Wonderful weekend escapes
Never has freedom looked so good and it’s so great to be able to think we can now get out there and do all the things we Kiwis love to do. We are so fortunate to live in New Zealand where getting away and exploring off the beaten track is unbelievably easy, especially if you choose a Motorhome as your mode of transportation. Being self-contained is perfect for enabling you to holiday your way, in your very own home away from home.
Here are two of our favourite off the beaten track locations for a wonderful weekend away.
Waitomo
It’s easy to only associate the Waitomo area with large commercial glowworm operations filled with overseas tourists, but there is so much more to this region - including less populated areas where you can get away from it all.
One hour west of the main Waitomo township is Marokopa Holiday Park where you can park up and base yourself - nestled in on a wild coast line and surrounded by classic New Zealand farm land. From there you can explore the incredible Marokopa Falls - dwarfing in size and spectacular in nature. And just ten minutes further is the Mangapohue Natural Bridge, a magnificent 17 metre-high limestone arch with a stream running through it, all that remains of the gigantic caves that once stood.
After you’ve spent enough time relaxing in your Motorhome and walking the river and beach near the holiday park, head back inland via Ruakuri Bush and Scenic Reserve. It’s much more exciting than your average bush walk with caves and arches, tunnels and limestone and surprises around every corner. If you fancy some great cafe food - Huhu in Waitomo itself is a great lunch stop and the home baking at the cafe at Waitomo Adventures is wonderful (as are all their amazing excursions).
Dunedin’s North Coast
Just half an hour from Dunedin city are stunning beaches and peninsulas that will take your breath away with their majestic beauty - perfect for an off-the-beaten track adventure. Waikouaiti Holiday Park is great to use as a base to explore nearby stunning Karitane Peninsula - the wild sapphire seas crashing onto chalky cliff faces and rugged rocky shores will blow your mind.
Seacliff is also interesting as the original site of the Seacliff Asylum where Janet Frame spent time in the 40s; you can see very clearly where this huge part of New Zealand’s history stood.
Doctors Point is a truly magical beachscape as well, with craggy dramatic rock formations and kilometres and kilometres of gorgeous untouched sand - if you work up a thirst walking it, Arc Brewery in Evansdale is the perfect place to quench it (especially when they have a food truck parked up outside).
Heading back towards Dunedin, Aramoana beach is beyond stunning with its pure white sand and dramatic cliffs any seafood lover should stop at Port Chalmers for the legendary seafood platters at Carey’s Bay Historic hotel - and poke around the quirky shops. This part of New Zealand will reinvigorate your mind, body and soul.
