Hidden Gems You'll Find Travelling New Zealand: Part 1

New Zealand is a gorgeous little country; we're mostly farmland or mountains, with cities dotted around occasionally, but let's be honest, no one comes here to see those.

Out of all the travellers I've met, they all say one thing about our little slice of heaven at the bottom of the world: "New Zealand is so GREEN," and they're right, it is. Not as in we all recycle and live off the land (even though we try, and most of us do), but as in everywhere you look there's literally just green.

Grassy sections, fields, paddocks, roadsides, forests, even our beaches have their own greenery and it's great! In fact, it's one of my favourite things about living here. The thing is, NZ is so small that everyone knows about everything, and you always know someone who knows someone who's related to someone who's been, well, everywhere. Luckily enough though, even our well-travelled areas have their own hidden gems, so here's one of my favourites!

Waihi Falls: A Slice of Paradise

My partner Mark and I first visited Waihi falls for Valentine's Day in 2016, and what a day it was. There were plenty of people and though the falls weren't in full flow it was still absolutely stunning to visit.

There are the falls themselves with rocks that you can climb on to enjoy the flow from up close, and a surprisingly deep swimming hole to enjoy directly under the falls. People were jumping, diving, and hanging out on surfboards in the water, enjoying the sun and the space without it being cramped or overly busy.

It's a fantastic place to bring the family as you can explore the top of the waterfall, the river below (which is filled with life!) and sit to have lunch both up the top of the falls at picnic tables or below on the banks next to the water. What could be better?

The Bottom of the Falls While in a Medium-Low Flow. Perfect Swimming Conditions!

As you can see in the photos, there's that green again, sneaking its way in everywhere you go. So where exactly is this amazing waterfall? An accurate description would be: almost the middle of nowhere.

Waihi Falls lies approximately 1 hour outside of the small town of Dannevirke or a windy, awkward drive over 58.5km of gravel and country roads. You need to be careful driving roads like this in New Zealand, so if you're travelling and would like to visit, I would recommend taking it very slowly or enlisting a Kiwi to help you get there.

Unfortunately for us, the downfall of our whole trip to this amazing place was navigating out these roads we passed a car crash. Luckily no one was hurt but it was a prime example of how New Zealand roads can be harsh on distracted or inexperienced drivers. Remember to always be safe, and don't drive roads that you aren't confident driving.

Don't let this dampen your enthusiasm for exploring NZ; everywhere you find is 100% worth the travel, and it really is a once in a lifetime chance to explore untouched nature like we have in this country.

Prepare to turn off onto country roads, enjoy the real wild nature that comes with this beautiful country. While at the falls, you'll see fish, native birds, very few bugs, and maybe even a lizard or two if you're lucky.

If you're willing to make the trek out to places like this, make sure you take a camera and something to eat, because exploring makes you hungry, and your friends definitely won't believe you when you explain what it's like. Also, prepare to fall in love, because once you start exploring NZ there's no stopping until you're done.

Waihi Falls is only one of a countless number of hidden coves in NZ, and if you're not into waterfalls then there are beaches, rivers, native bush, snowy mountains, and so much more!

If you'd like a preview of what NZ has to offer please check out my travel videos posted on Youtube. Mark and I go on all sorts of adventures and showcase some of the coolest things we've done so far. Don't worry, there's always more to come!