For my 40th birthday I decided I wanted to gift myself a solo travel experience. If you ask me why, I can’t answer. Somehow, I woke up one day and I panicked thinking I was almost 40 years old and there is so much from the world I still wanna see and so many things I would love to experience. Time is ticking I thought. No pressure.
New Zealand was on my “Places I must visit” list in my phone notes. The list grows and grows incessantly. New Caledonia, Mozambique, Colombia, Fiji, Tahiti, Scotland, Easter Island, Uganda and the list goes on…
Road tripping is aways been one of my favourite ways of travelling. I remember packing the van when I was little and throwing a mattress on the back so the kids could sleep through the night and drive all the way up to Andorra. There were a lot of bickering and fights among the siblings while the parents tried to take turns driving. A thousand toilet breaks later and a few car sickness related stops together with the occasional parental lecture and we will reach our destination. Somehow these are some of my most fond memories of my childhood.
Solo, because I needed time for myself. I wanted to experience, explore, decide, make mistakes, converse, dine, hike and sit watching the shore just by myself. This turned out the best decision I’ve ever made and has completely change the way I see myself and the world. But this is a topic for a different conversation.
Plan your route.
This is how I lay out my itinerary. I started with researching the flights I was intending on booking. Next, I looked up how to get from the airport to the city. Which transport was more cost and time effective Uber, Taxi or bus.
I set on a route that was gonna start from Auckland and will travel all the way up to Cape North. My estimated time was a week for the road trip and a few days before start driving, I’d stay in Auckland to do some sightseen and get rid of the jet lag (It was a nasty one this time around).
I searched online for travel itineraries in order to get some inspiration. I watched thousands of tik tok videos, read a bunch of reviews and even tried to download a travel planner out of Pinterest. If you know me, you know I plan and plan and make lists of all sorts but what I love the most in this world is improvising. The thrill of not knowing what’s next, the let’s see where this road takes me moment, I live for moments like that!
Then I proceeded to search for accommodation deciding on Airbnb because it gave me personal space and the price for a solo traveler worked better than a hotel room. I noted in my itinerary if the accommodation had free cancellation and the contact details.
I added things to do/see in Auckland so I would make the most of my time. Once at destination I met locals that recommended different places and activities. Jet lag hit me hard my first 3 to 4 days in Auckland and I was up tossing and turning most the nights. I saw and experience as much as I could, but I did not obsess over covering everything, I focused on been present and listening to my body instead.
Once Auckland was organized, I started with the road trip. Theirs is so much information on rentals online that it made the research process very long.
I knew I wanted an easy to drive vehicle, nothing to big, and preferably with a toilet. I saw http://madcampers.com/mad had one self-contained van (with toilet) for one person. The idea of having a self-contained vehicle is to be able to camp free in designated areas without having to rely on holiday parks. Unfortunately, by the time I ended my research, and I decided to book the 1-person van was not available.
I ended up booking a 2-person van, the crib, without a toilet with http://jucy.com/ and let me tell you, the experience was flawless from beginning to end. I can’t recommend this company enough. Their approachability, friendliness, service. Just WOW.
As I didn’t have a self-contained van I had to overnight in holiday parks. I downloaded the apps Campermate and Rankers. I could plan ahead where to spend the night and set a budget. It also gave you access to reviews and opening timings of the holiday parks. Even though I had a set itinerary sometimes it rained a lot on the road, or I was tired from my morning hike or I simply liked a spot so much that I wanted to spend the night there. I didn’t prebook any holiday park, I just walked in. This worked out perfectly in my case, but I’ve heard from other travellers that they’ve struggled to find a spot during peak season.
The holiday parks where I spend the night where all safe, especially for a solo lady traveller, and very well equipped.
This is my road trip map with holiday parks and stops along the way. I did amazing morning hikes, woke up by a lake, got attacked by a seagull while trying to eat fish and chips on a spot at sunset overlooking the sea, and my van nearly got stuck on the tracks while accessing a view point but it was all worth it.
Once my adventure days on the road were finished, I planned on taking a flight to Rotorua. Rotorua isn’t far from Auckland if you ask a kiwi, but it was for my tight holidays. Flying was the best time efficient option. Jucy vans have an airport pick up and drop off service making things smooth and easy.
I booked my flights to Rotorua with air New Zealand making the mistake of waiting last minute. The price of the flights almost doubled by the time I booked. Once at the airport I understood the reason. Air New Zealand operates tiny little planes to Rorotura (Rotovegas as they kiwis call it). My hand luggage almost didn’t fit in the overhead bins. Note to self for future travel planning.
There were not much Airbnb options in Rotorua and solo travelers websites recommended the Ibis hotel so I booked it. I noted on my planner activities and things Id like to see while in town. I didn’t rent a car at this location having to rely on uber.
My next stop was Wellington. I once again booked flights and accommodation. I noted all the things I wanted to see/do/experience. How to get from A to B, accommodation details and contact numbers.
At the end of my travel plan I noted all the information regarding my NZeTA Visa and I also downloaded the visa app. I downloaded the customs app NZTD and I added any important customs notes to my travel plan such as do not bring any food items with you. My customs experience was nice and easy, and I even got a ‘EXPRESS’ passport’s sticker
Lastly, I created a spreadsheet with all my expenses and budget. I find this a good way to keep track on your expenses. Some people like to write down everything the spend while they are traveling but that’s not my case.
Onto the packing list. I checked Pinterest, obviously, for travel outfit inspiration. I like to know exactly what matches with what and how am I going to wear it. I take pictures of the outfits and tag them like #hike #dinner #rain #beach etc.
Make a checklist and tick every item while packing.
I used the app Airlalo while in New Zealand for my data packages without having to get a Sim card or pay for ridiculously expensive roaming, It worked perfectly during my trip even while I was in remote places while on the road.
- Essentials
- Toiletries
- Passport
- Visa
- Cash
- Credit Cards
- Travel insurance
Lastly, I shared my location permanently with my friend back home. I don’t know if this is a bit extreme, but my friends were like: Whattttt? When I broke the news that I was traveling NZ on my own.
Check out our blogs for more travel related fun. I hope this post helps you in your planning process and in your decision making. Shall I hit the road in New Zealand solo? YES, and YES!