Now that I’ve left New Zealand to spend the next three months in Kenya, I felt it was fitting to reminisce about my first visit home in 6 years. More importantly one special month that I spent on a rediscovery tour of the South Island of my country.
This epic road trip saw me driving the classic Kiwi car – the Subaru Legacy station wagon, over 2,500km from Picton, down the West Coast and back up the East Coast in just 20 days.
I’d like to share with you the most magical moments of this trip in the hope that you may one day experience them for yourself as you build your location independent, freedom based business.
#1 Cruising The Cook Strait
If you’re going to take the 3.5 hour Interislander ferry journey from Wellington across to Picton, I recommend going on a picture perfect day like we did (unless you have a strong stomach on choppy waters). It sets the scene for a great start to your adventure and is something every tourist should experience. Money can’t buy the breathtaking views you experience as the ferry glides into the Queen Charlotte Sounds. You feel like you’re in the set of a movie like the Lord of the Rings. The mountains are majestic, the waters a deep crystal blue and the peace and tranquility washes over you.
Cost: $450 return trip for two people and a car, less for a foot passenger obviously.
Must do: Sit on the top sundeck as you leave Wellington and come into the sounds to fully experience it.
#2 Fish and Chips At Tahuna Beach, Nelson
Nelson is a beautiful arts and crafts town with lovely beaches and a relaxed nature. They also have fresh fish coming in daily and you haven’t lived until you’ve tried real Kiwi Fish and Chips with tomato sauce and tartare sauce. A `scoop of chips’ is ample for two people and they come out piping hot and thick cut, cooked in natural oil and already salted. A special treat to have by the beach.
Cost: A filet of fish (battered or grilled) $3.80 and scoop of chips $3.50.
Top Tip: Bring your own tomato sauce (aka ketchup)
#3 Pouring Rain On A Tin Roof in Motueka
When you’re on a road trip and constantly off to tour another stretch of national highway, sometimes you just like to have an excuse to rest, and not sightsee. Torrential rain on a mild day is positively blissful. It must be experienced sitting under a tin roof of a quaint café in the town of Motueka – a great place to relax and rest. Known for its fruit picking season where summer tourists flood the town in search of backbreaking work ($15 per hour), Motueka also has surrounding wineries and is on the doorstep to the pristine Abel Tasman, National Park.
Cost: Backpackers $25 for a bunk bed, $60 for a Double Room. $14 for a tent site, Motels from $90- 180.
Top Tip: Try a brioche and hot chocolate in the café by the Motueka Museum of the main street.
#4 Cruise and Hike the Abel Tasman National Park
Nowhere in the world have I experienced a National Park with such blue waters, golden sands and lush green native forest and bush – it’s precious. Abel Tasman, named after the Dutch explorer who circumnavigated much of New Zealand in 1642, but never actually set foot here as he was chased off by Maoris, who he managed to offend. You can hike for 1-4 days and camp over or stay in huts. Or you can do the `lazy tourist’ option of going on a cruise from Kaiteriteri to any number of numerous bays. You’ll see split apple rock, seal colonies and more varieties of native birds and trees than you can care to remember. You can walk across the estuary at low tide and spot the tiny crabs scuttling for shelter or simple stick to the hiking trails that meander up and down to the bays around the coastline.
Cost: $40 for a water taxi one way, $55-$150 for a variety of day trip options including boat ride all the way to Tokoroa Bay, kayaking, hiking and return pick up at Anchorage.
Top Tip: If you have the money, do a combination of the boat drop off to hike and kayak (for an opportunity to swim with the seals). Plus you get a tour guide on the bus pick up and boat ride!
#5 Lose Yourself In Karamea
Not only does this remote location sound like caramel every time you say it (pronounced `carra-me-a’), there is also next to nobody there at any time so you have the place all to yourself. It’s been voted one of the most scenic drives in the world, with the wild and rugged west coast beaches on your left, interspersed with tropical punga trees and ferns that line the lush mountains on your right.
You can begin the famous Heaphy Track from here for a 4 day hike of 78km or take a number of day hikes to see waterfalls, beaches, rocks and coastline. You can also visit the two largest limestone arches in New Zealand at Opamaru, and explore the caves – a must!
Cost: Free to hike the track and explore the caves and arches.
Top Tip: Bring your own food and camp at the Karamea Holiday Park in your own tranquil peace of paradise and watch the sunset over the river while drinking wine and being bitten by sandflies….
#6 Take One Of The World’s Top 10 Most Scenic Drives from Westport To Greymouth
If you haven’t seen The Piano with Harvey Keitel, Holly Hunter, Sam Neilson and Anna Paquin, then you won’t appreciate how beautiful the wild and brooding west coast beaches and mountains are. The West Coast of New Zealand experiences rainfall 80% of the year and this is what makes it so dark and mysterious. On the day we drove though, we had sunshine that transcended into clouds and a strong breeze as we explored Truman’s track and witnessed a wedding on the beach, surrounded by cliffs and rock arches. We also saw the famous Pancake Rocks that, even scientists can’t explain, that rise up out of the sea like tall towers and include blow holes, when the tide is high, for your entertainment.
Cost: Free. Petrol though will set you back around $2.05-$2.15 per litre (it was just on a $1 when I left back in 2006).
Top Tip: Take your time. Set off early so you can pull over and experience all the many walks and short hikes to waterfalls or beaches and the sights mentioned.
#7 Run, walk or cycle the Lake Outlet track by the Clutha River
As often happens on a road trip holiday, unless you make time for exercise, it usually gives way to eating, drinking and sitting on your ass in a car for long periods. If you stay on the lakefront at Wanaka, at the Lake Outlet Holiday Park, you can start your morning off in the best way ever. A 6km round trip path winds its way directly beside the beautiful and powerful Clutha River (that’s claimed many a life especially in the gold mining days). Why this is special is the river is crystal clear and turquoise and you see trout swimming, herons feeding and people fishing along the way. You run, walk or cycle in and out of the shades of the trees on the river and the hot summer sunshine.
Cost: Free and great for your heart, lungs and mind.
Top Tip: Take a dip in the Clutha River afterwards (if you can handle the cold and current).
#8 Enjoy the many delights of former gold mining hotspot Arrowtown
If quaint is your thing, and you love little towns with just one mainstreet lined with old single storey houses and huts, like that you’d see in Westerns, but all done up to reflect how they would have looked 150 plus years ago, then Arrowtown is for you. It’s the perfect town to lose yourself in, summer or winter and enjoy the many cafes, gardens, stores, arts, crafts and amazing wine and food. There’s a stroll along the river lined with neverending wildflowers that will take you to the old Chinese Miners settlement, restored to show the tiny houses they lived in and hardships they endured. The whole place is so relaxed you forget where you are and what era.
Cost: As much or as little as you’d like to spend!
Top Tip: Enjoy a $20 main from 5-6pm and a refreshing Postmans Punch on the verandah of the XXXXXX overlooking the rose gardens and across the road to the old museum.
#9 Do a 360 on the Shotover River in Queenstown
I must admit it’s hard to narrow it down to one activity to do in the Adventure Capital of the World. The two days we were there you only needed to keep your eyes open to see paragliders, mountain bikers, bungy jumpers, zip liners, disc golfers and more. Home to the famous Shotover River there are two main operators who take their jet boats as fast as possible up the Shotover River that is extremely shallow in places. You get to skim by the river bank rocks and under trees and scream in excitement as your driver spins you around in a 360 and drenches all the people on one side of the boat. It’s completely touristy but a must do.
Cost: For around $110-125 you can go out for just over an hour, just don’t buy the overpriced photos and keyrings of you afterwards.
Top Tip: Take a sneaky photo of the photo they took of you as a momento and save that $30 to go up on the Gondola for the MOST spectacular views of Queenstown and a luge ride or two.
#10 Take a day trip and cruise to experience the grandeur of the Milford or Doubtful Sounds
No South Island visit would be complete without taking the trip from Queenstown or Te Anau (2 hours south of Queenstown) to visit the Sounds – which are actually fiords (but hey not all discoverers get it right). Milford Sounds is much more spectacular from a first impressions point of view. With Mitre Peak towering in front of you and mountains and waterfalls surrounding your boat ride out to the Tasman Sea, you can’t help but stop and take it all in on the top deck of your boat.
You’ll get to stop and see seals sunbathing and get absolutely drenched if you stay standing on the bow next to the Stirling Falls waterfall. If you’re REALLY lucky, like we were, you’ll be joined by dolphins who speed along directly below the bow in front of you, smiling up at you as they play and jump out of the water. Truly spectacular. Doubtful sounds is a much bigger area and better to visit if you want to do an overnight cruise and fully explore it, but none-the-less beautiful.
Cost: Prices range between many companies for a coach and cruise day trip return from $125 (Te Anau) to $175 (Queenstown) to Milford Sound and slightly less to Doubtful Sound. If you want to drive to Milford Sound and just do the cruise, prices start from around $50 up to $100.
Top Tip: Take a few layers to keep warm after getting drenched by the waterfall and recharge your camera battery to capture those magical moments.
#11 Say hello to the stinky seals and bull seaweed in Kaikoura
Kaikoura, on the East Coast of the South Island is only a 2.5 hour drive from Christchurch, and has stayed a relatively small and friendly town. Renowned for being THE place to go on whale watching and dolphin swimming tours, there’s much more to see and do here. Walk or drive to the end of the peninsula and take in a 3.5 hour walk around, up and over the lookout back to the town.
Or simply park up and walk out onto the rocks to see the tidal pools, bull kelp (massive seaweed tangled in the waves and rocks) and of course the seal colony. These proud guys and gals laze out on the sun all day. Then, if you’re lucky, they take their own sweet time lolloping back to the ocean and treat you to a show. One guy in particular took 7 minutes, stopping every 5 metres for a rest and a pose and to spot all the bemused tourists taking photos of him.
Cost: Free. Just enjoy and take your time and let nature astound you.
Top Tip: Walk up to the lookout to watch the soft light setting on the 40,000 year old hills and ancient Maori Pa sites and out across the ocean.
What More Could You Want?
It seemed only fitting as we see out 2011 to focus on the top 11 things I enjoyed most on this trip. But of course there’s so much more to see and to tell you about. If you had longer you should definitely visit the Caitlins, Invercargill and Dunedin (I’ve still not been).
Christchurch was very humbling, seeing the effect the major earthquakes and 7,000 follow up tremors, have had on this beautiful Cathedral city and a strong community has creatively restored life to the city centre with the inventive `Container Mall’. Plus Blenheim, between Kaikoura and Picton has the many world famous wineries of the Marlborough region to enjoy.
I could go on, but I suggest you just come and visit yourself. Just bring that hard earned money so you don’t miss out on fully experiencing the South Island of New Zealand.
Have you been to the South Island? What was your favourite spot?