New Zealand Road Trip – South Island

New Zealand Road Trip – South Island

New Zealand was the trip that changed our lives, beyond all recognition. Although on the face of it, it was a celebratory Bucket List holiday for our Anniversary, it ended up being so much more. Read why it changed our lives here.

Six weeks to explore New Zealand’s two islands – would it be enough, would we get to see all our highlights without getting too exhausted? Well we were about to find out as our adventures began at Christchurch on South Island. We had chosen to hire a motorhome to cover our entire trip and so with our trusty steed, Baz a Swift Bolero from Iconic Motorhomes we set out like intrepid explorers. Armed with a dash of adventure, a pinch of excitement and a whole basket full of joy we drove off for some fun. What would this ‘clean, green’ adventure playground offer us?

Here are our 11 Highlights as we tripped the light fantastic around the most iconically beautiful islands in the world. A bold statement perhaps. Yet The Land the of Long White Cloud presents the most incredible scenery, activities and memories, which is why tourism accounts for around 6% of their GDP.

Check out our Interactive Map below for a comprehensive route plan, POI and overnight stops along the way with co-ordinates.

 

Our Compass Headed West

Our virgin journey from Christchurch was nerve wracking as we familiarised ourselves with the speed, size, width and general noise that a van makes when you’re hurtling down the highways. Although given our past experience with motorhomes, it didn’t take long to find our groove. Our first stop for a couple of nights to ground ourselves was Akaroa.

1. Akaroa Peninsular

Our first stop was in a volcano crater, created thousands of years ago. A mere 50 miles south east from Christchurch, this was an incredible initiation to the New Zealand landscape. The town named after the Maori for ‘Long Harbour’ was claimed by the French who arrived on the shores of Banks Peninsular, only to find that the English had beaten them to it. Still, the town today is very much French influenced with road names, shops and architecture all in style Français. 

I had hoped that one of my ultimate bucket list activities might well be achieved on day 2 of our trip; alas the weather prevented us taking a boat out into the harbour for me to swim with the Hector Dolphins – the rarest and smallest dolphins in the world. Sad that it didn’t happen, although it was just not meant to be.

Still having Akaroa as our first destination was lovely and with undulating hills, bays, azure blue waters, this was a great insight and preparation for what was to come. If this was impressive, what would the rest of South Island share with us? We stayed at Akaroa Top 10 Camping for two nights. 

 

2. Lake Tekapo

From Akaroa we headed west towards the beating heart of this stunning landscape where the mountains are king and the visitor simply minions, reverent to their magnificence. The scenery was incredible and I can’t find enough superlatives to describe what our eyes captured. The topography undulates with mesmerising curvaceousness.

Lake Tepako was our first stop with the Church of the Good Shepherd, an iconic symbol of the lake and surrounding hills – if hills is not too much of an insult. Had it not been for all the tourists it would have been a magical place – oh we were one of those tourists. Our overnight stop was in an amazing site over-looking the crystal blue waters with clouds kissing the mountain tops. Pines lined the shores completing a canvas of rainbow colours.

 

 

3. Mount Cook/Aoraki and Hooker Valley

If you were to list the top three photos that summarise New Zealand, then the shot looking across Lake Pukaki to the towering giant of Mount Cook would be up there. On a clear day, then that snow peaked baby, which is the highest mountain in New Zealand, will fill your lens with magnitude and grace. They say you can tell the forecast at the Park by the amount of cloud covering the mountain. If you can’s see it, then the weather is bad. So it might help make your decision about the journey to the Park. 

If the weather gods are shining, then taking Route 80 transports you into the spiritual land of the Mount Cook National Park, where the famous Hooker Pass hike, glaciers and icebergs await you. We camped on a DOC site, which had very few facilitates and is naturally wild, although fabulous in its rawness. This is nature at its best and we were camping right in the centre of it. 

The Hooker Valley walk was a delight for our eyes and ears as we ventured into the heart of the mountain wilderness. The wind called us, or so we thought and yet as we turned the corner, there in front of us was the raging torrent of snow-melt run off, coursing over boulders and through gorges. Our path took us over the tumbling waters by way of a suspension bridge and on deeper into the valley almost nose to nose with the Mount Cook Glaciers. Living, breathing, moving feats of Mother Nature’s subtle power. 

 

 

4. Clay Cliffs of Omarama

After some research, I found a spot that appealed to our introvert personalities. En route to Queenstown from Mount Cook, we visited an ‘off-the-beaten-track’ location that took our fancy. Few tourists come to New Zealand’s Clay Cliff’s of Omarama, partly because of the road quality and partly because Queenstown is the more obvious draw with visitors’ tight schedules. 

We braved the road, which was a good three miles of dirt track with pot holes, although wow, it was worth it. Imagine a Country and Western movie and you have this unique geological gem. Thousands of years old, these gravel and silt peak and cavity formations have been created by glaciers. They are so different to anything else you will see in New Zealand and for that reason alone, worth visiting. For a $5 donation at the road’s entrance, you can experience this incredible place, its silence and natural history. 

 

5. Queenstown Area

The views heading south west continued to inspire us and every spot the scenery changed. Mountains morphed from curvaceous and voluptuous undulations, tropical rainforest covered valleys, towering, craggy giants to then flat plains covered in fields of sheep, cows and red deer. Each view spectacular in its own right and well deserving of the respect they command.

Then we reached Queenstown. This is New Zealand’s adventure playground Mecca and a centre-piece for so many visitors, although it wasn’t for us and the weather had a part to play in this. Couped up in a car-park style Top 10 Campsite we felt claustrophobic and the beauty we expected from New Zealand temporarily hidden from sight. There were a couple of nice spots in the surrounding area; The Golf Club at Kelvin Heights was amazing, Arrowtown was charming and the infamous Bungee Jumping site at Karawau Gorge was definitely worth watching for an hour. Although apart from this, we were glad to leave Queenstown and was the least memorable part of our trip.  For many though, the draw of the adrenalin activities would make this an unmissable focal point for their holiday. 

6. Fiordland; Doubtful and Milford

I had imagined that with our visit to New Zealand in their mid summer season, that our weather would at least be better than back ‘home’. Although we were sorely disappointed, so do be prepared on South Island for the weather to change rapidly and to get really cold up in the mountains. Whilst cold fronts are typically unheard of, it does happen, just like any other weather anomaly – so come prepared.

Unfortunately these weather fronts do affect the full experience of the Fiordland region. Clear weather really does favour this natural architectural beauty, shaped by millions of years of glacial activity. Still, we decided that we weren’t going to come back to this part of the world, so to not visit both Fiords seemed a travesty. Depending upon the time you have on your itinerary you may have to toss a coin and chose one or another. So perhaps my descriptions below may help you choose.

 

Doubtful Sound

There are only two days in my life where I have been as excited as our trip to Doubtful Sound just south of Te Anau; Disneyland when I was 13 and my Wedding Day. I really don’t think I can adequately describe our experiences, which involved a ferry, a coach and then our three hour exclusive cruise on the most stunning fiord. How do I describe it and give you a sense of our experiences?

Imagine a stream and enlarge and lengthen it by a million. Imagine the colour blue and intensify it by 100. Imagine a hill and stretch it by 5000 and colour it with a few cotton wool buds tickling the tops of the mountains for good measure. Oh and add dolphins, penguins and seals. The final thing needed to your imagery is the sound…. Imagine only the sound of lapping waves on the catamaran’s hull, the eery vibration of a mountain’s towering presence, the cry of a seagull and the crashing of the waterfalls full of the recent snowfall melt. If you add a shake of magic and dash of rainbow colours and a sense of Christmas Eve excitement, you can share just some of our experience. At one point the captain turned off the engines so we could listen to Mother Nature’s orchestra and I have to say that the serenity made me cry with joy. On top of that I had dolphins swimming right alongside the boat, which just topped it all off. This is one of my New Zealand highlights.

Milford Sound

There’s no doubt for me that Doubtful (pardoning the pun) will hold a special place in my heart and yet travelling the route to Milford Sound, added even more colour to our travel log. The road itself was interesting with lakes that look like mirrors reflecting the mountain backdrop and tunnels that carry you through the most stalwart, granite mountain monsters and hairpin bends that rival the Swiss Alps. And then there was the Sound itself – we decided on a small boat cruise that had only eight passengers, making it quite an intimate affair. It was just like the brochures show; iconic, dramatic and so totally different to its southern sister. Sheer mountain faces, characterful shapes that enticed your imagination, caves, seductive clouds skimming the giants’ heads and waterfalls that gushed out of what seemed like thin air.

As I reflect on the two sensational experiences, I realise that each held a completely different energy within them. Doubtful was feminine – gentle, embracing, alluring, curvaceous, nurturing, satisfying and unforgettable. Milford was more masculine – tall, strong, powerful, dominant, a little jagged and over too quickly, leaving you wanting more. I’m so glad we did both Fiords as they were both special in their own ways and both taking just a little bit of space in our hearts. 

 Gallery of images – click below to see our Fiordland images.

 

Westlands and New Zealand’s Southern Alps

7. WanAka

Our destination en route north was WanAka – I purposely put a middle capital A, as a number of our ’speed reading’ Facebook friends missed out this crucial letter and gave this beautiful town a rather sorry nickname. The non-tourist road to Wanaka was simply stunning. There were more twists and turns in it than in a Jive. Good old Baz, the motorhome managed admirably and our prize was the oasis town of Wanaka, which, no surprise was held in the clutch of yet more magnificent mountains and with its own beautiful, azure lake.

With plentiful hiking and cycling around Wanaka’s peninsular you will get to experience yet more non-touristy South Island. You will find deserted beaches, forest paths and riverside-hugging biking tracks. Add to this the abundant smell of the authentic Tea Tree bush making a visit here for a couple of days feel like a healing zone.  

 

 

8. Haast Pass

Westlands, is all about the most famous glaciers and mountain passes. I must say that we navigated more hairpins than an Elizabethan monarch’s hairdo – blimey it certainly tested my driving skills. Every bend was a wow, an OMG or some similar expletive. There were gorges with topaz blue waters thundering through them, carving out their presence on the granite rocks below. Snow-capped mountains towered above us, coming in all shapes and sizes. Rainforest, still ruling the roost with 20ft ferns dominating the skyline and roads lined with brilliant orange Star Gazing lilies and crocosmia. In fact I don’t know about 50 Shades of Grey, I think we saw 50 shades of the Rainbow. 

Now I mention our next overnight camp, Lake Paringa, partly because it was beautiful, right beside the water’s edge, although more for the pest warfare that began that day. People consistently mention the Battle of the Sandfly in New Zealand, particularly on the West Coast and we took heed of their warnings and duly purchased a spray to ward off the little blighters.

The sandfly makes the mosquito look like a cuddly teddy bear, and those Scottish friends amongst you who know the pleasures of the Blue Cross mozzies, I’m sorry to say that they are child’s play compared to New Zealand’s sandflies. They look so innocuous as they land on your spray coated skin and believe me they will find access to any piece of flesh they can, especially if it is unprotected. At the time their bites seem innocent, yet it is a day or two later when the chickenpox itching starts and they swell up your ankles and you look like a teenager with acne within 24 hours. It’s bad man so beware.

 

 

9. The Glaciers; Fox and Franz Joseph

At the planning phase of our trip, Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers weren’t on our list. Given that we had seen the Tasman Glacier at Mount Cook, both of us felt like we had ‘done’ glaciers. Well that was until we saw the Helicopter Flights that landed right on the top of these magnificent giants.  Despite the cost, ($270 equating to around £137 per person), I had a sudden wave of Carpe Diem and before we knew it, we have reserved a place on the tour that included a snow landing which was key for me.  To quote the Carpenter’s song I really wanted to be: ‘…On top of the world, looking, down on creation…’ I wanted the rawness of the height, the space, the silence; Mother Nature in her most natural and organic state and to be at one with it. 

We were lucky enough to have our flight upgraded and without any additional cost we were blessed with a trip up Franz Joseph, flying around Mount Cook, a snow landing and down Fox Glacier for 40 minutes.  To cut a long story short, the trip was sensational with such a perfect weather day for it. So many people don’t get to do this because the conditions are too bad. It totally met and exceed my expectations.

 

 

10. Hokitika

As you head north towards Abel Tasman, there is the opportunity to have a short stopover at Hokitika. It is renowned for its driftwood and each year there is a competition down on the beach, which is definitely worth viewing. Hokitika itself is like a Wild West town although is quite charming.

 

11. Abel Tasman National Park

The northern coast of New Zealand’s South Island is paradise supreme. This National Park was first colonised by Dutchman Abel back in the 1600s, who is credited for being the first European to land on New Zealand shores, 100 years before James Cook.

Abel Tasman is the most incredible coastal vision I have set my eyes on and being a sea baby, I feasted on its lusciousness and allowed it to feed my soul. Golden sands sparkle like gold bullion. Dense forest canopies keep the sunshine at bay. And the exotic blue seas come right out of the Caribbean movies. We just needed Hale Berry to emerge out of the sea to recreate that famous James Bond scene. There is a real rawness about these shores that just brings out artists and nature lovers.

Limestone and granite mountains plunge straight into the crystal coves and beautiful bays create a safe haven for a host of flora and fauna so unique to this area. The peaceful inlets provide shelter to the abundance of crayfish, green lipped mussels, clams and blue cod, most of which are sent to the Asian market. What a treasure chest of delights that is Abel Tasman.

For the energetic and physically driven, the AT heralds the famous tramping track that can take from between three to five days. Pathways hug the coast, taking inward turns into the heart of the forest. Then there are teasing peaks of the tumbling cliffs below, revealing brilliant blue seas that invite you to dive right in. Water taxis buzz like bees up and down the coast dropping off trampers as they negotiate sections of the park to suit their abilities. Campsites and watering holes are sporadically located along the way for the more serious walkers to stay overnight. 

The sound of the cicadas sing like an electric fence without a break in their circuit. Conducting their harmony was the odd Tui and Bellbird, which sound a bit like R2D2. The musical orchestra was heaven for the ears. For the eyes, a feast of coastal rainforest, granite outcrops holding precariously poised pine trees and romantic beaches that just invited a naked swim! For the soul, well just being in this special place was enough to fill any heart full of joy, beholding the vistas that just melt you. 

This National Park is an absolute must if you love nature, coastline, hiking and water. 

 

11. Queen Charlotte Drive – en route to Picton

Our final South Island destination before our northern leg was Marlborough Sound and the Queen Charlotte Drive. It is famous for its wineries although we were heading for its watery surprises. This sea flooded wilderness was littered with little inlets and islands and yet reminded me so much of Doubtful Sound. It was strewn with voluptuous mountains and curvaceous coves, sheltering tiny isles with inhabitants looking for seclusion, their only links to land by boat. Yet again, off the beaten track we found ourselves an amazing free campsite – Double Bay Reserve that we shared with only four other vans and our own private beach. 

Arriving in Picton we treated ourselves to a cruise up Queen Charlotte Sound and this was no ordinary tourist cruise. It was a working boat. During our 3 hour trip, there were eight drop offs that allowed the disembarkation of both human cargo, trampers for the famous Queen Charlotte Track and, more surprisingly freight. There were suitcases for remote lodges in secluded cove, boxes of beer and wine supplies and the odd 58” Widescreen TV! It was great to be part of this working cruise and see how life in the Sound is sustained and nourished. 

From Picton, you are at the point of no return when it comes to South Island. After the highs of the Fiords, The Alps and the mountainous National Parks, the remaining task is to take the ferry over to Wellington. And from this point, your North Island adventures can begin.

 

 

Our closing thoughts on South Island

New Zealand’s South Island is truly beautiful and so much more than our 11 Highlights. It is a place where someone or something has created the most incredible natural tapestry for us to enjoy. Raw, untouched and precious. A land that needs to be treasured and honoured for all its splendour. What would North Island offer, if this is what South Island is all about? Tune into our northern highlights here. 

 

 

Save for later? Why not Pin it?

 

Other posts that might interest you…

New Zealand – The trip that Changed our Lives

New Zealand – The trip that Changed our Lives

New Zealand 2015 – a trip that unwittingly shaped our lives into one we never need to escape from.

 

New Zealand – Our ‘where it all began’ story

The years have treated us well and we often look in the mirror and gasp at where the years have gone – nearly 30 years married – really? Where did that time go?  In October 2014, we started to plan a celebratory trip for our 25th Wedding Anniversary and decided it was a significant milestone to tick something from our Bucket List. And New Zealand was on both of our lists. After some deliberation, we agreed that the best way to experience it was to hire a motorhome, enabling us to get into the real heart of the place.

We splashed out on a six week tour and hired our van from Iconic Motorhomes. After years of running three businesses, having 12 hour days and working 7 days a week for far too many years, we agreed we were worth it.  With my love for organisation we had ourselves a rough route and highlights. One of these were tickets for ICC Cricket World Cup in Wellington and, high on the list was a White Water Rafting adventure somewhere along the line.  What a great trip this was going to be.  One of my dear friends, the wise old bird that she is, said that New Zealand would have a profound impact on us – although we were not expecting her prophecy to evolve as it did.

Our Business Class Flight to New Zealand

Prior to us leaving for our trip, I shared some concerns about how we would cope for such a long time in a 7 metre van. We had 25 years together as a couple yet with a certain amount of independence thanks to our careers – and now, suddenly we’d be in each other’s space – how would we fare? Would my high maintenance tendencies be all too much to bear?

After our 24hr flight to Auckland and then onto Christchurch, we were ready to collect our temporary home – Baz we called him.  We loved the idea of travelling with our home, allowing us to explore every nook and cranny. A bit of wild camping was on the agenda too and thanks to a great freebie app CamperMate we were able to source some incredible spots along the way.

That sense of freedom was as potent as the fields of lavender in Provence; powerful, heady and very here and now. A real sense of the canary released from its cage as it flew with wild abandon and joy. That was how we felt in our early days as we chalked up our experiences.

And some of those experiences are now priceless memories, sunk deep into our subconscious photo album. I will never forget my first sight of Lake Tekapo en route to Queenstown. The colour of the water was indescribably blue, a blue that I’d never set eyes on before. And it was one of the first times I remember crying, feeling so overwhelmed at the beauty of it. Now I use my tears as a true measure of how a place feels to me and how its beauty gets caught underneath my skin.

 

Our Business Class Flight to New Zealand
Our Business Class Flight to New Zealand

As we sat in comfort in our motorhome, we were amazed by the eclectic mix of campers. Motorhomes like ours, vans, trucks and cars – each with their own home-from-home touches, albeit sometimes a bit rustic. Camping is just a way of life here for locals and visitors alike and it was starting to stir something deep within us. I loved the wildness of everyone ‘getting away from it all’ and how we all shared a love of our natural environment. And sometimes those campers had a real influence on our journey because of their stories. And sometimes they became life-long friends. 

Seeing how people travelled in New Zealand was a complete eye-opener. Sheltered from the opportunity to travel by our corporate hamster-wheel, we learnt how life outside package tours really thrives. And more importantly travel provides an authentic connection with life, nature and culture. Don’t get me wrong we had some very nice short breaks although nothing with a genuine submersion into a country’s customs. And our motorhome journey exposed us to this connection and we were hooked. I knew that our holidays, from this point forward, would change beyond all recognition.  

My other profound insight was how nourishing I found the transience of our travels. Whilst I love people and their experiences, as an introvert I also love my own company.  I remember when Myles asked me how I found our NZ trip – for me it was the freedom to move I enjoyed most. And bear in mind that this comes from the woman who always needed roots and direction. Yet this trip taught me about my love for exploration, how much I adored going to a new spot every day and the fluidity that our lives were richly abundant with.  I relished the space we found in between our connections with other travellers and, paradoxically enjoyed the distance we could create if we needed it. What a joyous realisation this was about life on the road.

Our Business Class Flight to New Zealand

And what of the ‘living in a box’ concern, I hear you ask?  Well I had no reason to worry as we soon found our groove. When you have a deep relationship, it matters not a jot whether you are in the same room or apart, you have a thread that binds you as fine as silk and as strong as metal. And whilst it wasn’t all plain sailing, our ability to work out our niggles brought us closer together. I wasn’t a nightmare and I surprised myself how easily I adapted to the small space. 

By the end though we were both ready to go home. Our six weeks had been amazing although we felt it was time to return. We often reflect back on our highlights and experiences and really do feel that we celebrated our 25 years together in style and honoured our marriage – without doubt.

 

Our Business Class Flight to New Zealand

So how did this trip change our lives?

In isolation it was easy to put our New Zealand trip into a ‘bucket list’ box and see it for what it was. Super memories and incredible experiences. Although when two weeks later, your introvert husband who had clearly been mulling things over said, “How do you fancy going travelling for a year”, you could have knocked me down with a feather.

Until that moment, life had resumed its normal rhythm.  I returned to the school where I was teaching meditation and my weekly volunteering job at the Donkey Sanctuary. Myles took to his office and had the odd game of golf. And I got back to my healthy regimes.  

It was a defining moment. The world stood still as I took in Myles’ question and contemplated the enormity of what he was suggesting. You see we had got ourselves caught up in a new hamster wheel. Whilst our move from the stress of our corporate days had to some extent ceased, we had created a new norm with a new wheel in Somerset. Whilst many of our routines were nourishing ones, we both still felt the chasm that our New Zealand trip had filled. We didn’t feel complete and we found ourselves drawn back into the Matrix of conformity, where Sundays were set aside for roast dinners and Monday-Friday norms were honoured for fear of failing our peer group expectations.

And it was New Zealand that showed us how travel could enrich our lives; its simplicity, choice and freedom all filling that gap which had crept into our lives.  New Zealand suddenly became a profound event and not the extended holiday we had imagined.

So what did we do with this realisation that our missing jigsaw piece was travel? Well our circumstances supported Myles’ ‘gap year’ plan giving us the budget to travel and get our ‘house’ in order. Then after our year we could come back to truly settle down with travel being the centre-piece of our lives. 

From that point our search began for a motorhome that would suit our needs. Yet a weird mix of excitement and fear crept into my mind as I battled with the shadow of doubt and anxiety. It felt like such a big change; letting go of so much. Was I ready to be a nomad – albeit for a year? 

My fear played havoc as ‘What if’s’ clouded my mind and storms of anxiety brewed in my heart at the prospect of leaving everything behind. Although the turning point was my mum saying how she had regretted not doing something similar with my dad years back. Her need for security and roots were so strong that she couldn’t leave. “Life is too short not to,” she said supportively.  So the decision was made in that moment – we were going to make this happen.

Within four months the van was ordered, delivered, insured and all our material ties severed. Plans were in place with military precision and checklists in every room. And on 4th March 2016, we said our goodbyes and set off for the European sunset with a year of adventure. Although neither of us said it, we wondered how we would feel after six weeks, given our New Zealand wall?

In fact it was a positive milestone, a moment of realisation. The awakening you get when suddenly you find a rhythm that you have been searching for all your life. An ease, a simplicity and a sense of happiness that filled every cell in our body.  I knew that I had found my missing jigsaw piece and that this was going to be so much more than just a gap year. In the same way that New Zealand was always more than just a holiday.

I fell in love with the simplicity of life on the road. I woke up to the notion that material things don’t define life or happiness. I connected with all the things that really brought out the best in me; like writing, photography, nature, learning about different cultures and quite simply being! Watching sunrises and sunsets, feeling grateful for each day that graced my life, gaining a new sense of purpose. We found digital work that embraced our talents and the world became brighter, lighter and multi-dimensional. Sounds became deeper and life’s experiences more meaningful as we delved into languages that were alien to us and cultures that offered us an alternative perspective.

Lots of people have called us lucky to live the life we do and for sure we feel incredibly blessed, although we have not arrived here by luck. As the famous quote from golfer Arnold Palmer says,

 The more I practise the luckier I get.

Over the years we have worked our fingers to the bone to reach a position of comfort which by its very nature has been difficult and often painful. Although our commitment to our long-term future has paid off and despite a nervous break down or two between us, we have rallied through, become stronger and more determined to be in that state of happiness and contentment. So luck is not the driver of our chariot – we are and continue to be so.

With travel as our teacher and the world as our classroom, we look back at New Zealand and all that it showed us and realise how pertinent that experience was to the rest of our lives. And however long we are blessed to do this, we will always be thankful to The Land of the Long White Cloud for creating a fire in our bellies for exploration and the inspiration to change our lives to one that we no longer need to escape from.

Change is possible, fear can be overcome and life can be the happy place that we all desire if you have vision, work hard and have the determination to turn your dreams into reality.

 

Dreams come a size too big so that we can grow into them.

Like it? Pin it!

New Zealand

If you love New Zealand, you might like these…