Picture this: mountains out your car window on the left, and a rocky beach out to your right. The sky is blue with the occasional fluffy white cloud. The air seems to always be just about perfect with a breeze turning into a sudden gust of wind. The sights around every corner of the ever so windy road seem to give you something you didn’t know you needed. The breathtaking views of little farms painted with greens and purples only seen elsewhere in the world in Scotland. The South Island of New Zealand is truly a marvel and we got to see it in a unique way as you’ll see shortly. That’s not to take away from the beauty of the North Island where the capital of New Zealand is seated in Wellington. The North Island also holds up the largest city in New Zealand: Auckland. We spent a significant amount of time here in New Zealand so there is so much to share and so much we encourage you to see for yourself.
The South Island
What I’ve told people, and what people have told me, is that New Zealand is like a small petri dish of a bunch of the earth’s ecosystems put on two islands. Specifically, the South Island of New Zealand is home to mountains, sounds, ocean beaches, lakes, plains, forests, and rainforests. I’m sure I’m missing others. There is so much to see and experience that a trip (for an American) is not suited for a casual weekend away. We took that to heart and went a step further by grabbing ourselves a RAV4 with a tent on top to camp around the South Island (shout out to Madcampers, they were awesome!).
Christchurch
I grew up camping and definitely missed it over the past few years. There is just something so freeing about sleeping outside in the fresh air and having the opportunity to see a sky full of stars right above you. But, before we hit the road, we got to experience Christchurch a bit.
Christchurch is a pretty hip town. The streets are fairly clean and you get the classic hustle and bustle of a larger city. But, surprisingly, it is pretty walkable being so flat. For those of you that don’t know, there was a big earthquake there in the mid-2000s. So, a lot of buildings were lost. As a result, there are many newer buildings. So, it looks pretty modern to the naked eye.
During our short time in Christchurch, we got a chance to spend a quiet afternoon at Cellar Door. The wine bar is right inside a historic building where the School of Art in Christchurch operates. There is a lovely patio where we got to enjoy tasting their delightful wines while nibbling on a slice of cheese or two.
After grabbing our RAV4 for our camping adventure we drove straight north. It’s worth noting that this is no ordinary RAV4; the back hatch opens up to a sink, small fridge, and pull-out flat drawer with a portable propane grill. The undercarriage of the car has a tank for freshwater (that attaches to a sink sprayer) and a tank for the water that goes down the sink. So, we were able to cook along the way and maximize the time outside.
Kaikoura
Our first stop was Kaikoura where we stayed at a holiday park. This was one of my favorite towns in all of New Zealand. It has the feel of a small town with coffee shops and local storefronts. It is also a beach town with fantastic views all around it of the ocean.
The highlight of our time in Kaikoura was going whale watching from a plane. The company is called Wings Over Whales. We got on a small plane and got a chance to see the Kaikoura area from the air. The colors of the bluffs against the blues of the ocean are stunning. But, the best part of the 1-hour ride we took was seeing a sperm whale! Sperm whales are rarely seen when doing casual whale watching because they only surface every 45 minutes to 2 hours. It was just so cool seeing such a massive animal that dives into some of the deepest depths of the ocean. Also, fun fact, sperm whales are the loudest animals on earth. They use air pockets on top of their head to create clicks as a form of communication. They are fascinating!
Pro Tip: There are a variety of options for car and van campers around both the north and south islands of New Zealand. It depends on whether you have a self-contained vehicle or not. A self-contained vehicle needs to meet requirements like having a toilet onboard, etc. But, if your vehicle is not self-contained then a popular option is to use DOC campsites, private campsites, or places called “holiday parks”. Holiday parks have more amenities like wifi and hot showers; they even can have pools and kitchens, etc. The other options tend to have fewer amenities and can be fairly cheap as well.
Camping in the North
Moving on from Kairkoura, we made our way up the coastline toward Blenheim and Picton and continued west over the tip of the South Island to Nelson and up to Kaiteriteri. We spent time camping along the way at some super unique and peaceful campsites. The first being Whites Bay which was tucked in this little cove off a windy road outside of Blenheim. The pictures tell the story.
We arguably outdid our experience in Whites Bay by staying a night at Momorangi. The campsites all give you a beautiful view of a narrow bay called Grove Arm. The camping area is tucked up north of Picton at the start of a series of inlets into the ocean reaching out toward the North Island. We talked to a gentleman from Christchurch that had been paddleboarding out in the bay. He said that he had been at the same camping area the previous year. He told us that there was a pod of orcas there that year! New Zealand is full of surprises.
Kaiteriteri is a popular spot for even Kiwis (New Zealand residents called themselves Kiwis). The beach is sandy with some great places to eat and drink. Abel Tasman Park is also close by with a variety of beaches people can take tours out to. The camping area is huge and full most of the time. And the birds know it. We even had a herring gull pick up a steak we were about to cook!
The most surprising and unique campsite we stayed at is called Slab Hut Creek. You drive out to where it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. As you turn off pavement the trees start to surround you and you may even think you made a wrong turn. But, it is such a modest and tucked away spot. What we didn’t realize was that the creek is actually somewhere you can pan for gold! You can see places in the water where people set up shop to pull up some gold dust in the cool mountain water. But, our absolute favorite part was the night sky; with the lack of light pollution, the stars seem to multiply. The darkness makes for a deep sleep after getting your fill of star gazing.
Moving further south, we stayed at a camping area called Otto/McDonalds. Though a more traditional camping area, the views a minute’s walk from our campsite was the main attraction. The campsites sit close to Lake Mapourika. The pictures below will tell the story better than I ever could.
Franz Josef Glacier & Fox Glacier
One of the more attractive features of New Zealand is the glaciers. With such jetting mountains and chilly mountain air, the Franz Josef Glacier is still hanging on. As many of you probably know, with climate change glaciers, are shrinking considerably all over the world. Franz Josef is no exception, but we were fortunate to be able to see it and how magnificent it is.
Moving further south, there is this pretty little stroll you can go on along Lake Matheson. With a walk around the lake, you immerse yourself in the green of the expansive pastures with a mountain backdrop. You even get a chance to walk through a canopy of forest green on your journey to docks out on the lake giving you the reflections of the distant mountains on the lake. It was definitely worth the stop.
Just a short couple of minutes’ drive away is a cool viewpoint of another glacier: Fox Glacier. You don’t even really know it is there until you drive to the lookout and peer back.
Blue Pools to Wanaka
One of the most unique and enjoyable places we visited on the South Island was the Blue Pools. Since the mountains and glaciers run off into rivers and lakes around this area north of Wanaka, the water is some of the most striking colors of blue. This one area named the Blue Pools has a nice little trail where you can walk out and over a river and land yourself at this small (but deep) pool. It’s at the intersection of a mountain creek into a bigger river.
The cool thing (pun intended) about the Blue Pools is that you can swim in the near-hypothermic chilly water. On average the water temperature is 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit); it is glacier-fed making the water consistently that cold. Britta and I took a couple of dips and wow was it a great experience. It’s so refreshing and we loved the high we got from resetting our bodies. We loved it so much that we went back again the next day.
Even though the Blue Pools was the final destination from our lodging in Wanaka, it wasn’t the only joy we got from making the trip. The road between the Blue Pools and Wanaka is one of my favorites in New Zealand. You are surrounded by eye-popping blue lakes and a backdrop of mountains. Your eyes can constantly be fed as you wind through the forest and out into the views of the sunlight hitting the mountaintops. I loved every minute of our time driving along this stretch.
Exploring with Friends
As a special treat, our friends Katie, Joost, and their little one happened to be in New Zealand at the same time as us! So, of course, we took the opportunity to explore together and see the area around Wanaka. Seeing the world through a young person’s eyes can be such a joy. We were lucky enough to see Katie & Joost’s little one wander through a local lavender farm.
The Marlborough Wine Region
Before I go any further, we have to talk about the wine in New Zealand. For those of you that have read our previous posts, you know that we have had an opportunity to see a lot of wine regions throughout the world during this past year. The Marlborough region on the South Island was one of my favorites if not my absolute favorite.
To the rest of the world, this region is most well-known for its Sauvignon Blanc vines. Back in the 70s and 80s farmers in the region started planting Sauv Blanc vines and since then there have been a variety of different vines planted in the region. The readily available ocean breeze, plentiful sun, and temperate climate make for luscious grapes and delicious wine.
As we camped along and around the Marlborough region we visited different wineries, tasted wines, and bought bottles along the way. Our favorite wines were most commonly from small boutique vineyards that only sold their wine online locally or from the vineyard. We learned that many vineyards in the region have so much local demand in New Zealand that they don’t even need to export or take on the cost of exporting to places like the US or Europe. It was a true joy learning about the wines and getting to enjoy them as well.
Queenstown Area
We spent a couple of days camping in Queenstown, New Zealand. It is a crazy busy city of tourists and locals alike. We enjoyed staying here because of how close it was to so many places out and around the city. The area is filled with little day trips of hiking and picturesque drives.
Glenorchy & Lake Sylvan Track
Northwest of Queenstown along a long lake sits an old small town called Glenorchy. The quaint little town has a fantastic view of the mountains across the lake. We got a chance to walk out on the pier to capture it all. We also went to the local coffee shop and soaked in the sun surrounded by natural beauty.
Not far north of Glenorchy along the Dart River is a nice little trail hike. From the trailhead, you cross a creek and enter a quiet, moss-covered forest. The small Lake Sylvan is about halfway along the track and gives you a beautiful respite on your hike. It was just so great for us to enjoy the outdoors and breath in the fresh area of the vegetation-bedded forest. We highly recommend the Lake Sylvan Track.
Moke Lake Trail
Another day, another hike. This time we made our way up to Moke Lake. It is quite a bumpy ride up in elevation and over washboard gravel roads, but it’s worth it for the sights. The lake sits right in the middle of mountain peaks of varying heights. A trail takes you along and above Moke Lake starting and ending at the Moke Lake Campsite.
We saw a plethora of different birds in and around the lake as we walked. The terrain turns into marsh in some areas giving you quite a smattering of landscapes to capture along the way. It was such a beautiful hike and gave us an opportunity to see so much along every step of the trail.
Mirror Lakes & Milford Sound
Moving out from Queenstown the destination for us was Milford Sound. But, again, the journey was almost as cool as the destination. Along the way, Mirror Lakes was a surprisingly quick and impactful stop. Check this out:
Milford Sound is the closest thing we have seen to Norway outside of Norway. We were told by a local along the way that Milford Sound is a fjord but was misnamed and the name stuck. A ‘sound’ is technically a river valley that floods; a ‘fjord’ is glacier-formed. So, the Milford Sound is technically a fjord by definition.
We had a short trip to Milford Sound but the journey there and back was so majestic. The height of the rock walls and the beauty of the fjord itself is best shared through photos.
Mount Cook
We camped two nights at White Horse Campsite near Mount Cook and we hit the coldest weather we encountered since leaving on our trip in the spring of 2022. Sleeting rain and temps in the low 30s made for two chilly nights in the pop up tent but the views and hikes were worth it. We made the most of some day time sunshine to hike the Hooker Valley track and we loved this six mile out and back trail. It is really popular so starting in the morning is worth it. We saw an avalanche, enjoyed the three suspension bridges, and stopped for a lunch break halfway at Hooker Lake.
Lake Tekapo
We spent our last night in the RAV4 camper at Lake Tekapo, known for its brilliant blue color and quick changing winds. We spent several hours on a horseback trail ride with mountain views up to a viewpoint over the lake and then down along the lake for a total of 2.5 hours. Ouch. It was worth the pain but you could tell we hadn’t been on a horse in some time. Next time, we’ll opt for the shorter trail ride and save our bodies the trouble. 🙂
The North Island
A majority of our time in New Zealand was spent on the South Island. There is just so much to see and do there. However, that isn’t to say that the North Island isn’t great, too. The landscape is very different. We happened to be in the Auckland area shortly after a large cyclone came through, so the landscape was even more different than usual. Regardless, we got a chance to compare and contrast and enjoy what the North Island had to offer vs. the South.
Whitianga, Rotorua, & Taupō
After landing in Auckland, we rented ourselves a car and headed to the northeast area of the North Island. Getting to Whitianga was not an easy feat, however. With the fairly recent cyclone that ripped through the area, many of the roads around the area were closed due to damage. We basically took a one-way dirt road through the peninsula to get to Whitianga further to the east.
Whitianga is a sleepy little town with a charm to it. We mosied around town and up to the harbor and enjoyed the peace and tranquility. The feeling of being close to nature in a town setting can’t be understated.
Rotorua to the south has a really unique feature that we really enjoyed. There are so many ecosystems in New Zealand, why wouldn’t they have a redwood forest?!?! There is literally a redwood forest you can hike through basically right in Rotorua. We had a great time feeling the chilliness of the area underneath the super-high canopy.
Ever seen The Lord of the Rings movies? Well, if you have, you probably saw a lot of New Zealand in the films. We stayed a couple of nights in Taupō and right outside of the town is the mountain that Mount Doom is based on in the films.
Not too far away you can see the pools where another iconic figure from the Lord of the Rings films can be seen in. We happened upon Gallum’s pools and had to make the small hike to check them out.
The northeastern part of the North Island was really worth seeing. We saw a variety of things and these places are not very far from each other. New Zealand continued to surprise us with so many different experiences and things to see.
Auckland
It’s the biggest city in New Zealand. Auckland has the vibes of San Francisco in the US and Sydney in Australia. It’s very much like any big city with its hustle and bustle but has some quaintness in its varied neighborhoods around the water features it sits along. Certain areas have nice beaches and others have beautiful cityscapes.
We found our time in Auckland to be relaxing and we got a chance to walk around and just take in the nice, warm weather. The food is great too which made for a good complement to a glass of local New Zealand wine. It was also a great last stop on our trip around the world.
The End For Now
Speaking of the last stop, New Zealand was our last country on our trip around the world over the past year. We went to 30 countries, 46 airports, and spent over 5 days in the air. That equates to over 54,000 miles which is the equivalent of going around the Earth 2.2 times. It is everything we could have asked for. We learned so much and experienced so many things.
It’s so worth it. To those of you thinking about taking a longer trip or sabbatical, all I can say is: it’s so worth it. You sacrifice things like seeing family and friends, having less of the day-to-day conveniences, and earning an income. But, you gain so much perspective and learn so much about yourself and, if you travel with someone else, your relationship with your travel partner. Quitting your job can be scary; but, honestly, after getting past that knot in your stomach and telling yourself “I planned for this”, your mind is free to spend time seeing the culture around you and just live life. Some days are harder than others and some days that means looking up flights back home and being done. But, you have the choice and you have the space to feel those feelings while learning about the rest of the world.
I will never forget this year. I grew closer to Britta and got to experience so many new things with her that we will talk about for the rest of our lives. She will now be a constant reminder of some of the coolest places I’ve ever visited and we can share those experiences with others. But, as you can probably guess, this is only the end for now. We will continue to travel as long as we are able and we are already building out our next bucket list.
Ciao for now!
Read About Where Else We’ve Been
- New Zealand: A Little Bit of Everything
- Vietnam: North to South
- Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia: New Year’s 2023
- Thailand: Temples, Food, and So Much More
- Australia: The East Coast of Natural Wonders