We are currently two weeks into our almost three week South Island New Zealand road trip. After saying bye to Maddie after our North Island adventure (see here and here for more details), I met my mom in Christchurch (after she went to Melbourne, Tasmania and Sydney) and we were eager to continue our adventures. Here is an overview of our first 6 days of the South Island.
Day 1: Arrive in Christchurch
We picked up our car rental (Tutz named it Jenny for some reason) and were off to our hotel not far off in Christchurch. A simple dinner at the restaurant attached to our hotel was in store and some relaxation.
Night 1: Hotel Carlton Mill (easy but older, connected to a tasty eatery)
Day 2: Christchurch and Lake Tekapo
This was our first full day of fun and we started it by taking the Christchurch Gondola to see a panoramic view of the city. Aside from the awesome view and a short trail, we didn't find it to be terribly exciting.
Drive: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Then we were on our way to Lake Tekapo, where we checked into our suite (upgraded, because we're classy) and had dinner and drinks at Tin Plate Kitchen & Bar. A short walk later, we were overlooking the lake and the quaint Church of Good Shepherd. An Instagram worthy shot, and yes I did put it on Instagram.
Night 2 and 3: Pepper Bluewater Resort (very new and modern, great spot)
Day 3: Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and Lake Tekapo
The majority of this day was for exploring Mt Cook National Park (1 hour 15 minutes from Lake Tekapo). We started with the Hooker Valley Track, a 10 km return (meaning 5 there and 5 back) with some killer landscape scenery and swing bridges.
After getting some sustenance in town, we were ready for one last walk before hitting the road. This time it was the Governors Bush Track, a 1.5 km walk with a bit of a hill involved. But this led to my love and fascination with ferns.
Back in Lake Tekapo we took in the sunset and began gearing up for our night tour.
Lake Tekapo is situated in the Mackenzie Region, a certified International Dark Sky Reserve. Basically it means it gets really dark and you can see the stars extra well. We signed up for the Silver River Stargazing tour because it was almost half the price of the others and we aren't TOTALLY enamored with spending $110+ to see the stars. Instead we paid about $60, learned some stuff, and saw the milky way!
Day 4: Otiaki
Drive: 1 hour 45 minutes
On the drive to Otiaki, we happened upon something called the Clay Cliffs. With time to spare we decided to take the turn off the main road and travel along a gravel one to reach cliffs that we knew nothing about. Turns out they were pretty cool.
But most importantly, this was the day we were really looking forward to...glamping! We had arrived at Valley Views Glamping and were greeted by Patrick, one of the owners. I wouldn't feel right giving this marvelous place a quick couple sentences lost in this post, so I've made a full post on it here. Needless to say, it was relaxing and magical...just how glamping should be.
Night 4: Valley Views Glamping, duh!
Day 5: Te Anua
Drive: 4 hours and 40 minutes
After a lovely breakfast at Valley Views, we unfortunately had to say goodbye and were on the road again. Due to the long ride, and of course the beauty of New Zealand, we made a couple stops along the way to stretch our legs and take in the views.
And then we had made it to Te Anua, our gateway to Milford Sound! But first, dinner, drinks and a nice walk...oh and some sleep.
Night 5, 6 and 7: Kingsgate Hotel Te Anua (great location but not the best facilities)
Day 6: Te Anua
Okay fine, so we aren't to the Milford Sound bit yet. We were wiped from the driving the day before and didn't want to spend any more time in a car if we could avoid it. So, we decided on some day hikes. We started toward the Kepler Track (a multiday track) and stopped at the Visitor Center. They told us the bird sanctuary was going to be having a session shortly. We decided to do that first and now know all about the native Takahe bird.
Then we jumped in the car for a wee ride to the Kepler Track car park. There we began the walk to Brod Bay (3 hours, 11.1 km return). It was an enjoyable walk in the woods with our turnaround point being at a lovely beach.
Day 7...
Okay, fine...so I've started another post for Milford Sound. But that's only because we saw so much and I needed to post a million pictures for it. So for now that wraps up the first six days in the South Island, and we have so much more to go!
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