u/Illustrious-Mango605

Look, I get it. You’ve got limited time and the South Island is very photogenic so of course you have to prioritise. But you’re missing out if you don’t see some of the North Island too. And I don’t mean just Hobbiton either. The Northland and Coromandel coasts are staggeringly beautiful, and both coasts of the NI are much more interesting than a run straight down SH1. Get out into Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Taranaki. Queenstown may be a bit of fun but it’s not how New Zealanders actually live.