Kiwi Bucket List
How is it already April!? 2018, CHILL OUT AND SLOW DOWN ALREADY!
But, really. Some years fly simply by, and this is definitely one of them.
Right now, I am sitting on my patio in Auckland staring up into a sliver of blue sky (thanks new buildings next door...) and smiling at my luck to still be barefoot and wearing shorts. I know, I know, winter is coming, and - trust me - I will not be excited to greet this one. Not just because Auckland winters are the worst, but because this spring and summer have been an absolute blast!
Like all years on the road, I created a 2018 Bucket List for our remaining time in New Zealand, at least for 2018. Like all of my bucket lists, I enjoy mapping out goals and ideas I have for my time in certain places or during certain travel chapters.
Last year my partner Kevin and I had an amazing year of travel around New Zealand and the South Pacific, and we're hoping to make this year count, too!
Kiwi Days 2018 Bucket List
1. Visit Goat Island, North Island
2. Explore the Coromandel Peninsula, North Island
How it took us a year to drive two hours away from Auckland, I will never know. But HOT DAMN this part of the world is breathtaking. We spent an amazing long weekend exploring the Coromandel Peninsula: camping in trailer parks (yes, trailer parks), wandering together along miles of deserted beaches, and driving endless, tropical backroads. The views were stunning, the weather was perfect, and the company, well, I can't complain too much...
3. Visit Cape Reinga Lighthouse & Sand Surf the Dunes, North Island
4. Run a 10K Race
5. Go to the top of the Auckland Sky Tower
It's living in New York and never going to the top of the Empire State Building. Except not like that at all.
Having our skyline dominated by this famous tower for the past year, we wanted to check out the views at least once. It would be rude not to! Luckily, in a recent Urban List article, I learned that Auckland residents get free tickets on their birthday, so we splurged on one adult ticket for me and went for Kevin's birthday in March.
It was a fun to check out the views over a cocktail, and obviously meant to be when I saw they had Cloudy Bay Pelorus as their house sparkling wine. Winning!
6. Complete the Waikaremoana Great Walk, North Island
After our stunning experience on the Milford Track Great Walk in December, we knew we were in for a treat with this Great Walk located on the central east of the North Island, but when the forecasted rain never made an appearance we were beside ourselves at our luck and the beauty surrounding us!
7. Hike & Camp in Abel Tasman National Park
The bookings for this Great Walk open in April, and at the moment we are planning it for November 2018.
8. Slide down the Rere Rockslides in Gisborne, North Island
When my sister Lisa sent me an Instagram message with a link to a video about Rere Rockslides, I knew it had to land somewhere on our Bucket List. Check out this great video by the blog Stoked for Saturday. It looks like a wild ride...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHucrduDIL4
9. Visit the Glowworm Caves in Waitomo, North Island
10. Swim with Humpback Whales in Tonga, South Pacific
I. CAN'T. WAIT. Visiting Samoa last year for a winter escape, we were blown away by the beauty, hospitality, and the AMAZING HEAT.
As I mentioned before, Auckland winters are not fun, so escaping to an island in the South Pacific is heaven (and conveniently just a 3 hour direct flight, hell yeah!). But when I learned we could visit during the humpback whale breeding and migration season AND SWIM WITH THEM, my eyes and heart immediately lit up.
Currently, we have our Tonga adventure booked for August, but are still crossing our fingers for this experience!
Last updated March 29, 2018.
