Andy and Mark travelling from Cape Reinga, the spiritual home of the Māori and the meeting of the oceans at the tip of the north island to Milford Sound below Queenstown in the south Island. The name Aotearoa is used alongside New Zealand today and is a key part of the country's indigenous heritage. Delivering a campervan for IMoves from Auckland to Queenstown we negotiated extra time on the road to deliver and opted to pay for the ferry from Wellington to Picton as a part of the deal. In 12 days we covered 3900 klm predominantly staying in TOP 10 van parks and a variety of free camping sites on beaches in both islands. What a spectacular, green and clean country New Zealand is. No better destination for a road trip, offering adventure activities alongside cultural and natural attractions. The North Island is the spiritual and historical home of Māori heritage offering a diverse range of experiences, from volcanic geothermal areas like Rotorua with its geysers and bubbling mud pools to beautiful beaches, rolling green hills and extensive coastline. And then there's Matamata, where you can almost literally live within J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic brought to life by director Peter Jackson. This is Hobbiton, the sprawling film set used for the filming of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies. The central North Island is dominated by the Volcanic Plateau, the island sits on the boundary of tectonic plates, which is the cause of its significant geothermal and volcanic activity. The North Island contains New Zealand's two largest cities: Auckland, the country's most populous city, and Wellington, the capital. The South Island of New Zealand, is larger and more mountainous than the North Island, with a dramatic landscape dominated by the Southern Alps. Key features include snow-capped peaks, fjords and glaciers. The scenic 4 hour drive from Christchurch to Greymouth on the west coast is spectacular and should not be missed. The west coast is known for its ruggedness, fiords like Milford Sound, lush rainforests, and the fiords of Fiordland National Park is a must-do. The island has an oceanic climate with no active volcanoes, but it does have many hot pools, Hanmer Springs being one. The island is home to wine regions, particularly in the Marlborough and Central Otago areas and lush pastures full of beef, lamb and deer.

Nat has been travelling the world for 10 years, living and working in a variety of countries. Join Andrew and Nat for a chat about her adventures.