New Zealand Travel Blog

We are Ashley & Jordi, Canadian & Dutch Tourism Management students in Amsterdam. As part of our studies we needed to complete a five month internship which we chose to do at First Light Travel in New Zealand. During our time there we were able to explore much of the beautiful country and one of our most unforgettable experiences was to dive the Knights Islands. A protected nature reserve with a rich Maori history, these uninhabited islands off the East coast of New Zealand’s North Island have now been labeled ‘tapu’ or sacred.

We are Rosa and Juuso, Tourism Management students from Finland. As a part of our studies we need to complete five months of internship, and we decided to do that at First Light Travel in New Zealand.  During our stay we have explored the country, and one of our trips was to take 3-days and Hike the Tongariro Northern Circuit in the beautiful Tongariro National Park. For us it was something very special as we don’t have anything like that in Finland.

Best New Zealand Day Hikes – North Island

What first comes to mind when you think of New Zealand? Our soaring Southern Alps? Windswept coastlines? Glistening lakes? Our country was made to be explored on foot – it’s the only way to experience the full extent of NZ’s striking wilderness. To show you how to incorporate a little hiking into your New Zealand itinerary, we’ve put together a couple of posts about our favorite day hikes. Here’s the Best New Zealand Day Hikes - The North Island installment.   

For most, travelling ‘down-under’ is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – and that is why it is so important to get it right the first time. On a small group tour is one of our most popular holiday options; a Kiwi expert will do all the hard yards for you. Visit world-famous destinations as well as New Zealand’s best-kept secrets and share stories of the country’s compelling past while you only have one job… to enjoy our beautiful country! We’ve put together some of the Best Small group tours of North Island New Zealand – see what you think.

We are Stephanie and Martina, tourism students from Germany and Switzerland, who were lucky enough to have the opportunity to live and work in Auckland for a few months. We love to travel and explore so were on the road every other weekend exploring the rest of New Zealand. The circumstances for this little trip could not have been better: the weather forecast was amazing and thanks to Queens Birthday it was a long weekend.  In order to explore the Central North Island we left Auckland after work on Friday, arriving in Taupo around 11pm.

Anne and Sophie get out of Auckland for a long weekend and explore tropical Northland and the Bay of Islands. With adventure on their minds they intend to make the most of the three day break and are looking for fun! Oh What to do in the Bay of Islands? Hiking, Sailing and Diving and thats just the beginning....    

Fiordland New Zealand is probably one of our favourite regions in New Zealand, and it’s not hard to know why. Huge waterfalls, massive peaks, glass-like fiords and fascinating wildlife – it’s one of New Zealand’s crown jewels, and paradise for those that love the outdoors. To truly appreciate the drama of this place, we recommend taking a side step away from the more touristy places. Here are five ways to get off the beaten track in Fiordland New Zealand.

With over 18,000 square miles of diverse natural wonderland protected in our national parks, New Zealand’s best-­kept secrets are well taken care of for all to enjoy. Wondering which ones to visit on your New Zealand self drive vacation? Here’s an overview of each of New Zealand National Parks – North Island to help you decide which ones appeal the most.