12 NEW ZEALAND Travel Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make

Vins and I recently traveled to New Zealand. And yes, New Zealand was a dream. Like, ridiculously beautiful. One of those places where you start questioning if it’s even real. But as stunning as it is, traveling around came with a few surprises, missteps, and “Wait, WHAT?” moments we didn’t exactly see coming. Now that we’re back (a little sunburned, slightly broke, but very much in love with the country), we thought we’d round up the travel mistakes we personally made or almost made, so you don’t have to.

From underestimating drive times to forgetting just how intense that Kiwi sun really is, consider this our humble little PSA from one set of travelers to another. Because as magical as New Zealand is and how friendly Kiwis are, New Zealand can also humble a traveler real quick, especially if it’s your first time.

So before you pack your bags and say “Kia ora!” to the adventure of a lifetime, continue watching this video featuring our list of travel mistakes to avoid.

1. Booking too late.

We almost didn’t make it to Hobbiton. And it would’ve been such a shame because it’s one of the biggest attractions that we were looking forward to before the trip, and we almost failed to grab tickets.

One thing you should know about Hobbiton is that these days, you can only explore it with a guide, so you must book a Hobbiton Movie Set Tour. There are many ways to do it:

• If you prefer to drive or take a public bus on your own, you can just purchase a ticket.
• You can join a day tour from Auckland or Rotorua, which already includes transfers. Most tours depart from the Shire’s Rest, a café that serves as the gateway to Hobbiton.

When we tried to book, tickets were sold out! This was one month before our target date. We knew it was popular, but we were waiting for everyone in the group to be granted a visa before we book.

Thankfully, there are a few tours departing from Matamata iSite. We were a group of five, and by sheer luck, we were able to get the LAST 5 TICKETS! Talk about meant to be. Everything went well in the end.

But yes, whether you’re joining a tour or buying a ticket only, best to secure it in advance.

✅ RESERVE A HOBBITON SLOT HERE!

2. Winging the visa application.

If you’re required to secure a visa prior to arrival in New Zealand, like us, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, it’s actually pretty easy to apply for a visitor visa. The list of…