Blog4NZ South Island Adventure – An Overview

When I found out in April that I had been chosen as the winner of the South Island travel package from the Blog4NZ campaign, I knew that it was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up or squander away. All the great prizes coupled with an Air NZ airfare sale in the month of May made an impromptu trip a no-brainer. I booked my ticket, and began planning 2 whirlwind weeks in New Zealand.

While I hope to write more in-depth about some of the adventures I had there, here’s a brief summary of how I put my Blog4NZ prize to use:

Wellington

Wellington Harbour looking up to Mt Victoria

Even though my prize package was concentrated on the South Island, I knew there was no way I could visit New Zealand and skip Wellington. I lived in “Windy Welly,” New Zealand’s capital city, for about 5 months in 2008, and it’s worked its way into a very special place in my heart. I spent an entire day just walking around the city, visiting some of my favorite spots – Cuba Street, Lambton Quay, Oriental Bay, Courtenay Place, and more. I also took a (free) tour of the country’s Parliament buildings, spent some time roaming around the Te Papa museum (also free), and went on a long walk along the beach at Lyall Bay. It was great to be back in a city I love so much.

Christchurch

Sobering sights in Christchurch

Since the whole Blog4NZ campaign was born to support Christchurch and New Zealand tourism after the Feb. 22 earthquake, I knew I had to include the city in my travel plans. I spent a couple of days in Christchurch, staying with a local family, surviving a strong (5.3-magnitude) aftershock, and getting a tour of all the damage (which still remains, 3 months later). It was a very sobering experience to see all the ruined buildings, cracked sidewalks and makeshift memorials to lost loved ones around the city. But it was also inspiring to talk to locals who are hopeful for Christchurch’s future. They are so optimistic, even in the face of such adversity. And that made Christchurch beautiful to me, despite all the rubble.

Akaroa

Je t'aime Akaroa!

This tiny little coastal town was one of the first places to make it onto my trip itinerary. Located on the Banks Peninsula, Akaroa is not just a pretty seaside town – it also boasts a distinct French flair, and is home to the world’s smallest and rarest breed of dolphin, the Hector’s Dolphin. I took a day trip to Akaroa from Christchurch, and spent the first part of my time there simply admiring the colorful shops and cafes, and eating some delicious fish and chips. In the afternoon, I went on a harbor cruise with Black Cat Cruises, where I saw everything from albatross to penguins to a small, playful pod of Hector’s dolphins. Despite the fact that it was a chilly, overcast day, my experience in Akaroa was fantastic, and I can’t recommend it enough.

TranzAlpine

Views on the TranzAlpine

As part of my Blog4NZ prize package, I was given a complimentary pass to use on the Magic Bus, a backpacker bus that runs set routes all over New Zealand. I chose the “TranzAlpine Experience” route, which included a train journey from Christchurch to Greymouth, which is a small town on the West Coast of the South Island. The train journey was phenomenal, and I spent most of it out in the open-air observation car, snapping countless photos of the Southern Alps as we chugged on by. The TranzAlpine is often billed as being one of the best scenic train journeys in the world, and I think I'd have to agree.

Franz Josef

Since my two previous trips to New Zealand hadn’t included a stop on the rugged West Coast, I was particularly looking forward to including it this time. I took the Magic Bus from Greymouth to Franz Josef (via little mining towns like Ross and Hokitika), where I spent a soggy afternoon hiking on a glacier. The Franz Josef Glacier is a 12-kilometer-long glacier located in Westland National Park that descends from the mountains through a temperate rainforest… You certainly won’t find many other places like this in the world. The half-day hike I did with Franz Josef Glacier Guides was great, despite the rain. It actually cleared up once we got on the glacier, and it was pretty surreal to be digging my crampons into such an icy giant. Though physically taxing at times, I’m so glad I tackled this adventure.

Queenstown

Queenstown nestles beside beautiful Lake Wakatipu

I then headed down to New Zealand’s “adventure capital,” Queenstown, via stops at Lake Matheson, Wanaka, and Lake Hawea. The weather began clearing up for this drive, and the scenery in Wanaka and at Lake Hawea was just breathtaking. I will never, ever tire of the landscapes in New Zealand. I spent 4 nights in Queenstown, taking advantage of some of my Blog4NZ prizes and stuffing my face with Fergburger. I went jetboating with a fellow blogger on the Shotover Jet, scared the crap out of myself at the Nevis Bungy (at 134 meters, it’s the highest jump in Australasia), and had fun on the Nevis Arc swing. I also met up with more fellow bloggers, and Travel Generation’s own Dan Roberts and Nicole McLean. I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about staying longer.

Doubtful Sound

Magical Doubtful Sound

I’ve been to Milford Sound before, which is easily New Zealand’s top tourist destination. So, this time, I wanted to give a less-touristed Sound a try. I booked a day tour to Doubtful Sound from Queenstown with Real Journeys. I had to be up super early, and it ended up raining the whole time, but it was still worth it. A bus ride took me to Lake Manapouri, where I took a 1-hour cruise across the lake and made some friends. Then it was back on a bus, which drove us to Doubtful Sound, where we boarded a beautiful boat for a 3-hour cruise. Even though it was raining, Doubtful Sound was still impressive. The fog and mist made the whole scene rather ethereal, and there were waterfalls everywhere you turned. And, the sun did actually manage to poke through a few times. It was a long, long day of travel, but I would definitely recommend checking out Doubtful Sound. In the 3 hours I was there, I didn’t see one other tourist boat out on the water.

Midcountry

The intense blue of Lake Tekapo

I ended up getting a ticket on NakedBus from Queenstown back to Christchurch (and then carried on by plane back to Wellington from there), and lucked out with a perfectly sunny, warm day for traveling. We stopped in Wanaka again (which now had a thick dusting of snow on the mountains), drove past Mount Cook (New Zealand’s tallest mountain), and had about 45 minutes to explore the area around Lake Tekapo. If you want to see the South Island, the best way to do it is on the ground. And, if you don’t have a car, I highly recommend buses.

Kapiti Coast

Sunset on the Kapati Coast

Even though I lived in Wellington for nearly 5 months, I never bothered to take the hour-long train ride up to the Kapiti Coast. People told me it wasn’t worth it; that there was nothing there to see. Well, clearly they were wrong. Nature Coast Tourism invited me up to the coast for two days, and it really was a great way to round out my trip. I spent an afternoon hiking and bird-watching on Kapiti Island, a bird sanctuary and nature preserve that is home to some of New Zealand’s rarest birds, then watched the prettiest sunset I have ever seen. The next day I went on a Waikanae Estuary Bird Tour, and explored Otaki with my guide, including a visit to the beautiful Rangiatea Maori Church. The weather for this outing was perfect, and I can now personally suggest this part of New Zealand to any nature lover.

Two weeks, of course, was not nearly enough time in New Zealand. The country has so much to offer any sort of traveler, no matter what you’re looking for. Even though I’ve been there 3 times now, I’m still constantly adding things to my “next time” list. It’s no wonder nobody ever has anything bad to say about New Zealand after visiting.

I’m so lucky to have won this Blog4NZ prize. It’s only made me fall even more in love with New Zealand, and I’m already dreaming of my next trip there.

Is there anything in particular from this recent trip of mine to New Zealand that you’d like to know more about? Let me know so I can get writing!

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