If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand or you’ve already booked one, chances are you’ve started to research what you need to bring with you. If you’re like me, you’re probably a meticulous packer. I make a thorough list and have to check everything off twice. I also have anxiety about forgetting something. Every trip I take, I forget something; this time, it was deodorant. But this may cause you to pack things you don’t need.
Thankfully, I’ve already written about packing essentials and shared my perfect packing list, but there are a few things you really don’t need to bring with you. Plus, you’ll want to travel as light as possible and have some extra room for souvenirs. Why not offload unnecessary weight?
Here’s my list of what NOT to pack for a trip to New Zealand.
Makeup
This one is a personal preference, but I was able to get away with just strong sunscreen and a tinted moisturizer. No foundation, no lipstick, no mascara; I was better off without it! I spent so much time in the sun and outdoors that it would have melted right off. I didn’t have to worry about how my face looked or if I had to retouch anything. My skin isn’t perfect, but it was really refreshing not to feel inclined to constantly cover it up.
Fancy Clothes or Shoes or Too Many Clothes
Along with the first tip, don’t pack cocktail dresses, high heels, or fancy suits. Most Kiwis dress casually, even in the nicer restaurants (where you can get away with jeans). Unless you’ve planned to do something fancier and proper clothes are necessary, these clothes will take up unnecessary space and won’t get worn. Leave them at home and stick with activewear and swim gear.
Heavy Boots
As long as you have hiking boots or shoes, you’ll be fine without heavy snow or hiking boots. They’ll just weigh down your suitcase or duffel or whatever you’re bringing with you (nor would you want to fly with them), and you may not even end up needing them. Of course, you know your itinerary best but you could survive without these or buy them in Aotearoa.
I talked about my hiking shoes in other posts but I really liked these Moab 3 shoes from Merrell. They are “made with 100% recycled laces, webbing, and mesh lining” and have ankle support. They were comfortable, and I loved walking in them. Just make sure they’re clean or new upon arrival; New Zealand is very strict about biosecurity.
Books
Listen, I’m an avid reader. I used to read 50 books in a year (though this number has since gone down as I’ve gotten busier and my attention span is no longer what it used to be)! And my favorite format is still crisp paperbacks. Unfortunately, these carry a decent amount of weight and if you’ve planned your trip correctly, you won’t get time to read more than one. Save the space and pack fewer books, or opt for audiobooks or e-books instead. Definitely NO hardcovers. I also like to visit bookstores on every trip I take and always bring home a memento so you’ll have space for these. In New Zealand, I visited Scorpion Books in Christchurch and I purchased an anthology of New Zealand poets and Ray Bradbury’s Dark Carnival. Save the space!
A Ton of Cash
You’ll definitely need to keep some cash on you (and why wouldn’t you? New Zealand dollars are beautiful) but you won’t need a ton. Most places accept major credit cards or some form of Apple Pay/Android Pay. The only times you’ll need cash are if you’re paying for a remote hiking trail or if you want coffee in a small town on your way somewhere else. And while New Zealand is incredibly safe, you shouldn’t keep a lot of cash on your person for safety reasons.
Extra Electronics
Though I love to write, I knew I wouldn’t have time to sit down and work on my projects while I was in New Zealand. Plus, I wanted to fully enjoy my trip so I didn’t bring my laptop with me. All I brought was my cell phone, my camera, and whatever chargers and equipment I needed with them. Chances are you also won’t have a ton of time to spare so don’t bring unnecessary laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices.
An Umbrella
New Zealand’s weather is unpredictable and you will get an unexpected shower every now and then, but most people don’t use umbrellas when it rains! If you bring a solid waterproof rain jacket with you, that’ll work best. Mine is from Patagonia and it did more than an adequate job. It even worked on our rainy Milford Sound cruise! Just take a sturdy jacket and you won’t need an umbrella.
Expensive or Valuable Jewelry
I got away with a single pair of inexpensive earrings because I feel naked without them, but I didn’t wear them every day, nor did I wear them on hikes or when I went bungee jumping. I lose earrings quite easily so it wasn’t a smart idea to bring them with me. You don’t want to lose them or forget them somewhere.
Are you looking for packing essentials? Check out this post. You can also check out my perfect packing list.
Happy packing!
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