{"id":22496,"date":"2017-10-01T15:59:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T04:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=22496"},"modified":"2025-03-18T20:39:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T09:39:37","slug":"new-zealand-north-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Why New Zealand’s North Island is the trip of a lifetime"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhenever I get on a plane to go somewhere far away, I just know I’m going somewhere special on the other side. It\u2019s like you get on a magical spaceship and when you get off it you\u2019re somewhere exciting,\u201d my niece Lindsey remarked as we were about to embark on our 30 hour journey from Minneapolis to New Zealand.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I looked at her and thought, what a fun way to look at long distance flights that most people think are a burden.<\/p>\n

Ask 10 people and seven will have New Zealand on their bucket list. \u00a0This was my second trip to New Zealand<\/a>, but this time I was taking my 17-year-old niece as part of my ongoing Niece Project travels<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 When I gave her the choice to pick anywhere in the world to travel with me, she chose New Zealand; it was at the top of her bucket list.<\/p>\n

\"New

The beautiful North Island<\/p><\/div>\n

We did the New Zealand North Island Explorer<\/strong><\/a> over her Christmas break from school. It\u2019s one of the busiest times in New Zealand, so I was thrilled to leave all of the logistics to Intrepid so we could simply enjoy our time together making memories and ticking off bucket list items on the North Island.<\/p>\n

New Zealand deserves all of the bucket list accolades it gets.\u00a0 What makes something a bucket list destination? For me it\u2019s about unique experiences you can have in a place.\u00a0 There are a number of experiences on the North Island that are unique to New Zealand as well as experiences that have a unique New Zealand history.<\/p>\n

\"New

My niece<\/p><\/div>\n

Here are a few of the attractions we were lucky enough to experience:<\/p>\n

Black water rafting<\/h2>\n

We started our trip by doing something totally unique to New Zealand: black water rafting in Waitomo. I did this exact same activity 10 years ago when I traveled through New Zealand, and I\u2019ve never experienced another tour like it anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

We squeezed into wetsuits, put on helmets, and turned on our flashlights to get ready to explore the underworld of Ruakuri Cave for black water rafting.\u00a0 As you go deep underground into the cave system you\u2019ll be greeted by glowing worms as well as a \u2018river\u2019 flowing through the caves. The darkness of the caves creates a natural anticipation and uneasiness; every drop, jump, and waterfall section was full of screams and laughter from our group.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a06 UNDERRATED NEW ZEALAND TOWNS YOU SHOULD VISIT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The home of the adrenaline rush<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cThis is the best day ever!\u201d Lindsey exclaimed.\u00a0 Now that\u2019s a statement every aunt wants to hear.\u00a0 I too was a bit woozy with endorphins the day we did our combo jetboat\/bungee jump.<\/p>\n

Our Intrepid guide, Sue, suggested this adventure combination as the ultimate thing to do in New Zealand, and she was right. After all, both jet-boating and bungee jumping originated in New Zealand.\u00a0 So why not knock these things off your bucket list in their birthplace?!<\/p>\n

Lindsey and I were both terrified as we walked to the bungee ledge<\/strong><\/a>, but fears turned to screams, and screams turned to laughter.<\/p>\n

\"NewView and hike around active volcanoes<\/h2>\n

The North Island is basically one big thermal wonderland.\u00a0 It\u2019s that heat and energy that makes the North Island landscape so unique. We stopped in Tongararo Park for a couple of nights and spent our Christmas morning waking up surrounded by volcanoes!<\/p>\n

In the park you\u2019ll view two volcanoes, Mount Ruapehu, an active stratovolcano, and Mount Ngauruhoe, an active composite cone.\u00a0 At times you\u2019ll actually see smoke coming from the cones, but they were pretty quiet for Christmas.<\/p>\n

There are a number of bucket list-type hikes you can do around these two beauties. Lindsey and I did the Lower Tama Lake Hike with stunning views of the cones, while others in our group braved the day-long and unpredictable Tongararo Crossing over the volcanic terrain.<\/p>\n

\"NewSUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID’S NEWSLETTER FOR MORE TRAVEL INSPO, COMPETITIONS & GIVEAWAYS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The heat is on<\/h2>\n

If you really want to put the heat on then you\u2019ll enjoy experiencing Te Puia Geothermal Park in Rotarua.\u00a0 You\u2019ll see and feel the heat bubbling up beneath your feet! Plus, for a really unique experience, see P\u014dhutu, the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere. It erupts once or twice every hour and sometimes reaches heights of 100 feet.<\/p>\n

Lindsey and I were both mesmerized by bubbling mud and colorful pools. But we loved simply sitting on the warm thermal rocks on the chilly morning visit!<\/p>\n

\"NewLearn about Maori Warriors<\/h2>\n

The Maori culture is the heartbeat of the Island, and completely unique to New Zealand.\u00a0 This cultural attraction is your chance to learn how to be a Maori warrior and understand how they lived and survived in such a harsh environment.<\/p>\n

Be prepared to learn to be feared, as well as go nose-to-nose in a \u2018hongi\u2019 as a way to share breath between tribes, and you\u2019ll even get an opportunity to learn the famous haka war dance. It\u2019s a fun hands-on experience complete with warriors and a giant cultural feast to end the night.\u00a0 Our fearsome Intrepid \u2018tribe\u2019 left with a whole new appreciation for the Maori culture.<\/p>\n

\"NewYou can choose to do any of the above bucket list activities or choose from a variety of other adventurous and cultural add-ons as part of the North Island Explorer trip.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

All of these places and experiences are great, but they are even better when you make these memories with someone.\u00a0 Traveling through New Zealand with my niece and Intrepid<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>made the experience even better than my first time in the North Island.<\/p>\n

\"NewAfter all, when you can share a place with someone, it makes it that much more special. And by the time we ended our two weeks in the North Island, our whole Intrepid group was like a big family to us.<\/p>\n

So get on a big magical spaceship and be prepared to land somewhere really special. New Zealand\u2019s North Island is what bucket lists are made for!<\/p>\n

Ready to pay this special, scenic country a visit? Check out Intrepid’s range of small group adventures in New Zealand.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Images all c\/o Sherry Ott at\u00a0ottsworld.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By the time we ended our two weeks in New Zealand’s North Island, our Intrepid group was like a big family to us. Here are 5 unique experiences we tried.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14940,"featured_media":22497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[286],"tags":[5,1183,1107,338,456,59,422],"class_list":["post-22496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-active","tag-active-adventures","tag-hiking","tag-intrepid-traveller","tag-intrepid-trip","tag-new-zealand","tag-oceania","ipf_theme-active-adventures","ipf_theme-walking-trekking","ipf_region-new-zealand"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew Zealand's North Island: 5 unique experiences | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By the time we ended our two weeks in New Zealand's North Island, our Intrepid group was like a big family to us. Here are 5 unique experiences we tried.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 reasons New Zealand's North Island is the trip of a lifetime\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By the time we ended our two weeks in New Zealand's North Island, our Intrepid group was like a big family to us. Here are 5 unique experiences we tried.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"ottsworldTravel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-01T04:59:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-18T09:39:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sherry Ott\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ottsworld\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sherry Ott\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/\",\"name\":\"New Zealand's North Island: 5 unique experiences | Intrepid Travel Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-01T04:59:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-18T09:39:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/264440dd3c5d1d1c264f9ec16edbf567\"},\"description\":\"By the time we ended our two weeks in New Zealand's North Island, our Intrepid group was like a big family to us. Here are 5 unique experiences we tried.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why New Zealand’s North Island is the trip of a lifetime\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\",\"name\":\"The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"description\":\"adventure news\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/264440dd3c5d1d1c264f9ec16edbf567\",\"name\":\"Sherry Ott\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b61629cdab260711c38571fc2d0deb3c51bb0f1156b1ec62b1b29e262576594?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b61629cdab260711c38571fc2d0deb3c51bb0f1156b1ec62b1b29e262576594?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sherry Ott\"},\"description\":\"Sherry Ott is a travel blogger and photographer at Ottsworld.com. This was her 7th trip with Intrepid, and 3rd trip to India! She loves small group tours as a way to get \u2018closer to the ground\u2019 in a country and let someone else deal with all of those pesky logistics!\",\"sameAs\":[\"ottsworldTravel\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ottsworld\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/sherryott\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New Zealand's North Island: 5 unique experiences | Intrepid Travel Blog","description":"By the time we ended our two weeks in New Zealand's North Island, our Intrepid group was like a big family to us. Here are 5 unique experiences we tried.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"5 reasons New Zealand's North Island is the trip of a lifetime","og_description":"By the time we ended our two weeks in New Zealand's North Island, our Intrepid group was like a big family to us. Here are 5 unique experiences we tried.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/","og_site_name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/","article_author":"ottsworldTravel","article_published_time":"2017-10-01T04:59:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-18T09:39:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":450,"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sherry Ott","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ottsworld","twitter_site":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sherry Ott","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/","name":"New Zealand's North Island: 5 unique experiences | Intrepid Travel Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg","datePublished":"2017-10-01T04:59:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-18T09:39:37+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/264440dd3c5d1d1c264f9ec16edbf567"},"description":"By the time we ended our two weeks in New Zealand's North Island, our Intrepid group was like a big family to us. Here are 5 unique experiences we tried.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg","width":800,"height":450},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/new-zealand-north-island\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why New Zealand’s North Island is the trip of a lifetime"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/","name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"adventure news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/264440dd3c5d1d1c264f9ec16edbf567","name":"Sherry Ott","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b61629cdab260711c38571fc2d0deb3c51bb0f1156b1ec62b1b29e262576594?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b61629cdab260711c38571fc2d0deb3c51bb0f1156b1ec62b1b29e262576594?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sherry Ott"},"description":"Sherry Ott is a travel blogger and photographer at Ottsworld.com. This was her 7th trip with Intrepid, and 3rd trip to India! She loves small group tours as a way to get \u2018closer to the ground\u2019 in a country and let someone else deal with all of those pesky logistics!","sameAs":["ottsworldTravel","https:\/\/x.com\/ottsworld"],"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/sherryott\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/NewZealandNorthIslandSherryOtt-115921-e1506824142623.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OQMK-5QQ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14940"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22496"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83033,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22496\/revisions\/83033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}