Traveling the world while maintaining a full time job and a life at home often feels like a series of very hard choices. Where to go this year, how do you fit in enough during your two week vacation without overdoing it, etc.
Whether to visit the North or South Island in New Zealand became one of those difficult choices for me while planning our trip. After looking at the attractions and the driving times on each island, it quickly became obvious that with the week we had to give New Zealand, doing both was not an option. So you heard it here first – if you don’t have at LEAST two weeks, you’re going to have to choose as well!
The South Island actually seems big enough that to do it justice would really require two weeks on its own, meaning my ideal dual-island NZ vacation would be three weeks long. If only we all had three weeks each year to spend in New Zealand, right!?
We ended up choosing the North Island. Read on for five reasons we chose that island, as well as three reasons someone might choose the South Island instead!
Why did we choose the North Island?
1. Lord of the Rings
While you can find Lord of the Rings filming locations all over New Zealand, two of the key places are located on the North Island: Hobbiton and Tongariro National Park.
When the owners of the working sheep farm were approached by Peter Jackson and company and asked to use their location for Hobbiton/the Shire again for the Hobbit movies, they asked that the sets be made permanent structures this time, and the tourist site of Hobbiton was born! On a tour you’ll see dozens of Hobbit holes, gorgeous flowers and views of the green, rolling hills, and get to have a beer in the Green Dragon Inn.
Tongariro National Park, on the other hand, features volcanic landscapes used to create Mordor, including the active volcano of Mount Ngauruhoe that served as “Mt. Doom” for the films. You can also visit two different waterfalls – Tawhai and Mangawhero – that were used as filming locations for Gollum (they are known respectively as “Gollum’s Pool” and “Gollum’s Falls”). A lot of CGI was used for Mangawhero so it isn’t as recognizable from the film, but it is definitely worth a stop to see the 75 foot waterfall with a view of Mt. Ruapehu behind it!
2. Maori culture
The North Island was inhabited by the Maori before the South Island, so there are more opportunities to experience the culture there. We saw Maori art at the Toi o Tamaki Art Gallery in Auckland and took a cruise out to see the Mine Bay rock carvings on Lake Taupo. There are living Maori villages to see as well if you want an immersive experience.
One of our favorite evenings in New Zealand was spent at Te Puia, where, as part of the Te Po evening experience, we toured the geothermal areas, saw kiwi in a night enclosure, toured the artisan school there, and then viewed Maori songs and dances and enjoyed a traditional hangi feast!
3. Smaller & more accessible
Since the North Island is the smaller of the two, you have a better chance of feeling that you’ve seen “most” of it with only a week to spare. There aren’t rugged mountain ranges for roads to have to navigate around, as there are on the South Island, so everywhere is quite accessible. Whereas I really do feel that you’d need a week and a half or two weeks to feel that you’ve seen most of the South Island. The North Island also happens to have more international airports and flights and four of the five most populous cities, so it’s slightly more accessible in those ways too.
4. Glowworms
There are a few places to see glowworms on the South Island, but the most famous place to see them in New Zealand is in Waitomo on the North Island. There are lots of options of different caves to visit and tours to suit any adventure level. Floating on a raft under a sky of blue glowworm “stars” was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to New Zealand!
5. Climate
The North Island has more geothermal activity, especially around Rotorua, so if you’d like to see a kaleidoscope of hot springs and pools or geysers – or if you’d like to try spa services like mud baths – you’ll want to visit the North Island. It is also said to have better beaches, and being north of the south island, has a more tropical climate and warmer waters for swimming.
Why might someone choose the South Island?
Photo by Edward Koorey on Unsplash
1. Dramatic landscapes
The North Island’s landscape is, for the most part, hilly and green (yes, like the Shire 😉 ), whereas the South Island is more rugged and has more variety. If jagged mountain peaks, fjords, glacial lakes, and plummeting waterfalls are more your style, the South Island might be for you!
2. Getting off the beaten path
Since the South Island is both larger and less-populated than the North Island, you may be better able to leave the crowds behind and spend time out in the wilderness. This is sort of the inverse of the point about accessibility of the North Island that I made before; since many of the picturesque areas can be harder to get to due to terrain and the size of the island, it might be easier to appreciate nature and feel that you’ve made it “off the beaten path”.
3. Adventure sports
Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand is known as the “Adventure Capital of the World” – in fact, bungee jumping and jet boating were both invented there! And of course, since that island is the more mountainous of the two, there are better opportunities for those interested in skiing, snowboarding, or mountaineering.
Whichever island you choose, you’re bound to have a wonderful time exploring the beautiful landscapes and unique culture of the region. We chose the North Island for our trip, but on future trips I’d love to spend time exploring the South Island, or even devote enough time to see both!
Have you visited New Zealand, or are you planning to go? Which island did you choose and why? Let me know in the comments!