New Zealand North Island Explorer: 14-Day Auckland Round Trip by Campervan - Britz

Thirteen nights and 2,250 kilometres in a loop from Auckland in a campervan, a full circuit of the North Island.

Paihia and the Bay of Islands come first, with Orewa on the way, then Rotorua, where the ground steams and the Maori cultural institutions are the oldest in the country, and Whakatane on the Bay of Plenty.

Gisborne follows, which sees the sunrise before any other city in the world thanks to the date line, then Napier, rebuilt in art deco after the 1931 earthquake flattened it and now among the most complete deco townscapes anywhere. Masterton and Wellington come next, with the national museum and the cable car, then Whanganui, Tongariro National Park, where three volcanoes stand together and the Alpine Crossing is the best day walk in the country, Taupo on its caldera lake, and the Waitomo glow worm caves before Auckland.

Britz supply the camper and the day-by-day plan, and the hire is priced live per vehicle rather than per person; campsites, fuel, ferries, park fees and activities are all extra, with a nil-excess insurance pack available at booking. Fourteen days for 2,250 kilometres is a fair pace for a full North Island circuit, and the east coast between Whakatane and Gisborne is the empty stretch of it. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing needs a shuttle booking and closes in bad weather. Volcanic activity occasionally restricts access, which is worth checking rather than assuming. Fourteen nights is enough to include the east coast between Gisborne and Napier, which is the part of the North Island that most visitors never see.