South Island Roadtrip
After exploring the LOTR Hobbiton, and the Glowworm caves of Rotorua, fly from Auckland to Wellington. Give yourself one or two days to bar hop and see the unique themed clubs. Then take the ferry from Wellington to Nelson, the sunniest town in New Zealand! Plan to be on it longer than expected if there is a storm (we got stuck on it for 6 hours, and mostly everyone got sick).
Now, welcome to a grand adventure! The South Island is like nowhere else on earth. It is incredibly special, and the best part is the drive! Fight over who will take the wheel in your JUCY rental, and then set off for Kaikoura! If you have a lot of time check out Abel Tasman on the northmost western bit, there is a great tropical park where you can kayak and walk the shores of turquoise waters.
1) Then on to Kaikoura! This drive alone was INSANE. I first went in April, and the rain had nearly washed the roads away. Kaikoura had one of the most beautiful walks I have ever experienced. You walk through a farm of vibrant green grass filled with fluorescent wildflowers and cows, to a path along a cliff. The mighty snow-capped mountains frame the ocean as whales break the surface and birds soar above. The beaches below were lined with families of sea lions. Climb down to the sand and walk out on large rock formations that jut far into the ocean to have a close-up wildlife view, like no other.
2) Next on the east coast, drive south towards Christchurch to a small haven called, Akaroa, one of the prettiest towns in the world. There is a man selling world-famous, delicious, fish and chips in newspaper, with even better views. Don’t forget to look out for the ever-elusive pink dolphins!
After Akaroa, you can continue along the coast to see Oamaru which is stuck in the 1800s (where I anchored for one day on their local TV news channel), and then onto the Catlins - the farthest south, beautiful waterfalls and rolling hills (skip Dunedin).
3) For a nice two-week roadtrip head from Akaroa to Mt. Cook next! OH MY OH MY OH MY!! There are not many options for accommodations so book ahead or you will be sleeping under the stars! Which honestly was not so bad! There are campsites all over the South Island, but you do have to pay or you will be ticketed, so don’t forget to leave a bag with cash!
Mt. Cook will be a walk to remember. They call it “tramping through Hooker Valley” - very kiwi humor. There are suspension bridges and ice-blue glacial water along the way to the base of Mt. Cook where you will find the most intense glacial lake. Be VERY wary of the weather, do not get stuck in a storm, and return the moment the weather changes.
4) Te Anau is a nice small town with incredible views, but I highly recommend the glow worm caves there!
5) And last but not least - do not. skip. MILFORD SOUND. Either that or Doubtful Sound, and you can’t go wrong.