New Zealand South Island

After working a year in Antarctica, I really wanted to spend some time in New Zealand. I didn't have as much time as I would have liked but I also knew that I would have a chance to come back again. I decided to just focus on the south island for this trip.  Once I got off the ice, I decompressed a few days in Christchurch New Zealand. This gave me time to make reservations and final preparations. Since I wasn’t exactly sure the day I would leave Antarctica I hadn’t booked anything yet. This was a bit of a challenge as the some prices were higher than budgeted when booking last minuet and the van and some lodging I was looking at was unavailable. Some places never even called back on their availability for rentals but after two days I had planned and reserved most of my trip. I spent my last day in town grabbing some gear, groceries and picking up the camper-van.

I chose a Self Contained camper van so I would be able to use the freedom camping options as well as settle in on the road. I configured my stuff and the van to have one side with a bed always set up so after late nights taking photos or long days I could just be tucked in and asleep in no time at all. I also wanted to be able to access everything I needed on the road. Keeping everything organized was key to being able to focus on the fun stuff and not spending so much time looking for a toothbrush, clothes or camera batteries each time I needed something.

Day 1 -3

At first I was a little worried about driving in New Zealand. It was over a year since I’ve driven a vehicle and besides driving on the left there were a few other things to wrap my head around. Between my research and the resources provided by the rental place I was right at home after little time behind the wheel. My first day included a lot of driving so I also got use to getting fuel in New Zealand with a US Bank card.

Few quick tips:

Drive on the left side.

Learn the give way laws (right of way)

Get familiar with roundabouts and proper indicator use.

US Bank cards don’t work at the pump and require a signature so avoid self checkouts and only go to Gas Stations that have an inside place to pay. Most stations allow you to fill up at the pump and then pay cash or card inside. In the bigger cities I found a few places where I had to go inside and explain the situation and they happily unlocked the pump for me so I could fill up.

First stop was Nugget Point Lighthouse. After the short hike to the lighthouse and back I stayed at a Freedom Camp in Owaka.

*Freedom camping is when you camp on public land that isn’t a recognized camping ground or holiday park. Make sure you plan your journey and respect the area you camp in.*

Day 4

I spent the day driving and stocking up on a few needed supplies on my way to Manapouri. I had a 2 night reservation at Possum Lodge campground which was only a 10 minuet walk away from the cruise I booked for the next day. A lot of the accommodations in New Zealand include bathrooms, showers, community cooking areas, and lounges and most were much nicer than I was expecting. Once I got settled at camp I took a stroll around, cooked dinner and packed my bag and a lunch for the next day.

Day 5

My first big stop was Doubtful Sound. I reserved a day cruise that goes across Lake Manapouri to a bus that drove us through Wilmot Pass to Doubtful Sound and then to a boat that takes you out on the sound. The weather was good enough to go all the way out to the Tasman Sea before turning back. Along the way guides went over the history of the area and pointed out landmarks and wildlife along the way. The total time was 7.5 hours to be back at the dock. Once I returned to the campground, I cooked up a nice meal and relaxed.

Day 6

The drive from Doubtful Sound to Milford Sound was beautiful with a lot of great views along the way. I spent some time around town and took some photos around the docks. Then I checked into the campground and enjoyed a relaxing evening.

Day 7

Today I took a cruise on Milford Sound. It rains a lot in Milford Sound which is good since rain makes better waterfalls. On the boat I got soaking wet from the rain and the wind but it was worth it. After the cruise I drove to Queenstown and checked into camp and hung out my gear to dry. I walked a few blocks in town to get some food at Fergberger and got a milkshake, burger and fries and took it back to the campsite. With a full stomach it was easy to fall asleep in a the noisy campground.

Day 8

Once I woke up I hit the road and took the drive to Glenorchy. It was another beautiful drive and I made a lot of stops for photos along the way. In town there were a lot of small shops where I picked up Christmas presents for my family. Then I took some photos around the water and drove to my campsite at Moke Lake. The campsite was nice and by the lake. I spent the rest of the day taking photos and walking around. I had picked a few spots to do some astro photography but then clouds and rain came in so it was a nice night to relax and read some.

Day 9

I had an easy start to the day and headed to the MT Dewer trail head. The trail follows a 4wd track and is pretty steep. It started to snow a little way in and the snow and clouds blocked all the good views. I hiked quickly back because I was worried about the road conditions on the way out with all the snow. I got out in time with no issues and headed into Wanaka. I stocked up on groceries and walked around town and to the lake and the famous Wanaka Tree.

I checked into the campground and cooked up a steak and green beans for dinner.

Day 10

I woke up in the middle of the night to take some photos of the Wanaka Tree and the stars.

After grabbing some more sleep I went over to the Roys Peak trailhead. It was a tough hike and took me about 6.5 hours round trip with all my photo stops. I drove back into town and grabbed a burger for lunch and headed to the next camp site. The hikes I wanted to do the next day were closed and the campground wasn't very impressive and had tons of sand flies so I changed my Itinerary and went back to Wanaka for 2 more nights.

Day 11

Today was a reset day. I took advantage of some nice showers, did laundry, cleaned and organized the van. I also backed up and started editing some photos and took a nap. It was a perfect recovery day from hiking Roys Peak. I went and checked out some of the shops and found a place to get some groceries.

I found it easy to stock up on some simple meals for busy days. I always kept a few cans of soup on hand for a quick heat and eat meal as well as things to make sandwiches that be easy to eat on the road or pack for a hike. I tried out different fruits and snacks and of course checked out various chocolates. On days that were more relaxed, I took the time to cook up steaks or lamb chops and some veggies. After all that time in Antarctica, I couldn’t get enough freshies so I took advantage of picking out my own food and the available fresh veggies and fruits to cook and snack on. I found most grocery store in New Zealand to be simple with not a lot of options of the same things. Eggs were eggs, chicken was chicken so It was easy to shop with out so many options or brands to compare.

Day 12

Since I had time to rest and reset, I took my time today on the way to Mt Cook. I stopped at a bunch of viewpoints along the way and took advantage of the easy pace to take it all in and get some extra photos. Once in town I stopped by the visitor center for some info about the local hikes I was interested in and the weather forecast. The campground was packed but I was lucky to find a decent spot I could stay the next few days.

Day 13

Today I hiked up to Sealy Tarns. It was 2000 stairs and pretty tough on the knees. I was glad I picked up some trekking poles in Christchurch before I hit the road. Once I got to the viewpoint I was feeling pretty good so I kept going up to the Muller Hut.  The hike got pretty steep with lots of snow and it was slow going to the hut. I bent up my hiking poles trying to get out of the snow after postholing up to my thighs a few times. Hikers on the way down were happy to give tips and encouragement that the struggle would be worth it. The hut itself is pretty neat and I wish I stuck with my original plan to hike and stay overnight at the hut and hike down the next day.  After eating lunch in the hut I started my way back. On the way up other hikers suggested that I take the shortcut down by glissading down the mountain in the snow. I took their advice and cut a huge amount of time off my hike back and it was a lot of fun even if I had to deal with a soggy bum for the rest of the hike back. Once I made it back to the van I made some thing to eat and got my pack together for the next days adventure.

Day 14

One of the things I was unsure about on my itinerary was an Scenic Flight Tour. It was one of the more expensive things on the list for a short flight but at this point in the trip I was under my projected budget so I decided to go for it. I booked  a tour with Mt Cook Air. We took off in a ski plane and landed on the Franz Josef Glacier after a quick flyby to check the landing conditions. Once landed our pilot makes a spot for a helicopter to land with another group. After some info about the area and photos the groups swapped aircraft and we headed back tot he airport in the helicopter for some different views. The views were amazing and it was a lot of fun. It was hard to get good photos while moving through the windows in the small aircraft so I let me eyes take in most of it and enjoyed the ride.

Day 15

Today I explored Lake Tekapo and finished my Christmas shopping at the stores in town. Down by the lake there were plenty of photogenic lupins along the water to be photographed as well as photos of The Church of the Good Shepherd. All the walking worked up an appetite so I grabbed a nice breakfast at the Greedy Cow then I settled into camp and took advantage of the laundry facilities.

Day 16

I spend most of the day driving in the rain and rolled into a freedom camping spot in the evening. The spot got pretty crowded and the rain continued making an eventful night.

Day 17

I took off early to shake off the damp and cold of the prior day and checked out the pancake rocks and blowholes before heading north to Wharaiki beach. The beach features rock formations that most would know from the newer windows desktop photo. I stayed at a campground in Collingwood that had really great shower pressure which was much needed after a few chilly damp days on the road.

Day 18

Today was a relaxing driving day to Mistletoe Bay. I was planning to hike Mt Stokes but the road was closed so I relaxed at camp and caught up on a lot of editing and some housekeeping items.

Day 19-21

I had rearranged some of the end of my trip to be more relaxing. I went down to Kaikoura for a few days to spent some time getting the van cleaned and things packed.  I also cooked the last of my food so I could clean all the equipment well. I checked out the seal colony to get photos and tried a few places to eat in town. There were some nice shops but I had already gotten everything I needed as far and gifts and souvenirs by this point of the trip.

Day 22

I drove back to Christchurch and checked into the Novotel by the airport for the last few days before I flew home. It’s walking distance to the Airport and has a nice restaurant upstairs and places to eat and grab coffee across the street. I ran into a few people I had worked with in Antarctica that were leaving New Zealand the same day as me. My second day at the hotel I started to feel sick so it worked out that I had a few days before my flight to run through it before my 36 hours of travel home. I used the down time to pack up all my bags nice and get rid of some extra weight. On my last day, I met up with a friend for coffee before my flight and started my journey back home.