5 Crazy places to visit in New Zealand

My friend Sofia von Porat shares here her favorite places in new Zealand. Sofia writes for AsWeTravel, a travel blog sharing travel tips, videos, guides and inspiration from around the world – you can follow her at www.aswetravel.com.

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I was recently told by a German girl about a German saying that goes “don’t let your children go to New Zealand – they will never come back!”, meaning that it’s so amazing they wouldn’t want to ever go home again.

While it’s said with a wink in the eye, there is certainly some truth to it. I know many people who have gone there and fallen so deeply in love with it that they decided to stay.

It’s an amazing country in so many ways, from the outgoing people to the varied nature, and if it wasn’t so far away from the rest of the world, I would move there in a heartbeat.

If you are looking for the best crazy places to visit in New Zealand, here are some of our favorite ones we recommend you to check out:

Queenstown

Set by a lake with snowy mountains in the background, Queenstown is located in one of the most beautiful regions to visit in New Zealand.

Known as the adventure capital of the world, there is enough to keep you busy in Queenstown for weeks. It would fit perfectly my Adventure and spa project!

From heli-skiing on a glacier to bungy jumping from the world’s most famous jumps, there is something for every adrenaline junkie, and for those who aren’t looking for something quite as extreme there are lots of amazing hikes in the area.

Queenstown bungy

Lake Tekapo

The turquoise lake Tekapo is a beautiful stop for the day, but staying the night is even better!

Tekapo is one of the best places in the world for stargazing – however there is no need to take a tour to the observatory to see the most amazing night sky, just go outside or down to the lake and enjoy the incredible view of the night sky for free.

Tekapo lake

Golden Bay

Located on the northern tip of the South Island, Golden Bay is one of the sunniest places in New Zealand, with over 300 sunny days a year.

It’s a really nice place to relax, kayak and hike in native forest. The atmosphere is very laid back, the nature is beautiful and the sand really is golden.

Golden Bay

Rotorua

Rotorua is an important place for the native Maori people, and you can get a better understanding and insight about their culture and traditions by visiting one of the many Maori villages in the area.

The skyrocketing geysers, boiling mud pools and thermal springs almost make you forget about the funky smell lingering over the whole city. Some of these pools were actually used by the Maori to cook food in.

Rotorua

Coromandel

With pristine beaches, crystal clear water and lush rainforest, this is an awesome place to swim, surf and enjoy nature.

Spend a couple of days camping at a secluded beach in the Forest Park, surf some nice waves and wake up just before sunrise to dig your own “spa pool” at hot water beach.

This beach is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Volcanoes have developed huge underground reservoirs of superheated water, which slowly escapes to the surface, cooling on the way.

Every day at low tide, if you go to the beach and dig, hot water will come up and you can create a hot tub! Just be careful, in some spots the water can be boiling hot.

Hot water beach

I hope this inspired you to get some adventure in New Zealand and see what all the fuss is about – who knows, you might never want to leave..!