Many of you have asked us for an itinerary so we've put together a condensed version for our trip here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dfc6zRMLBJVyQb_CVv4UmJWzsoo3rTW97JrXqnUYXm8/edit?usp=sharing For more detailed videos about each location, don't miss out on the rest of our videos: * Hobbiton - th-cam.com/video/YDOoWygNwuc/w-d-xo.html * Rotorua Christmas - th-cam.com/video/R4mMFIGVzHk/w-d-xo.html * Tongariro - th-cam.com/video/7v-CqXNuJRg/w-d-xo.html * Wine Country - th-cam.com/video/7TohQR4Eru4/w-d-xo.html * Abel Tasman - th-cam.com/video/0k1qstmy4KY/w-d-xo.html * Hidden Gems - th-cam.com/video/cSO9dt5SGno/w-d-xo.html * Hooker Valley - th-cam.com/video/gQhj1zJkOQQ/w-d-xo.html * Roy's Peak - th-cam.com/video/gsUpNdpjjek/w-d-xo.html * Queenstown - th-cam.com/video/C9PhmWk95O4/w-d-xo.html * Food Tour - th-cam.com/video/7d3VeUjORPE/w-d-xo.html
I live in New Zealand, and i've watched plenty of road trip videos for New Zealand, but this is probably the best one i've seen, you've shown places that even I hadn't even heard of! The clay cliffs, etc! Nice job :)
@@mahmoodalmasri2871 it depends of what job you are looking for or which qualifications you have (checking online before making a trip there may help). then living costs vary (as in other countries) from city or outside places. this also can be researched online easily. best of luck 👍
exactly what NZ is - many continents or countries in one. and it is way way more beautiful than you can imagine. once you get there and see it with your own eyes - you will understand 🙏
Kaikoura, one of my fav places as well as Milford sounds and Marlboro sounds. NZ is such a beautiful country. I prefer the south Island. Well done with the video mate. a Job well done.
KIA ORA ano to a beautiful Young Couple, and Thank you for the Comprehensive, entertaining Video. Very Professionally Filmed compiled and edited. It's a pleasure to acknowledge wonderful Appreciative people who Visit our Country.
I reside in New Zealand, and I've seen numerous road trip videos about our country, but yours is undoubtedly one of the finest I've come across. You've highlighted locations that I wasn't even aware of, such as the clay cliffs, and I must say, excellent job!
Omg yes! I've already planned a 2 week road trip. This footage was spectacular 😍. North Islanders have no idea what they're missing out on. The best nature has to offer is only a few hundred kilometers from most Kiwis. So beautiful 😊
Thank you for such an enjoyable film. I took a similar drive around the South Island. It was great to compare where your choices were different from or the same as mine. I enjoyed the glaciers and the Otago Peninsula penguins, albatrosses and NZ Fur seals. I flew in and out of Christchurch and that worked well.
My adventure in South NZ was more than 20 years ago. 14 days. Incredibly beautiful land especially at queenstown and had quite a few memorable adventure - mountain hiking in the rain (got wet and really cold), whitewater rafting (thrilling), glacier climbing, luge, close encounter with giant seals and some weird looking native animals. I think I only spent around $2k. It is really a lot more expensive now.
Excellent video - very authentic and you nailed all your travel choices. Your flight tip is spot on as the bus to see Milford Sound does indeed take a full day both ways.
This was an excellent video covering a lot of cool places in the south island New Zealand as well as the north. It’s great because I am heading there in November and I’m glad to see that it’s accessible.
The kiwis were super cute! We wish we could have filmed them to show everyone, but they're nocturnal so we didn't want to disturb them with bright lights.
Many visitors think they have seen kiwi during the day. What they have see is weka, another native bird. If you visit Stewart Island there are many free roaming Kiwi you can see at night. Hamner Springs is near Kaikoura and it to has outdoor adrenal rush activities and the hot springs.
Fantastic work with this video, very informative and well-edited. Especially appreciated seeing the route on the map, the cost breakdown, and what you would have done differently. I can’t say you’ve convinced me to bungee jump though!! 😆
Absolutely outstanding video! We are so much more informed after watching this. My wife and I are in our late 50s and in very good shape. We cannot decide whether we should rent a campervan or do an organized tour. We have 3 1/2 weeks to spend in NZ. What do you recommend? Would you mix it up and do both? Did you use any particular companies for your tours? Thank you so much for posting this awesome clip, it really does help a lot of people!
We personally enjoy going on our own since we can adjust our plan if needed and have more freedom than tours offer, but we do realize the convenience of organized tours. We didn't use any tours except the flight to and from Milford Sound. So our recommendation would definitely be to do the campervan. A lot more freedom to explore based on your own liking!
Ive done NZ twice!! 1st time in 1992, i spent about 2 months there, mixing hitch-hiking with kiwi experience! plus a bit of wwoof. 2nd time was in 2002, i basically rented a 2nd hand bicycle, as i couldnt find/afford a new one, and took the trains from Aukland to Invecargill, then cycled all the way back!! staying in youth hostels. this trip took me 6 weeks to complete, inc a few days in aukland with a few mates.
Looks fantastic! We’re heading to the North Island soon, can’t wait, starting in Wellington and making our way up to the Bay of Islands. We’ve travelled the South Island a couple of times, can’t recommend it highly enough, absolutely beautiful.
Great video, thanks for sharing. It gave me many ideas as I am planning a road trip on NZ too, around Christmas! I can't agree more it looks like the southern island is where I want to spend most of my time. Brilliant in its simplicity is the one way car rental. No backtracking! Efficient. Excellent video and I subscribed.
Thanks for sharing, it is a great video and very detailed. On your itinerary that you shared, you show that you picked up your rental car in Rotorua and just wondering how did you travel from your hotel in Auckland to Rotorua? We would be arriving into Auckland from Los Angeles and thinking of just heading straight to Rotorua, not sure there is much of interest to us in the city of Auckland 🤷♀
We booked a tour for Hobbiton that picked us up and took us to Rotorua. We would have rented from Auckland except for the fact that the only availability for Hobbiton (we waited too long to reserve tickets) was through a bus tour and so we opted to do that instead.
HI - we loved your video and are doing some of the same activities! What Time did you leave Rotarua to start the Tongariro Alpine Hike? I know its about a 2.5 hour drive eek!
very usefull. thanks for sharing. what if you had 4 weeks instead of 2 ? can you detail about places to sleep ? it seems that you spent at least3hours a day driving . isit so ?
We stayed at Adventure Lodge and Motels: goo.gl/maps/B7c9K1dgu1zYaDuq5 and also booked the shuttle from the hotel. The name of the hike we did was called the Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Yes rental car (or camper van) is definitely the way to go. Things are quite spread apart so I'm not sure how you would really get around without a car For hotels, we stayed at a mix of hotels and Airbnbs in each of the locations depending on what we could find.
You made my day.. i feel so relieved after i watch your video.. its like breathtaking adventure.. after my long review class for new zealnd..❤❤❤.. hoping to migrate to new zealnd soon
Didi, Brian: excellent material. Quick question: From where did you depart from NZ back to Japan? From Auckland again or from the South Island? I may have overlooked this detail on your video. Thanks!
We used Hertz, but we would actually recommend Avis if you plan to go to both islands since Hertz actually has a $1000 fee if you return the car to a different island.
@@didibryan Thank you for the reply. Yeah I checked hertz and they do charge extra amount. Anything else we should know about apart from the usual when travelling to New Zealand?
Hello, this ia a great video with some good tips and idea's. I see a few drones shots here and there: as I plan to bring my drone to New Zealand soon I wonder, is this very difficult to arrange?
Looks like you had an amazing trip but I'm curious as to how your aerial drone shots were obtained considering most of the locations do not allow it. ie. Lake Tekapo, Wanaka. Did you obtain permission or just ignore the warning signs.
This is wonderful! Thank you for showing the world our beautiful little country. I came here 50 years ago and I could never live anywhere else. Next time you should visit Northland, the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga. There is life further North than Auckland!
We got a one way car rental where we returned the car at a different location. One thing to be aware of is some companies like Hertz may charge a fee if you return to a different island so be careful when choosing companies.
Many of you have asked us for an itinerary so we've put together a condensed version for our trip here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dfc6zRMLBJVyQb_CVv4UmJWzsoo3rTW97JrXqnUYXm8/edit?usp=sharing
For more detailed videos about each location, don't miss out on the rest of our videos:
* Hobbiton - th-cam.com/video/YDOoWygNwuc/w-d-xo.html
* Rotorua Christmas - th-cam.com/video/R4mMFIGVzHk/w-d-xo.html
* Tongariro - th-cam.com/video/7v-CqXNuJRg/w-d-xo.html
* Wine Country - th-cam.com/video/7TohQR4Eru4/w-d-xo.html
* Abel Tasman - th-cam.com/video/0k1qstmy4KY/w-d-xo.html
* Hidden Gems - th-cam.com/video/cSO9dt5SGno/w-d-xo.html
* Hooker Valley - th-cam.com/video/gQhj1zJkOQQ/w-d-xo.html
* Roy's Peak - th-cam.com/video/gsUpNdpjjek/w-d-xo.html
* Queenstown - th-cam.com/video/C9PhmWk95O4/w-d-xo.html
* Food Tour - th-cam.com/video/7d3VeUjORPE/w-d-xo.html
I live in New Zealand, and i've watched plenty of road trip videos for New Zealand, but this is probably the best one i've seen, you've shown places that even I hadn't even heard of! The clay cliffs, etc! Nice job :)
Thank you!!
Watch ferry rahmat bro
It’s a shit-hole !
@@mahmoodalmasri2871 it depends of what job you are looking for or which qualifications you have (checking online before making a trip there may help).
then living costs vary (as in other countries) from city or outside places.
this also can be researched online easily. best of luck 👍
We did this but started in Queenstown and ended in Auckland. Also did the opposite coast. Trip of a lifetime
Phew. Canada, Norway & Switzerland - all in 1
Never thought about it that way, but that's a good comparison!
exactly what NZ is - many continents or countries in one.
and it is way way more beautiful than you can imagine.
once you get there and see it with your own eyes - you will understand 🙏
Thanks for being up front with costs and sharing your experiences. We're heading to NZ in February, still finalizing details and this was helpful! 👏
You're welcome and hope you have a wonderful time!
Thank you! ❤ Your itinerary is amazing, and there is no time to rest. 😅 NZ is on my bucket list that needs to be completed.
Kaikoura, one of my fav places as well as Milford sounds and Marlboro sounds. NZ is such a beautiful country. I prefer the south Island. Well done with the video mate. a Job well done.
It is such a lovely place - thank you!!
KIA ORA ano to a beautiful Young Couple, and Thank you for the Comprehensive, entertaining Video. Very Professionally Filmed compiled and edited. It's a pleasure to acknowledge wonderful Appreciative people who Visit our Country.
This is called life... Pure enjoyment in nature❤❤
Very helpful and easy to watch video.
I reside in New Zealand, and I've seen numerous road trip videos about our country, but yours is undoubtedly one of the finest I've come across. You've highlighted locations that I wasn't even aware of, such as the clay cliffs, and I must say, excellent job!
Thank you so much! Really appreciate hearing this from a resident 😄
Omg yes! I've already planned a 2 week road trip. This footage was spectacular 😍. North Islanders have no idea what they're missing out on. The best nature has to offer is only a few hundred kilometers from most Kiwis.
So beautiful 😊
Can you send me invitation am planning to come with my wife
I really like your video, since I am planning to go NZ, I watched a lot of TH-cam videos about NZ travel, you are one of the best.
Thank you so much! That means a lot to us!
Thank you for putting this together and the printed itinerary!
You're welcome!
it is wonderful to see this places, love to visit New Zealand, thank you for sharing your journey
thanks for sharing! it's very helpful for me to plan my trip!
What an excellent video….covered everything so well and in detail…
Had a question though what was ur travel month ?
Glad you loved New Zealand welcome😎
I absolutely have to go to New Zealand now ❤
Thank you for such an enjoyable film. I took a similar drive around the South Island. It was great to compare where your choices were different from or the same as mine. I enjoyed the glaciers and the Otago Peninsula penguins, albatrosses and NZ Fur seals. I flew in and out of Christchurch and that worked well.
My adventure in South NZ was more than 20 years ago. 14 days. Incredibly beautiful land especially at queenstown and had quite a few memorable adventure - mountain hiking in the rain (got wet and really cold), whitewater rafting (thrilling), glacier climbing, luge, close encounter with giant seals and some weird looking native animals. I think I only spent around $2k. It is really a lot more expensive now.
Thanks and informative and we are planning to visit with our little daughter.. what are the places to see with the kids?
Great video with lots of good info!! Thanks!
Excellent video - very authentic and you nailed all your travel choices. Your flight tip is spot on as the bus to see Milford Sound does indeed take a full day both ways.
www.youtube.com/@babasuraj7449
Your video is a work of art. It is exactly what I needed to plan for my trip. Great work Didi and Bryan
Thank you so much!
Your English is amazing brilliant video much appreciated your hard work
Thank you for this! It is super helpful.
Thank you for sharing. What a great trip. Loved it!
Very beautiful places
Hello! Loved your video! Is it possible for you to also share the list of accommodation that we can use as reference. Thank you
Thank you so much for this video. Beautifully shot and the perfect amount of information.
That was really informative and inspiring, didnt think i'll enjoy it so much as stumbled on it by chance! Thank you👍
So beautiful. This is one of my dreams, Switzerland being #1 on my list. Thank you very much for sharing your trip. Love from America.
You're very welcome!!
Hello thank you so much for your videos please what car rental company did you use?
This was an excellent video covering a lot of cool places in the south island New Zealand as well as the north. It’s great because I am heading there in November and I’m glad to see that it’s accessible.
Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Thank you so much for sharing this trip! I can't wait to visit New Zealand which will propose be in 2026! Your itinerary is so helpful!! Thank you!!!
Extremely well done and very helpful for our planning. Thank you!
that's a great video. Details, quality, transparency, even the lessons learned part at the end, thanks guys.
You're welcome! 😁
the lakes are so pretty! the sunrise is so cool… and kiwis are one of my favorite animals, i’m so jealous you got to see them 🥹
The kiwis were super cute! We wish we could have filmed them to show everyone, but they're nocturnal so we didn't want to disturb them with bright lights.
Many visitors think they have seen kiwi during the day. What they have see is weka, another native bird. If you visit Stewart Island there are many free roaming Kiwi you can see at night. Hamner Springs is near Kaikoura and it to has outdoor adrenal rush activities and the hot springs.
@@didibryanthis is really an amazing how can one get to you one on one
Fantastic work with this video, very informative and well-edited. Especially appreciated seeing the route on the map, the cost breakdown, and what you would have done differently. I can’t say you’ve convinced me to bungee jump though!! 😆
What a spectacular video!!!💖 Thanks a lot for sharing!
What an epic adventure! Thank you for sharing your amazing trip 👍😍
It was! You're very welcome!
Thank you for sharing,Ill be there next month
Thanks, this really helps me decide whether it’s worth going. And it is!
Thank you so much for a beautiful video. This is exactly what I need to plan our vacation for New Year.
You did the exact same activities, love new zealand!!!
Great minds think alike! 😁
Beautiful!!!! Thank-you!!!!!
Absolutely outstanding video! We are so much more informed after watching this. My wife and I are in our late 50s and in very good shape. We cannot decide whether we should rent a campervan or do an organized tour. We have 3 1/2 weeks to spend in NZ. What do you recommend? Would you mix it up and do both? Did you use any particular companies for your tours? Thank you so much for posting this awesome clip, it really does help a lot of people!
We personally enjoy going on our own since we can adjust our plan if needed and have more freedom than tours offer, but we do realize the convenience of organized tours. We didn't use any tours except the flight to and from Milford Sound.
So our recommendation would definitely be to do the campervan. A lot more freedom to explore based on your own liking!
This video is incredible. Thank you so much for making it.
You're very welcome!
great video you have inspired me to go here
Thanks for sharing. I spent almost a month on both north & south and still wished for more. Certainly warrants many return trips
We know the feeling! We definitely would have loved to have stayed longer than 2 weeks as well
Good afternoon from Papua New Guinea.
I enjoyed watching your contents. Great contents.
Welcome and thank you!!
@@didibryan thank you for responding to my comments. May God bless you.
New Zealand natural is so beautiful perfect amazing
very nice relaxing video thank you
You're welcome!
welcome to New Zealand, I lived there for a year! But now I am Canadian. I missed being there!
Great video and inspiration. Could you share how much in advance you booked the ferry that the daytimes were sold out?
We booked in mid November for the December ferries that were nearly all booked up.
@@didibryan thank you for taking time to respond, I appreciate it!
Feels like winter and snow in month december -january but in southern hemisphere and in mid year.🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿
Brilliant video, and what an amazing place NZ is.
thank you for this very useful review and great advice
Ive done NZ twice!! 1st time in 1992, i spent about 2 months there, mixing hitch-hiking with kiwi experience! plus a bit of wwoof.
2nd time was in 2002, i basically rented a 2nd hand bicycle, as i couldnt find/afford a new one, and took the trains from Aukland to Invecargill, then cycled all the way back!! staying in youth hostels. this trip took me 6 weeks to complete, inc a few days in aukland with a few mates.
Looks fantastic! We’re heading to the North Island soon, can’t wait, starting in Wellington and making our way up to the Bay of Islands. We’ve travelled the South Island a couple of times, can’t recommend it highly enough, absolutely beautiful.
Great video, thanks for sharing. It gave me many ideas as I am planning a road trip on NZ too, around Christmas! I can't agree more it looks like the southern island is where I want to spend most of my time. Brilliant in its simplicity is the one way car rental. No backtracking! Efficient. Excellent video and I subscribed.
Thank you! Hope you have a wonderful time as well!
Yes - going one way was the only way we could pack so much into the schedule. 😁
Thanks for sharing, it is a great video and very detailed. On your itinerary that you shared, you show that you picked up your rental car in Rotorua and just wondering how did you travel from your hotel in Auckland to Rotorua? We would be arriving into Auckland from Los Angeles and thinking of just heading straight to Rotorua, not sure there is much of interest to us in the city of Auckland 🤷♀
We booked a tour for Hobbiton that picked us up and took us to Rotorua. We would have rented from Auckland except for the fact that the only availability for Hobbiton (we waited too long to reserve tickets) was through a bus tour and so we opted to do that instead.
HI - we loved your video and are doing some of the same activities! What Time did you leave Rotarua to start the Tongariro Alpine Hike? I know its about a 2.5 hour drive eek!
We left from Tongariro in the morning. We drove from Rotorua to Tongariro the night before.
Wow… so happy you guys enjoyed your adventures. I just moved to NZ and can’t wait to explore all your suggestions!!!
Congrats on your big move!! You'll definitely have some amazing adventures ahead of you!
very usefull. thanks for sharing. what if you had 4 weeks instead of 2 ?
can you detail about places to sleep ? it seems that you spent at least3hours a day driving . isit so ?
Great editing and voice over. Good job!!
Thanks so much!
Cooler Vlog. Ich freu' mich schon auf mehr...
Thank you for sharing your amazing trip! I am hoping to visit this amazing country soon, so this video is really helpful. Looks beautiful there 😊
Glad it was helpful! We hope you can visit soon as well!
Great video thanks! In what hotel did you stay that helped you organise the Tongariro National Park hike? And what is the name of the hike please!
We stayed at Adventure Lodge and Motels: goo.gl/maps/B7c9K1dgu1zYaDuq5 and also booked the shuttle from the hotel.
The name of the hike we did was called the Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Thank you!
Thinking of doing similar destinations but would you recommend getting a rental car? What did you do for transportation and for hotel/lobbying?
Yes rental car (or camper van) is definitely the way to go. Things are quite spread apart so I'm not sure how you would really get around without a car
For hotels, we stayed at a mix of hotels and Airbnbs in each of the locations depending on what we could find.
You made my day.. i feel so relieved after i watch your video.. its like breathtaking adventure.. after my long review class for new zealnd..❤❤❤.. hoping to migrate to new zealnd soon
Thank you! We're really glad you enjoyed it and hope you have the opportunity soon!
Where did you stay and how did you choose your accommodations? Thank you for the great video!
We stayed at a combination of hotels and Airbnbs. We generally chose them based on a combination of location, reviews, and price.
@@didibryan Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
Really great video, thank you. We are planning to go to NZL in 9 wks!!!
Awesome - we hope you have a great time!
Didi, Brian: excellent material. Quick question: From where did you depart from NZ back to Japan? From Auckland again or from the South Island? I may have overlooked this detail on your video. Thanks!
We flew back to Auckland and left from there since the tickets were cheaper that way.
Amazing video, informative and well put. Can you suggest which car rental company did you do?
We used Hertz, but we would actually recommend Avis if you plan to go to both islands since Hertz actually has a $1000 fee if you return the car to a different island.
@@didibryan Thank you for the reply. Yeah I checked hertz and they do charge extra amount. Anything else we should know about apart from the usual when travelling to New Zealand?
I live in New Zealand since really cool
Sorry another question - do you remember about what time you arrived to QT after the Roys Peak Hike?
Hey guys thanks for sharing!! Can you share more about the private plane adventure ? Was it to Milford Sound ? From where and How do you book?
We booked through one of the tour websites, but the flight company is Glenorchy Air. It included a round flight to Milford Sound + the boat cruise.
Superb video & details.
I also had trip of 18 days in New Zealand in 2019
Thank you! Hope your trip was wonderful as well!
Amazing Trip for you Both! spent 2 years over there and did not see a quarter of what you saw, well done,x
Thank you!! I can totally imagine that while you're living there, you expect to have all the time to explore the country, but in the end don't haha
Glad you enjoyed yourself. Hope you come back.
Thank you! We definitely plan on it someday!!
Really amazed to see your video 👌🏻👍🏻
i definitely want to come to new zealand amazing country beautiful people like it
Very nice itinerary of New Zealand video
Many thanks!
Hello, this ia a great video with some good tips and idea's. I see a few drones shots here and there: as I plan to bring my drone to New Zealand soon I wonder, is this very difficult to arrange?
This is really good. Very helpful interesting information. I will more or less do the same in the near future ❤❤❤
Great video, do you mind sharing what month you went in. I may have missed that.
Dec - Jan!
Your quite right about missing out the city’s. Maybe if you fly into Auckland have a day but yes NZ countryside is where it’s at.
Thank you so much for sharing. It is a great video to watch. It is even better if you can do such a great video like this in Viet Nam.
Hi!
Any recommendation on places to see with a 1 year old for 2 weeks trip?
Beautifull ....your video was fantastic❤
Next time if you want to g o to nz go to the 77 cafe it’s a cafe that has climbing walls
Looks like you had an amazing trip but I'm curious as to how your aerial drone shots were obtained considering most of the locations do not allow it.
ie. Lake Tekapo, Wanaka.
Did you obtain permission or just ignore the warning signs.
This is wonderful! Thank you for showing the world our beautiful little country. I came here 50 years ago and I could never live anywhere else. Next time you should visit Northland, the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga. There is life further North than Auckland!
Definitely will! There were so many amazing places we didn't get a chance to visit including all the places north of Auckland
Hi! Hw is the weather like in early June? (: Will it be snowing?
We want more and more Bangladeshi people in Newzealand.
Love you all from dhaka Bangladesh. 👍🥰🇧🇩
Love you all too!!
Great video! What is the name of the flight company you booked the flight over Milford Sound from?
We booked via a tour website but the airline was Glenorchy Air.
does transportation include the round flights from japan or is it solely off use in new zealand? thanks
Awesome. I like your road. How big was your budget guys? Thank you
How did you get the car rental from auckland to Queenstown??
We got a one way car rental where we returned the car at a different location. One thing to be aware of is some companies like Hertz may charge a fee if you return to a different island so be careful when choosing companies.
@@didibryan Can you share the name of company from whom you took the car on rent ? We intend to follow your itinerary and do a road trip