Travel Tips

On this page, you can find lots of advice for your NZ travels, 
especially about Wellington and the North Island. 
Advice that you wouldn't normally find in your travel guide,
and that don't follow the typical route almost every NZ 
tourist follows. Among other things unique cafés and 
restaurants, NZ podcasts, travel literature and the newest 
guides, art map and craft beer trail, boutique wineries, 
tramping (hiking) and biking, tips on payment options, 
some great NZ TV documentaries, and much more. 

By the way - Silke also offers very personal tours along 
Wellington's South Coast. She lives there, she loves it, 
and unfortunately many people never get there. If you 
haven't seen Wellington's South Coast, you haven't seen
Wellington. ;)

If the advice is not enough and you don't know where to start
with planning your travels, you can book an individual 
30-minutes zoom call for €49,90, 60 minutes for €69,90 with 
me. After the call, you'll be able to get on your own 
research a lot more focused and customised to your own 
liking. You receive half of the price refunded if you book 
a room or a tour with me.

International money transfer / cash withdrawals / paying abroad made less costly

It helps to compare between providers because the foreign exchange market changes constantly

  • wise (formerly transferwise) has often really good exchange rates, and the best ones over this link.* If you use the alternative friends recommendation link, you only receive a free transfer if you transfer less than NZ$900.
  • wise also has the possibility of a multi-currency account, an easy alternative to a bank account abroad. With your account, you’ll get international bank details to receive multiple currencies for free – e.g. AUD, GBP, EUR, NZD, USD. You can hold 40+ currencies and convert between them at the mid-market exchange rate.
  • The wise multi-currency account comes with an international debit card. With it, you can take out up to NZ$350/AU$350/€200/GBP200 in cash a month for free using ATMs abroad. You pay only a super-low fee on withdrawals after the first 350 NZD.
  • Through this currencyfair-link you receive a €30 premium (minimum transfer of 2000 EUR or equivalent).* Or this link for five free transfers (works for all currencies).

Camping and travel in New Zealand

  • One of my favourite regions in New Zealand, is at the far end of the Wairarapa, in particular the Waimeha Camping Village – how New Zealand used to be.
  • Travels in small groups for women: https://www.sidetrackswomen.co.nz/
  • There is a new accomodation website for digital nomads or longer-term accomodation, flatio. The beachhouse was the first accomodation on the platform in New Zealand.
  • The staff at Global Wings Travel always come up with a cheaper flight than the one you are able to find. It’s worthwhile checking out this insider tip amongst Germans in New Zealand.
  • Wendekreisen*
  • Canopy Camping – the slightly different camping experience
  • Photo impressions on fernfotos.
  • Get to know the Kiwis a bit better through the funny short episodes of Goetheinstitut New Zealand, Kiwi-German life swap.
  • Are you flying Air New Zealand? Lucky you, they have the best safety videos! Here’s my personal favorite AirNewZealand-Safety video.
  • Kiwi pronounciation: dick or deck?
  • If you just experience an earth quake, find out everything about it on geonet.
  • Where exactly is the other side of the world? antipodr.

Going out and things to do in and around Wellington

Most of the following restaurants and cafés (those not in the CBD) have free parking nearby

  • Maranui Café – beach, surf, life surf savings club in Lyall Bay
  • Spruce Goose – watching planes and something for every taste in Lyall Bay
  • Botanist – vegan / vegetarian, fresh food in Lyall Bay
  • Chocolate Fish Café in Shelly Bay: great location and kids friendly with lots of toys around and yummy food
  • Fish’n Chips on the beach: Seaview Takeaways and Fresko in Lyall Bay and Fish Supply in Plimmerton
  • Bouillon Bel Air – French. In fact the most French restaurant that I’ve found in New Zealand so far, with a very French menu and very affordable. The food is like you would be served in France. Also the French like to eat here like in France. There is 90 minutes free parking in the parking space in front of noelleaming and The Warehouse on top of Tory.
  • Bongusto – Italian where the Italians go for lunch in Miramar
  • Kanama Kopi Kadai – Malaysian in Kilbirnie
  • Best Indian recommended by guests and local, Indian colleagues: Tandoori Heritage  in Kilbirnie and Indian Sweets in Newtown (sweet snacks, savory main meals and street food). Locals also like Urban Masala and Crown Indian.
  • Oikos – Hellenic in Miramar, and Greek people say it’s even the only real Greek restaurant in New Zealand (not a mix of Mediterranean).
  • Affordable recommendation from Japanese guests and locals: Kazu Yakitori Bar in the CBD
  • Where the Japanese ambassador orders their sushi from: Kazaguruma in Cuba Street
  • Cicio Cacio – Italian / Argentinian in Newtown (no pizza)
  • Seashore Cabaret – Maranui’s sister in Petone
  • Mediterranean Foods – Italian in Newtown (mainly pizza and pasta)
  • Viva Mexico – Mexican in Newtown
  • Origami – high tea in the CBD
  • Kuikui Lane – Māori cuisine in the CBD
  • For meat lovers: El Matador – Argentinian in Cuba Street. Argentinians come here from Auckland to eat Argentinian.

Restaurant and café tips in the rest of the Northern Island and a little off the beaten track

Favourite wineries and regions around the North Island

A choice of boutique and ideally non-exporting wineries, and in regions not so well known for their wines

Wairarapa

Winemakers from all over NZ call Wairarapa Pinot Noir among the best in the country.

  • Colombo Martinborough: Really good place not only for excellent wines, but also a great place to chill and relax, with great pizza made from an Italian Chef. There is a No Menu Night, sometimes life music, and other things on. Check out their facebook page, it’s a great place to stop at.
  • Schubert
  • Cambridge Road: The wines are unique for no use of sulphites and no additions of any other kind. Their wines are simply fruit fermented by nature and bottled simply with nothing added or stripped away.
  • Tiwaiwaka
  • Nga Waka: My favourite rosé (and I’m very picky with rosé) and very good pizza.
  • Johner Estate: This winery is in the Greytown area, where tastings are free. And their wines are worth a tasting. Next to a freedom camping spot along a river, so you don’t need to drive. 😉
  • From my point of view completely overrated, yet poplular with many: Margrain, at least for hanging out, and some like the rosé at Poppies.
Hawkes Bay
Waiheke Island
Matakana
  • Heron’s Flight: Specialised in Italian wines, mainly red wine and rosé, Dolcetto and Sangiovese. The deli has a “Build your own platter” concept where you buy from the fridge what you like and create your own platter. With every wine, they provide a little booklet with the story of the harvest, the year and the making.
  • Omaha Bay Wineyard: Unique selection of Italian and French grapes I haven’t seen often in New Zealand. There is also a restaurant in the winery.
  • Matakana Estate
West Auckland
Waikato
Northland
Whangarei
Gisborne

Travel literature and travel guides and other things travel

Hosting opportunities

  • Interested in becoming an airbnb host? If you’re still in the thought process and hesitating, Silke can answer all your questions if you like. An anecdote: A friend of hers had published her listing at one of the most touristic locations in NZ. No bookings. She had already helped her a year back when it was all still under construction. So Silke really loves to help, and if you go through this link, airbnb will pay her a nice amount, and you’ll receive some extra $$, too!* Oh, maybe also good to know: Silke has been a Superhost for ten years and went through quite a few phases with airbnb. From a cosy platform, to going public, through the pandemic, with now a completely different booking behaviour than before the pandemic, and now one of the biggest economic crisis. Her listings are two rooms in her own house, so she lives with her guests. Her friend has a self-contained unit with a shared outdoors kitchen, and she’s not always present. So a completely different situation. Y can see, every listing and situation is different, and Silke loves to help you through the thinking process when setting up your listing.
  • Have you ever thought about a homeexchange instead of paying accomodation on a holiday or business trip, either simultaneously or non-simultaneously? Then receive 125 addition Guest Points (GP), just by using this link on Homeexchange. During the sign-up process, you are rewarded with so many GP (I earned 1,750 GP) that you can already stay for free in your first homeexchange (for example, one night at my beachhouse costs 136 GP).*

For the links marked with * I am also receiving a little premium.

© 2017 – 2025 • Beachhouse overlooking 3 seas • Wellington • New Zealand