North Island Road trip with our baby

There is something special about waking up outdoors with the people you love. Salty hair, sandy feet, mist on the hills and the promise of another day of exploring.

Location

North Island, New Zealand

Length

5 months

Approx. 10,000 km (including plenty of detours, coastal exploring, and backtracking to see people)

Route

We didn’t take the simplest route and that was very intentional.

Instead of racing from one destination to the next, we followed coastlines, took scenic backroads and chased quiet beach towns and hidden bays. The trip was shaped just as much by catching up with friends and family as it was by the places themselves.

We kept most driving days to three hours or less, which made a huge difference with a baby. It gave us time to actually enjoy where we were, rather than constantly being on the move.

If a place felt good, we stayed a while.

The trip quickly became less about ticking places off and more about enjoying the moment and seeing what unfolded.

The Plan

Spend a year living in a campervan, travelling around New Zealand with our son Sage from just two months old.

When I was pregnant, the idea came to us and we ran with it.

We bought a bright green, 7 metre Iveco Daily (an ex-Toll courier van) and set about turning it into our home on wheels. In the months before Sage arrived, Josh poured his time into the build, creating a space that would be practical, warm, and comfortable for family life.

One of the biggest decisions we made was keeping the cargo wall. Our previous camper was noisy on the road, and this made a huge difference, quieter, warmer and it allowed Sage to stay close while we were driving.

Inside, we designed it, so the beds were always set up, a full double for us and a single bunk underneath, along with a functional kitchen with an induction cooktop, plenty of solar power, a cosy lounge, and even a compact bathroom with a composting toilet and shower.

Out the back, we built in loads of storage for all the gear that keeps us entertained and added a tow bar so we could bring the boat along too.

It wasn’t just a van anymore it became our base for a year of adventure.

With our home rented out, we were able to step away from work and fully focus on what mattered most. Time together as a family. Knowing how important the early years of a child’s development are, we wanted to prioritise time together and be fully present during that precious stage of life.

We packed for the kind of adventures we love paddleboards, pack raft, surfboards, freedive gear, hiking gear, camping equipment, climbing gear and more.

On The Road

Some of our favourite campgrounds from the journey. Starting from Wellington to Taranaki, then across to Central North Island, up to the Far North, back down to the Coromandel Peninsula, the East Cape and then back down via the Wairapa.

Ōtaki Beach Freedom Camping

Freedom Camping | Kapiti Coast

A simple and handy beachside overnight stop with lots of birdlife.

Waverley Beach Freedom Camping

Freedom Camping | Wanganui

Camp on top of dramatic Sea Caves.

Tongapōrutu Freedom Camping

Freedom Camping | North Taranaki

Epic coastline, sea caves, and dramatic scenery including the 'Three Sisters.'

Ohinepane Campsite

DOC Campsite | Central North Island

Peaceful riverside camping surrounded by native bush. One of the put in’s for the Whanganui River multi-day Canoe Trip.

Hahei Holiday Resort

Holiday Park | Coromandel

Great family base just behind the dunes, with excellent facilities including its own outdoor restaurant and bar. Hahei is a great little beach town, with stunning coastal walks, including Cathedral Cove. It’s also good for swimming, snorkelling and paddling. The popular Hot water Beach and Cooks Beach are only a short drive away.

Waipu Cove Holiday Park

Holiday Park | Waipu

Classic family beach holiday vibes. Excellent facilities including tennis court, playground and surf school. We enjoyed it so much we stayed on several occasions.

Tutukaka Freedom Camping

Freedom Camping | Tutukaka

Perfect for exploring the coast and marine playground nearby. Great restaurants on the Marina and your gateway to dive the Poor Knights.

Puriri Bay Campsite

DOC Campsite | Whangaruru North Head

Remote, scenic, and one of those places that feels properly tucked away.

The Boathouse Apartment

Air BnB | Opua

The Bridge and The Landing, two fantastic apartments that are worth parking up the van for.

Rainbow Falls NZMCA Park

NZMCA Park | Bay of Islands Area

A peaceful overnight stop tucked beside the river and just a short walk to Rainbow Falls and a nice Thai restaurant. A great base for exploring the Bay of Islands area.

Matauri Bay Holiday Park

Holiday Park | Bay of Islands Area

Overlooking the Cavalli Islands and the Rainbow Warrior dive site, this incredible beachfront campsite offers crystal clear waters, stunning views and relaxed atmosphere.

Tauranga Bay Holiday Park

Holiday Park | Northland

Great beachfront camping with easy swimming, fishing, and paddling access.

Ahipara TOP 10 Holiday Park

Holiday Park | Ahipara

A fantastic family-friendly base for beach days and exploring the edge of Ninety Mile Beach. Shipwreck bay, an iconic point break surf spot is a short drive away.

Maitai Bay Campsite

DOC Campsite | Karikari Peninsula

Crystal clear water, white sand, sheltered bay and beautiful Pohutukawa trees. Great snorkelling in the area.

Tapotupotu Campsite

DOC Campsite | Cape Reinga

A spectacular coastal DOC campground near the northern tip of the country. Sheltered valley setting with a lagoon suitable for paddleboarding, beach access, and a true remote feel. Te Paki Coastal Track is worth the hike to Cape Reinga.

Kapowairua (Spirits Bay) Campsite

DOC Campsite | Cape Reinga

Beautiful long Sandy beach as far as the eye can see. Long bumpy gravel road in but worth it.

Tāwharanui Regional Park Campground

Campground | Auckland Region

Beautiful beaches, native birdlife, and one of the best family escapes close to Auckland. This park is fully enclosed with pest-proof fencing meaning you get to camp among the Kiwi. When we were there lightning struck the gate, locking us in for longer than expected, but we didn’t mind.

Fletcher Bay Campsite

DOC Campsite | Northern Coromandel

Remote, rugged, and one of the most rewarding drives in the North Island. All of the Coromandel Peninsula Campsites are spectacular and on a nice day the bays are great for paddling and if you are lucky you might even see some Dolphins, but watch out for the wild winds.

Maraehako Camping Ground

Camping Ground | Hawke’s Bay Coast

Remote coastal camping with a real old-school Kiwi feel. Stunning coastline to explore by paddleboard.

Anaura Bay Family Motor Camp

Motor Camp | East Coast

One of the North Island’s most beautiful beach campgrounds.

East Cape Campground

Campground | East Cape

Remote, wild coastline camping and a true sense of adventure. The rugged East Coast drive to the Cape is well worth it.

Kaiaua Beach Freedom Camping

Freedom Camping | Gisborne

Easy stopover with water views.

Lake Ōkareka Campsite

DOC Campsite | Rotorua

Beautiful lakeside setting close to Rotorua adventures. Paddling at night into the caves to see the glow worms is not to be missed. Blue Lake and the Redwoods forest offer great camping too, to be closer to Whakarewarewa Mountain Bike Park.

Castlepoint Freedom Camping

Freedom Camping | Wairarapa

Iconic lighthouse views and one of the most scenic coastal spots around. The Castlepoint lagoon offers a sheltered, shallow spot for families swimming. The Deliverance Cove track and up to Castle Rock is a great day walk.

Waimeha Camping Village

Camping Village | Cape Palliser

A rugged and memorable coastal stay at the bottom of the North Island. Just watch out for the friendly goat trying to steal your food. The Cape Palliser Lighthouse and seal colony is worth the visit and its impressive to drive through the small fishing village of Ngawi and see the highest concentration of bulldozers and tractors per capita in the world.

And many more simple overnight stops, beach carparks, NZMCA parks, DOC sites, and spontaneous places in between.

TIP: We used the NZMCA App to find most of our spots. If you-re travelling by campervan or caravan, joining the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association is well worth it. Access to parks, facilities and planning tools makes life on the road much easier.

Roads that became the adventure

Some roads are simply a way to get somewhere. Others are the adventure.

On this trip, we quickly realised that the journey itself became just as memorable as the places we were heading to. The slow, winding roads, the unexpected viewpoints, the roadside stops that turned into swims, snacks, or short walks, these were often the moments that stayed with us the most.

A road trip through New Zealand isn’t just about ticking off destinations. It’s about embracing the in-between. The rugged coastlines, gravel backroads, native bush-lined highways, and remote stretches where you might not see another car for miles.

These roads ask you to slow down. To pull over. To take it in.

And when you do, they become more than just a way to get from A to B, they become part of the story.

These are some of the drives that made us do exactly that.

Hāwera → New Plymouth (Surf Highway 45)

Volcanic landscapes, surf beaches, and views of Mount Taranaki on a clear day.

Forgotten World Highway (State Highway 43)

One of the most iconic drives in New Zealand. Historic tunnels, rolling farmland, and a real sense of stepping back in time. Stop at the Whangamomona pub for a drink or two.

Whangārei Heads → Ocean Beach

A stunning coastal road wrapping around the harbour with views that just keep getting better. Excellent day walks to Sumgglers Bay and Busby Head. A walk up Mount Manaia offers stunning views. Great overnight Hike to Peach Cove Hut via the Brean Head track and an easy freedom camp at Ocean Beach.

Ngunguru → Sandy Bay

Turquoise water, white sand, and classic Northland beach scenery at every turn.

Whangaruru → Rawhiti → Russell

A slower, lesser-known way into the Bay of Islands, rolling countryside, coastal glimpses, and hardly any traffic. Cape Brett Lighthouse and hut is an excellent overnight hike from Rawhiti. You can't visit the Bay of Islands without getting on the water!! Urupukapuka Island is a favourite.

Matauri Bay → Whangaroa → Coopers Beach

Quiet roads linking beautiful bays to one of the most dramatic harbours in the country. We recommend a boat trip or Hike into Lane Cove hut and the Duke's Nose in Whangaroa. Tauranga Bay and Taupo Bay are absolutely stunning. The Mangonui Fish & Chip shop is also worth the drive just a bit further North.

Far North → Cape Reinga (State Highway 1)

The final stretch to the top of the country. The road winds through rolling farmland before opening out to dramatic coastal views and windswept cliffs. Reaching Cape Reinga feels like a true arrival point, where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean collide. Be sure to stop at Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes on your way.

Waipoua Forest → Tāne Mahuta (State Highway 12)

Driving through Waipoua Forest feels like stepping into another world. Towering native bush closes in around you, the road slows, and everything quiets. Standing beneath Tāne Mahuta, the largest known kauri tree in New Zealand is something special.

Dargaville → Pouto Point

Remote dunes, harbour edges, and a quiet kind of beauty.

Leigh → Ti Point → Omaha

An easy coastal escape with great swimming spots, marine life, and family-friendly stops. Goat Island is worth the paddle and snorkel. Ti Point is an interesting, boulder hoping walk with excellent climbing.

Port Waikato → Waingaro Hot Springs

A lesser-known gem that feels worlds away from the main highways. The road winds inland from the rugged west coast, climbing through rolling green hills dotted with farmland and scattered rock formations that rise unexpectedly from the landscape.

Raglan → Ruapuke → Makomako → Kāwhia

Wild west coast energy, rugged cliffs, black sand beaches, and remote farmland. A surfers paradise!

Kāwhia → Taharoa → Marokopa

A true off-the-beaten-path drive. Big landscapes, quiet roads, and a feeling of total escape. Kawhia hot water beach is not to be missed.

Waihi → Coromandel (State Highway 25)

A stunning coastal drive wrapping around the western side of the Coromandel Peninsula. The road twists alongside rugged shoreline, native bush and countless little bays that are hard not to stop at. Don't rush this one, there are plenty of small beach towns and coastal detours worth slowing down for. Whangamata Beach Hop is awesome and the diving at the Alderman and Mercury Islands is amazing!!

Coromandel Loop → Fletcher Bay & Stony Bay

Remote gravel roads, big coastal views, and that feeling of being a long way from anywhere. One of the most rewarding drives in the North Island.

Ōpōtiki → East Cape Tip (State Highway 35)

A raw, untouched stretch of coastline lined with pōhutukawa and quiet beaches. It feels like you’re heading to the very edge of the country, because you are.

East Cape → Gisborne (State Highway 35)

One of New Zealand’s most underrated coastal drives. Long sandy beaches, small communities, and endless ocean views.

Gisborne → Ōpōtiki via Waioeka Gorge (State Highway 2)

A complete contrast to the coast, winding through towering native bush and following a stunning river gorge.

Lake Ferry → Cape Palliser

Seal colonies, rugged coastline, and one of the most dramatic coastal drives in the lower North Island.

What We’re Learning

Having a van packed and ready to go changes everything.

Instead of needing days of planning, packing, and organising, you can simply grab some food, a few clothes, and head off.

A few things that made a big difference for us:

• Keep drive times short (3 hours or less).

• Don’t drive every day – stay and enjoy places.

• Time drives with naps.

• Have snacks and car entertainment on hand.

• Book a Holiday Park once a week for hot showers and laundry.

It’s not about doing more, it’s about making it easier to start.

Takeaway

There were definitely hard times.

Sage didn’t sleep longer than 1.5 hours at a time for his first seven months, and we were still trying to live big adventurous days around that exhaustion.

But there were also incredible moments.

He loved the front pack.

He loved movement.

He loved being outside.

He adapted so naturally to life on the road. He was happy, healthy, and open to the lifestyle.

We still got to do many of the things we loved just in a different way.

Slower. Simpler. Sometimes harder.

But in many ways, more rewarding.

TIP: Travelling in the off-season helps a lot, fewer crowds, no bookings needed and a much more relaxed pace.

Why It Matters

Those early years are precious.

This season gave us uninterrupted time together, shared experiences, and a chance to build a strong family foundation.

We believe time outdoors, connection, movement, and presence all help set children up well for later life.

And just as importantly it gave us memories we’ll carry forever.

Part of a Bigger Story

This trip helped shape everything that became Curious by Nature.

The books.

The adventures.

The belief that children don’t need to wait until they’re older to experience the outdoors.

Adventure can begin now, muddy feet, broken sleep, baby carrier and all.