Continuing from last week’s post, these are the next 7 days from mine and Mennas 6 week road trip around New Zealand!
The first week took us from Auckland through the Coromandel, Matamata, Rotorua, Taupo, Whakapapa Village and finished in Napier.
The second week led us to Napier, Wellington, Picton, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Akaroa and finished in Lake Tekapo.
The map at the bottom of this page highlights the regions in which we travelled this week.
DAY 15
After waking up to a gorgeous sunrise at our freedom spot for the night, we drove an hour and a half to Mount Cook Village to start the morning. The information spot was the first stop, giving us plenty of information, and we bought a few souvenirs before heading to the car park at the start of the Hookers Valley Track. The path is pretty much flat the entire way along, there is no room to get lost as there are signs now and then to reassure you that you are heading in the right direction still! It can get muddy; there are boardwalks in some areas, but mostly dirt paths. Icy, snow-capped mountains surround you as you’re walking, there are only a few man-made viewpoints, but just taking in and absorbing the scenery whilst walking was THE most magical thing. You cross three swing bridges to get to Hooker Lake, the second being the longest as well as my favourite, whilst also passing Mueller Lake at the start of the walk.
It took us just over an hour to reach Hooker Lake. It was frozen solid when we visited; the lake was covered in a thick layer of ice with ice crystals surrounding the edges. It was breathtaking. We had an amazing day of weather, so we had a top-class view of Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. We stopped and had lunch overlooking the lake before turning and making our way back along the same path, taking roughly the same amount of time.
Jumping back in the van and driving another two and a half hours got us to Bannockburn Domain Camping Ground, and we parked up for the night with some fajitas for tea.
DAY 16
After a fry-up to start the day right, we drove 30 minutes to a small town called Arrowtown. We strolled around the small but quaint village before grabbing a quick coffee at Wolf Coffee Roasters. Arrowtown is known for its gold mining; many shops sold gold at a daily price of $103 per gram! Then, we drove a further 20 minutes to Queenstown.
Our campsite, QBox Motorhome Park, was about a half-hour walk into the centre. Queenstown is a well-known ski town, with many big-name shops scattered about offering deals on ski gear. There are souvenir shops aplenty also, and many, MANY bars lining the lakefront. A shop that was on my list to visit, however, was called Erik’s Fish and Chips, a chippy offering battered Kiwifruit. Of course, we needed a try before having a walk and stretching our legs at the Peninsula and Gardens before heading back to town.
By this time, many of the coffee shops were closed, and the bars had started opening, we managed to jump into one last shop, Patagonia Chocolate, a chocolatier which we used for hot chocolates, a warm-up and a performance from a street performer before getting some food. Italian food was the cuisine of choice, with a stunning Capri Pizza from Farelli’s by Giovi on Steamer Wharf. We had finished our food well before our booking at the ice bar, so a trip to the Floating Bar for a mulled wine was our best bet. It was just what we needed, with a lovely relaxing atmosphere. Finally, the Minus 5 Ice Bar was booked for 8pm. It was very similar to any ice bar that you’d find in a city across the world, with music and a drink of choice surrounded by ice sculptures. It was $35 if you wanted a mocktail and $40 for a cocktail. My drink of choice was a mocktail made of kiwi, lime and strawberry. We had a drink, a chat and some photos with the sculptures and smashed our ice glasses before walking back to the campsite and bed.
DAY 17
A 2-hour drive to Te Anau from Queenstown after an early morning. We arrived at lunchtime and popped into Sandfly Cafe for a savoury scone and obligatory hot chocolate. Te Anau was a ghost town when we arrived; nothing was going on, or nothing was open. To add to the eerie vibe, a thick layer of fog surrounded everything. There were two visitor centres open which we visited before heading to our campsite at Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park. We used the time to do a well-needed deep clean of the van, sorted and reorganised our belongings and played some cards before making food. An afternoon of pure relaxation.
At around 6, we walked 20 minutes into town to buy some snacks and to make it in time for our glowworm tour at 7. The tour cost $135 per person. After checking in at the RealNZ Visitor Centre, we boarded a boat which took us on a speedy 30 minute ride across Lake Te Anau.
The boat dropped us off at the other side of the lake, at the end of a river called Tunnel Burn. Following a path led us to a chalet where a host talked about glowworms and their lifecycle before splitting the whole group into smaller ones for the caves. Whilst waiting for our turn to enter, there were notice boards around giving out more information and also a station to make hot chocolates and teas – of course, we made good use of that! Our tour guide then took us and ten others through the cave and onto a small boat, where we saw lots and LOTS of glowworms. It was an incredible experience, one that can’t be described but only remembered. Everyone boarded the ferry to travel back to Te Anau, with a short walk back to the campsite before bed.
DAY 18
This was the day that we had been highly recommended and we had been looking forward to for a while. We woke up early and started the drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound along the Milford Sound Highway. On the way, though, we stopped for petrol, a food shop, and a place where we could hire snow chains. Milford Sound is remote, with no supermarkets or shops once there, so you need to stock up before you go. The snow chains are highly recommended in winter; the roads are not too nice to drive on; they are winding, and it is a well-known road to have regular avalanches also. It is better to have snow chains and be prepared than not have them but need them. We started the highway at roughly 10.30. Along the way, there are many stunning viewpoints and layovers on the side of the road, which we made use of, snapping some photos before continuing along the way.
One of the main stops we made was at the Key Summit Track. It was a hike along the Routeburn Track in the Fiordland National Park, a 3.4km hike to Key Summit, standing at 931m, surrounded by panoramic views over the Humboldt and Darran Mountains. It is listed as a 3-hour return hike, but we ended up completing it in 2! Once at the top, however, we had a picnic of baguette, crisps and crackers and made use of the ‘Loo with a View’ before heading back to the van.
Before reaching Milford Sound, there was one final stop at a viewpoint, one filled with Kea birds. The Kea is the only alpine parrot in the world, well-known for loving anything shiny! They are found in alpine areas throughout the South Island but occasionally in lowland areas (like this car park), too. We did end up seeing them again during our time on the South Island, but you’ll have to keep reading each week to find out when! We finally reached Milford Sound, parked outside the information centre at the end of the road, and had a look around. There is a very small and very expensive petrol station here, a last resort kind of place if you need it. Top up before you leave for The Sounds! After a long day, we drove to our accommodation for the night, Milford Sound Lodge and plugged in our power before turning in early.
DAY 19
An early start for our cruise along the Milford Sound. We made some bagels for brekkie and drove to the free car park at Deepwater Basin outside town. It took us 20 minutes to walk down a lovely nature path following the road to the port. We were given our boarding passes and relaxed in the departure lounge before it was time for our ferry. We chose to go with Pure Milford for $125 each. Once we boarded the boat, the cruise lasted around 2.5 hours. It took us down the Milford Sound until we reached the Tasman Sea and turned back. On the way, we saw colonies of seals, streaks of gold and plenty of gorgeous waterfalls. It is known that the waterfalls in Milford Sound are that much more impressive after heavy rainfall, but it was still mesmerising when we went on a sunny day. Tea and coffee were available on board; the journey was cold and windy, so these hot drinks were needed. On our way back, we learnt more about the wildlife surrounding the area and finally docked again back at the port. I one hundred per cent back those recommendations, it’s a must-do when in New Zealand.
There’s a lookout almost directly opposite the visitor centre, signposted but not too easy to find. It is only a short 15-minute walk up many, many steps to the Milford Lookout Point, where we had a quick bite to eat before heading back down the stairs to find the free Milford Swing. The Swing is on the Milford Sound Foreshore walk – a boardwalk following the waterfront. Beware, however, there are many sandflies near the swing, so you won’t want to stay too long! Finally, to the van and a drive to Te Anau back to the same campsite as we used last time 2 for some sleep.
DAY 20
A super early start for the 3-hour drive back up to Queenstown for the AJ Hackett Bungy Jump. The first thing we did after arriving was watch some people jump off Kawarau Bridge. It was at this point when we started to realise what we had booked ourselves in for! We had a small cup of coffee each to hype us up, checked in and got taken to the top of the bridge. We picked the most popular bungy – the world’s first-ever commercial bungy jump 43m above the river Kawarau. We paid $320 each for the bungy jump, with extra for the pictures and video afterwards. I went first, and Menna went after me. It was a terrifying but incredible experience. The team were fab, super kind, and thankfully kitted us up properly! There were T-shirts for sale in the shop, of course, I had to buy one, and we also got another given to us for completing the jump and buying the photos afterwards. A bonus. The site also had a zipline for an extra $15 (reduced price as we did the bungy), an easy decision for us to make. We had one go before parking in the UBox Motorhome Park again. An Indian restaurant was chosen as our meal to celebrate at The Taj, and after having a drink, heading back to the van to bed.
DAY 21
We said a sad farewell to Queenstown and drove along the Crown Range Road, the highest sealed road in New Zealand! This did mean some incredible views were guaranteed, so a stop was needed for some pictures. Also on our way to our next destination was the Cardrona Bra Fence (also known as Bradrona). Cardrona is another popular ski town, but this particular fence is just outside and is a place where females, tourists or not, bring bras to donate in support of breast cancer awareness.
The next destination was Wānaka, not too much further North than Queenstown. We parked up and went for a wander, the same as what we seem to do in every other town we visit. Scroggin, a coffee shop, was the best place to stop; the nicest coffee shop I have ever visited! Wānaka sits right on the edge of Lake Wānaka, so a nice walk was lovely to finish the afternoon. In on the lake is a famous tree – thatwanakatree – essentially a tree sitting in a lake making a photogenic spot but has now become a staple of Wānaka. The other lake that is nearby Wānaka is Lake Hawea. Just as the sun was setting, a quick trip was made, but it was fairly foggy, so we couldn’t see much of the lake.
We booked an AirBnb to give ourselves a bit of comfort after another week in the van but didn’t spend long before heading back out to Paradiso Cinema to watch the new Spiderman movie. The film finished, and it was brill! Directly opposite was an area with food trucks. We both bought a burrito and met with my friend Brian for a chat, followed by a walk back to the AirBnb.
Check back in next Sunday for Week 4 of this epic road trip!