Lonely Planet Just Named The Most Amazing New Zealand Road Trips For Your Next Holiday
When’s the last time you bought a travel guide for somewhere overseas? It’s been a while, but that special kind of excitement is possible again with the Trans Tasman travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand. To Celebrate, Lonely Planet has released a new edition of their guidebook, New Zealand’s Best Trips – 25 Amazing Road Trips.
Everyone is gearing up (or dreaming about) making their way across the ditch for the ultimate getaway, and there’s nothing more suited to taking in all the insanely beautiful natural sights than via classic New Zealand road trips.
It’s a fact Lonely Planet is well aware of, with the travel juggernaut releasing the second edition of their guidebook focussed on the best New Zealand road trips.
“It’s hard to imagine a better country for a road trip,” says Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher. “New Zealand’s two main islands serve up a feast of mountain landscapes, sublime forests, sweeping beaches and remote fjords, easily reached by scenic highways and quiet country roads”.
While you’ll need to purchase the guide for the full list of 25, we’ve got intel on five epic New Zealand road trips from the list.
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#1 Northern Odyssey
This is a six to eight-day tour of Northland and the Bay of Islands, taking in gorgeous coastal scenery, exploring Maori culture and sampling incredible seafood.
#2 The West Coast Road
Buckle up for a week-long spectacle of epic wilderness and big, blue ocean on one of New Zealand’s most beautiful drives. “The Great Coast Road meanders past foaming surf and shingle beaches on one side, and forbidding, overhanging cliffs on the other.”
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#3 ‘Sunshine & Wine‘
This particular New Zealand road trip offers a hedonistic discovery of delicious Marlborough wineries, alfresco dining, craft breweries, boutique coffee roasters and indulgent living around the sunny top of the South Island.
#4 Southern Alps Circuit
This road trip is a two-week grand tour of the lower South Island, taking in jaw-dropping must-sees like Milford Sound, Lake Wanaka, Queenstown and Mt Cook. Definitely, one you won’t forget in a hurry.
#5 Cruising the Coromandel Peninsula
Discover why locals love the Coromandel with attractions like Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach, Hauraki Rail Trail and the gold-rush towns such as Thames and Waihi. This is Tainui country.
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If road trips aren’t enough and you want more from our Kiwi mates, then you’ll be pleased to know Lonely Planet has actually updated their entire suite of super popular New Zealand guidebooks, which are on sale now from $34.99 in book stores.
(Lead image: Unsplash / Aston Yao; Aneta Foubíková)
