This trip to New Zealand’s South Island was my first time overseas since the pandemic. I am very excited to share with you my favourite places, hikes, restaurants, and things to see.
Te Anau
On our first day, we arrived in Queenstown and drove two hours to Te Anau. This small town with its peaceful atmosphere and gorgeous lake surrounded by mountains was suprisingly one of my favourite places.
Te Anau serves as a base for visiting the beautiful Fiordland National Park. A must-do hike, and probably my favourite from our entire trip, is the Lake Marian track. This hike was relatively challenging with a rocky trail and some steep stones to climb. It took us about 4-hours to complete, but was well worth the effort to see the stunning blue lake.
Another must-do is a cruise on the Milford Sound. We went on a scenic bus tour from Te Anau to Milford, which took about 3-hours. The cruise was a wonderful experience with breathtaking views of the sound, beautiful mountain ranges, and even some encounters with dolphins and seals. My favourite part was seeing Stirling Falls up close.
I also recommend booking a tour of Te Anau’s Glowworm Caves. It was a magical experience seeing glowworms during the pitch black boat ride.
Queenstown
After a few days in Te Anau, we returned to the hustle and bustle of Queenstown. The only hike we did was the Queenstown Hill walk, which featured a well-maintained track that was steep at times but manageable. Alternatively, you can take a gondola ride or walk the Tiki Trail to the top of Bob’s Peak.
There were many cool cafes and restaurants in Queenstown. My favourite place for breakfast was Balls & Bangles, and I always ordered the smoked salmon bagel.
Fergburger is one of the most popular eateries with a constant line out the door. To skip the queue, we placed a phone order and our food was ready in 10 minutes. I ordered the classic Fergburger on a gluten-free bun and a side of fries with aioli. It wasn’t the best burger I’ve had, but is still worth a try whilst in Queenstown.
We had an amazing dinner at Botswana Butchery. I had the scallops for entrée, roasted monk fish for main and crème brûlée for dessert – all of which were delicious. The server was also helpful in pointing out the gluten-free items on the menu.
If you’re looking for a place to relax and unwind, I recommend booking a soak session at the Onsen Hot Pools Retreat and Day Spa. Make sure you book in advance as spots can fill up quickly!
There are some small towns near Queenstown that are worth exploring. This includes Glenorchy. We had to take pictures of the iconic Red Shed and Wharf, and it was even more beautiful in real life! I recommend visiting Frank’s Corner (which is also in Queenstown) and Mrs Wooly’s General Store for some locally made goods.
Arrowtown is a charming, historic town about 20 minutes from Queenstown. It was very busy when we visited, but there are some unique shops, museums and of course delicious places to eat. I recommend having brunch at the Provisions of Arrowtown – their nutella french toast was amazing!
Wanaka
Following Queenstown, we started our journey to Wanaka. On the way, we stopped briefly in Cromwell to visit the Jones Family Fruit Stall and picked up a box of cherries.
Wanaka is near the most famous and popular hike in New Zealand’s South Island, the Roy’s Peak Track. It is 16km return with a 1300m elevation gain, but we were physically exhausted and decided not to do the hike. Instead, we completed the Rob Roy Glacier Track. It was not too challenging with beautiful views from start to end.
Wanaka had some amazing places to eat with many food trucks. One of my favourite restaurants was Amigos, which offered a seperate menu for dietary requirements. I highly recommend their Alitas de Pollo (BBQ chicken wings) – the sauce was phenomenal!
Franz Josef and Fox Glacier
From Wanaka, we drove 3.5-hours to Franz Josef Glacier. We did some easy short walks, including the Te Ara a Waiau Walkway and Sentinal Rock Walk. My favourite was definitely the Lake Matheson loop trail, which is closer to Fox Glacier. Unfortunately, we did not see the perfect reflection on the lake as the water was not completely still. Dusk and dawn are apparently the best time for this.
Christchurch
Franz Josef Glacier to Christchurch was a long 5-hour journey via Arthur’s Pass. Christchurch is a unique city with beautiful parks, cool laneways (such as New Regent Street pictured below), and a vibrant food scene. I recommond visiting Little High Eatery, in particular Eightgrains/Sushi Solider – their chicken ramen was delicious.
We had dinner at 5th Street, and it is now one of my favourite ever resaurants. Not only was the food phenomenal, but the service and atmosphere were equally amazing. The menu is seasonal and a majority of it is gluten-free. We had the fried chicken, triple cooked potatoes, green salad, parmesan risotto and strawberry sorbet. Every single dish was absolutely delicious and truly indescribable. If you’re ever in Christchurch, you have to visit 5th Street.
Infinite definite (pictured below) is also a must-do. The store sells clothes and homewares from some of my favourite brands, including New Balance, Hasami Porcelain and Fazeek.
Lake Tekapo
We then visited Lake Tekapo, and I had never seen water so blue. Lake Tekapo is known for its field of lupuins, but unfortunately late-december was the end of peak season and there weren’t as many as I hoped for.
The Church of the Good Shepherd was crowded with people. I recommend walking across the bridge and photographing it from the other side.
Mt Cook
Mt Cook was our final destination after about two weeks in New Zealand. The drive from Lake Tekapo to Mt Cook was incredibly scenic with many stops and lookouts along the way.
Lake Pukaki is another beautiful lake that is intensely blue and definitely worth stopping for. I also recommend visiting the New Zealand Alpine Lavender farm along Mt Cook Road.
When I think of New Zealand, the iconic Mt Cook Road picture always comes to mind. These photographs were taken just before sunset. I found the coordinates for this exact spot from Away with CJ; they are -43.8263164, 170.1084644.
My favourite hike in Mt Cook was defintely the Hooker Valley Track. It was an easy walk that ends with views of the glacial lake. Unfortunately, it was foggy and we did not have a clear view of Mt Cook. Nonetheless, the Hooker Lake was still absolutely breathtaking.
I also recommend doing a Glacier Cruise along the Tasman Glacial Lake. You get to go up close and personal with the icebergs, and it was an unforgettable experience. Sadly, the glacier is retreating and will one day disappear as it melts due to the effects of global warming.
My final recommendation is a Tasman Glacier Heli Hike. The scenic helicopter ride is incredibly beautiful, with views of the Tasman Lake flowing into the Tasman River and feeding into Lake Pukaki (pictured below). During the glacier hike, we got to explore ice formations and even enter a cave.
So that concludes our trip. We drove back to Queenstown and flew back home after an amazing two and a half weeks.
New Zealand is the perfect mix of challenging hikes, relaxation, nature, great food and of course beautiful scenery. I hope this helps you in some way if you plan on visiting.
(Pictured below: driving from Lake Tekapo to Mt Cook during sunset; me running off Mt Cook Road as a car was coming; Lindis Pass when travelling from Mt Cook to Queenstown).
