The Bay Of Islands is the perfect place to begin your visit to Tane Mahuta. Photo / Sarah Ivey
Megan Singleton gets behind the wheel for some Kiwi classics.
If you've never visited Waitangi, the birthplace of New Zealand, you really should. It'll cost adults $15 ($25 for non New Zealanders). It used to be free for Kiwis, but the running costs of the grounds and buildings have meant they need a little cash rolling in. However, it's such an iconic spot that you must do it at least once.
This 506ha piece of prime land was bought by Lord and Lady Bledisloe and gifted to New Zealand in 1932. It has breathtaking views across the islands that stud the bay. Take your shoes off and step into the meeting house (Te Whare Runanga) to see the floor-to-ceiling carvings from every tribe.
Across the grounds is Treaty House, built for British resident James Busby in 1833. After the Treaty of Waitangi was signed here on February 6, 1840, it fell into disrepair and was used as a shearing shed before the Bledisloes restored it. It's now a museum devoted to life in these parts since the mid-19th century.
Hop in the car and head to Hokianga, detouring to tiny Rawene for lunch at the Boatshed Cafe where the deck hangs over the harbour and boats bob quietly on the water. Tootle through Opononi, made famous by a friendly dolphin who enthralled the locals during the summer of 1955. Then into Waipoua Forest with its revered kauri trees standing like sentinels.
Here you'll add another tick to your bucket list when you visit the towering Lord of Forest, Tane Mahuta who stands at 51m and is estimated to be about 2300 years old. The Father of the Forest is also worth hiking to see: Te Matua Ngahere is even older and much wider, appearing like a wall at first peep from the trail. You can get a local guide if you'd like to understand the history and cultural significance of this forest, but either way, it's a once-in-a-lifetime photo op.
This trip to the tip of New Zealand where the Pacific Ocean collides with the Tasman Sea should also be a pilgrimage for every Kiwi. It's best done as a day trip and I recommend Great Sights. You can take your own car, but the little towns and dollops of history our driver, Barry, shared were priceless.
We set off from our hotel about 7.30am for a leisurely romp north through the coastal countryside. You could do it in a roar in 2½ hours, but you would miss stopping at Aunty Bonnie's store for ice creams.
You'd also be worried about your car on Ninety Mile Beach as even though it is classed as an official highway with speeds allowed of up to 100km/h, you'd be hard-pressed to find an insurance company to cover you should you get stuck on soft sand or have a wave incident. Barry and his mates have had to pull distressed drivers out of the incoming tide more than once.
As we arrived at the hallowed tip of the country, Barry explained its significance to Maori as the last departing place for the spirits of those who have died. I had tears in my eyes when he sang a waiata. We posed for photos at the lighthouse, then climbed back on board for a picnic on a nearby beach, which we had bought at our morning tea stop.
Then back we came via the sand dunes, where Barry whipped out boogie boards for everyone and showed us how to head down the dune at full speed. Tip for young players: keep your mouth shut and don't squeal lest it becomes full of sand, as mine did.
Fish and chips and a beer in the back of bus from the iconic Mangonui Fish Shop wrapped up the day and we were home by six.
The Cape Reinga Lighthouse is at the tip of the country. Photo / Dean Purcell
Most people drive between these towns in an hour. I did it as a loop in five days because, just like a slow-cooked meal, taking your time reveals so much more flavour of a place. We were also in a Maui campervan so it meant we could just follow our noses, or the weather.
I could quite easily spend two or three days at our starting point of Queenstown but the first and last nights did the trick to choose which of its many acclaimed eating establishments to frequent and wander around the shops and lake front.
We headed out past the Kawarau Bungy, stopping to take photos of screaming tourists flinging themselves off the bridge, and visiting the vineyards of Mt Difficulty and Carrick. That night we parked our motorhome at Carrick and stayed the night as part of Maui's Winery Haven experience, which began with a wine-tasting and tour and finished with a hamper from the chef for us to cook a gourmet meal in our mobile home.
Wanaka is alive with colour in the autumn. Photo / Getty Images
Cromwell, at the bottom of Lake Dunstan, has a quaint olde-worlde quarter from the original buildings that were shifted up the bank before the new dam flooded the town. You'll find homewares, books and crafts and it's worth a look for an hour or two.
Wanaka is beautiful any time of year, but especially in autumn when the trees pop with colour. Restaurants and bars face the lake and there is a lovely path leading around it for a walk and swim.
Coming back via the Crown Range road, we stopped at Cardrona pub for lunch and a few photos, then zig-zagged our way down the hill, stopping at Amisfield for a wine in front of its outdoor fire, before pulling into Queenstown again to pick up where we left off.
Queenstown nestles beneath the Remarkables. Photo / Christine Cornege
We set off after brunch at one of the many cafes in Taupo that offer tantalising fare (my favourite changes with each visit), all set for afternoon tea at the grand old lady of the central North Island: Chateau Tongariro.
On a big blue-sky day when the lake is sparkling and flat and Ruapehu rises out of the distance, this is a spectacular drive. You can do it in under 1½ hours, but you'll discover the gems if you take your time.
Stop at the Licorice Cafe in the tiny village of Motuoapa. You can't miss it as it has a giant licorice allsort at its entrance.
Just behind it is the marina where boaties at the southern end of Lake Taupo pull up for one of their homemade pies and muffins. It's open daily from 8am-4pm.
But don't fill up too much because the high tea is worth saving room for. At Turangi turn on to State Highway 47 and head for Tongariro National Park, past hectares of regenerating forest and fabulous scenery with lookouts for photo ops.
Historians of the Maori Land Wars will want to visit Te Porere redoubt. It's a British-style fortification of rifle pits where Te Kooti and his men were attacked. He managed to escape. This is the site of last battle in the 1860s.
But the grand Bayview Chateau Tongariro awaits, sitting at the foot of majestic Mt Ruapehu with views of Ngaruahoe from the huge bay window. It was built in 1929 and has seen many a party and famous face relaxing in front of the fire, pinkies out, sipping a glass of bubbles.
Chateau Tongariro sits majestically at the foot of Mt Ruapehu. Photo / Christine Cornege
It would take three hours on a good day, but why not take a few days and explore the hidden secrets from Hawkes Bay to Wairarapa?
The vibrant village of Havelock North is populated with cafes, restaurants and just enough retailers to keep you busy for at least a few hours.
But drag yourself away from the surrounding wineries and head south towards Waipukurau where antique shoppers will love snooping through the treasures.
Detour off State Highway 2 to Oruawharo Homestead for high tea. This old home is being lovingly restored and wisteria no longer grows through the ceiling. It's a popular wedding venue, and a special place for afternoon tea on the veranda overlooking the garden framed by mighty oaks brought out from England a century ago.
The Tui Brewery. Photo / Warren Buckland
Get back on the main drag or stay on the back roads and head through Dannevirke to Woodville. You wouldn't normally look twice at Woodville Mart but this family-run treasure trove is a huge warehouse that makes the eyes of bargain-hunters dance.
Turn left to stay on SH2 and if you need to, pop into Tui HQ at Mangatainoka for a sip in the sun. Eketahuna is also worth a stop, just to say you've been there.
Through Masterton you'll go, arriving at Greytown. Its name is a misnomer as it's one of the cutest towns in New Zealand. A giant magnolia tree stands outside the White Swan Country Hotel, named for the Crown Lynn swan vase and decorated to match.
Boutiques sell New Zealand designers, homeware stores will have you wishing you had brought a bigger car and cafes line the main street.
And, of course, surrounding all of this are Martinborough's wineries, so you're not without a splash of New Zealand's finest for long.
From skipping the queues to planning your parade spot, here's all you need to know.