I had heard about the amazing nature of this country far down under. Living in Europe one thing that had kept me away till now was the distance and the amount of planning that was required. After many years of waiting, I managed to plan a trip to New Zealand with a friend of mine who lives in Australia. After a few weeks of planning, we were all set to visit this wonderful country and we had very high expectations.
Day1: Arrival in Auckland
We first arrived in the city of Auckland. Although our focus was mainly to visit South New Zealand, we decided to first visit Auckland which is located up north mainly because we wanted to visit “The Hobbiton – Probably the most popular Lord of the Rings Movie Site” considered to be the home of the
Hobbits.
I found Auckland to be a modern city with some bars, restaurants, and plenty of places for shopping. It is a good location to stop by for a day. If one is on a tight schedule it would be perfectly fine to skip it.
Day2: Trip to Waihiki – The Island of Wine
Waihiki island is a must-see for all Wine lovers. Frequent ferries are running between Auckland and Waihiki island and advance booking is not required. Fullers Ferry is the most popular and fastest ferry and takes about 40 minutes. There is also a slower ferry called Sealink which takes about 1 hour 20 minutes.
You can explore Waihiki by car, Hop-On Hop-Off bus, or by bike. We started off Beaching, wine tasting and fine dining are some of the most interesting things to do on this island. We were here on a day trip and decided to spend most of our time on the beach and in the vineyards.
Day3: Day trip to Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings Movie Set)
Hobbiton is a bit over 2 hours drive away from Auckland. We started early and arrived at about 10am in Shires Rest. We had booked The Hobbiton Tour in advance to be sure of getting admission.
There were 44 Hobbit Holes in the village which were spread over the picturesque hillside. We made a lot of photographs and the final stop was the Green Dragon Inn where we stopped for a drink and were given time to walk around the water mill and over the stone bridge.
We were brought back to the Shire by bus and we drove back to Auckland with a lot of pleasant memories. I am not sure if I felt I was in Paradise but I did imagine myself to be Bilbo Baggins.
Day4: Auckland to Queenstown and town exploring
We flew in the morning from Auckland(IATA: AKL) to Queenstown (IATA: ZQN). Queenstown airport has been voted as the “World’s most scenic airport landing” by an annual poll conducted by private jet charter PrivateFly.
The moment we set our feet outside the airplane we knew we were up for a special treat. We picked up our rented car at the airport and drove to Lakeside Motel. It was a cosy hotel with good view of the lake. We spent the rest of the day walking around the beautiful small town.
Day 5: Scenic drive to Glenorchy
After breakfast we drove for about 45 minutes from Queenstown to Glenorchy which is nestled on the northern shores of Lake Wakatipu. It is set against a background of native beech forest and towering mountain ranges. We decided to hike here and saw some amazing views of the Middle-earth.
Lake Wakatipu offers opportunities for jet boating and kayaking. Horse trekking in the area is also highly recommended.
Day 6: Day trip to Milford Sound
We had booked a Milford Sound Tour from Queenstown. We boarded the bus at Queenstown and traveled through stunning scenery along the Milford Road and into Fiordland where we boarded the cruise.
We saw the beautiful Mitre Peak and some dolphins and seals. The cruise reached the inmost area of Milford Sound to the open Tasman Sea before returning back.
Day 7: Queenstown to Wanaka and Hiking
We started driving in the morning from Queenstown and arrived at Wanaka after an hour. Wanaka is about 70 kms from Queenstown and offers various activities like Cross-country skiing, Puzzling World, Wildwire, Cinema Paradiso, Mou Waho Island, Cardrona Hotel, Siberia Valley and Roy’s Peak
We chose to hike Roy’s Peak, We parked our car at the Mt Aspiring Road – Roys Peak Car Park and started the hike. A good level of fitness is required as the track is fairly steep. Also make sure that you carry sufficient sufficient water as there is no water available and it can get fairly hot in the summer. We walked for about 11kms through the alpine meadows and tussock grasslands to the summit. The views over Lake Wānaka and Mount Aspiring/Tititea and its surrounding peaks was just amazing and all our tiredness disappeared after a steep climb. After making a lot of photos we returned back. We spent the night in Wanaka.
Day 8: Drive Wanaka to Fox Glacier via Ship Creek
Next morning our spirits were high and we were filled with energy. We were headed to see two of the most popular Glaciers in New Zealand, Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier.
Our first stop was at Ship Creek Fox Glacier is was about 2 hours drive away from Wanaka. Here we walked through a swamp forest to windswept sand dunes these two short walks will gave us a real taste of the wild West Coast.
Then we continued on to the Fox Glacier which was a further 1.5 hours away from Ship Creek. We parked the car in the parking area and did the South Side Walkway. It is approximately 6.4 kms return via the same track. We arrived at the first viewpoint of the glacier after 40 minutes walk, before the track continued to reach an old car park. It is also possible to bike till there. All bikes must be left here before continuing on foot.
The track winds gently downhill through the rainforest for approximately 10 minutes to a view point of Fox Glacier Te Moeka o Tuawe.
Day 9: Franz Josef Glacier and Lake Matheson
We started our day by driving to Franz Josef Glacier. To get there drive to Franz Josef Waiau township across the Waiho River bridge and turn left onto the Glacier Access Road, drive 4 km to the car park at the end of the road.
Its a fairly comfortable 1.7 km – 30 mins walk through the rainforest to view the Franz Josef Glacier valley. The view of the glacier from the valley is amazing and if you are willing to wait patiently you can see some chunks of ice melting from the glacier. We walked around the valley and enjoyed the view of the glacier. We spent about 3 hours here before we headed back for lunch.
After lunch we drove to Lake Matheson which is one of the most photographed lakes in New Zealand. We drove through the fields where we saw a lot of sheeps and cows. It was a easy walking track around the lake. The lake is famous for its reflected views of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.
“After visiting the two glaciers our only regret was not doing an helicopter ride over them. The Twin Glacier Helicopter Tour to Fox and Franz Josef Glacier to enjoy the panoramic views of the glacier. The helicopter lands on one of the glaciers and one can see the frozen icefalls and glowing blue ice fields which we could not see doing the normal hike.”
Day 11: Abel Tasman National Park
It is New Zealand’s smallest national park – but is perfect for relaxation and adventure. We were a bit tired from the previous days long drive so this day we spent relaxing on the Golden Sandy Beaches of Te Puketea Bay.
Day 12: Nelson to Kaikoura via Picton
Next morning we started our drive towards Picton which was extremely scenic. After driving for about 2 hours we arrived at Picton, which is a popular port city connecting the North and the South islands. This is where you can catch a scenic cruise around the Marlborough Sounds in search of wildlife like whales, dolphins, and fur seals. The Marlborough Sounds is easily one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand and you’ll easily see why once you’re out exploring it on the water.
We then continued on to Kaikoura which is about 155kms from Picton and took about 2 hours. We checked into the hotel and explored the city and the surrounding areas.
13: Kaikoura and Christchurch
We started the day with Kaikoura Peninsula walkway. We enjoyed the clifftop views of the sea and mountains. The hike is fairly easy and took about 3 hours to complete.
If you have a full day at Kaikoura I would recommend doing the Whale Watching Tour which is one of the most popular tours in the area.
After our hike we had lunch and continued driving to Christchurch which was about 2.5 hours drive. After spending the last few days in nature it was time to experience the vibrant nightlife of New Zealand. We headed to St. Asaph Street which had the most party bars. It was a fairly long day for us and we headed back to the hotel after a couple of drinks.
Day 14: Fly out of Christchurch to Melbourne
We started off by a visit to the Botanic Gardens. ChristChurch Cathedral Square, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Christchurch Gondola and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve were the places that we saw in an action packed day. If you want to see the Kiwi which is the national bird of New Zealand, I would recommend visiting the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.