Mini North Island tour - suggestions

Mini North Island tour - suggestions

Author
Discussion

driverrob

Original Poster:

4,693 posts

204 months

Monday 10th July 2023
quotequote all
My wife and I will be back again for a month over Christmas, partly to celebrate our 50th anniversary with friends and family in Wellington/Napier.
We did a mini tour of SI on an earlier visit, so this time I've allowed a week after Christmas to drive from Napier back to Wellington via some interesting roads/towns/..
We would welcome suggestions of possible routes and places to visit on the way. Not too many hours of driving per day, please. We visited Rotorua back in 2007 and Hastings several times, but there are so many other places we've not seen.
Thanks in advance for any contributions.

driverrob

Original Poster:

4,693 posts

204 months

Wednesday 12th July 2023
quotequote all
mark387mw said:
Did you visit Havelock North during your Hastings visit? Lots of shopping and dining options and always worth going to the Rose and Shamrock.
Yes, but only briefly.

Another popular place to go to would be Greytown on the way to Wellington.
As long as it's a lot better than Greymouth, I'll add that to the list.

Not on the route but New Plymouth is worth a visit calling into https://www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz/ on the way.
Yes, our son also suggested it. Thanks.


Edited by driverrob on Wednesday 12th July 21:34

driverrob

Original Poster:

4,693 posts

204 months

Thursday 13th July 2023
quotequote all
Keypad said:
Napier / Coromandel.
Aren't some of the roads up there still not repaired?

driverrob

Original Poster:

4,693 posts

204 months

Friday 14th July 2023
quotequote all
mark387mw said:
Have you visited Southward Car Museum before?
Worth calling in if you’re travelling SH1 south to Wellington.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g6...
Yes, we spent a couple of hours there last time we visited. And very interesting it was.

driverrob

Original Poster:

4,693 posts

204 months

Friday 14th July 2023
quotequote all
Any thoughts on
Taupo
Palmerston North
SH3 or SH45 around Egmont?

Also, the hire car is a hybrid, so I guess I'll be checking for charging points.

driverrob

Original Poster:

4,693 posts

204 months

Saturday 15th July 2023
quotequote all
mark387mw said:
Taupo is a tourist town so plenty to do around the lake, or bungy jumping if you haven’t tried that yet. Always worth watching them jump.

I live in Palmerston North and it’s a working town so not much for tourists. There is the rugby museum and rose garden.

SH45 is known as the surf highway so a nice drive with good views.

Lots of charging points on North Island. Check with PlugShare and ChargeNet apps. Also at a lot of petrol stations, BP or Z.
Thanks, Mark. All useful stuff.

driverrob

Original Poster:

4,693 posts

204 months

Sunday 16th July 2023
quotequote all
mikiec said:
Another interesting possibility.