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Photo essay: A road trip through New Zealand’s North Island

Words by

Photos by Kurt Ganapathy

May 2020

1 minute read

Take in the sights of a journey from Wellington to Auckland

As we ride out these strange times sheltering at home, the idea of freedom has become more important than ever – particularly for those of us with an unquenchable thirst for travel. We crave the freedom to explore new places, the freedom to experience new things and the freedom to meet new people. And what represents that kind of freedom better than the open road? Road trips are among the best ways to explore the world, especially when you’re in a country with awe-inspiring landscapes, heady history and some of the planet’s best produce. A country like New Zealand.  

As we wait eagerly for our next adventure, join us on a drive across New Zealand’s North Island, from the capital of Wellington in the south to the country’s biggest city, Auckland, up top, with stops in the educational and economic hub of Palmerston North, the Art Deco haven of Napier, the lakeside town of Taupo and the geothermal hotspot that is Rotorua along the way.

Wellington. An early afternoon jog along the waterfront.
Wellington. A moment of contemplation at “Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War” a World War I exhibition at Te Papa created in partnership with Weta Workshop. Originally slated to close at the end of 2019, the exhibition, which is also the museum's most visited show to date, has been extended to Anzac Day (25 April) 2022.
Palmerston North. A wary sheep peers at traffic passing by Te Apiti Wind Farm.
Palmerston North. The monumental Te Apiti Wind Farm, just outside Palmerston North. Each of the wind farm’s 55 turbines towers 70m above the landscape, and together they are capable of generating power for 45,000 homes.
Napier. A view over the vines at Mission Estate Winery, New Zealand’s oldest winery. The estate was founded in 1851 by – as its name suggests – missionaries from France.
Napier. Amongst the vines at Mission Estate Winery.
Napier. The moon shines over Mission Estate Winery.
Napier. The sun begins to rise over Hawke’s Bay.
Napier. A gull seeks out a spot of breakfast.
Napier. Silver Bullet Coffee's Airstream trailer is right at home in heritage-loving Napier.
Napier. The entrance to Charlie’s Art Deco Restaurant, a local institution which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019.
Napier. An Art Deco detail on a building on Emerson Street in Napier. After Napier was flattened by the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake – the worst natural disaster in New Zealand’s history – the city was rebuilt in the Art Deco style of the era. Today, Napier is regarded as the Art Deco capital of the world, a title that is cherished here. This building now houses an outlet of Amazon Surf.
Napier. A lunchtime chat by the sea.
Napier. A view of Napier Port from Bluff Hill Lookout.
Napier. The front door of the former National Tobacco Company Building, one of Napier’s finest Art Deco gems. These days, it houses the Urban Winery.
Napier. A lunch of crayfish and oysters at Takitimu Seafoods.
Napier. A pair of inactive lighthouses on the road out of the city.
On the road from Napier to Taupo.
Taupo. After cascading down the Huka Falls from Lake Taupo, water churns into a gentler section of the Waikato River.
Taupo. Twilight by Lake Taupo, which is New Zealand’s largest lake. Covering an area of 616km2, it is more than twice the size of Penang Island.
Taupo. The Lake Taupo Hole in One Challenge – sink the ball from 102m out and you could take home up to NZ$10,000. There are three holes of different sizes to aim for and, somewhat surprisingly, an ace is hit every two weeks on average.
Taupo. Red-billed gulls line up neatly by Lake Taupo.
Taupo. Black swans paddle across Lake Taupo.
Taupo. McDonald’s restaurants aren’t typically regarded as tourist attractions, but this one certainly is – one of its seating areas is a repurposed Douglas DC-3.
Taupo. Built in 1943, and delivered to the United States Army Air Force, the plane went on to serve a number of different airlines over the years in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. By the time of its retirement in 1984, it had clocked 56,282 flying hours.
Taupo. Steam rises at Craters of the Moon, highlighting the geothermal activity beneath the surface in this region. The geothermal walk is located just north of Taupo, on the way to Rotorua.
Rotorua. Sunset over Lake Rotorua, the North Island’s second-largest lake.
Rotorua. A croquet battle plays out in the shadow of the Rotorua Museum, which dates back to 1908 and previously served as a spa. The museum has been closed since late 2016 for an earthquake safety assessment, but there are hopes that it will reopen in 2021.
Rotorua. New Zealand played a starring role in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and the Hobbiton Movie Set, about 70km northwest of Rotorua, is a popular destination for visitors. This Hobbit-inspired house is located on the road from Rotorua to Auckland, and serves as a visitor information centre for the town of Matamata.
Auckland. As the symbol of the city, the Sky Tower, appears on the horizon, we’ve reached our journey’s end. For now.

 

Watch this space for our next travel photo essay!

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