NZ-Our New Zealand Honeymoon Adventure

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Our New Zealand Honeymoon Adventure

Feb–Mar 2016 | A romantic, adventurous, and unforgettable journey!

🛂 New Zealand Visa for Indian Travelers

  • 💰 Visa Cost: Around ₹9,000 (as of 2016)

  • 🕒 Processing Time: ~1 month (pre-COVID era)

  • 🌐 Type: Tourist Visa

📄 Visa Requirements (for Indian Passport holders)

  1. ✅ Salary slips (last 3–6 months)

  2. ✅ ITR (Income Tax Returns) for 3 years

  3. ✅ Leave letter from employer OR self-employment proof

  4. ✅ Confirmed return air tickets

  5. ✅ Accommodation booking or proof of funds

  6. ✅ No criminal record

  7. ✅ Travel history (helpful, not mandatory – this was our first trip!)

  8. ✅ Recent passport-size photos

  9. ❌ COVID-19 vaccination certificate – not applicable in 2016

  10. ✅ Sufficient bank balance to show financial stability

⚠️ Important Customs Rules – What NOT to carry!

  • ❌ No fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, raw nuts, eggs, or honey

  • ❌ Dirty hiking shoes — must be cleaned thoroughly

  • 💡 NZ is extremely strict about biosecurity. Declare if in doubt

🏨 Accommodations Summary

LocationAccommodation
AucklandSilveroaks Inn Silver Point
Hot Water BeachTop 10 Holiday Park
WaitomoKiwi Paka
RotoruaBase-Hot Rocks
Taupo (South)Base
Taupo (North)Urban Retreat
River ValleyRiver Valley Lodge
WellingtonBase
KaiteriteriKaiteriteri Lodge
WestportBazils Hostel
Lake MahinapuaLake Mahinapua Hotel
Franz JosefRainforest Retreat
Fox GlacierActivity Stop (Skydiving)
WanakaBase
QueenstownNomads
Lake TekapoLakefront Lodge
ChristchurchYMCA Hostel

✈️ Trip Overview

  • Duration: ~18 days (Feb 19 – Mar 7, 2016)

  • Route: Auckland → Wellington (North Island) → Kaiteriteri to Christchurch (South Island)

  • Transport: Kiwi Experience Bus 🚌

  • Special Add-ons: Lord of the Rings Tour 🧝‍♂️, Skydive 🪂, Bungy Jump 🪢

  • Style: Budget hostels + adventure + nature walks + local food

📅 Detailed Day-by-Day Itinerary

(Scroll up for accommodation details)

🗓️ Day 1: Arrival in Auckland

  • ✈️ Late-night arrival, stay near airport

  • 📱 Got new SIMs, first realisation: NZ is CLEAN and calm

  • 🍴 First meal: Chapathi from home at Kiwi Bus office 😄

🧭 North Island Highlights

🗓️ Day 2: Auckland → Hot Water Beach 🏖️

  • Dig natural hot pools in the sand

  • Swim under stars if timing matches the tides

🗓️ Day 3: Hot Water Beach → Waitomo 🌌

  • 🚣‍♀️ Black Water Rafting in the Glowworm Cave — stars underground!

  • Option to do boat ride if rafting isn't your thing

🗓️ Day 4: Waitomo → Rotorua 🌋

  • Visit Te Puia (geysers, mud pools, and Kiwi house)

  • Experience a Maori culture show and feast

🗓️ Day 5: Rotorua → Taupo (South) 🏞️

  • View mighty Huka Falls

  • Relax by Lake Taupo, option to skydive here too

🗓️ Day 6: Taupo (South) → Taupo (North) 🌋

  • 🌋 Explore the Craters of the Moon geothermal walk

  • Great cafes and lakeside walks

🗓️ Day 7: Taupo (North) → River Valley 🌳

  • Go white water rafting

  • Cozy wooden lodge deep in a valley

🗓️ Day 8: River Valley → Wellington 🌆

  • Ride the historic Wellington Cable Car

  • Visit the national Te Papa Museum

  • Explore funky Cuba Street for food & shops

🏔️ South Island Highlights

🗓️ Day 9: Ferry to Kaiteriteri 🏖️

  • Relax on golden beaches

  • Optional short walks in Abel Tasman National Park 🌿

🗓️ Day 10: Kaiteriteri → Westport 🌊

  • Stop at Cape Foulwind to see seal colonies 🦭

  • Explore Punakaiki Pancake Rocks & Blowholes 🪨🌊

🗓️ Day 11: Westport → Lake Mahinapua 🏞️

  • Nature walk near Lake Mahinapua

  • Social BBQ dinner & fun evening

🗓️ Day 12: Lake Mahinapua → Franz Josef 🏔️

  • Walk to glacier viewpoints

  • Optional: Helicopter glacier hike 🚁

🗓️ Day 13: Franz Josef → Fox Glacier 🪂

  • 🪂 Skydive over Fox Glacier — glacier, forests, and ocean all in one view!

🗓️ Day 14: Fox Glacier → Wanaka 🏞️

  • See the Insta-famous Wanaka Tree

  • Chill by Lake Wanaka

  • Optional hike: Roys Peak ⛰️

🗓️ Day 15: Wanaka → Queenstown 🎢

  • Bungy jump from Kawarau Bridge — heart-racing fun!

  • Ride the Skyline Gondola, try the Luge

  • Nightlife & food in the adventure capital of NZ

🗓️ Day 16: Queenstown → Lake Tekapo 🌌

  • See Lake Tekapo's surreal turquoise blue waters

  • Visit the Church of the Good Shepherd

  • 🌌 Stargazing at Mt. John Observatory

🗓️ Day 17: Lake Tekapo → Christchurch 🏙️

  • Visit Christchurch Botanic Gardens

  • 🏏 See Hagley Oval Cricket Stadium

  • Ride the heritage tram and explore the re:START container mall

🗓️ Day 18: Christchurch → Auckland → Bengaluru

  • Domestic flight to Auckland (Mar 6)

  • Return flight to Bengaluru (Mar 7, 2:30 PM)

🧝‍♂️ Lord of the Rings Tour – Middle Earth Magic

  • 🏡 Hobbiton (Matamata): Visit Bag End, The Green Dragon Inn

  • 🌋 Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) – Tongariro National Park

  • 🌄 Glenorchy (Isengard, Lothlórien) – near Queenstown

  • 🌾 Pelennor Fields – filmed near Twizel

Included as an add-on in Kiwi Experience, and absolutely worth it!

🎒 Must-Carry Essentials:

  • 👟 Comfortable walking shoes for nature trails

  • 🧥 Jacket or fleece — evenings get chilly

  • 🩴 Swimwear (for beaches & spas)

  • 🎒 Day backpack

  • 🧴 Sunscreen & bug spray

  • 📸 Camera or phone with space for LOTS of photos!

💕 Final Thoughts

Our first international trip — and what a one it was! New Zealand gave us:

  • 💖 Romantic sunsets, peaceful lakes

  • 🎢 Wild adventures (Skydiving, Bungy!)

  • 🌌 Starry glowworm caves and skies

  • 🧝‍♂️ Movie fantasy at Hobbiton

We laughed, jumped off bridges, slept in hostels, shared chapathis in foreign land, and made memories to last a lifetime.

If you're planning your honeymoon or dream trip — New Zealand is pure magic.


Disclaimer: All the info above is according to me when I visited. Anything can change with time! So when you plan your trip, some of the things would have changed! Ex: Train timings, tour timings or websites. Some tours or trains even get cancelled at the end moment! This was just my itinerary. Read and make your plans accordingly 😃 


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