If you missed parts 1 or 2 of our New Zealand Trip Report then click on the corresponding number to catch up!

We’re back home now after our month long trip to New Zealand. Even though we’ve lived it, saying “our month long trip to New Zealand” still sounds surreal. For those playing catchup, we stayed with our friends for the first 3 weeks in their home on the North Island before all of us taking a week off and heading the country’s South Island. Most people don’t get to experience a foreign country over the course of a month and we feel lucky to be able to say that we did.

There was a taste of everyday life, as I mentioned in parts 1 and 2, but the final 10 days of our trip were a full on vacation. We went from our friends’ house in Turangi to Auckland for a few days, experiencing the Laneway Music Festival while there. I’m in my mid-30’s and thought my music festival days were behind me but there I was, standing with the younger crowd while the sun screen and B.O. scents wafted above us. Romantic.

Honestly, I felt like our theme park days trained us well for a music festival. A day in the sun isn’t as daunting after you’ve nearly melted into the concrete while waiting for Starlight. I doubt anyone came here to read my thoughts on a music festival so I’ll just say that my favorite sets from the day were Geese, Lucy Dacus and, the headliner, Chappell Roan. Geese was the most up my alley but the whole day was fun, spent with friends and enjoying music.

Our next day saw us having brunch in Auckland before flying to the South Island. We took the 90 minute flight to Queenstown, which would acted as our center point for the week. Flying into that airport is special, as it’s surrounded by The Remarkables Mountain Range. A very fitting name.

Once we picked up our rental car and checked into the Airbnb, which had a gorgeous view, we drove into Queenstown to find some dinner. Our rental car shuttle driver matter-of-factly stated that the city is kept to a 10 minute walk from side to side. While I thought it was a weird brag, he was right! The town is very walkable and has the feel of a beautiful ski resort town, all while sitting on the edge of a gorgeous lake. Melissa and I were taken with Queenstown almost immediately. Between the pristine views, cute (but touristy) shops and wealth of restaurants, this quickly became one of our favorite spots on the trip.

After a lengthy search for dinner, we had some good food, stopped by a grocery store and went back to the Airbnb to enjoy the new Muppet Show. Is this paragraph only here to remind you to watch The Muppet Show? Yes. Oh, you’ve already seen it? Great, watch it again! We need more Muppets. Back to your regularly scheduled programming…

The next morning saw us up and checking out of that beautiful house before going back into Queenstown for shopping. We happened upon a cute little market with some local artists showcasing their work. Melissa and I both liked one of the photographer’s work and bought a few items from him and, to no one’s surprise, Melissa found a few other treasures along the way. I found a statue of a Moa (see below), that really reminded me of Gertie. We ate lunch at a great restaurant called Botswana Butchery before heading out. That was one of my favorite meals on the trip!

We drove a lot in the South Island and I’ll spare you the details of that. I will say that all of the landscapes were fascinating, with rolling hills mixed in with jagged cliffs. I couldn’t tell you how many lakes we saw but there was a lot of them, each one seemingly bigger than the next. We mostly stayed on the southern half of the south island and if I skip ahead from one place to the next, just assume there was driving involved.

From Queenstown, we made our way to the small town of Manapouri for the night. We had dinner and did some shopping in Te Anau on the way. Unfortunately, our friend Ben broke his toe that night. Thanks to him, and his partner Shelby, for being a trooper the rest of the week, struggling along in our step-heavy journey.

The reason we were in Manapouri was for an early morning excursion to Doubtful Sound the next day. Prior to the trip, this was one of the days I was most excited about in our month being gone. Doubtful Sound, as well as the popular Milford Sound, are both in Fiordland. I’ve dreamt of seeing fjords for a long time, and a Norway or Alaska cruise are definitely among our future travel plans. Even leaving the house at 7 AM (I’m a night owl) couldn’t damper my excitement.

Our journey to Doubtful Sound started with a boat trip across Lake Manapouri. We arrived as the sun was rising and mist was coming off the water. We lucked into a perfectly clear day and the boat ride on the lake was beautiful in its own right.

That ride lasted just under an hour and was nearly worth the price of the tour on its own. Seeing the mountains in the morning light was striking.

Next came a 50 minute bus ride over Wilmot Pass, through the rain forest before descending to where a new boat was docked in Doubtful Sound. We affectionately referred to the day as “Boat-Bus-Boat-Bus-Boat-Car” day, although the affection might have worn off a few hours into the car portion.

Once in Doubtful Sound, it felt like we were living out a dream. Outside of the broken toe, of course. Every new mountain we passed was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. The way the sunlight cascaded down certain hills was magnificent. There were waterfalls, mountains, seals, clear water and an informative, but not intrusive, tour guides.

Not to brag, but I think the photos came out pretty well. Even so, they don’t do this place justice.

It was a clear enough day that our boat was able to venture out into the Tasman Sea. We pulled right up to a few large rocks with seals on them. Most of them were sunbathing but the fella in the photo above had just gone for a splash and was working his way back up to tell his friends about it.

Melissa and I are pretty ambitious, and hopefully somewhat adventurous, travelers but we recognized that this is likely the farthest south we’ll ever be. Barring a trip to Patagonia, which I’m happy to take if someone agrees to fund it, this was likely as close to Antarctica as we’ll ever get. It’s a bit silly but that did add to the sense of adventure for the day.

Circling back into the sound, we cruised for 15 or 20 minutes, passing waterfalls every few seconds. The captain saw some dolphins near the boat and turned off the motor. Those dolphins got extremely close to us before swimming off and putting on a little jumping show along the way. It was unexpected and an absolute rush. Seeing the creatures in such a peaceful atmosphere was a moment we’ll never forget.

Our group of four all noticed how the tour was not in a hurry. Most excursions like this are fun, interesting and on a strict schedule. This was definitely the former 2 but there was not rush to get back to the bus or the boat or the car. Every part took its time. We really appreciated that and noticed a similar vibe all across the country. It wasn’t quite ‘island time’ but it was certainly a slower pace than LA, Tokyo and theme parks. When you have nature that looks like New Zealand’s, why would you be in a hurry?

Our Doubtful Sound cruise did eventually come to an end, nearly 3 hours after we got on the boat. Of course, we did have to take the bus back to the boat back to the car. The bus ride stopped at more places along the lush rainforest on the way back, including waterfalls, cool trees that were the inspiration for Tolkien’s Ents and a few wonderful lookouts.

That day still doesn’t feel real. We’re always striving to see the most beautiful spots imaginable. That day we saw the most beautiful spots imaginable for 7 hours straight. And there were dolphins!

Through all of our modes of transportation, we made our way to Wanaka for the next few nights. The photo above was a stop along the way.

Wanaka had us slowing down a bit, both out of necessity and because it seemed to be the town’s nature. Sitting along the beautiful Lake Wanaka that gave a glimpse of the Southern Alps, the area is known for wineries, breweries and a tree that seemingly grows out of the lake!

Our slower stop here coincided with the Super Bowl and I found a sports bar to watch my hometown Seahawks win it all. I was joined by a Frenchman and some locals in celebrating. Travel and sports both have a unique way of bringing people together.

While Wanaka didn’t capture us quite like Queenstown or Fiordland, we liked having time to unwind. Some more memories included an eccentric movie theater (Cinema Paradiso) and a lovely, personal wine tasting at Aitken’s Folly.

After about 48 hours in Wanaka, we headed north and stayed the night in Twizel before venturing on for a day of hiking around Mount Cook (Aoraki). For its part, Twizel was a cute enough town with some surprisingly good food. We spent the evening in, drinking wine and playing games. Those memories with friends share an equal spot to the grandest sights.

Aoraki was certainly one of those grand sights! Featured prominently in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit as ‘The Lonely Mountain’, Mount Cook stands slightly above the rest of the Southern Alps (as well as the more contained Mount Cook Mountain Range). We hiked around this area for several hours. Unfortunately, Ben couldn’t join us and just found a few places to sit and read. On the bright side, it was a very picturesque setting to read in!

My favorite hike of that day was Hooker Valley Track. It was only a third open but we loved the setting and are already making plans on when to go back and experience the full thing, without any broken bones or trail closures. Kea Point was also a highlight, offering a clear view of the mountain.

The weather, once again, cooperated. In fact, it was pretty darn hot! We were so thankful to get these clear days in amazing places. The Southwest of New Zealand’s South Island, Te Wahipounamu, is one massive Unesco World Heritage Site that stretches from Aoraki down to Fiordland. If you needed a reason to visit the country, that area should be another push.

We made our way back to Queenstown for the last 2 nights on the South Island. Melissa and I rode the gondola up the mountain and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The views at the top were incredible and we liked the cafe and gift shop, as well. Like most of New Zealand, that gondola ride wasn’t just a destination. Itcould be a starting point to another hike or activity.

We spent the evening along the lake, stopping for drinks and food in different spots before settling in for some photos. Queenstown reminded me of Canada’s Banff, nestled up against the mountains with loads of outdoor activities for anyone to experience. It does get touristy but in an exploratory, non-suffocating way. We’d be happy to go back there and stay even longer!

After exploring the cute Arrowtown before our flight, we made it back to Auckland for our last 2 days of the trip. Most of those were spent in the hotel room, playing games and eating food. We walked around the city for a few hours and enjoyed all of the beautiful water views.

Our trip came to an end and it was sad to leave. Shelby and Ben graciously showed us all of these places and let us stay with them for a month. Now, they’re back to being half the world away and that’s always sad regardless of if we return from their home or if they return from ours.

We have settled in back in California and are grateful for our life here, always knowing that Disneyland is a walk away and another trip is around the corner. There are more fjords to see, theme parks to visit and new cities to explore. Summing up New Zealand’s beauty in a tidy paragraph can’t be done. Hopefully, these photos have helped me along the way. Thank you for indulging me in non theme park content for these posts. I hope you’re able to travel somewhere beautiful with those you love soon.

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