Mini North Island tour - suggestions
Discussion
My wife and I will be back again for a month over Christmas, partly to celebrate our 50th anniversary with friends and family in Wellington/Napier.
We did a mini tour of SI on an earlier visit, so this time I've allowed a week after Christmas to drive from Napier back to Wellington via some interesting roads/towns/..
We would welcome suggestions of possible routes and places to visit on the way. Not too many hours of driving per day, please. We visited Rotorua back in 2007 and Hastings several times, but there are so many other places we've not seen.
Thanks in advance for any contributions.
We did a mini tour of SI on an earlier visit, so this time I've allowed a week after Christmas to drive from Napier back to Wellington via some interesting roads/towns/..
We would welcome suggestions of possible routes and places to visit on the way. Not too many hours of driving per day, please. We visited Rotorua back in 2007 and Hastings several times, but there are so many other places we've not seen.
Thanks in advance for any contributions.
Did you visit Havelock North during your Hastings visit? Lots of shopping and dining options and always worth going to the Rose and Shamrock.
Another popular place to go to would be Greytown on the way to Wellington.
Not on the route but New Plymouth is worth a visit calling into https://www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz/ on the way.
Another popular place to go to would be Greytown on the way to Wellington.
Not on the route but New Plymouth is worth a visit calling into https://www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz/ on the way.
mark387mw said:
Did you visit Havelock North during your Hastings visit? Lots of shopping and dining options and always worth going to the Rose and Shamrock.
Yes, but only briefly.
Another popular place to go to would be Greytown on the way to Wellington.
As long as it's a lot better than Greymouth, I'll add that to the list.
Not on the route but New Plymouth is worth a visit calling into https://www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz/ on the way.
Yes, our son also suggested it. Thanks.Yes, but only briefly.
Another popular place to go to would be Greytown on the way to Wellington.
As long as it's a lot better than Greymouth, I'll add that to the list.
Not on the route but New Plymouth is worth a visit calling into https://www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz/ on the way.
Edited by driverrob on Wednesday 12th July 21:34
Have you visited Southward Car Museum before?
Worth calling in if you’re travelling SH1 south to Wellington.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g6...
Worth calling in if you’re travelling SH1 south to Wellington.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g6...
mark387mw said:
Have you visited Southward Car Museum before?
Worth calling in if you’re travelling SH1 south to Wellington.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g6...
Yes, we spent a couple of hours there last time we visited. And very interesting it was.Worth calling in if you’re travelling SH1 south to Wellington.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g6...
driverrob said:
Any thoughts on
Taupo
Palmerston North
SH3 or SH45 around Egmont?
Also, the hire car is a hybrid, so I guess I'll be checking for charging points.
Taupo is a tourist town so plenty to do around the lake, or bungy jumping if you haven’t tried that yet. Always worth watching them jump. Taupo
Palmerston North
SH3 or SH45 around Egmont?
Also, the hire car is a hybrid, so I guess I'll be checking for charging points.
I live in Palmerston North and it’s a working town so not much for tourists. There is the rugby museum and rose garden.
SH45 is known as the surf highway so a nice drive with good views.
Lots of charging points on North Island. Check with PlugShare and ChargeNet apps. Also at a lot of petrol stations, BP or Z.
mark387mw said:
Taupo is a tourist town so plenty to do around the lake, or bungy jumping if you haven’t tried that yet. Always worth watching them jump.
I live in Palmerston North and it’s a working town so not much for tourists. There is the rugby museum and rose garden.
SH45 is known as the surf highway so a nice drive with good views.
Lots of charging points on North Island. Check with PlugShare and ChargeNet apps. Also at a lot of petrol stations, BP or Z.
Thanks, Mark. All useful stuff.I live in Palmerston North and it’s a working town so not much for tourists. There is the rugby museum and rose garden.
SH45 is known as the surf highway so a nice drive with good views.
Lots of charging points on North Island. Check with PlugShare and ChargeNet apps. Also at a lot of petrol stations, BP or Z.
dobly said:
Whanganui is my favourite North Island town/city - not touristy, but enough interesting things to see and do for a visit of a few days.
Funnily enough, I was there in early January. I hadn't been for about 25 years, and it's a lot better than I remembered. My mum was from there, so we spent a lot of holidays at the grandparent's farm at Westmere, just a little north. We did the usual, Drury Tower, a lap of Virginia Lake, Kai Iwi Beach and Kowhai Park - places we went as kids. We spent a while watching a glassblower at work, which was interesting, and hit Southwards on the way back to Wellington. Wanganui is worth a stop on the way to Taranaki. Reminded me about Paloma Gardens.
Has anyone been?
It’s outstanding that a place like this is on the outskirts of little old Wanganui.
http://www.paloma.co.nz/
Has anyone been?
It’s outstanding that a place like this is on the outskirts of little old Wanganui.
http://www.paloma.co.nz/
mikiec said:
Another interesting possibility.mark387mw said:
Wanganui is worth a stop on the way to Taranaki. Reminded me about Paloma Gardens.
Has anyone been?
It’s outstanding that a place like this is on the outskirts of little old Wanganui.
http://www.paloma.co.nz/
No, but used to go out to Bushy Park and someone called the Bisons (I think?) had a gret gardenout near Westmere we would get dragged to.Has anyone been?
It’s outstanding that a place like this is on the outskirts of little old Wanganui.
http://www.paloma.co.nz/
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