New Zealand - Part 1: Landing in Aotearoa — Arrival Tips, Auckland Nature & That First Volcano Vibe

We flew from Toronto with a 2-hour layover in San Francisco and then continued on to Auckland. The 13-hour flight actually flew by. We watched a movie, then slept on and off. Yes, it was bumpy — but I think that’s common for the region.

🛬 Border Control & Arrival: What You Should Know

Before arriving in New Zealand, make sure to fill out two forms:

1. NZeTA visa – around $100 NZD

2. Traveler Declaration – within 24 hours of arrival.

   
   

They are very thorough. The declaration form asks about everything — seeds (even crackers), camping gear, hiking boots, snorkels… No beef jerky, as we’d read ahead of time.

On the plane, they tell you: don’t bring anything they gave you, not even the wooden cutlery. It’s intense. We declared our crackers (yes, we did!) and were asked about our snorkeling gear. We went through the X-ray machine and got waved through, but the whole thing felt a bit stressful — you're half-wondering, are they going to take my crackers?

⚡ Driving an EV in New Zealand

We picked up an electric car from Hertz. There are only 3 toll roads on the North Island, and EVs and diesel cars pay a special tax because electricity and diesel are cheaper than petrol. Luckily, both our hotels had charging stations. We only needed to top up once at Hobbiton. Driving on the left was definitely an adjustment. It takes a few kilometers to retrain your brain and get comfortable with the distances — but after a day, it was fine.

🌿 Hunua Falls: First Taste of Kiwi Nature

We wanted something close and scenic. It had rained the night before, so the waterfall was wild and brown — full force. The loop trail was muddy and a little overgrown with fallen branches, which made it feel adventurous. There’s a shoe-cleaning station to protect the Kauri trees — wash your shoes before and after.

We loved just being out in nature. Everything felt fresh, green, alive.

🌈 Mount Eden: A Crater with a City View

A short walk takes you to the top of Mount Eden, an extinct volcano with a giant crater and panoramic views of Auckland. We got there just before the rain, caught a perfect rainbow, then got drenched. Totally worth it.

By the end of Day 2, we’d seen waterfalls, climbed a volcano, and survived NZ customs with our crackers intact. Already, it felt like we were in a land shaped by nature — lush, powerful, and just waiting to be explored.

🧠 Did You Know? Auckland sits on a volcanic field with over 50 small volcanoes — Mount Eden is just one of them.