But what is it like to go on a road trip on your own? More importantly, what is it like to go on a road trip on your own in a foreign country that you've never been to...and drive on the other side of the road?!?
I'll tell you what it's like. It's absolutely terrifying, but only at first.
I originally planned to travel through New Zealand with a friend. We had arranged to rent a car with a dealership and planned to road trip around the north island for two weeks (rookie mistake on our part; apparently the south island is much more beautiful. And you need much more than just two weeks to see New Zealand). Things went sour with my friend before I even got to New Zealand, so when I arrived in Auckland, I decided to just go along with the rental by myself and embark on a solo road trip. And it was fantastic.
I can remember taking the bus to the dealership, racked with nervousness. When I got there and checked in with the lady at the front desk and took care of the payment, she handed me the keys, which I reluctantly took with shaking hands.
She led me outside to the parking lot.
"Here you are," she said as she stopped in front of a beat up, white, soccer-mom style camper van that looked much too big for me. She showed me around and took notes on the damage that was already done to the car so that I would not be charged upon returning it. The back of the van consisted of a bed, a sink, and even a small gas powered grill that I could cook on. I literally had mobile accommodation for the next two weeks. She handed me a guide full of campsites that I could park at overnight without any issues.
"It's just you?" she asked.
"Yupp," I said, trying my best to sound confident.
"Well, safe travels then," she said as she walked away.
And so it began, my solo road trip, driving in a foreign country on the other side of the road. And for the record, nothing can explain the fear of driving on the other side of the road for the first time, going to turn on your turn signal, and then realizing that your turn signal is on the other side as well and you actually just turned on the windshield wipers while you turned, causing cars to blare their horns at you.
But as it turns out, driving on the left side of the road isn't too bad after the first twenty minutes. I actually ended up liking it better. And New Zealand is a lovely country to drive through. The rolling hills and beautiful beaches are breathtaking, and there were many moments where I had to pull over just to take pictures or sit outside of the car to take it all in. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention..THE SHEEP!
These are just a few pictures of campsites and beautiful views I saw along the way. New Zealand is a beautiful and picturesque country to drive through.
Highlights of the North Island
The Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata:
If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings, then this a definitely for you. Actually, New Zealand is definitely for you. It costs about $50 US dollars to do the tour, and you can't go on to the movie set without a guide so there's no way to get around the cost. But, if you're an avid LOTR fan, don't worry about the money, just go.
Mount Maunganui, Tauranga
This is an awesome mountain to hike, with amazing views of Maunganui Beach. Also, the beach city of Tauranga below is a great place to stay for a few days. This place was incredibly beautiful, and hiking this mountain was my main source of exercise for the three days that I was here (seriously, it's super steep).
Taupo:
Huka falls (above) located near lake Taupo.
Taupo is a small town located at the edge of the great lake Taupo, which as I understand is the largest lake in New Zealand. The town itself is a lot of fun, there are many adorable shops and restaurants, and there are great bars as well. In fact, it was the only place I found that had a decent night life. I met some great people while I was there.
There are many other outdoorsy things to do in Taupo as well. There are many hiking trails nearby as well as natural (and free) hot springs that you can fully take advantage of.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
This is one of the most amazing hiking treks I've ever done. You could go alone, but I paid for a guide to drive me there because it's about an hour and a half from Taupo and the bus picked me up at around 5am, so paying for a guide gave me incentive to get up early. The trek itself takes about six hours, but you can choose to summit some mountains and volcanos. (I would specifically recommend Mount Doom, LOTR fans) Summiting a mountain would add an extra 3 hours at the least to the trek, so I opted out because six hours of hiking was enough for me.
To do this trek you'll need hiking boots for sure. Don't do it in sneakers. There was still some snow when I went in October, so you'll need some sturdy waterproof shoes. You will also need sunblock (Don't forget this, I got so burned) and a couple of snacks for when you take breaks.
I highly recommend this trek. It is absolutely stunning, especially the emerald lakes.
Downsides to Road Tripping Alone:
1). First and foremost, it can get really lonely. You spend most of the time in the car, so there's not many opportunities to meet people. I never really felt the need to stay in hostels and spend the extra money when I had the car to sleep in, so I didn't have the opportunity to meet many people.
2.) It's expensive as shit! Actually, the total cost of renting the car for two weeks was $450 US, which is actually a bargain. But when you factor in the cost of gas (which of course, is super expensive in New Zealand; it cost me about $70 to fill up my tank) speeding tickets, the occasional parking ticket, and other miscellaneous costs that you could normally split up with friends, I spent in total about $1200 US for the duration of my road trip. With friends, you can obviously split up the costs.
3.) You're on your own. This is terrifying. No one's gonna help you with navigation or music or places to stay and camp. It's all on you.
Positives to Road Tripping Alone:
1). You're on your own. This is terrifyingly amazing. You have your own vehicle to go on your own adventure to virtually anywhere in a country you've never been to! The possibilities are endless. You choose the music, you choose the destination, you choose the bathroom breaks.
Overall: I wouldn't recommend a road trip alone, it's not for everyone. And it's definitely even ballsier to do it in a foreign country. But, if you're independent and reasonably responsible, you'll be just fine.
Though it might seem lonely, I did meet some lovely people along the way in bars and at campsites. I even picked up a couple of hitchhikers (which is not something I'd recommend. It was purely situational).
This experience truly proved to be a maturing experience for me. Dealing with the loneliness in a positive way proved that I could literally be comfortable on my own without losing my mind. Also, I didn't crash the car, YAY ME! Traveling on this road trip alone tested my maturity, and I think I passed the test.
Also, New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to, and I'll be back one day for a south island road trip.
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