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Gotcha Lucky Encounter! New Zealand's Ice Cream Truck

  • Writer: Aya
    Aya
  • May 5
  • 2 min read

In late April, autumn had fully settled in here in New Zealand.

As I was relaxing at home, a cheerful melody from an ice cream truck started playing outside. I have to go! I thought, and rushed out to the street(/・ω・)/


Chasing the Ice Cream Truck – A Kiwi Classic


Before moving to New Zealand, I stayed in a flat near a university for a year on a working holiday visa. That’s when I first discovered the concept of the ice cream truck.


It’s kind of like Japan’s roasted sweet potato trucks—except instead of hot sweet potatoes, these mini vans drive around selling soft serve ice cream!


In New Zealand, you’ll mostly see them in residential neighborhoods, especially those with lots of kids, during the spring and summer months.

I’ve spotted them a few times in suburbs, and they also show up at school events held on the field. It seems like you can even invite an ice cream truck to events like that!


When I looked it up, I found out that a brand called Mr. Whippy has been around since 1964—meaning it’s been loved in New Zealand for over 60 years.


The truck I saw this time wasn’t Mr. Whippy, but it had a wide range of menu items, and you could get a scoop for as little as $3!

A soft serve ice cream with colorful toppings is held up toward the back of a parked ice cream truck on a residential street. The background features a clear blue sky and tree-lined sidewalks.

The ice cream melts unbelievably fast—no joke! 😂


The truck usually parks for just a few minutes on a residential street.


The menu includes everything from basic cup ice creams to Kiwi classics like pavlova and banana boats—a fun treat topped with banana slices, wafers, and more. They even offer smoothies and iced coffee!


A red and white ice cream truck with a large menu displayed on the side, showing a wide variety of soft serve options with different flavors and toppings. A staff member is seen working inside the truck from behind.

New Zealand is quite cashless these days, and most people use debit cards called Eftpos for everyday payments. Of course, the ice cream truck was fully equipped to accept Eftpos too!


I ordered the Candy Corn—a vanilla soft serve topped with chocolate sprinkles and a stick of candy. And it was only $2.50… such a steal!


A soft serve ice cream topped with colorful chocolate sprinkles, a chocolate stick, and pink and green wafers. The cone is wrapped in paper and held by hand while standing on a residential sidewalk.

As of 2025, prices in New Zealand have gone up quite a bit—a cup of coffee can easily cost around $6. So being able to buy an ice cream for just $2–3 is a real treat! (I guess it’s because the truck mainly caters to kids.)


Just like the sweet potato vendors in Japan, these ice cream trucks drive through neighborhoods playing a unique melody. I thought it sounded familiar, so I looked it up on YouTube—and I’m pretty sure it was The Entertainer.


The song may vary depending on the truck, but if you hear playful, kid-friendly music coming from outside, there’s a good chance it’s an ice cream truck! 😄


From spring to summer—and if you’re lucky, even in autumn—you might spot one of these cheerful ice cream trucks in New Zealand.


If you do, don’t miss the chance to stop by and treat yourself! 🍨




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