South Island Trip
Trip to the South IslandAs we are adventurous fans, we knew that we wanted to travel most of our New Zealand trip to the beautiful and varied South Island. Following month-long research and prioritization, here is the route we have worked out for a ten-day trip, along with my suggestions for places of interest you should definitely consider for your trip!
When we landed in Christchurch there wasn't much we wanted to see in the cities, so we took our rented cars and some lunch and drove directly to Tekapo Sea, the first of many blue coloured seas we would see. Situated at the south end of the pond, the small but picturesque village was a great place to visit.
The first whole New Zealand full stop was devoted to the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park in all its splendour. All the way from Tekapo River was incredible picturesque, especially the route along the shores of Pukaki River, a glacier pond with a milk yacuzzi.
There was no accommodation in Mt Cook Village, so we remained in Twizel, the next city at the southern end of Lake Pukaki. This city was more picturesque than I had expected, because it is situated on the slope directly at the sea and has a view of the surrounding hills from all sides.
To get a maximal view, wander the bend to the jetty and to the top of the hills. Everybody is talking about Fergberger, but the pasta and pasta from The Cab was my favourite food, which I have eaten our whole trip! Come to Queenstown Garden and either wander through the luxuriant garden or along the shores of the lakeside, where we even found a beautiful swinging treetop.
The Fiordland National Reserve was our favourite place on the whole tour, this whole area must be one of the most wonderful places I have ever been. The ride through the Milford Sound was also a journey in itself, as you ride through sculpted tunnel, traverse mad mountain regions, traverse vast alpine valleys and countless lake and river valleys, and loose the number of falls falling from the nearby crags.
Go on a picturesque boating trip through Milford Sound. lf you only have for one thing in Milford sound, do it. To see the whole noise with the boot was such an adventure. Go along the banks of Milford sound and enjoy the classical views of Mitre Peak, just look out for the sand flies!
There are so many viewpoints to stop while you drive through the area! The Eglington Valley, Lake Gunn Viewpoint, Pop's View.... just about every occasion you get to sweater, take the occasion to take in the view! Spend 4 and a half day exploring the famed Milford Trail, the "most beautiful trail in the world". Of course this would take up most of our 10 day stay on this island, but I thought I'd put this in here because it's on my wish lists the next times I go back to New Zealand.
Before boarding a rowing dinghy and hovering under a hundred enchantingly bright blues, we took a ride across wonderful Lake Te Anau with Real Journeys. But with Mt Aspiring National Park close by, there are still tonnes of adventures out there. Here we spend an additional tag to walk Roy's Peak, a sharp ascent to the most spectacular photographic point of the trip.
Hit Roy's peaks for the most spectacular views you'll ever see. Because I was the most agitated for this walk in all of New Zealand, and it wasn't disappointing! Attempt to walk it outside hours such as dawn or days of the week to have the summit to yourself. Mt Aspiring National Park in the far corner. This small forest must be the most popular in New Zealand.
Come and see us at dawn or dusk for the best lights and colours, just be ready to battle for your place on the coast. Walk the Rob Roy Glacier Track (6.2 mile round trip) in Mt Aspiring National Park for falls and glacial outlooks. If I had done that, it would have been the first walk I would have chosen!
Most of the way we spent in the mountain, it was finally climbing up along the west shore to finish our tour around the South Island. Driving along the coastline was cool to see a changed vegetation and there are many breaks in the pits to interrupt the ride.
Overlooks Lake Hawea, Lake Matheson at sundown, New Zealand cow on a farm below Mount Cook. At the Blue Pools, about an hour's car ride from Wanaka, stop for a 30-minute walk with swing bridge over some of the craziest cyan waters! It' great for a rest from the ride, but be careful of the sandflies here!
Stopping at the many pit stops and shortcuts along the beautiful Haast Pass are Lake Hawea Lookout, Fantail Falls, Thunder Creek Falls and Roaring Billy Falls. Arthur's Pass was our last stop on our South Island route. Accommodation was in Arthur's Pass Village, a small city in the Southern Alps that offered excellent entry to Arthur's Pass National Park.
Driving into these hills was very picturesque, and hang out in the Hokitika gorge was definitely deserving of a roundabout way. Walk about 30 minutes to Devil's Punchbowl Falls, a 430-foot drop on the side of a rockface. Today we had planned to spend mainly an occasional transiting tag to get to the international airports and the northern island, but we tripped over several great stopovers along the way.
Nevertheless, if you have the spare moment and are in the area, Castle Hill is a great place to represent your feet and interrupt the ride. Favourite equipment for this trip: