About Me
Kia Ora!
My name is Michelle and I’m a New Zealand travel blogger from beautiful Aotearoa or the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. Welcome to the Travel to NZ blog!
Having lived in New Zealand for almost 20 years, I’ve explored almost every corner of this country at some point and I’m incredibly passionate about sharing the best of what New Zealand has to offer with others.
Why You Can Trust Me
At the tender age of just 3 years old, my British parents took me on a 6 month roaming holiday to Australia and New Zealand. Since then my family has travelled back and forth between England and New Zealand more times than we can count, emigrated not once but twice and have called New Zealand our permanent home since 2003.
Since the early days, my family and I have spent a substantial amount of time touring New Zealand from North to South, from Cape Reinga at the uppermost tip of the North Island, all the way to Bluff and Rakiura / Stewart Island at New Zealand’s southernmost reaches.
Whereas initially the purpose of these trips was to get familiar with what would later become our home, after we emigrated we spent years repeating the same circumnavigations with both sets of grandparents and other family members & friends who travelled the long distance to visit us.
Why I Started This Blog
Despite having spent the better part of my life driving around New Zealand’s vast network of roads, I still love travelling around this spectacular country. There’s still plenty of roads I haven’t been done, and always something unique to discover no matter where you are.
From majestic mountain ranges, untouched prehistoric forests, pristine beaches and active volcanoes, there really is something for everyone in New Zealand, regardless of whether you’re a:
- road trip enthusiast
- day hiker, ‘tramper’ or multi day expeditionary
- adventure sports enthusiast (surfing, rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, white water rafting, bungy jumping, skydiving and much more)
- camper or motorhome enthusiasts
- foodie
- nature lover
- beach bum
I myself am an avid nature enthusiast who loves getting out into the great New Zealand outdoors whenever I can. Whether it’s hiking through New Zealand’s unique jungle rainforests or sometimes even canoeing down rivers, each time I go out into nature I come back feeling more connected with what this land has to offer.
If you want to find out more about my hiking adventures, check out my other website Long White Gypsy where I write about all things hiking in New Zealand.
What You Can Expect From This Blog
As a knowledgeable and experienced local, my goal with this blog is to provide insights and tips to help you plan a successful New Zealand adventure, whether you have only a few weeks or a few months to spend.
I’ll share with you my personal experiences and offer useful advice about the best places to visit, things to do and see, where to stay and memorable experiences along the way.
You’ll also get some real advice direct from a local about all the not-so-great things about New Zealand (yes, there are some!), as well as my tips on how to avoid some common mistakes many New Zealand travellers make.
I hope this site will inspire you to come explore for yourself all that this unique country has to offer.
Thanks for stopping by!
Ka Kite,
Michelle