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South Island

New Zealand

By Yes Mom I'm Alive

KAIKOURA

I landed in Auckland, took a small plane down to Christchurch, and drove my no-frills rental car - an aging Nissan Bluebird, the kind your grandmother probably drove to church - three hours up the coast to Kaikoura.

Kiwis and tourists alike flock to this laid-back coastal town on the east coast of the South Island to glimpse - by boat, air or swimming right next to them - its resident population of sperm whales, dusky dolphins and seals.

In just two short days, I saw three sperm whales diving and breaching for squid, watched (from a cautious distance) a colony of quarreling fur seals, and swam in the South Pacific ocean as dozens of playful dolphins circled and jumped over me.

LAKE TEKAPO

After a few days at sea-level, I drove my faithful Bluebird south through the Canterbury region to Lake Tekapo, home to the well-photographed Church of the Good Shepherd. The church was constructed in the 1930s as a tribute to the early pioneers of the region.

While walking along the lakeshore, I observed two fellow tourists near a bronze statue of a collie sheepdog. The female tourist asked her male companion to take her picture in front of the statue.

Male, begrudgingly obliging: What is this dog famous for anyways?

Female, scoffing: I don't know, but he's famous so just take the picture!

(For the record, the statue commemorates the contributions of all sheepdogs in the region, and isn't modeled after a particularly famous dog.)

AORAKI-MOUNT COOK

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park was the reason I came to New Zealand.

The park is comprised of nineteen prominent peaks over 3,000 meters, eight expansive glaciers, and dozens of hikes to get a good look at them.

WANAKA

I arrived in Wanaka in the early afternoon and immediately started the hike up Roys Peak, a 10-mile, 4,200' elevation gain slog that could generously be categorized as semi-brutal. The switchbacks lead me past freely grazing sheep, golden summer grass, and winsome views of Lake Wanaka.

At the top of Roys Peak, the weather turned and storm clouds rolled in. I scrambled down the final 5 miles in the cloudy moonlight, jogging down the switchbacks to make it to my car just before dark.

MILFORD SOUND

The Fiorland region, home of Milford Sound, is one of the wettest places in the world. The area accumulates nearly 314 inches of rainfall a year. In comparison, my infamously irriguous home of Portland, Oregon get only ("only"!) 42 inches.

There are only two permanent waterfalls in Milford Sound. But when it rains - and especially when it rains as hard as it did when I was there - hundreds of waterfalls spontaneously form on the sides of the fjords.

But a little typhoon wasn't going to stop me from taking a boat cruise down the cloudy sound to the Tasman Sea.

QUEENSTOWN

I left the Fiordland a day early due to the heavy rains and headed to Queenstown for a little relaxation. After nine days of driving thousands of kilometers, hiking almost every day, pb&j sandwiches and sleeping in dorm rooms, I thought I would end my trip with a little luxury. Not to mention prepare myself for the 23 hour journey home.

My idea of relaxing ended up being hiking up Ben Lomond, the 5,734' peak above Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.

ITINERARY

Here is my 10-day itinerary, including where I stayed, what I ate, and where I hiked:

Day ONE

Arrive to Christchurch airport in the morning

Pick up rental car and drive north a scenic 3 hours to Kaikoura

Take an early afternoon whale watching tour with Whale Watch Kaikoura

Grab blue cod fish n chips at Tiki's

Grab a cone of Poppy's Homemade Ice Cream and take a stroll on the beach

Head over to Peninsula Walkway to see the fur seals sleeping on the rocks

Stay the night at Alpine-Pacific Holiday Park in a one-room cabin or tent. You can also opt for the YHA Kaikoura

Get some good rest - tomorrow is an early morning!

DAY TWO

Wake up at 4:30 am (yawn)

Drive to Dolphin Encounter for the 5:30 am swimming with dolphins experience

Return to shore and jump back in your rental car

Drive south 5.5 hours to Lake Tekapo

If you have time, take a detour to Castle Hill

Upon arrival to Lake Tekapo, see Church of the Good Shepherd

Check into YHA Tekapo

Grab dinner along the main road in Tekapo

Watch the sunset from the Lake Tekapo Footbridge

DAY THREE

Wake up and have breakfast on the sandy banks of the lake

Check in at Air Safari at the Tekapo Airport at 8:30 am for the Grand Traverse flight

Soar above the breathtaking summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook

Upon return, drive 2 hours to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

Check into the YHA Mount Cook.

Get your hiking boots on and drive over to White Horse Campground

Hike Kea Point Track (3km roundtrip, 1 hour)

Hike Hooker Valley Track (9km roundtrip, 3 hours)

Linger on the trail for sunset

Return to town for a burger at Old Mountaineers' Bar & Restaurant

DAY FOUR

Enjoy coffee from the balcony of the Hermitage Lodge

If you're up for it and the weather is good, set out for Mueller's Hut (10km, 6-8 hours).

If you're not up for such a climb, do Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier trail (1km, 45 minutes) instead.

In the afternoon, give your feet a rest and check out the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Center in the Hermitage Lodge

DAY FIVE

Drive south ~2.5 hours to Wanaka

Check into a cabin or set up camp at the Lake Outlet Holiday Park

Then, lace up your hiking boots and grab a headlight

Hike up Roys Peak (10km, 5 hours)

Stay up for sunset for a real view!

Alternative suggestion: Camp up on the peak so you can witness both sunset and sunrise!

DAY SIX

Drive 1.5 hours to Mount Aspiring National Park

Hike Rob Roy Hike (10km, 3-4 hours)

Return to Wanaka

Rent a bike at the holiday park and take a leisurely ride down the Lakeside Trail

Get dinner at Big Fig

DAY SEVEN

It's a long drive down (~5 hours) to Milford Sound

Take a lot of breaks along the way - there's plenty of offside hikes and views!

Stop in at Te Anau for gas and lunch

Upon arrival, check into the Milford Sound Lodge. If you're on a budget, stay in a shared dorm room. If you're looking to treat yourself, check into one of their modern riverside chalets (complete with heated floors)

If the weather is favorable, set out on the Key Summit Walk (4km, 2.5 hours)

DAY EIGHT

Drive to the boat launch for an Encounter Nature Cruise before 9 am

Take a 2-hour cruise down the fjords

When it's over, drive north to Queenstown (4.5 hours)

Stay at The Sherwood, a hip "community hotel". Check out the property's sauna, gardens, and events calendar - there's usually nightly concerts in the bar

DAY NINE

Order "The Big Breakfast" at Ivy + Lola's on the lakeshore

Take the ride up the Skyline Gondala up Bob's Peak, where you can eat and drink with a stunning view of Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables

Hike the Ben Lomond Track (to the saddle, 3-4 hours, to the summit 6-8 hours)

If you'd rather give your legs a rest, hang around the Skyline complex for bungee, drinks or a few laps on the luge track

Return to town and stand in line at Fergburger for a made-to-order burger, fries and milkshake

DAY TEN

Enjoy coffee from the bench in the garden of the Sherwood

Fly out of Queenstown to Christchurch on Jetstar Air

Depart for home

ADVICE

Driving

Driving between places will always take longer than estimated by Google Maps or GPS. For every 2 hours of driving, add 30 minutes for a more accurate forecast.

I rented my car from About New Zealand; the cost was ~$350 (plus gas) for 10 days, including the fee to return the car to a different location.

Driving to Milford Sound was just as nightmarish as I was warned it would be. The road is narrow and windy, and it is often raining hard. Drive carefully and stop only in pullouts if you want to get a better look at the many roadside waterfalls.

As you head further south, always stop when you see a gas station for a top-off. There are some rural areas where you can go hundreds of kilometers before seeing the next gas station.

Budgeting

I kept my budget lean by eating most meals from grocery stores. I had instant coffee, yogurt, and muesli for breakfast and pb&j sandwiches for lunches.

If you plan to stay at YHA hostels, book them well in advance of the summer.

Hiking

The Department of Conservation is an incredible resource for planning hikes and tramps.

Most travel guide books will also include basic information about notable hikes in each region.

Short on Time?

If I could re-do my itinerary, I would take out the day in Queenstown. To me, the hike and town wasn't as interesting at Roy's Peak or Wanaka. I would have preferred more time in Wanaka to explore Mount Aspiring National Park, or adding an extra day at Aoraki/Mount Cook to stay over at Mueller's Hut.

Questions?

Get in touch at yesmomimalive@gmail.com. I love to help!

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