New Zealand, South Island
This past November I had the pleasure of traveling through the South Island of New Zealand with one one of my favorite travel bloggers, Nicola of Polkadot Passport. We went to some of the most photographed locations in the South Island with Wild Kiwi Tours.
Our 7-day adventure started in Christchurch and followed a loop around the South Island.
Day 1: Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook
After landing in Christchurch we headed down towards Mount Cook. Along the way you will see one of the most beautiful lakes and definitely a top Instagram worthy spot, Lake Tekapo. There are several vantage points but I found the one from the top the most stunning. Don’t forget to check out the Church of Good Shepard while you are there.
After making several stops around Lake Tekapo we made it to Mount Cook. We stayed at the Mount Cook Lodge which provided private rooms and dorm style areas that sleep up to 4 people. The Lodge has a breathtaking view of the mountains and is a short car ride to the hiking trail. In the evening I would highly recommend doing one of the stargazing tours. I have never seen so many stars in the sky, it almost looks like they were painted up there.
Day 2: Mount Cook to Queenstown
The next morning we hiked the Hooker Valley Trail. Its a fairly easy hike so its friendly to people of all fitness levels. It takes about 3-4 hours to complete and is the most popular of the trails available. You will get amazing views of the Mueller and Hooker glacier and you’ll even get to cross three swing bridges.
After our hike we made our way to Queenstown which is where we stayed for the next three nights. We arrived in the evening and made our way to Fergburger, one of the most popular burger places in New Zealand. (Even my taxi driver in Christchurch told me I had to go there.)
Day 3: Milford Sound
The next morning we made the long drive to Milford sound. Just a warning, its a pretty winding road and I usually don’t get car sick but that ride gets a bit tough towards the end. Once we reached Milford Sound we took a boat tour through the fiord. You will lose count of the waterfalls and mountains that surround you. If you are lucky you will even catch glimpses of the dolphins playing.
Day 4: Queenstown
This was the choose your own adventure day. Queenstown has all the adrenaline junkie activities that you can think of. You can create your perfect itinerary whether you like to sky dive, bungee jump, horse back ride, quad bike, jet boat or just spend a day picnicking at the top of the gondola. If you want a little excitement but aren’t into the really risky stuff then Jet boating in the canyon is a lot of fun. We ended our evening with a picnic at the top of the Gondola and watched the sunset over the city.
Day 5: Wanaka to Franz Josef Glacier
On the way from Queenstown we stopped at the Wanaka Tree, which is quite possibly one of the most photographed trees in the world. The tree grows in the middle of Lake Wanaka!
We also stopped at Thunder Creek Falls which is a beautiful waterfall and definitely a must see.
We arrived in Franz Josef in the evening and had dinner at King Tiger which serves almost every variety of Asian food including Thai, Indian and Chinese. If you get there early in the day you can relax at the spa and hot pools in town.
Day 6: Franz Josef
This is another free day where you can choose one of the free hikes that gets you close to the base of the glacier or you can splurge on a heli hike where you can take a helicopter and actually walk on the glacier itself. If hiking isn’t your thing you can take a helicopter ride over the glacier or do some skydiving. We did one of the free hikes and then spent the evening kayaking.
Day 7: Hokitika, Arthur’s Pass
Day 7 was our last day and we started the drive back to Christchurch. We stopped in the beautiful little town of Hokitika and drove through Arthur’s Pass. I was flying out the next morning so I stayed at the Doubletree in Christchurch and the hospitality there was amazing. They left me macaroons and fruit with turndown service. It was the perfect end to an amazing vacation.
