Backpacking New Zealand is pretty epic on its own, but adding these resolutions to your 2018 list will add that extra bit of awesomeness.
Go green
We all love to travel, but it comes at a cost. Not just to your wallet, but also the environment. Make 2018 the year when you make it a point to make sustainable travel your business. Even the simplest things can help make you environmentally-friendly when backpacking in New Zealand:
- Using reusable water bottle and coffee mug
- Recycle plastics, tin, glass and paper
- Don’t litter. Leave the landscapes as pristine as you found them
- Walk, cycle or use public transport where possible
- Be conscious of your energy usage
- Treat water as a finite resource (even though New Zealand has an abundance of it!)
- Reduce your carbon footprint
Connect with the locals
If you’re after a more enriched travel experience, there’s one easy way to do it — strike up a conversation with a local. Kiwis are a friendly bunch and this interaction is bound to bring many gems of local knowledge in your direction.
Usually such conversations also pay big dividends when it comes to food — after all, think about your own reaction when travellers ask you where to eat in your town or city. You wouldn’t send them to a tourist trap over-priced restaurant; you’d want them to have a unique and memorable experience. The same goes with bars and tourist activities.
Make sure you tick off skydiving on your bucket list when backpacking New Zealand
Get off the beaten path
Sometimes thinking outside the box makes for the best trips, and seeking out the less treaded paths can make for the most extraordinary adventures. Tick off your bucket list when backpacking New Zealand – the geysers, bungy, skydive, culture, food, etc. But, make 2018 a year when you go beyond this list and away from the crowds to discover amazing places and experiences.
Occasionally disconnect with the world
We all know the pressures of posting. But, sometimes it is okay to forget about getting the perfect gram and just appreciating what is in front of your eyes. New Zealand has plenty of options to get off the grid – grab them with both hands and enjoy every moment of being disconnected with world.
Embrace fear and new experiences
It is often said that travel is about expanding horizons, and there is no better way to do that than through embracing fear.
If you fear heights, do a bungy. If you fear water, go rafting or sailing. If speed scares you, go jet boating. Not only will this help you conquer phobias, it has the makings of a great travel yarn.
