NEW ZEALAND PART 2 (SOUTH ISLAND)

This is part two of our New Zealand recap! For the second half of the month, we traveled around the South Island of New Zealand. We’re glad that we ended up with a route from North to South because the landscapes became increasingly amazing as we continued to travel southward. New Zealand is a land of accessible wilderness, and we were in awe of its rugged, natural beauty.

Jeff was inspired to design a map of our New Zealand experiences! Here it is, reflecting all of our road trip stops:

Wellington to Motueka

We woke up early to catch the ferry over to the South Island, which connected Wellington to Picton. It was another sleepless night for both of us at the worst Airbnb of the trip so far, which we were happy to be leaving. We took an uber to the Interislander ferry, which was massive! It was not like any other ferry I had been on before; they even checked in our suitcases! We settled in for a 3.5-hour ferry ride to the South Island.

We arrived in Picton and picked up our second rental car, which was nearly identical to the first, which we were happy about! We cruised down Hwy 62, with endless vines on both sides. I read on the ferry magazine that the Marlborough region produces 80% of NZ wine!

We stopped for lunch in Havelock, thanks to a recommendation from a nice older couple we met on the ferry who were from nearby Nelson. Our lunch at The Mussel Pot was amazingly perfect! We sat outdoors and had local "green-lipped mussels" in garlic cream sauce, with homemade garlic bread, delicious fish and chips, and a glass of local Sauvignon Blanc.

Back on the road, the route to Motueka took us on a winding road through the mountains - definitely not what we expected! We had thought the route would take us along the water. Once in Motueka, we were exhausted and immediately laid down on a comfy bed, grateful to have the place (and bathroom!) to ourselves. We only spent two nights in Motueka, and unfortunately, the following day it rained all day. Although we were disappointed that our opportunity to explore Abel Tasman National Park was a bust, we tried to make the most of the situation by catching up on sleep guilt-free, as well as tackling random odds and ends that we needed to get done like booking our Milford Sound ferry, booking a Lisbon apartment, submitting Airbnb reviews, researching flights, and trying to determine what country to visit in March. We braved the rain to pick up groceries for the next leg of our trip and stopped by a crowded Thai restaurant to pick up dinner to bring back to the Airbnb.

Motueka to Kumara

From Motueka we drove to Kumara, a town on the west coast near Greymouth/Hokitika. We spent two nights there before driving through Arthur’s Pass. We cruised through scenery that reminded us of the drive to Lake Tahoe, and we drove across intimidating one-lane bridges over alpine streams. One of the one-lane bridges we passed over was also the train bridge, which was a little nerve-racking at times!

Jeff and I had good, in-depth conversations about family matters and social issues (#metoo), which made the 4-hour drive pass quickly. We stopped for a bite to eat in Greymouth before driving 20 minutes inland to Kumara. Kumara was pretty desolate - it’s the type of town you drive through without blinking. Our accommodations were definitely not the type of place I would normally stay in, but our circumstances for New Zealand were a bit unique! We had a hard time finding a place to stay in the Greymouth/Hotikita area, especially one that was decent and not over $120/night, so we ended up there. When we arrived, we were told there was a boil-order for water due to e.coli (ugh), but the service was friendly and the hotel restaurant/bar seemed nice.

As a huge surprise, we discovered that the hotel had glow worm caves directly behind it - what a happy accident to be staying across the road from glow worms! I had heard about glow worm caves in New Zealand, and it was something I wanted to do, but as we tried to budget for our time here, my research had shown that kayaking in the glow worm caves ran $100+ per person, and we opted to spend our “fun” money on a Milford Sound cruise instead. It was such a treat to be able to see glow worms for free, and by ourselves, across the road from where we were staying.

We grabbed our headlamp and mini flashlight and found the caves, turned off the flashlights, and were instantly in awe. It was like a bunch of little alien eyes peering at you. I immediately lost scale of our surroundings; it was so mesmerizing. The area was a glow worm galaxy; it felt like we were dancing among the stars as we saw them beside and above us! We tried to get close to a glow worm to see what they looked like, but we kept seeing big creepy spiders. We did have a chance to see the crazy little threads dangling from the worms like icicle Christmas lights, which are how they trap their prey!

As we brushed our teeth with boiled water that night, Jeff joked that e.coli water was a worthy sacrifice in exchange for our glow worm experience, hah!

Kumara to Twizel

From Kumara, we drove through Arthur’s Pass to Twizel, a 4.5-hour drive. The scenery truly felt like “New Zealand” to us...we passed valley floors dotted with sheep, surrounded by lush green mountains and occasional waterfalls. We passed over wide, flat, rocky mountain creeks. We continued to see so many ferns, just as we had on the North Island, making it feel very Polynesian. Now we know why New Zealand chose a silver fern as one of their national symbols!

We stopped midway through Arthur’s Pass to enjoy Devil's Punchbowl (a waterfall) for a hike and picnic. The hike was a perfect stretch of the legs during a long day on the road; it was a 1-mile path with stairs on the way up to a stunning, Yosemite-caliber waterfall. It was like a more authentic, less crowded Yosemite waterfall experience! We enjoyed a picnic of PB&J sandwiches by the creek before getting back on the road for Twizel.

We left Arthur’s Pass but started to see mountains again pretty quickly. As we neared Twizel, we crested a hill and a slight corner to find Lake Tekapo directly in front of us. It was stunning! We got back in the car and approached Lake Pukaki in the same way, once again astounded by the sight. This time, we had views of Mount Cook!

Our Airbnb was a wildcard; stopping in Twizel was a plan B after finding lodging near Fox Glacier proved difficult. It turned out to be an amazing plan B! The Airbnb was a B&B with great hosts named Niall and Margi; they had sheep and a baby pig (!!) on their property. We heard the sheep “baaaa” as soon as we opened the car doors, which made us smile!

Niall gave us recommendations on hiking and more, the perfect suggestions for our short stay. He told us to set our alarm for 2am to take advantage of the international dark sky status. He also pointed out the window and showed us where an epic LOTR fight scene was filmed. Jeff got up to see the dark sky and saw the Milky Way; I was too lazy from exhaustion and lack of sleep (foolish mistake!). We had an early morning start with breakfast at 8am the next day, followed by a 6-mile hike!

We awoke to breakfast with the upbeat character Niall and his wife Margi. Margi let us feed their pet pig (Pepper) and lamb (Lionel), what a treat! It was fun to pet both and feel the lamb’s wool...sheep have such little personalities! Jeff and I decided we would like to have a sheep someday (along with two chickens), and we can have pecorino cheese!

After breakfast, we packed a picnic, got on our sunscreen, and hit the road to Mount Cook for our Hooker Valley hike. The 45-minute drive to Hooker Valley trail was INCREDIBLE. The road to Mount Cook had more one-lane bridges, which are crazy! I love watching the mountains as we drove past as they appeared to shift and expose each other, like sliding tectonic plates. The drive showcased beautiful views of Mount Cook, and a GLACIER! When Jeff said, "is that a glacier?" We were so excited that we surrendered and pulled off for a photo. We were in awe of seeing a glacier for the first time!

The hike was amazing. There were stunning views of a glacier (Mueller Glacier), Mount Cook, and the streams that flow from their snowy tops. There were three suspension bridges over the rivers/creeks, which were a little freaky to walk over. Each bridge had a maximum limit for the number of people who could be on it at one time, and the more people that were on it, the more it wobbled over!

It was a long hike (6.2 miles round trip!), and the weather was sunny and hot, but the trail was mostly flat and the views were incredible; it was likely the most beautiful hike I've ever been on. We stopped for a picnic and had an unobstructed view of Mount Cook all to ourselves, then walked to the end to discover an amazing lake at the base of Mount Cook with icebergs floating in it! Mount Cook was so jagged, like nothing I'd ever seen up close.

The walk back was a little tough with the hot sun, but we stopped at Hermitage Hotel for a post-hike beer and ice cream treat.

On the way back to Twizel, we stopped off at Lake Pukaki so Jeff could go for a swim. We were surprised that there weren't other people down at the water...we thought maybe something was wrong or it wasn't allowed, but the water was clear, refreshingly cold, and had an incredible view of Mount Cook! Jeff took a dip and said he loved being in freshwater (vs saltwater) for a change.

Twizel to Te Anau

The next morning, we stopped off for one more swim in Lake Pukaki and a light lunch at High Country Salmon for some tasty salmon sashimi on the way out of town before our long trip to Te Anau.

It was a 4.5-hour drive to Te Anau, the furthest south we stayed in New Zealand. It was another beautiful scenic route. We stopped for dried fruit road trip snacks at a fruit stall near Cromwell, then continued to cruise along the winding Roaring Meg river. As we passed Queenstown, we stopped off to admire the view of Lake Wakatipu and decided that our Lake Como theory ("this looks like New Zealand, we think”) was true. Beautiful!

We continued on the route toward Te Anau as mountains gave way to hilly pastures filled with sheep…I was excited to see how it evolved into Fiordland! Jeff commented that it was the furthest south we've ever been (either of us). We loved (but were surprised by!) the long, late hours of daylight. While in Te Anau, our top priority was a tour of Milford Sound, a fjord within Fiordland National Park. We packed a picnic and went to bed early for tour day.

Our Milford Sound tour bus “Real Journeys" picked us up at our Airbnb (amazing!) at 8am and drove us to the ferry terminal, where we boarded their boat Milford Wanderer for a “Nature Cruise” through the sound.

IT WAS AMAZING, and easily became our top highlight of New Zealand. Cruising past majestic mountains on water was an incredible experience. The beauty and scale was astonishing; we spent a lot of time with our necks stretched, gazing upward in awe.

The entire day, both the bus and boat tours, was fantastic, providing great stops along the route for photos and short walks. I didn’t feel like we missed out on anything by taking the bus (vs driving ourselves); it was a better experience! We enjoyed the commentary and fun facts along the way.

Our first stop was a brief walk to see Mirror Lakes, featuring a beautiful reflection of the mountains in the water. We stopped for a quick bathroom break at Knobs Flat, which reminded us of the Yosemite Valley floor.

We came upon the Homer Tunnel, a terrifying tunnel through the mountains. It’s almost a mile long, and it took 20 years to complete (1934-1954). It’s raw and unfinished, and it’s only one lane wide! It feels like it hasn’t been updated since 1954 and is very eery to drive through. The bus driver told us the tunnel didn’t have functioning lights until a couple years ago!

We passed mountains topped with glaciers, with multiple waterfalls cascading down. As we arrived at the Milford Sound terminal, the views were immediately astounding. Jeff commented, "it's like Yosemite on water,” which was a fitting description!

The boat ride through the sound was incredible. We were completely in awe. The weather cooperated and we enjoyed the sunshine and lack of rain - an uncommon occurrence within the sound!

The tour guide said there are five permanent waterfalls in the sound, but 1000s of temporary falls when it rains. We had the chance to get up close to Fairy Falls, which was an incredible experience to sit beneath it and watch it cascade from the mountain towering above us. We also saw Bridal Veils Falls, which streams out of a faultline!

Jeff and I reflected on the raw beauty of New Zealand, which benefits from a strong conservation focus. It leaves all of us the opportunity to enjoy Mother Earth at her finest, as we marveled at the effects of our evolving Earth, especially its geothermal activity and earthquakes. New Zealand has a strong, influential Department of Conservation, and they shockingly don’t charge entry into their gorgeous national parks (!). New Zealand’s natural beauty is astounding and truly feels like wilderness.

On the way back to Te Anau, we stopped at “The Chasm” for a 20-minute walk through a rainforest. What a surprise! We didn't expect to walk through a rainforest that day. The scenery felt like where the Alpine Rocky Mountain streams met a rainforest. Jeff compared it to Neverland, with Peter Pan's home in the rainforest with the Lost Boys, and Captain Hook lurking in the fjords. Magical!

We were on cloud 9 the rest of the day, happy and mesmerized by Milford Sound.

Before leaving Te Anau, we had a beach day at Frasers Beach on Lake Manapouri (it was 79 and sunny!). Jeff got a swim in at another great lake, and we had a relaxing afternoon at a nearly empty pristine lake with beautiful views of the Fiordland mountains. The endless sun was throwing us off (in a good way); we didn’t leave the beach until 7pm, and it was still fully-light out! The sunset wasn’t until 9:30pm, and it stayed light until 10pm. On our last night, we caught the last look of a vibrant pink sunset over Lake Te Anau.

Te Anau to Queenstown

Our drive to Queenstown was a shorter travel day, only a 2-hour drive. We stopped for brunch on the way out of town to enjoy the region’s amazing salmon one last time on a smoked salmon bagel with heaps of great smoked salmon. We also split a sausage roll, something we had been seeing in pastry cases all of New Zealand and wanted to try.

The drive was easy and pleasant, with beautiful scenery and uncrowded roads. We stopped off again at a lookout on Lake Wakatipu on the way to Queenstown.

Our Airbnb in Queenstown wasn’t the best (another sweltering hot place with no AC or fans...where are the fans, New Zealand!?), but it had a really nice shared patio overlooking the lake.

Queenstown was beautiful. It was smaller than we expected, and it wasn’t really our vibe (lots of backpackers and bachelor/ette parties), but the geography was gorgeous and the downtown area was new, clean, and compact with a nice waterfront.

During our two days in Queenstown, we also enjoyed a private onsen pool soak in the mountains, which was amazing. There were six different private pools, each with a stunning view of the Remarkables mountain range and Shotover River below. It was like staring at a Bob Ross painting! Our 1-hour limit went by quickly, but it was a relaxing treat to experience it.

Queenstown to Christchurch

The last travel leg of our New Zealand road trip was from Queenstown to Christchurch, a whopping 6-hour drive. We dropped off our rental car at the airport and checked into our last Airbnb of the trip in downtown Christchurch, where we spent a few final nights in New Zealand before flying to Australia.

Jeff and I were excited to explore Christchurch! As we wandered around the city center, we were really fascinated by what we saw - a city truly in a rebuild (due to a devastating earthquake in 2011). The streets felt oddly desolate, and the buildings almost decrepit, but the sidewalks were filled with normal people going about their day. There’s a lot of construction sites, but they have an interesting initiative called “Urban Camouflage” to add creativity and art to the fencing around the many construction areas. The post-earthquake buildings are structures with modern, interesting designs; Jeff pointed out the common occurrence of exposed bracing in the new buildings (maybe to instill confidence for residents?). We also appreciated the Container Mall and other container spaces, especially the uniqueness of layouts they assembled. The city’s botanical gardens were also a treat to explore.

We feel like Christchurch in this moment would be such an amazing place for an architect, designer, or interior designer to make their mark (or even visit as a field trip!).

During our month in New Zealand, we were truly living out of a suitcase, so we were looking forward to settling into our next apartment in Melbourne for a full month!

New Zealand was a whirlwind. Although we encountered bumps in the road, the experiences we had and the landscapes we saw were unforgettable. Thank you for sharing your beauty with us, New Zealand!