New Zealand 2008

In 2008 we did a road trip around New Zealand’s South Island, with its unforgettable landscapes. These are photos and stories from that trip.

We started in Christchurch, where we visited the cathedral and went to the top of Mt Cavendish for amazing views over the city and Lyttelton Harbour.

We enjoyed driving the winding roads and taking in the dramatic hilly scenery around Akaroa.

Our next destination was Mt Hutt and Lake Coleridge.

We crossed to the west side of the island through Arthur’s Pass, where we met the famous keas that like to eat windscreen rubber seals.

Along the way we stopped at Coal Creek Falls, the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, before heading to our accommodation near Greymouth.

From Greymouth we continued south, stopping briefly in Hokitika to visit the Kiwi Centre. Our next adventure was a valley walk to explore the Franz Josef Glacier.

We drove through Fox Glacier township and continued south past Knights Point Lookout, through Mount Aspiring National Park and Lake Hawea, before stopping in Arrowtown for the night.

Next was Queenstown, where there was more snow on the ski slopes than during the winter months, even though we visited in October. We then drove past the Mirror Lakes and along the winding roads to Milford Sound. The cruise on the sound was spectacular and, as the guide said, it is amazing in all weather conditions. When we returned to the car park, a few keas were waiting for us.

Our next stop was Te Anau, where we took a cruise on its beautiful lake, including a cave visit to see the glowworms.

Back on the east coast, we spent a couple of days in Dunedin, where we had to drive Baldwin Street — the steepest street in the world — a few times.

We also did a day trip to Larnach Castle and were particularly lucky with the weather, which let us fully enjoy the beautifully manicured gardens.

After Dunedin we started heading north towards Christchurch, stopping at Shag Point to enjoy another sunny — though not particularly warm — day on the beach.

We spent our final days on the South Island around the turquoise waters of Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo, as well as hiking in Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park.