{"id":8580,"date":"2025-03-23T13:49:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-23T05:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/?p=8580"},"modified":"2025-06-05T23:28:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:28:47","slug":"new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-1-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/23\/new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-1-2\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand Self-Drive 2024 Day 1 & 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Lupins of Lake Tekapo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to my New Zealand Self-Drive 2024<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since I started traveling, New Zealand has always been on my bucket list. This year is the perfect time to explore the awe-inspiring landscapes of New Zealand on my terms. Imagine navigating winding coastal roads, stopping at hidden beaches, and discovering local cafes at my own pace. A self-drive holiday offers ultimate freedom, letting me immerse myself fully in each destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From New Zealand\u2019s North Island’s vibrant cityscape to the South Island’s majestic mountains, the scenery changes dramatically across each region, making every leg of my journey unique. With well-maintained roads, clear signage, and convenient rest stops, driving through New Zealand was straightforward and enjoyable. Get ready to uncover breathtaking views, friendly local towns, and unforgettable attractions. If you\u2019re craving a flexible adventure, follow me on this New Zealand self-drive holiday in 2024, the journey of a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s Go !!!!!!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DAY 1<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Instead of the usual Red-Eye flight that we usually preferred, we booked the 6 pm flight this time round. We would arrive at Auckland’s International Airport at 9 am.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Changi Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

It was a codeshare flight between Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand. For this leg of the flight, the plane was from Air New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Changi Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Our luggage was tagged and sent to the aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There was still time, so we went to Jewel for a light meal.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Changi Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Heading to our Gate.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Boarding the aircraft after a short wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The plane took off 30 minutes after boarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dinner was served shortly after. We had the choice of Chicken, Fish, or vegan meals. We ordered the chicken with mashed potatoes and the fish with rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The total flight time was about 10 hours. As we approached New Zealand airspace, the sun was rising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Breakfasts were served.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Auckland Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Shortly after breakfast, we landed at Auckland Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Auckland Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Citizens from these countries can use the E-gate for fast-track immigration. We passed through the gate like a breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Auckland Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Most Car Rental companies are located at the terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ezi Car rental<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For this trip, we chose this local company.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Auckland Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The rental car parking was a 10-minute walk from the terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Auckland Airport Express Bus<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Airport Express Bus is available to bring you across terminals.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Auckland Airport Express Bus<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

They run at 15-minute intervals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We did some detailed inspection and recorded all defects in video and photos before accepting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As we headed toward our first destination, we noticed that a scene like this would later be a common sight all around New Zealand. They were saying that there are more cows in New Zealand than Humans.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hamilton Town<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We arrived at Hamilton Town Central after an hour-plus drive.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hamilton Town<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There is a small Farmer’s Market along the street.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Udon<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Our first meal in New Zealand was Japanese Udon. LOL.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Te Uku<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We saw this Wind Turbine farm but were unable to access it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Te Uku<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

So we could only admire it from afar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When we stopped by the roadside to take pictures of these cows, they came to us instead of running away. Maybe they thought we had food for them. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Bridal Veil Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Our main destination for the day was Bridal Veil Falls at Waireinga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A short walk on a trail was required.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Bridal Veil Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

And we arrived at Bridal Veil Falls, also known as Waireinga Falls, a breathtaking natural wonder nestled near Raglan on New Zealand’s North Island. This stunning 55-meter waterfall cascades gracefully into a serene pool, surrounded by lush native bush and basalt rock formations.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Giant Bicycle<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We arrived before sunset and thus got time to visit the Giant Bicycle at Taupo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shortly after, we reached our Airbnb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A fully equipped apartment with an outdoor BBQ area and a Tub.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Taupo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We came to Lake Taupo to view the sunset. It was beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Love Taupo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There is also a big Love Taupo sign for photo-taking.<\/p>\n\n\n

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McDonald’s Lake Taupo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Slightly further down the street, we found this McDonald’s with an airplane setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shopping at Pak’n Save Taupo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And turned them into a simple dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Delicious!!!!!!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to my New Zealand Self-Drive 2024! Since I started traveling, New Zealand has always been on my bucket list. This year is the perfect time to explore the awe-inspiring landscapes of New Zealand on my terms. Imagine navigating winding coastal roads, stopping at hidden beaches, and discovering local cafes at my own pace. A … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[946],"tags":[950,111,46,953,948,265,957,32,951,952,955,959,954,960,961,947,42,949,958,956],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20241020_193116-scaled.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8838,"url":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/29\/new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-6\/","url_meta":{"origin":8580,"position":0},"title":"New Zealand Self-Drive 2024 Day 6","date":"March 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, we will be taking the flight to Christchurch. The flight took about an hour plus. Christchurch Airport Hello Christchurch. Heading our way to collect our luggage. Ezi Car rental For this leg of the journey, we took Ezi Car rental again. Carl's Jr Our first meal in Christchurch was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Zealand"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/freeneasytravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20241024_093419-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9018,"url":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/30\/new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-11\/","url_meta":{"origin":8580,"position":1},"title":"New Zealand Self-Drive 2024 Day 11","date":"March 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Riverside Market In the morning, we visited the Riverside Market. The indoor area is full of food stalls. Shopping is outside. The tram still operates here. After the Riverside market, we came to this Farmer's Market. Look at all the fruits and vegetables. Christchurch Botanic Gardens Our next destination was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Zealand"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/freeneasytravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20241029_131840-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8940,"url":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/30\/new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-9\/","url_meta":{"origin":8580,"position":2},"title":"New Zealand Self-Drive 2024 Day 9","date":"March 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"In the morning, we had breakfast facing the snow-covered lake. Nice.......... Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Our destination for the day was Mount Cook. We stopped at Mt Cook Alpine Salmon for a break and the famous raw salmon. We bought the 500g version, which cost us 50 NZD. And we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Zealand"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/freeneasytravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20241027_125655-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8974,"url":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/30\/new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":8580,"position":3},"title":"New Zealand Self-Drive 2024 Day 10","date":"March 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The snow has fully melted, and we will be heading to Christchurch today. Making sure we had a full tank before setting off on our journey. Along the way, we saw several police cars enforcing speed limits. They are normally stationed at the end of a bend. It is usually\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Zealand"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/freeneasytravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20241028_165731-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8700,"url":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/29\/new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":8580,"position":4},"title":"New Zealand Self-Drive 2024 Day 3","date":"March 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The 2 girls prepared a hearty and delicious breakfast. We cleaned up the place and checked out of the Airbnb after breakfast. Aratiatia Dam Our first destination for the day was to witness the release of water from the Aratiatia Dam. The release of water created a rush of water\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Zealand"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/freeneasytravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20241021_182400-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8862,"url":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/29\/new-zealand-self-drive-2024-day-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":8580,"position":5},"title":"New Zealand Self-Drive 2024 Day 7","date":"March 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"After a quick breakfast, we started our journey towards Milford Sound. It will be a 4-5 hour drive. Lots of Cattle and Sheep to view along the way. Te Anau Lion Lookout We stopped at Te Anau Lion Lookout for a break. Te Anau Lion Lookout The view here was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Zealand"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/freeneasytravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20241025_085608-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8580"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8580"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9844,"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8580\/revisions\/9844"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeneasytravel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}