Alone in New Zealand with a small budget, this writer found the Kiwi Experience to be a blessing and a novel way to go off the beaten track.
There I was, alone in Auckland, New Zealand with nothing planned.My first stop was to a travel agent. Lucky for me, the perfect package came in the form of a hop-on-hop-off bus adventure – the Kiwi Experience.
Silhouettes by the sea: Mercury Bay.
It was just right. The trip was suitable for single travellers and it fitted my pathetic budget.
Kiwi Experience offers flexible trips for independent travellers and backpackers who want to go off the beaten track and see the real New Zealand.
The concept is simple. Decide which route you want to take, buy a bus pass, hop on and hop off the bus whenever you like. The passes are valid for a year. Travellers can spend as much time as they like in each place before catching the next bus to the following destination.
You can opt to pay for extra excursions and choose your accommodation along the way. I booked myself on the Northern Round-Up which took me through North Island, from Auckland to Wellington, and back again.
Our driver, a big friendly Maori guy who introduced himself as Q, greeted me with a big hello as I boarded the bus. We drove to Mt Eden, one of many dormant volcanoes in Auckland, before continuing our journey towards the Coromandel Peninsula.
Life’s a ball . . . when you’re zorbing.
We got off to an interesting start as somebody shouted that flames were coming out from the side of the bus! The engine apparently overheated and caught fire so we had to evacuate.
Amused, we trooped down from the bus and made ourselves comfortable on the grass. Most took the opportunity to make friends while some lay on the grass to catch some rays. We relaxed by the side of the road for two hours before another bus came to rescue us. We finally arrived at Whitianga or Mercury Bay in the evening.
As we had to make up for lost time, we began our journey earlier than usual and headed out to Cathedral Cove for a walk along the beach. We couldn’t experience the Hot Water Beach where water under the sand is hot as we missed the tide, but we did manage to visit Karangahake Scenic Reserve and stopped by a silver and gold mine to take pictures with a huge dump truck.
Rotorua, the geothermal and cultural centre of New Zealand, was our next stop for the night.
Rotorua is known for its geothermal activities and the best way to see geysers, sulphur-smelling boiling mud and various hot springs is to visit Te Puia Geothermal Reserve. We dropped by the Zorbing centre where you can roll down a hill in a bubble-like Zorb.
Our night was spent having a BBQ at a lovely guesthouse in Waitomo, home of the glow-worms and caves. I decided to join a group for black water rafting the next morning. We abseiled down into a dark abyss, tubed down an icy cold stream and marvelled at the sight of millions of tiny glow-worms hanging onto the ceiling of the cave.
It was like looking at tiny stars twinkling in a pitch-dark sky. An amazing experience.
It’s easy to make friends in New Zealand.
It was onwards to Taupo after that, a town that is fast becoming known as the action adventure capital of the north. It’s one of the best places to go bungee jumping and skydiving as the instructors are certified and the rates are reasonable.
I slept early that night as I wanted to save my energy for the famed Tongariro Crossing, said to be the best one-day walk in the world. Whoever said that forgot to mention that the walk includes a challenging eight-hour, 18.5km trail across steep cliffs and treacherous terrain in unpredictable weather.
It was sunny one moment and freezing cold (4°C) the next but the dramatic scenery and the sense of accomplishment after finishing the track made it all worth it. Tongariro National Park is the land of Mordor in Lord of The Rings. The Tongariro Crossing passes the base of Mt Ngauruhoe, better known as Mt Doom in the movie. At least I can say I was at the base of Mt Doom!
Nothing like a barbecue to bring people together.
I couldn’t walk the next day as my whole body ached from the hike. I slept most of the way to River Valley, our next destination situated among towering cliffs and bush-clad hills. River Valley offers scenic horse rides and grade five white water rafting on the Rangitikei River which runs past the front of our lodge. I spent the evening enjoying a delicious roast dinner and relaxing by the open fire.
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, was our next destination. This city is the undisputed capital of culture, the arts, restaurants, fashion and nightlife and is home to the largest cultural attraction in New Zealand, Te Papa Museum.
The museum is definitely well-worth a visit (and it’s free!). It was my last night with my travelling companions. We partied the night away and promised to keep in touch. It was quite sad to part ways as I had made many friends, including Melanie Kaenel, a 20-year old student from Switzerland who had come to New Zealand to visit her friend.
“My friend and I visited my girlfriend who moved to New Zealand a while back. We heard about Kiwi Experience through the Internet. It looked like an easy way to travel and meet fellow travellers from all around the world,” said Melanie.
Descending into the darkness for some black water rafting. — JOLEEN LUNJEW
The experience was cool as we made so many friends of different cultures and backgrounds. I would definitely do it again but maybe I’ll go alone next time. I found out that it is easy to make friends so you would never really be alone. You also have greater flexibility as it is much easier to plan for just one person,” she said.
Travelling with Kiwi Experience is highly recommended for single and younger travellers who are looking for something different rather than the run-of-the-mill. I certainly enjoyed myself and will be back to explore the South Island.
New Zealand, till we meet again!
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