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Minutes from Rotorua’s city centre, you will find a cathedral of giant trees and soft forest light that feels a world away from town. Tītokorangi / The Redwoods (Whakarewarewa Forest) is an easy, free-to-enter escape. You can wander beneath century-old Californian redwoods and explore a huge network of trails, and with a ticket, step onto a spectacular canopy walkway on the Redwoods Treewalk. Whether you are road tripping in a Britz campervan or planning a day out from Rotorua, this is widely regarded as one of the city’s top nature experiences.

Rising from the centre of the North Island, Mt Ruapehu is an active volcano wrapped in dramatic alpine scenery, ancient lava flows and story-rich landscapes. It anchors Tongariro National Park, a Dual World Heritage Site celebrated for both its natural beauty and deep cultural significance. Whether you come for summer hiking to waterfalls and crater lakes, winter skiing on two legendary fields, or a scenic gondola ride to the high alpine, Ruapehu delivers big-mountain experiences within easy reach of the main highways. 

It is perfectly set up for a road trip by campervan, with classic alpine villages, well-marked tracks and photogenic views around every bend. Pick up a Britz campervan in Auckland, Christchurch or Queenstown, point your wheels toward the Central Plateau, and let the mountain set the pace of your journey.

At the volcanic heart of the North Island, Lake Taupō spreads like an inland sea, framed by steaming valleys, forested hills and the silhouettes of distant volcanoes. It is New Zealand’s largest lake, a vast caldera filled after a super-eruption about 25,500 years ago, and today it is a magnet for adventure, relaxation and big-sky scenery. 

From cruising to Mine Bay Māori rock carvings and feeling the roar of Huka Falls, to soaking in geothermal waters and biking shoreline trails, Taupō offers an easy blend of nature and activity. For road trippers, it sits right on the country’s main travel spine, which makes it a natural stop on a Britz campervan itinerary.

Framed by a sweeping white-sand shoreline and the green cone of Mauao, Mount Maunganui blends classic Kiwi beach days with a rewarding summit climb and a lively seaside village. With the ocean on one side and the harbour on the other, it is an easy place to slow down, watch the sunrise from a summit lookout, then wander straight to the surf. For campervan travellers, it is a dream stop on a Bay of Plenty itinerary, with beachfront holiday parks, family-friendly activities and plenty of good food within walking distance.

Unfurling across coastal wetlands, lush plains and a legendary gorge, the Hauraki Rail Trail is one of the North Island’s most inviting rides. Graded easy and sprinkled with historic towns, hot pools, birdlife and a film-famous detour to Hobbiton, it is a choose-your-own-adventure that suits first-time riders and seasoned cyclists alike. 

With welcoming townships at regular intervals and plenty of places to stay, eat and explore, it pairs well with a Britz campervan road trip when you plan your stops and parking in advance. You can roll up to trailheads, linger over coffee, chase sunsets in the Karangahake Gorge and sleep under starry skies, all at your own pace.

Along Northland’s east coast, the Tūtūkākā Coast unravels a string of white-sand beaches, sheltered bays and a modern little marina that locals call the gateway to adventure. Just offshore sit the Poor Knights Islands, a protected marine reserve celebrated for cathedral-like sea caves, arches and schools of shimmering fish. It is a place where the water is astonishingly clear, and the cliffs are dramatic, with conditions that can change with wind and tide. Base yourself by the harbour in your Britz campervan, wake to the sound of gulls and the clink of rigging, then set out for a day that could include snorkelling in turquoise coves, cruising under towering rock walls, or finning through Rikoriko Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the world.