As you kick back with a bottle of New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc from Advintage, has your mind ever wandered back to your last awesome New Zealand holiday? If your answer is no – because you haven’t wandered so far from home or haven’t tasted that wine, then you need to put that right in 2016.
Without a doubt, New Zealand has so much to offer, whether you are a family, a couple, single, or just travelling with friends. You cannot go wrong when you indulge yourself in the pleasures of New Zealand.
The best way to travel around the North Island is to hire a car. With your own set of wheels you can take all of the back roads and discover parts of New Zealand that are not on the tourist trails, indulging yourself even more in the beauty and culture of this awesome country.
Let’s look at two of the best ways to spend your time in New Zealand if you really want to absorb the culture and vibes of this wonderful country.
Visit Middle Earth
From Auckland, you need to take a 2-hour drive south along State Highway (SH) 1 and then onto SH2 and SH 27 heading down to Matamata. This is a lovely drive through countryside that is very reminiscent of Wales in the UK with rolling hills and flocks of sheep left to roam at will.
You can easily take more than the 2 hours, stopping off along the way at some of the local towns for a fish and chip lunch and one of their creamy ice-creams along the way. As you drive into Matamata you will notice that the area is wall to wall with horse studs and before the infamy of being the centre of the world for Hobbit lovers, this area was always famous for its studs and racing.
Hobbiton is located just outside Matamata, but you need to book your tickets in town and then hop on board the coach tour. It is well worth the visit and if you have a kids with you – they will have a great time exploring all the Hobbit Holes!
Visit the wineries in Gisborne
If you have worked up a thirst for the Sauvignon Blanc from Advintage, then take a drive over to Gisborne on the east coast and visit some of the boutique wineries in the area. You can take the coastal route via Whakatane, which is a spectacular drive down to Gisborne and then come back via Rotorua and on up to Auckland. Either way, the trip from Matamata to Gisborne is around 4 hours in duration.
The Gisborne wineries are the very first wineries to greet the morning sun, anywhere in the world and Sauvignon Blanc is New Zealand’s biggest wine export. It is also the place where Captain Cook first landed in New Zealand in 1769 and is steeped in Maori culture and history.
Join a tour or drive around the back roads to the wineries yourself – the only rule is to have a great time, bring back all those awesome memories and enjoy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Advintage when you return home.
Image by Andym5855 of Rippon Winery, Wanaka, under Creative Commons license.
This post was written in association with Advintage.