I traveled to New Zealand for 10 days. In fact, the weather and terrain are very similar to Taiwan. It is just an enlarged version of Taiwan. In this article, I wrote down some of the details I observed. I hope that everyone will know more about New Zealand! The attractions and related content that I can recommend are also in this article.
New Zealand free travel attractions South Island North Island car rental recommended travel introduction
10day Travel New Zealand South & North Island Attractions
Chapters in this article
A family from Taipei flew directly to New Zealand during the Chinese New Year.
Taiwan wants to go to New Zealand for a free trip to the South Island and North Island
Currently, the only direct flight to Taoyuan Airport is
It takes 11 hours to fly from Taiwan to New Zealand's North Island.
So you should consider whether it is better to take a flight in the evening or in the morning.
We chose to fly at night and sleep well, and play directly in the morning
Visa-free, so the entire immigration process is very fast
I found something really cheap at the airport.
I just bought it.
The things sold at each airport are different.
Auckland Airport sells a lot of electronic products, it's super awesome~
transportation
There are few cars, few traffic lights and almost no zebra crossings!!!!!
Drive on the right side, keep left
The turn signals and windshield wipers are also opposite. Taiwanese drivers usually drive until the windshield wipers are on.
There are many roundabouts in New Zealand. It is fun to drive around in circles. Cars outside the roundabout must let the cars inside pass first.
The speed is very high, you can drive at 100KM/h in most places
Each attraction is very far away, about 200km away. Fortunately, there is almost no traffic jam in New Zealand, otherwise I would be in the car all day.
There is a super magical place!! The highway can turn!! Suddenly, at a speed of 100 kilometers, you have to make a 90-degree turn. It is so exciting that people almost fly out, and then they often miss the intersection.
Some mountain roads have speed reduction signs at turns, which will indicate the speed limit for turning at a certain kph. Some turns are really sharp, and if there are no signs, it would be easy to fly off the road.
Usually there is only one lane in one direction. If the car in front is driving too slowly, you can overtake in the opposite direction on the road where there is a dotted line.
The color of the car is very special
The pyramids are super thin and long, very magical
The roadside line will vibrate when it hits you. When you are about to fall asleep while driving, the vibration can wake you up.
Gas station prices are not standardized. If you see a cheap one, just fill up quickly.
In busy cities, you have to pay for parking, but in most cases, you can park anywhere you want.
There are motorcycles and skateboards in big cities, but no motorcycles, because they are all long-distance and cannot be ridden on a small motorcycle.
Because it is made up of the North and South Islands, if you want to travel the whole of New Zealand, you have to take a domestic flight and transfer. You have to rent a car twice.
gourmet food
New Zealand cuisine thinks of kiwi fruit????
Fortunately, the kiwi fruit tastes similar to that in Taiwan, and the chance of picking a landmine is similar to that in Taiwan.
But there are a few local fruit delicacies that you really must buy.
For example, a kilogram of cherries in Taiwan costs more than 900 to 1,000NTD.
In New Zealand, you can eat 1KG of cherries for only 200NTD, and almost all of them are super sweet and almost 100% delicious.
Blueberries are also super delicious, all sweet, and much fresher than those in Taiwan
New Zealand's local wines are also very distinctive, but it's a pity that we bought wines with flavors I didn't like.
New Zealand's own salmon is chewier and different from most of the Norwegian salmon in Taiwan. You must try it when you go there.
New Zealand is very close to Australia, so there are many Australian specialties such as meat and pizza, which are all delicious.
It's a pity that New Zealand doesn't have any local specialties. There are only exotic restaurants, and almost every restaurant sells burgers, but the burgers are very special, such as lamb burgers and venison burgers, which are worth trying.
If the hotel has a kitchen, be sure to buy fresh meat from the supermarket.
The steak tasted just average, because there is no grade system like in the US or Japan, so it's easy to make mistakes.
But steak is very cheap, 100g of fillet is only about 100NTD
The lamb chops were really good (very soft and without any lamb smell).
There is also magical venison~~ but it has a high salt content, it is very salty without adding salt
Friends who like to drink Starbucks can drink it, because all the coffee is half the price of Taiwan
Don't eat fast food in New Zealand! KFC is really unpalatable, greasy, mushy, and super expensive.
McDonald's is the same, it tastes similar to Taiwan's, but the price is twice as much
I'd rather buy meat or fruit.
landscape
The most beautiful scenery in New Zealand is the land!!!
The animals are all grazing, and they all look very happy.
I didn't see any cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, horses or chickens.
You can always see a whole field of grass, whether on the mountain or on the plain, and they are all short and cute.
New Zealand has a wide variety of terrain
The most special thing is the glacier
But the glaciers are melting fast
I wonder if you have ever had the opportunity to actually experience the shock of the glacier.
I don't feel anything for other terrains.
Because Taiwan's topography is also very diverse, Taiwan itself is very beautiful. I always think that New Zealand is like an enlarged version of Taiwan~
The lakes are all so big that you can't walk around them all. The water is so clear and with the reflection of the blue sky, every lake will make you feel amazing.
Because we went there in the summer, the temperature was around 20 degrees, except for a few high mountains.
For example, Mount Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand, has snow on the top all year round. I discovered something very cool, that is, Taiwan's Yushan is even higher! Taiwan is really weird.
Photography
There are beautiful photos wherever you take in New Zealand!!!
I suggest you bring a polarized lens or CPL. I can't see through the clear water when I bring a CPL. It's a pity that all I see is reflections.
An ultra-wide angle is a must, because everything is huge, even GoPro seems a little bit not wide enough. If you have a 360-degree camera, you must carry it with you.
Because the land is so large, the objects being photographed are usually very far away, and the distance between the objects is also very far, so super telephoto is very useful.
Aerial photography is also very useful. You can fly very high and far without worrying about disconnection. The mountains are very clean and the water is very blue, allowing you to see more magnificent and distant scenery than what you see in front of you.
But you need to prepare more batteries for aerial photography, because the land is so large that you can fly very far. If you don't have batteries, you need to prepare a charger in the car.
New Zealand is a big country, and many places are inaccessible by car. Try to reduce the weight of your equipment as much as possible, otherwise it will be very tiring.
The wind is strong and dust easily enters, so you must have tools to wipe the lens
There is little light pollution. If you want to take photos of the stars at night, bring a tripod.
When the sun goes down, you can't see your hand in front of you. There are almost no street lights in New Zealand, so you have to plan your shooting time carefully.
Also remember to bring a small light to avoid getting lost at night.
Life
!!Work at sunrise and rest at sunset!!
There are very few people here, mainly tourists, and the population density is very low.
The time difference is 5 hours faster than Taipei, no problem with time difference
The weather is very unstable. Whether it rains or is fine depends on luck.
The wind is so strong that people can't stand steadily. If you are afraid of the wind, you should bring a windproof jacket.
The temperature in summer can also be close to 0 degrees Celsius at night. If you want to take pictures of the stars and see the night view, you must bring enough warm clothes~
Garbage sorting green organic plants and animals yellow recyclables red other
The mobile network is very unstable. It is OK in busy places, but it is not very stable in a large lawn.
You lost contact.
In summer, the days in New Zealand are very long and it gets dark at 9pm.
But you must return to the hotel by 9 o'clock
Only the city has lights, the rest of the place is completely dark!!
Almost all stores are closed at 6pm, and there is nothing you can do.
Summer mornings are cool and comfortable, short-sleeved shirts and shorts are fine, but be sure to bring mosquito repellent. There are scary little black bugs in New Zealand, and it was a complete nightmare that I couldn't get rid of for a whole month!!
It's super dry, be sure to bring plenty of water, otherwise you will dry out
Every toilet sink has hot water. I don't know why, but it's very comfortable to wash your hands.
The hotel towels are heated, probably because it's very cold in winter.
Many people in New Zealand walk barefoot on the street, but in Taiwan, if you walk barefoot, you will be embarrassed when you get home...
Attractions
Are the 18 attractions in New Zealand worth visiting?
Sharing the 18 attractions I visited in New Zealand does not mean that the ones I visited are the best. Today I want to share whether they are worth visiting.
Auckland
Matamata I'm not a movie fan so I can only give 2 stars
The filming location of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is super grand. It is very well preserved, just like the movie. However, if you are not a fan of the movie, you will find it boring.
Blue Spring has very blue water, but the trail is very small and short, so I give it three stars
The water was a bit exaggerated, how could the water be so blue? But after 10 days, I found that every lake was super blue.
What is special about Blue Spring is that the water is very clean and clear. There are no animals or fish, but there are a lot of mosquitoes and a sacred tree.
Waitomo must follow the commentator, but it's just a quickie. I give it three stars.
Wormholes are fireflies that cannot fly. Although you cannot take photos of them, they can be found everywhere in Taiwan. They look like a ceiling filled with LED lights.
The only difference is that one is an animal and the other is an LED light. I don't think there's anything special about them.
Hamilton Gardens I give it four stars
It is very similar to the Taipei Flower Expo. There are different plants and flowers from various countries, and there are many animals. It feels close to nature.
naumi hotel I give four stars
It is really the most interesting hotel I have ever stayed in. The space is spacious, the food is delicious, and there are super cute bird cages, which makes people feel very happy~
Christchurch
Tekapo I give it four stars
I passed by to watch the sunset. The water was still blue and clear. There were mountains around, and it seemed a bit dreamy.
I give Pukaki four stars
The lake is spectacular, and the large forest next to it is also spectacular.
Mount Cook I give it five stars
We only walked for 2 hours. The river was turbulent and there was a lot of sand and gravel. Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. There is snow on the top of the mountain all year round. The highest peak can be seen from a long distance because the road in the past was along the river.
Along the way, you can see the unique scenery of mountains, rivers and mountains. You will be amazed at the whole journey until you stand at the foot of the mountain.
High country salmon I give it four stars
It's very fresh because the farm is right next to it. You can also feed the fish with feed. It tastes very chewy and different from Norwegian salmon. The price is about the same as in Taiwan, so I just wanted to experience a different salmon taste.
Queenstown
Fergburger I give five stars
Considering the relatively high prices in New Zealand, this is a great value burger. It is really huge and can even be eaten in two meals. Don't go to McDonald's or KFC abroad.
It's really expensive, small and tastes bad. That's why you have to wait 2 hours to eat Fergburger.
skyline luge I give it five stars
I think it's super fun. I made a special POV video to introduce it. You can enjoy the scenery and ride the super fast slider. It's really high quality.
If you have enough time, you must play at least 3 times, otherwise you will regret it.
Glenorchy I give it three stars
It is the upper reaches of Lake Wakatipu, so the view from above is all earth-colored gravel, which is boring. There are many small animals. There are a few cafes nearby where you can have a simple meal, but the scenery is not spectacular.
Jones's Fruit I give it four stars
Most fruits are as expensive as in supermarkets, but if you look closely, a big bag of cherries is only 200 NT dollars, which may cost 2,000 NT dollars in Taiwan. Peaches are also very cheap. The proportion of fruits is very sweet, so you are unlikely to make a mistake.
But fruits are seasonal, so you have to consider the date and season of the fruit when you go.
Puzzling world I give three stars
There are all kinds of things that deceive your eyes. Almost everything you see in art textbooks is here. There is a huge maze inside. People who have played it say it is super difficult.
Lake Hawea I give two stars
This is also a lake where we stayed for one night. It is relatively small and nothing special.
Blue Pools I give three stars
The trail takes quite a while to walk through the small forest and arrive at a very clean pool. Everyone is playing in the water. If you don't want to go in the water, you can soak your feet.
Franz Josef Glacier I give five stars
There are so many firsts in life, the first time I took a helicopter, the first time I stepped on a glacier, I could touch natural ice, super clean ice water, super majestic glaciers~
I really don't regret it. It's a glacier! I feel like the glacier will melt in a few years. If you want to see the unique glacier terrain with your own eyes, you have to act quickly.
Seven episodes
10day Travel New Zealand South & North Island Attractions
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