New Zealand Travel Blog

Are you struggling to decide how long your New Zealand dream trip should be? Or how much time your budget will allow? First Light Travel are here to help! Filled to the brim with travel planning tips & tricks and sample itineraries from our Travel Specialists, this definitive guide shows you how to have the very best adventures in the time you have available, whether it's 5 days or 5 weeks. However long you're here for, you're going to love it.

After your unforgettable adventures in the Land of the Long White Cloud, you'll definitely want to bring a small piece of New Zealand home with you. While shopping is unlikely to be the main focus of your trip, it's worth taking time out to browse our stores for treasures you just won't find anywhere else. Our cosy Merino woollens, healing Manuka honey, and world-class wines are worthy and popular choices, all of which can be grabbed last-minute at the airport. But consider making time during your stay to wander our local markets, visit artisanal studios, and chat to friendly local makers. When you immerse yourselves in local life, anything you buy will always remind you of your Kiwi experiences and adventures. You won't regret it.

New Zealand is the perfect destination for a family holiday. Here are some handy tips from travelling Super Mom Suzie who has holidayed with her kids all over NZ. Suzie points out the best cultural and adventure activities, the best child friendly hot pools and a lot more. Complete with a selection of family holiday itineraries to help with your planning process.

We are Michelle and Inke, we both are originally from Germany and came to New Zealand to do a five-month internship at First Light Travel for our Tourism management studies at home. After finishing this internship, we wanted to see more of the beautiful country and decided to travel to the South Island of New Zealand together. - The Dalai Lama once said, "Once a year go someplace you´ve never been before". This is our Mantra for this road trip, a trip we will never forget.

Hi my name is Elizabeth and I am the customer services manager here at First Light Travel. Every year I get to travel around New Zealand and try out new experiences. If they are up to scratch we will add them into our self-drive or small group tour itineraries. In this blog I have highlighted this years favourites and hope they will inspire you in planning your New Zealand vacation.

Nestled by the shore of its namesake lake, Rotorua is a gem of a city in the central North Island, packed with things to see and do. It’s one of our top recommendations to add to your New Zealand North Island itinerary. Rotorua is home to volcanic landscapes, soothing thermal pools and ancient redwood forests. Find out why Rotorua is a Bucket List Destination

We know that for many of you, the Northern Hemisphere summer is the perfect time for your annual getaway: the school year has finished, and many businesses are quieter. Luckily, it's also the perfect time for a magical winter wonderland tour of New Zealand!

Your honeymoon is one of the most wonderful times in your life; a time of intimacy and creating epic life-long memories together. New Zealand’s secluded, exotic landscapes are romantic at the best of times, but in winter, the romance here really comes alive. A sunset seems more vivid as you cozy beneath a blanket on the secluded beach; the stars seem brighter when you’re star-gazing from a steaming mineral pool; the view from atop a mountain pass seems more intense when the snow-capped peaks contrast with an emerald rainforest. Here are five reasons to choose New Zealand during winter for your honeymoon.

Planning the perfect New Zealand self-drive holiday isn’t easy, especially if you have never visited before. Sure, there are an overwhelming number of online resources and reviews available to help you, but can you truly be sure that a reviewer’s idea of the perfect trip would be the same as yours? Before you know it, the amount of time you have spent researching online is longer than your annual leave! At First Light Travel we will take the stress out of planning, eliminate the guesswork, and de-sign a trip to surpass your expectations. Better still, our service is absolutely free. Let us help you plan your ultimate New Zealand self-drive tour.