The Ultimate Trip to New Zealand
As I’m packing to venture back to New Zealand this weekend, I realized I’ve never written a New Zealand packing list on worldofwanderlust.com! And considering that New Zealand is one of the most popular destinations on my travel blog, I thought now would be a good time to share my top tips for packing for a trip to New Zealand.
Over the years, New Zealand has been good to me. Whether it’s a ski trip to the south or living out of a van for two weeks, I’ve always made the best memories here. Some of my trips have been in warmer months (like my time in the Marlborough wine country), but most of them have been in winter like this. So here we go, I’m sharing my ultimate packing list to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the important pieces!
For me, there are no better trekking boots than Merrell. A few years ago, I was a brand ambassador, and as part of my job with the company, I got to try (and keep!) all of their best-selling hiking shoes. I was amazed at how long I was torturing my feet with other brands and since then, even though I am no longer affiliated with the brand, I will only wear their hiking boots. Some of my top recommendations include the Siren Traveler Walking Shoes, and for a more everyday walking shoe, try the Basic Walking Shoe.
No matter what season you visit, the New Zealand sun can be harsh and unforgiving. I would always recommend using at least one face sunscreen, especially if you are going to the slopes in winter when most people forget to apply a face sunscreen.
If you’re spending all that money and going down that road, you better take your camera! For me, travel and photography go hand in hand. For the last ten years, I’ve been capturing my travels and sharing them here on my blog and without it, I wouldn’t have seen half the places I’ve been. But traveling with expensive camera gear can be stressful. I always travel with a camera backpack to make sure all my lenses, cameras, and drones are safe and sound.
It’s no secret that New Zealand experiences some pretty harsh winters. And for me, winter is the best time of year to visit the country (hello, ski trip!). That being said, I always pack a waterproof jacket for my trips in New Zealand and my favorite brand of travel jacket is Barbour.
Ever since I spent a week hiking in Ethiopia, I’ve counted a headlamp as an absolute necessity in my travel bag. In fact, there aren’t many places I travel to without it! In New Zealand, a headlamp will come in handy on your sunrise and sunset hiking missions, as you never have to worry about losing light. In addition, they are also useful during life in the van: when cooking dinner at dusk or visiting nature in the middle of the night.
Regardless of the season, I always wear a bathing suit. It doesn’t matter if I’m visiting a tropical island or venturing into the depths of winter on a ski trip, I never forget my bathing suit and a trip to New Zealand is no exception!
A GoPro has been a travel essential for me since I started writing travel blogs. They invited me to work with the brand in Hawaii and taught me how to get the most out of my camera, and have always used it ever since to capture adventurous activities like skiing, kayaking, and surfing.