go wrong? In short -nothing! The weather was perfect blue skies, sunny and warm. The hiking trails are easy, short and well signposted and the views and countryside are beautiful. The first winery stop offered several different tasting options including a $20 choice. It also had a lovely restaurant and stunning picnic area with comfy beanbags and rest areas with gourmet foods to accompany your wines overlooking the ocean to Auckland - the perfect place to watch the sunset, what could be more romantic? After exploring the cute village with its arty shops, we went beach hopping - perfect huge sandy bays and plenty of Instagram moments and no people! There are lots of other activities on offer here and accommodation gets booked out well in advance. After vowing to return and, when we win the lottery, buy a multimillion pound home here we headed back to Auckland for our next adventure. Coromandel Peninsula - must do's This is a fabulous area of rainforests, towns, beaches and hideaways, little more than an hour’s drive from Auckland. There is also a ferry from Auckland that takes two hours, or you could take a scenic flight. There is an abundance of things to see and do here including adventure sports, kayaking, fishing, diving, hot springs, farms, breweries, tramping, wineries, beaches - the list is endless! Driving is on the left, super easy, signposted and one of the best ways to explore. We however decided to lap up the scenery and take a shuttle bus from Auckland – cheap, direct, quick and stress free plus you can buy multi stop passes! There are plenty of places to stay. We chose Whitianga staying at Beachside Resort a small and friendly motel type place with great sea views and lovely modern apartments with everything you could wish for including a small pool and play area. Our bus dropped us off pretty much outside and then off we went to explore the town with its small harbour. Next, we took the ferry from one side of the river to the other and met our private driver guide who was going to take us to Hot Water Beach. The clue is in the name! Already prepared with borrowed shovels and buckets from our hotel we arrived at the stunning beach and Pacific Ocean and headed to the area signposted "DANGER VERY HOT WATER." We had checked the tides to make sure we were there at just the right time and after a bit of poking the sand we found the perfect spot to dig our own spa pool in the sand and relax in the hot bubbling natural springs - an absolutely unique Kiwi experience and an important historical and cultural site of the Ngati Hei people who have inhabited the area for a thousand years. As Cathedral Cove beach was only 5-10 minutes’ drive down the road we headed there next. This is only accessible by boat or by a reasonably strenuous "easy" 1.5-2 hour return hike. We chose the hike with incredible scenery along the way. Well worth it and you can also kayak there. Lunch in a local winery and fish and chips on the beach in Whitianga for dinner - perfect. Hobbiton - Lord of the Rings Being a huge Lord of the Rings fan, getting the chance to experience the real "Middle Earth" and visit "The Shire", the Hobbiton film set (now permanent) was one of the most exciting things for me! It is an easy drive from Auckland and Coromandel and we hopped on a shuttle bus from Coromandel arriving for the pre-booked early afternoon trip. It is stunning, with rolling hillsides and Hobbit houses with smoking chimneys, washing on the line and is just like it looks in the films with beautiful butterflies, birds, flowers and "The Green Dragon Inn." You are shown around by a guide who is full of movie secrets and insider information and get a chance to sample the specially brewed Middle Earth beverages! For a special treat next time I go I will be booking the Evening Banquet which is a guided tour at dusk with tables heaving with Hobbit fare - truly unique! Hot, smelly geysers! No not that type, Rotorua is a must stop on any North Island itinerary, not least because of the amazing volcanic underground activity. It is only a short ride/drive from the Hobbiton film set and you can take a tour or bus straight there. The smell of sulphur in the air is slightly overwhelming but the sights are like no other. There are several geothermal parks here and some free sights too. You will see bubbling mud pools, steam lakes and geysers as well as Maori culture, adventure activities, scenic flights, boating and more. An abundance of restaurants and experiences awaits including spas, cycling and rainforests. I can provide multiple activity passes for all these adventures. After some fascinating trips, being mesmerised by the geysers and sampling a traditional Maori Hangi feast with food cooked underground, we headed to Lake Taupo and took another hike to Huka Falls, a stunningly beautiful waterfall where you can go jet boating. We however "tramped" to the hot spring area with its hot waterfall and basked in the lovely warm natural pools. Next.. South Island!