20-Day Campervan Adventure to New Zealand’s Top North Island Spots

Tane Mahuta is NZ's tallest known kauri tree and is known as The God of the Forest. It's estimated to be up to 2,500 years old. At over 50 metres tall and a trunk that's more than 14 metres round, he is a truly impressive sight.

Join this 4 hour twilight tour and discover the forest's rich & indigenous flora & fauna. Learn of the Maori creation story. Witness forest transition from day to night.

At the southern end of Piha Beach is a short walk up to a view point over the beach, and it's an amazing place to witness the sun going down over the Tasman Sea and for a great view of the keen surfers down below.

Muriwai is home to a huge colony of over 1,000 gannets for most of the year (August - April) and the rocky headland has fascinating rock structures and blowholes well worth photographing as well.

This beach was one of Meghan's favourite finds - it's such a unique setting with a stream and rock standing proudly in the middle of the beach, and was the setting for scenes in the Oscar award winning move The Piano. This is also another location that lends itself well to flying a drone to get the best vantage of the whole area. Karekare Falls is also worth a visit while you're here.

At high tide the inlet is filled with the most glorious clear water for swimming and jumping off the rope swing here is an awesome and fun activity you're bound to enjoy. Park at the the intersection of Whangapoua Road and Tangiora Ave in the carpark and walk the short 5 minutes through the bush down to the water where you'll find the rope swing waiting!

Take the scenic (gravel) 309 road from Coromandel, you'll stumble first across the wild pigs running free (so cute and worth getting out of your car to watch for a while!) before you reach Waiau Falls, another spot for swimming and a beautiful waterfall setting.

New Chums Beach is a hidden gem when it comes to NZ beaches. You can only get here at low tide (so make sure you check the tide times) by crossing the estuary at Whangapoua and rock hopping and walking through the bush for 15-20 minutes. The amazing pink seaweed here adds an extra touch of interest to the beach.

This place is eccentric, eclectic and heaps of fun. Built by a visionary Barry Brickell over a period of 20 years, the scenic 1 hour railway tour up into the Coromandel forest is hugely entertaining and informative and the views over Coromandel Harbour are incredible from the top.

Ask Meghan where her favourite sunrise spot is in the whole of NZ and she'll tell you Cathedral Cove. It's an out-of-this-world experience. There are so many different views to capture here that you'll be spoilt for choice. You'll need to make the 30 minute walk down to the Cove in the dark to get there in time for sunrise. You can walk from the top carpark May-September but for the rest of the year you'll need to park at Hahei Beach and walk from there (adding an extra 15 minutes). Note that the walk through the cave to the rock is only possible at low tide as well.

There's something very unique about digging your own hot water spa hole on a beautiful beach. This is quite a popular past-time with visitors so be sure to arrive early (2 hours before low tide would be ideal) for the best chance to grab a good spot. Bring your own spade or hire one locally here.

Karangahake Gorge is an old gold mining area now turned into a fascinating selection of walks that could keep you occupied for hours - the two recommended walks are the Windows Walk and the Tunnel Loop Walk.

Just down the road from the Karangahake Gorge, Owharoa Falls is one of the most accessible and lovely waterfalls you'll find in NZ, and is also a popular swimming hole in summer. Come for a swim during the day but if you want to take photos here we suggest coming early morning or at dusk to avoid the crowds.

This beach can only be reached by a 45 minute walk down through farmland making it a really 'off the beaten track' spot. recent rain.

This short, sharp exhilarating walk gives such stunning views over the whole Bay of Plenty region that it's simply a must-do when you're in the area. If you're up for a night time departure the sunrise from here is truly magical.

The best-kept secret of the Coromandel. Paddle out to Donut island on a SUP or kayak on this 2-hour guided tour.

The setting of Kaiate Falls has to be one of the most surprising of any waterfalls in NZ. There's several places where the water flows in a set of waterfalls down through the bush - and places where you can even reach out and touch the waterfalls which is pretty unique! Meghan's favourite spot to photograph though is the lowest waterfall - the grotto like atmosphere with steps cut into the rocks makes this one of the most mystical settings of any waterfall!

Waiotapu is just one of many thermal locations you can visit in Rotorua but it's Meghan's favourite for two reasons - firstly the opportunity to see the Lady Knox Geyser erupt on cue each day and also because of the brilliant colours of the Champagne Pool - you won't see anything like it in the world! In terms of variety, Waiotapu has the best selection of different coloured mud pools and lakes and is incredibly photogenic. The sulphur smell is really strong in places so be prepared!

Climb up to this viewpoint for 360 degree views over the whole area - you can see as far as Taupo in the south, Kawerau to the east and the Rotorua Lakes to the north. It's nearly an hour to the top and is a bit of a climb but you'll be rewarded with glimpses of some great thermal activity along the way and amazing views once you reach the summit.

Journey back to a time of proud warriors and ancient traditions with Tamaki Māori Village, the most award-winning cultural attraction in New Zealand. Experience ceremonial rituals, powerful performances and hangi feasting. Learn about the customs, protocols and stories that have been passed through the generations of time.

Learn how to capture the beautiful images you've seen in this trip guide by spending a day with Meghan on a personalised photography masterclass. We'll cover techniques such as using filters for long exposure photography, trying out astrophotography (if the time of the year and weather permits), and capturing beautiful images around golden hour and sunrise/sunset in awesome locations such as Lake Tarawera, the Redwood Forest and Kerosene Creek. I'll take you to locations not on the tourist map and you'll create beautiful images you never even knew you were capable of! To attend this masterclass you'll need: 1. a DSLR/mirrorless camera ideally with 2 lenses, one that can go as wide as 10-18mm and a zoom up to 200-300mm 2. A tripod The masterclass needs to be booked at least 1 month in advance and is subject to Meghan's availability. Alternative location: Waikato

This drive yourself pass includes: Te Puia – experience awesome geothermal activity and learn about the Maori culture. Skyline Rotorua Gondola – the best way to see Rotorua, take the gondola up Mt Ngongataha for spectacular views. Agrodome Sheep Show – world famous and a lot of fun, you’ll get to pat a lamb and watch some sheep antics! Polynesian Spa (Adult, Priest Spa or Family Pools) – have a relaxing soak in this award-winning spa complex. Entry to your choice of either Paradise Valley Springs or Rainbow Springs

Standing in awe in the presence of NZ's most powerful waterfall, I'm always incredulous at the volume of water that rushes through here. It's one of those sights that is marvellous and mindblowing and one that won't leave you for a long time. There's a great walk to do between the township of Taupo starting at Spa Park to the Falls which passes by Otumuheke Stream - because you've always wanted to swim in a natural hot pool on the side of the river right?!

I love the setting of Tawhai Falls, and I can see why it was chosen as a setting for LOTR - it's famous as Gollum's fishing pool but it's just simply a lovely spot to just sit awhile and watch the water rushing by.

Experience the real Middle-earth™ at the Hobbiton™ Movie Set, where, in the heart of the Waikato region, you can step into the lush pastures of the Shire™, as seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

Often described as New Zealand's greatest day walk, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a challenging journey across a remarkable volcanic landscape. Return shuttle included.

Pukekura Park is the jewel in the heart of Taranaki's crown and a great natural attraction in the region. It is lovely to wander through by day but comes alive even more on summer nights with the renowned Festival of the Lights.

One of NZ's most iconic hotels, the Chateau is an imposing sight with Mt Ruapehu in the background. Treat yourself to a hightea and celebrate completing the 20km hike. You'll have views out over the crossing while you relax.

There are so many hikes on the mountain with amazing views of the peak that you're really spoilt for choice. One of the best views is the reflection of the mountain in Pouakai Tarn. It's not a short walk as it's approximately 2.5 hours each way and a decent climb, alternatively around the south side of the mountain there are great shorter walks to do at Dawson Falls as well.

Back Beach is one of the loveliest places in Taranaki to watch the sun go down. The beach is surrounded by offshore islands and often has lovely sand reflections. You'll have a heap of fun charging down the very steep black sand dunes to get down to the beach, but they aren't quite as much fun to have to climb back up again afterwards.

The coastline north of Taranaki is one of the fastest moving in the world. It's incredible to see the rock structures appearing as they break away from the mainland cliffs, but you never know just how long they'll last so take any opportunity to visit and make the most of the amazing views down the coast - you can see as far as Mt Taranaki on a good day.

Visit New Zealand's stunning Denize Bluffs farm and join a private tour where Peter Jackson filmed the most location screen time for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Feel the adrenaline as you abseil into the dark, seemingly bottomless depths of Ruakuri Cave. Zipline through a gallery of glowworms and climb underground waterfalls as you test your limits on this truly unforgettable journey.

Visitors to Waitomo Caves are usually blissfully unaware that just a little bit further down the road are two amazing natural sights - the Mangapohue Natural Bridge and Marokopa Falls. The bridge is a super unusual structure - a natural rock arch that's 17 metres high over the stream and an easy 10 minute walk. Carry on a wee bit further and you'll come to one the best waterfalls in NZ - the 35 metre high mighty Marokopa Falls. Unlike other waterfalls that can be a little underwhelming without rainfall, Marokopa is impressive all year round and very easy to get to down a short walking track.

Hamilton Gardens is one of NZ's best free activities and a place you can easily spend half a day at wandering through the amazing variety of themed gardens. The gardens are constantly being developed and new gardens added all the time so with each visit there's always something new to see. Be transported around the world to Italy, Japan, China, India and more as you wander through at your own pace.

The Blue Spring (Te Waihou Walkway) is an NZ treasure with water so crystal clear that you can often see rainbow trout hanging out in the shallows as you wander along the walkway admiring the amazing clarity. The spring creates some of the purest water in NZ, and over 60% of NZ’s bottled water is supplied from here.

Learn how to capture the beautiful images you've seen in this trip guide by spending a day with Meghan on a personalised photography masterclass. We'll cover techniques such as using filters for long exposure photography, trying out astrophotography (if the time of the year and weather permits), and capturing beautiful images around golden hour and sunrise/sunset in awesome locations such as Lake Karapiro, Bridal Veil Falls and Raglan. I'll take you to locations not on the tourist map and you'll create beautiful images you never even knew you were capable of!

The final stop of the trip is dropping of your campervan back at the depot.