New Zealand: 18 Days in Aotearoa — Glaciers, Coldplay & The Land We Belonged To

The Beginning of a Dream

They call it Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud — and it truly is pristine, poetic, and powerful. I've dreamt of coming here for so long, though I can't pinpoint when the dream began. Maybe it was during childhood when I watched The Lord of the Rings in one marathon sitting — until Maa scolded me and took the laptop away. Maybe it's my fangirl heart for Kane Williamson. Or maybe, New Zealand simply called to me in that quiet, persistent way that dream destinations do.

And now, having traced its mountains, lakes, silence, and skies — I can say I was right to believe this place would be something extraordinary. I will never recover from its beauty. And the best part is, I don't want to. New Zealand lets you breathe in sync with nature — and in that quiet, it gifts you a rare connection to yourself.

But How Did It All Begin?

Like most of our crazy stories — this one started with Harshit, a Coldplay song, and a spark of spontaneity. One evening in May 2024, while the rest of us were lost in office gossip at Seasons Mall in Pune, Harshit tuned it all out. A Coldplay song was playing in the background, and without warning, he checked the tickets for their tour. Available. In Auckland.

The next morning — before work, before plans, before rationality — he booked them.

Yes. We bought international concert tickets with no visa, no itinerary, no cost calculation — just vibes and a shared leap of faith. That was the beginning.

For anyone who knows me, they know that from May to November, this trip took up real estate in my mind every single day. A trip to New Zealand. A road trip in a foreign country. A Coldplay concert. Three dreams folded into one reality. I'm rooting for Harshit. He rarely obsesses over things — but Coldplay? That's his magic. That smile on his face is everything.

After booking tickets, we dove into research mode — wading through vlogs, forums, and visa websites. Unlike Schengen, New Zealand doesn't require a booked flight for the visa. That helped. We shuffled funds, made backup plans (just in case we had to sell those concert tickets), and finally applied. On 17th June, the visas arrived.

I still remember the relief. Within days, we were flight-hunting across odd routes and impossible timings. Eventually, we settled on an epic one: Pune → Chennai → Kuala Lumpur → Auckland → Christchurch. Four flights. One dream.

Everything had to run on time, and we deliberately kept a 3–4 hour gap between flights — just to stay on the safer side. Based on the blogs we'd read, we were nervous about New Zealand's strict biosecurity checks. But to our surprise, it all went smoothly. In fact, seeing fellow travelers — especially a group of Chinese tourists — carry more food than I did, gave me comfort. Apparently, I wasn't the only Asian who believed in packing snacks like my life depended on them.

After a 16-hour journey, including a non-stop 10-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland, we finally touched down. It was my first time flying with a Malaysian airline, and the seating arrangement was 2-4-2. Sitting in the middle of a four-seat row? Not ideal. If you land in that middle spot, just be ready for a bit of a shuffle each time nature — or tea — calls.

🗺️ The Road We Took

Our 18-day New Zealand adventure was carved across both islands — each with its own pulse, scenery, and soul.

📍 Tip: Both island headings below are clickable. Tap either to dive into the day-by-day route, stops, and stays.

🌿 South Island (12 Days)

Christchurch to Queenstown and beyond: We drove through alpine passes, touched glacial lakes that looked like paintings, kayaked in still waters, danced under starry skies in Tekapo, and huddled together on windy cliffs. We chased clouds, missed a few turns, found better ones, and filled every silence with awe. These 12 days were for raw beauty, reflection, and the kind of quiet that only vast landscapes can offer.

🌊 North Island (5 Days)

Auckland to Rotorua and back: The tempo changed — but the wonder didn't. From the sacred calm of Cape Reinga to the electric high of the Coldplay concert, these five days were pulsing with contrast. Māori traditions welcomed us with powerful haka dances and earthy hangi dinners. We flew above canopies, relaxed in sulphur mud, slipped (literally — looking at you, Harshit), sang with strangers, and laughed more than I thought tired bodies could.