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New Zealand

Your starting point for planning your New Zealand tour. How many weeks to plan for a New Zealand holiday? What to do and where to go? The Stray team will take you on a virtual tour through New Zealand.

We’re a bunch of adventurous & fun travellers ourselves, so we know all the best places. Must-see places throughout New Zealand, amazing activities that will leave even seasoned thrill-seekers in awe and off the beaten path & hidden gem locations.

Hop onboard our New Zealand travel blog and start planning the best trip ever. And we’re looking forward to seeing you onboard one of our New Zealand tours so we can show you the best places of New Zealand ourselves.

Laura Nalin - Willful and Wildhearted - Lake Wanaka, New Zealand

Stray Days: Straying with Laura

By Lisa T / 22 June 2017

This month we’re Straying with Laura Nalin, a travel blogger originally hailing from the US. She decided to finish off her Working Holiday experience in New Zealand by getting off the beaten track on a Stray Tour around the South Island.

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All reasons listed why you should visit Taupo or hop off there for a few days!

By Tara / 1 May 2017

Taupo, one of the North Island’s most beautiful townships and also home to New Zealand’s largest lake. It might not be one of our designated Stray overnight stops, but we have built in a visit on our North Island tours.

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Stray review: warm words from a happy Stray traveller

By Jodine / 26 April 2017

When we get a Stray review like the one recently shared by Bethan (aged 26 from Wales) we feel compelled to share it, not because we are bragging but because it tells us that all those early mornings, late nights and hard work is really and truly worth it.

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Sunset at Hot Water Beach

How to find the perfect spot at Hot Water Beach

By Travel Mate (guest blogger) / 8 February 2017

Hot Water Beach is one of the hottest free activities on the North Island but it can be tricky to get your free, personal spa just right. Here are some top tips from our very own Stray driver: Nat!

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Rose Revera Mt Cook National Park

Stray Days: Straying with Rose

By Lisa T / 3 January 2017

In this blog we remember Straying with Rose Revera from Wales, who spent three months getting off the beaten track in New Zealand on a Stray Tour.

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Canterbury Museum in central Christchurch

Fun & interesting things to do in Christchurch, no matter how much time you have

By Travel Mate (guest blogger) / 6 December 2016

Have you got some free time in Christchurch? Not sure what to do or where to go when you’ve only got a few hours, half a day or just one day free? Here’s what to do in Christchurch based on how much time you have free.

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Another excited group preparing for Tumu Tumu Toobing with Waitomo Adventures.

My Caving Adventures in Waitomo: review of Waitomo Adventures

By Antonia / 5 October 2016

I consider myself a well-heeled adventure traveller. I’ve bungeed, skydived, dived the blue hole in Belize, bombed from almighty waterfalls, swung, hung, twirled and zip-lined. But when Stray suggested I try Tumu Tumu Toobing, a black water rafting adventure in Waitomo, New Zealand…well I had no frickin’ idea what I was getting myself into.

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A member of the Stray team getting her hands dirty.

Stray staff get their hands dirty!

By Lisa T / 14 September 2016

One  sunny spring morning, 15 of the Stray Head Office team ventured to the northern edge of Auckland to Atiu Creek Regional Park on a mission to plant as many native trees as possible with local non-profit organisation Conservation Volunteers.

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Ziplining with Rotorua Canopy Tours - Stray New Zealand

A flying leap forward for conservation!

By Travel Mate (guest blogger) / 5 August 2016

Hanging upside down with my legs split flying backwards through the sunlight canopy of the ancient New Zealand forest is not usually how I would spend a Sunday. After just a few small hours with Rotorua Canopy Tours I went from being apprehensive about stepping off a perfectly good platform to being brave enough to […]

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Stray cleans up with Sustainable Coastlines

By Lisa T / 23 March 2016

Stray focuses on showing travellers the best parts of New Zealand, and part of that mission is encouraging all travellers to keep NZ clean and green while they visit. Don’t think for a second we don’t practice what we preach – here’s how we made a difference with Sustainable Coastlines.

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The Best Stray Love Stories

By Lisa T / 12 February 2016

We know a lot of people don’t rate February 14th as anything special, but, here at Stray, we’re a bunch of softies at heart and want to recognise all the love connections that have been made on the Stray bus over the years. (And there have been a fair few!)

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New Zealand through the eyes of a Brit – Part 6: Stray Further but don’t attempt to drive!

By Travel Mate (guest blogger) / 30 July 2015

After five epic posts telling you the ins and outs of surviving Kiwi culture, guest blogger Sam from the UK gives his final insight into how best to travel around New Zealand… Now to see the country, taste the pies and learn the lingo, you’ll need some way to hit the road. As I’ve mentioned, […]

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New Zealand through the eyes of a Brit – Part 5: Beaches that beat Southend

By Travel Mate (guest blogger) / 24 July 2015

If you think you’ve already found the world’s best beaches (probably not Southend), New Zealand has them beat according to our guest blogger Sam the Brit. Here’s his best advice for enjoying the surf and sand of the Kiwi coastline. I know what you’re thinking, you’ve been to Southend, thrown up on one of the […]

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New Zealand through the eyes of a Brit – Part 4: Eating in New Zealand

By Travel Mate (guest blogger) / 17 July 2015

You’re speaking like a local and dressed for Kiwi success – now what’s for dinner? Our guest blogger Sam from the UK is back to tell you all about New Zealand food.

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New Zealand through the eyes of a Brit – Part 3: Jandals, Singlets and Togs

By Travel Mate (guest blogger) / 2 July 2015

Now that you understand basic New Zealand lingo, British guest blogger Sam’s next lesson is a tutorial on how to dress like a New Zealander.

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Plan ahead with our New Zealand blog

You can use our New Zealand travel blog to help you plan your trip. For example, in the blog, you’ll find information and tips on what to pack and how to plan your trip. You can get ahead of the game while you’re still at home!

Most of our travel blog posts have been written either by members of our Stray team or actual travellers from their own experiences. Either way, you’re getting your travel tips from an expert, who’s been there, seen it, done it and got several tee shirts!

Right place, right time!

The blog has info and advice on the different times of the year to visit New Zealand. If you love your skiing, you don’t want to be staying in Auckland in January, but you might want to plan a trip to Queensland for June.

And if you want to do some whale watching, you can find out not just the best places to spot whales, but also the best time to catch them on their annual migratory travels.

Make sure you get a piece of the action

You’ll also find all the info you need on a host of adventure activities in our New Zealand travel blog. Whether it’s adrenaline, white knuckle rides in Queenstown or the calm tranquillity of a kayak on a glacial lake, it’s all in there.

If you want to discover NZ’s cities while you’re over here, we have blogs written by locals. It’s only after living in a place for a while that you get to know the best bars and coolest hang-outs. Live like a local and not just a tourist.

Everything you need to know about New Zealand – all in one travel blog

So take a browse through our blog posts on New Zealand. There’s a lot to learn and discover. You’ll read about the best National Parks for a hike, where to enjoy thermal hot springs, go bungy jumping or white water rafting, NZ’s top sky diving locations and of course, the best beaches, cities and sights that New Zealand has to offer.

Tell us what you think of our travel blog

Please share your comments at the bottom of each blog post. You might have a question one of our readers or team could answer, or you might know about a fantastic, secret, must-see destination from a previous visit. Either way, we’d love to hear from you and share your experiences with our Stray community.

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