New Zealand

A complete guide to New Zealand's North Island across two separate trips — covering Wellington, Taupō, Rotorua, Tauranga, Waiheke Island, and Cape Reinga, with a personal top 5 and practical travel tips.

A first-hand account of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in Auckland — attending Japan vs France, France vs England, and watching the All Blacks' one-point final victory over France from a packed pub in the city.

A solo drive from Auckland to Cape Reinga: a breathtaking stop at Matauri Bay, a near-collision with a tanker truck, too long at 90 Mile Beach, arriving at the lighthouse after dark, and being followed through the mountains at night.

An insider's guide to Auckland by neighborhood — Parnell for galleries and quiet streets, Newmarket for shopping, Ponsonby for the local scene, Mission Bay for the waterfront. With restaurant picks and three walking itineraries.

Day 6 on New Zealand's North Island: a 40-minute ferry to Waiheke Island, lunch at Mudbrick Vineyard, welcome oysters at a waterfront B&B, and dinner at Cable Bay with steak, lamb, and the island's best reds.

Day 2 of a North Island road trip: driving Auckland to Rotorua, riding the Skyline gondola for panoramic lake views, soaking in mud baths at Hell's Gate, and spending the evening with a Māori haka show and traditional hāngī dinner.

Day 5 of a North Island road trip: driving north from Tauranga through the Coromandel Peninsula to Whitianga, with coastal views that kept stopping us, a thwarted hot spring plan, and a quiet evening in.

ay 4 on New Zealand's North Island: a stop at Paradise Valley Springs to meet deer, llamas, Highland cattle, and a lion cub, then a drive to Tauranga for a hike up Mount Maunganui with sweeping coastal views.

Day 3 in Rotorua: a morning walk through the vivid geothermal pools of Wai-O-Tapu, an afternoon at Te Puia watching the Pōhutu Geyser, and an evening soak at the Polynesian Spa overlooking Lake Rotorua.

Day 1 in Auckland: a 12-minute ferry to Devonport, a walk along Victoria Road, panoramic views of the city skyline from North Head, and a cold Steinlager at Chancery Square. The right way to start a North Island trip.