Kia Ora to you! That means be healthy or hello in the Māori language of the indigenous Māori people. Welcome to my little adventure on the southern island of New Zealand.
Why did we choose New Zealand? After a rough and busy couple of weeks, we wanted to re-enter the new year by traveling to something quiet and pure. JUST DISCONNECT. We wanted to travel by renting a camper van. The reason we chose the south island was that supposedly (Erol’s wisdom) it’s more quiet and scenic than the Northern Island, where the most population of New Zealand resides.
This trip for me personally was one of the best I have made thus far. I have been traveling for a bit already, but New Zealand was new to my travel palette. The many changes in scenery, endless fields of gold and gigantic mountains made Erol pinch my arm as I could not believe my eyes. Now is it that people know me for my exaggerating storytelling but let me take you on this 10-days trip!
Our itinerary looked as followed:
Day 1: Arriving to Christchurch
We arrived in Christchurch early in the afternoon. The flight only lasted three hours from Brisbane but the timezone in New Zealand fast forwarded to three hours so we arrived ”6 hours” later.
We got picked up by a lovely couple that we were staying at for one night (LOVE NEST- Peaceful & Cosy ensuite in City Central) through Airbnb. I highly recommend that if you want to explore a bit in Christchurch you stay with them as they are close (and cheap) to the center.
We had planned to go out on the road asap, so we only stayed in Christchurch for the night. Nevertheless, we went for a food-hunt in Christchurch and we were not disappointed.
Eightgrains is the place to be when you love Dumplings & Bao. It is located in Little High Eatery together with all sorts of delicious street food restaurants. Wood fired pizza, South American chargrilled meat, Japanese sushi and ramen, basically you can find any food from all corners of the world there.
We went for some nice beers and a dimsum platter from Eightgrains (highly recommended). We had a nice selection of meat and vegan dumplings which were delicious.
After that, we had a nice little walk to explore Christchurch a bit more.
Day 2: Lake Tekapo (no pun intended) & Lake Pukaki
The next day we went to Spaceships Rentals in Christchurch to pick up our camper van. Honestly, I have to say that the car was very well equipped and we were within 15 minutes on the road. We chose the Dream Sleeper Mini (Luxe campervan) because it had a more discrete look and it came with GPS and a bigger fridge (for more wine and cheese obviously).
On the road, we passed Lake Tekapo which was stunning as a first scenic stop-over. Blessed with a clear sky we could just see how far the lake actually goes.
Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki are not far from eachother so we wanted to stay at a free camping site called Lake Pukaki Overnight Campervan Parking. This campingsite was one of the prettiest sites we spend our afternoon and night. Tip: Do go there and secure yourself a pretty spot as can be full very fast as it is a free campingsite.
Day 3 & 4: Buzzing Queenstown
After waking up at Lake Pukaki, we made our way towards Queenstown. We noticed that Queenstown is very lively and touristic, while every other place that we have been in NZ was strikingly untouched. Nevertheless, the city gives you an adrenalin boost when it comes to outdoor activities. However, we just strolled around, holding hands while thinking of what to eat next.
We strolled around the town and enjoyed the beautiful view from Lake Wakatipu. We had some nice wines and food at the following restaurants:
A beautiful historic bathhouse that is located at the Lake. If you want to something romantic and with a beautiful view, look no further. Great for good coffee and some snacks while reading a book with the mountains in the backdrop.
Big Fig is something different than the normal dining scene in Queenstown. Grab a plate and fill it with some punchy and delicious food. Big Fig’s middle eastern granola with stewed fruit and sweet labneh is to just die for! They serve some amazing vegan/vegetarian dishes like stews, tagines and pilafs. Prices are 10$ (small plate), $18 (normal plate) and $25 (big plate).
Order the Steak or Lamb rump and Beef Cheek Croquettes. You will thank me for this! Muskets and Moonshine is reasonably priced and definitely excellent food. Also a great selection of beer and wines.
Enjoy the view of the lake while you sit outside and enjoy their signature cocktails (excellent beer and wine list as well). brilliant platter with local delicious cheeses pastrami and dips as well :). ____________________________________________________________________________________________
As you can guess, we ate and DRANK a lot in Queenstown. The next day was not any different and we signed up the Queenstown Wine Trail to learn and enjoy more about the delicious wines in the Central Otago region.
We visited different wine farms which were not only beautiful to walk through but the wines were fragrant and delicious. Also, we had the best luck to have a tour guide that was just the cherry on the pie. Providing us with so much information not only about the region but also the culture of the New Zealand. After a good couple of wines, we all just sang a really ugly version of Bohemian Rapsody on the bus and just had a blast. Definitely recommend this, when you are in Queenstown.
Day 5: Milford Sound aka Jurrasic Park
Hangover, tired but with good memories from the night before we drove to Milford Sound which took us a good 4 hours. For those long hours of driving, I suggest to download or assemble a good on-the-road Spotify music playlist or a podcast to listen to. While driving, dry and open landscapes changed into dense and misty rainforests with waterfalls everywhere.
We stayed at the Milford Sound Lodge at a non-powered campsite. We highly recommend this campsite as it has clean facilities, a restaurant and a lounge. Having a fully equipped kitchen in our van, we wanted to make some dinner outside. SANDFLIES EVERYWHERE!!! We had to close shop and stayed for the rest of the day in our van watching Netflix and eating cheese, cheese, and cheese (Not bad at all). Hot TIP: Get yourself some spray for sandflies or make sure your car is bug proof against those buggers.
The next day we moved from Milford Sound Lodge to the southern point of the South Island and booked a two-hour cruise with Go Orange. *Make sure that you are there 30 minutes before departing as the parking lot can be full*. The cruise was out of this world. I literally thought I was in Jurrasic Park and a pterodactyl bird was ready to airdrop the sh*t out of me.
*Fun Fact* The Orange Go cruise has been renovated into this cool and hipster interior where you can enjoy coffee’s, beers and nice warm snacks.
Day 6: Mystic Lake Wanaka
After the Milford Sounds cruise, we made our way back to Queenstown to reach our next destination, Lake Wanaka. We decided to stop at this restaurant with alpaca’s in their backyard. Aside from really good chips, you can purchase a little bag of alpaca food to feed. Meeting alpaca’s for the first time was my favorite first-time, that actually didn’t hurt.
After having a nice lunch and two hours of trying to swoon over alpaca’s, Erol had enough and dragged me in the car. Driving to Lake Wanaka the road slowly transformed back into golden fields again and clear skies. The lake is breathtaking and gives you that fuzzy feeling of starting summers and picknicks. Also, you will find the beautiful Wanaka Tree that bathes in the lake, which is probably the most photographed tree in the world.
We stayed at the Mt Aspiring Holiday Park which was a campsite that had an open field (without any coverage/privacy) for us self-powered vans. I have to say that this campsite was not as good as previous ones. The facilities were a bit of a letdown as the showers and toilets were not very clean.
That day, the 13th of February also happened to be my birthday. My partner, the sriracha to my life took me out for a nice dinner at Kota. I celebrated my 28 years of being healthy and grateful with some delicious food (try the butter chicken), a pretty view of Lake Wanaka and some nice cocktails.
Day 7: Infinite Lake Hawea
Lake Hawea is approximately 20 minutes away from Lake Wanaka. Our campsite located at the feet of the lake was one of the prettiest we’ve woken up to in the morning. We stayed at the Hawea Holiday Park, with nice and clean facilities and just a great campsite with a lot of space and pretty views.
When you are on the road between those two lakes you will see a lot of hike routes and of the beaten path that leads you to friendly and curious cattle. For dinner, we just got some delicious New Zealand cheeses and meats and we ate them in the van while watching some Netflix. TIP: Watch The Kominsky Method, where two best friends tackle hardships with a good dose of comedy. Did I mention that Legend Micheal Douglas is in it?
Day 8: Icy Franz Josef Glacier
From lake Hawea, we made our way towards the Franz Josef Glacier. It felt I was back in a winter resort somewhere in the Alps. The town of Franz Josef is a very cozy and hospitable place to stay. You can book a lagoon kayaking, helicopter hike, glacier walks or even skydiving! The locals mentioned that during high season it is very much packed and hard to get a spot anywhere so if you are into winter sports, book in advance and at the right time (mid-August/mid-September).
We stayed at the campsite the Rainforest Retreat. We had a lovely stay here as we were surrounded by mountains and the infamous silver fern. They also give us enough space per camping spot which made it for us very private. Did I mention that they also have a hot tub, glacier hot pools and a restaurant with a good variety of beer and pizza?
During this day, we went on a hike to see the magnificent glacier. However, due to global warming, the glacier has lost a lot of its beauty compared to the previous timelines that are mentioned throughout the park. Nevertheless, the glacier is still majestic to behold upon. Times like these we all need to be aware of our carbon footprint we leave behind on this beautiful but struggling planet.
Day 9: Blue Pools & Wooden Ross Beach
We had to visit the famous Haast Pass blue pools on our way to the next campsite. We drove through the Haast Pass and after a nice little 20-minute walk we stumbled upon this icy magical water that’s just screaming for you to jump in. However, we did not… we were to chicken scared to jump off the bridge so we made a nice rock formation. Shout out to the people who will knock it over.
Our stop at Ross beach was probably my favorite one. A campsite that is located at a beach full of mystery and driftwood! Weird I know, but to have the beach and the forest so close together is for me HEAVEN. But let’s talk about the campsite Ross Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park, what a beautiful stay to spend the day on the beach and enjoy some bbq or whatever you can make with one pan haha. The showers and toilets were the best and so clean and spacious.
TIP: Before you make a reservation at this campsite, check the weather so you can catch the sun, also make sure that you have a spot at the front of the beach to have a magnificent view while waking up!
Day 10: Hello again and goodbye Christchurch
We decided that we would bring back a day in advance our lovely car to Spaceship Rentals so we could discover a bit more of the culinary life and the beautiful parks that we have seen in Christchurch. Christchurch is definitely busier as the main population resides there, but the people are so nice and we enjoyed the food so much. However, with sadness, I write this post because not long ago there was a terrorist shooting in Christchurch where a lot of people lost their lives because of a coward with a gun. For me, violence is never the solution and it will never break down the strength and unity we have as human beings.
To end on a happy note, we have thoroughly enjoyed our road trip on the Southern Island of New Zealand. Nature, the people and spiritual atmosphere that lingers there made us want to come back (and eventually build a house, buy alpacas and stay forever).
I hope, after reading this post I have triggered some adventure in you to visit this beautiful country and give a road trip a go! If you have any questions or need more tips I’ll be more than happy to answer them in the comment section down below.
thesouthporter.com 
Looks like such an amazing trip! I would love to visit New Zealand one day, but I am not sure I would be able to handle the long flight from California there.
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Hi Macy!
Such a nice message thank you! I normally fly from Australia back to The Netherlands (24 hours) and I hate flying but it is always worth the trip 🙂 You won’t get dissapointed x
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