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For my step‑dad’s 50th we spent two weeks in New Zealand chasing dramatic scenery, Māori culture and a very literal pilgrimage to Middle‑earth. We packed a lot into a trip that began with a roughly 60‑hour round‑trip between Dublin and Auckland and unfolded through Christmas and New Year.
North Island: cities, geothermal valleys and a hobbit hole or two
Auckland felt like New Zealand’s big‑city hub even though the capital is Wellington. It’s walkable along the harbour and easy to reach beaches such as Mission Bay and Herne Bay on foot.
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We based ourselves about two hours from the city at the Lakeview Lodge Kapapiro, the perfect springboard for day trips to Rotorua, the Coromandel and Lake Taupō. The lodge sits on some 40 hectares and offered sweeping lake views, two double rooms and a larger downstairs suite that comfortably fit our extended family.
Locals in the film industry have used the property: screenwriter Philippa Boyens has stayed there and director Peter Jackson has visited. The hosts ran the place like a boutique retreat—breakfast supplies replenished, fresh linens and even Christmas presents waiting on the morning itself.
One of our earliest excursions was to Hobbiton, the Shire set built for the film trilogies. The guided tour — ours was led by a guide named Stevie, who knew a remarkable amount about the lore — winds through 44 individually detailed hobbit holes. The Proudfoot house is built at about 82% of human scale; the low ceilings and small furniture make the set surprisingly immersive. The visit finished with a meal and a drink at the Green Dragon Inn, where the portions are, unsurprisingly, generous.
Rotorua followed. Here, geothermal activity and Māori culture are central to the visitor experience. At Hell’s Gate Mud Bath and Spa we were reminded that the site’s name was recorded by George Bernard Shaw after his 1930s visit. Later, at the Mitai Māori Village, the programme included a traditional arrival by waka, an underground hāngī feast and a powerful haka performance—an intense, memorable introduction to local traditions.
Lake Taupō proved to be one of the North Island’s scenic highlights. We took a catamaran cruise to see the carved Māori rock faces and even swam in the lake on the return leg. Food mattered on this trip, and our standout meal came at Bistro Lago in Taupō. The menu, created by chef Gareth Stewart, relied on local produce; favourites across our table included the eye fillet, Ora King salmon, Taupō lamb rump and freshly harvested Bluff oysters. Dessert fans in the group gave high marks to a Whittaker’s triple‑layer chocolate tart.
Practical arrangements were handled through Happy Travels, who booked many of our tickets and organised an eight‑seater rental car. When the vehicle had air‑conditioning problems they liaised with partners to sort it quickly.
Christmas Day was a different kind of celebration: sunshine at Tauranga Beach, a barbecue and a steep walk up the Mauao Summit to work it off. The following day we began the long scenic drive south toward Wellington, passing landmarks familiar to film fans such as Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) and the waterfall known as Gollum’s Pool.
In Wellington we visited the award‑winning Wētā Workshop, where prop makers and effects teams produced the armour, weapons and creatures for the films. Seeing Sauron’s crown, Gimli’s axe and the giant trolls up close was a highlight—there were plenty of photo opportunities and even the chance to try on some of the less valuable pieces.
From Wellington the Interislander ferry carries you across Cook Strait to Picton. The crossing through the Marlborough Sounds takes about three and a half hours; despite a forecasted storm our trip was calm, with panoramic coastal views and the convenience of a drive‑on, drive‑off service.
South Island: wines, alpine lakes and a fjord that lives up to the hype
We arrived in Picton to stormy weather but made time to visit the Marlborough wineries, a region famed for its vibrant Sauvignon Blanc.
The drive from there to Christchurch is long and scenic. We stopped at the Kaikoura seal colony and noted that many rural roads are narrow with little shoulder—drivers should take care. Over the two weeks we saw several air‑rescue helicopter operations, a reminder that parts of the country can be exposed and challenging.
Christchurch has been reshaped since the 2011 earthquake. A tram, the Botanic Gardens and a hilltop gondola give a compact city a pleasant, small‑town feel. On New Year’s Eve Hagley Park hosted a fireworks display and a concert by the band Kora—both free and well attended.
Lake Tekapo offered one of those iconic vistas you’ve seen in photographs: the Church of the Good Shepherd framed against turquoise glacial waters and snow‑tipped mountains.
Queenstown was the trip’s emotional centre for many of us. The town sits on Lake Wakatipu with the Southern Alps closing in around it. We tried the Skyline luges and joined a Nomad Safaris Lord of the Rings tour to Glenorchy, exploring landscapes used to represent Isengard, Lothlórien and Ithilien. There was even a moment of dressing up and swords‑play that felt gloriously childish and entirely appropriate.
We saved Milford Sound until the end. Often described as New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction and called by some an “eighth wonder,” its dramatic fjords were carved by glaciers and now rise in cliffs of more than 1,200 metres in places. We took a business‑class cruise: the land transfer through Homer Tunnel, the guides, hot towels, photo stops and a boat with three viewing decks combined into a premium experience.
The onboard meal was a five‑course tasting menu by chef Tom Hishon billed as a “Taste of Murihiku,” showcasing local ingredients such as freshwater eel, blackfoot pāua, Fiordland wapiti and seasonal tītī, paired with Cloudy Bay sparkling wine. We passed Stirling Falls—around 155 metres in height—and watched weather changes turn the scenery from misty ribbons to sunlit blue water within hours. Considering the four‑hour drive each way, the cruise and the gourmet menu, the fare—about €355 per person—felt reasonable to us.
After Milford Sound we flew from Queenstown to Auckland and then home to Ireland. It was a busy, rewarding two weeks that mixed film‑set nostalgia with real cultural encounters and some of the most varied landscapes I’ve seen.
Always drink responsibly.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ.
