Two mistakes not to make when traveling New Zealand

I don't talk about New Zealand much, and that's not at all because I think it's an overrated country. In fact I think it's beautiful. Stunning landscapes like you can't imagine. But my time spent in New Zealand wasn't what I'd expected it to be, and that is mainly due to two vital mistakes I made when planning my trip. I'm not here to be a sourpuss, because truly, I did love New Zealand and it's still a travel experience I'll never forget. But I thought I'd share my 'wisdom' so you guys can learn from my mistakes.

Mistake #1: Traveling during low season

I traveled New Zealand in August, which is winter time, and it was absolutely deserted. I arrived at hostels only to find I was the only backpacker staying there. While it's an epic luxury to get a dorm room all to yourself, it gets terribly lonely. This might not be a problem when you're traveling with other people, but as a solo traveler I'm on the lookout to meet new people and this made that pretty hard. Another drawback of low season is the weather. It's not just cold, but also a lot of national parks are (partially) closed off during the winter (to prevent accidents happening on slippery rocks etc.). The upside to traveling during low season is, like anywhere, it's a lot cheaper, and if you're into winter sports there are decent places where you can find that - Queenstown and Wanaka on the south island were actually pretty crowded with snowboarders.

My tip: Don't travel in July and August which are the main winter months in New Zealand, unless you're there to enjoy the snow. Locals told me things totally change around in September, when it starts to warm up a bit more and travelers come flowing in.


Snowy peaks in Queenstown

Mistake #2: Traveling by bus

Bus companies like KiwiExperience and Stray are pretty popular options to get around for backpackers in New Zealand, but though you can use it as a hop-on-hop-off service along your route, it's more commonly just a tour company as you can book tours directly with them and they'll take you along to all the sights. You'll be sure to be around young travelers and will never be too far from where the party is happening. But this didn't appeal to me. I like to organize things myself, I don't like to be shoved around touristic sites in a herd, so I opted instead for Nakedbus, which offers nothing more than getting you from point A to B but they do it a lot cheaper and they also have a quite extensive network of places they run to. Seemed perfect! Yet what I should have anticipated is that all the magnificent landscapes and places to hike aren't close to the towns. You'll still need to rent a car or book a tour to get to the national parks. I only got to explore one national park (Abel Tasman National Park, which was my favourite day trip) but I saw a bunch of town centers that in themselves had very little to offer because they are just starting points to their natural surroundings.

I do have to say that the bus journeys themselves were probably one of my favourite parts about my New Zealand trip, because they do take you around spectacular scenery (I wrote about one particular favourite here) and I loved just sitting by the window and soaking up the amazing views (and yes, there's lots of sheep indeed).

My tip: Try to find travel companions to rent a car with. That way you'll be able to go anywhere including the national parks and more secluded places. New Zealand is all about the outdoors so you really do need a car to appreciate that fully. The country also has plenty of places where you can camp, making it a preferable budget option as well. For finding other travelers you can try websites like Travbuddy or Gumtree or talk to people in your hostel when you arrive.

I would love to get an opportunity to travel around New Zealand again. One day I will, and I'll know just how to go about it. And I hope for those considering a trip to this lovely Oceania country, this was of help.

What's your experience traveling New Zealand?