One week ago today, we picked up our Happy Camper in Christchurch. We have camped in Temuka, Lake Tekapo, Moeraki Point, Surat Bay, Milford Sound, Queenstown and Lake Wanaka, which pretty much covers the entire southern part of the South Island (map to follow at some point). We have 8 days left on the South Island so it’s time to slow down a bit and take our time getting back north when we take the ferry over to the North Island on 29 January.
Above is a collection of photos from our stay on a farm in rural Athol, the 12-Mile Delta just a few minutes outside Queenstown and Boundary Creek campground on the shore of Lake Wanaka.
Categories: New Zealand
Tagged: 12 Mile Delta, Athol, Boundary Creek, Lake Wanaka, Queenstown
Categories: New Zealand, Trees
Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand: This is a must-see in every New Zealand guide, so we found ourselves steering our camper van in its direction. This natural wonder was formed tens of millions of years ago by glacial cutting, and the resulting fiord is of astounding magnitude. Unfortunately, this area gets about 200 days of rain a year and we were (un)lucky enough to camp up there on one of the coldest, rainiest and windiest days. This weather, while tough to sightsee in, made for the most impressive waterfalls. The Sound normally has 2 waterfalls; on this crazy weather day, we were able to see thousands.
Categories: New Zealand
Tagged: camper van, Milford Sound, Waterfalls
Surat Bay, South Island, New Zealand and Moeraki Point, South Island, New Zealand: On our 4th night in the camper van, we drove to the Catlins, another peaceful bay on the east coast of the South Island. The walk along the beach where the bay and ocean come together was deserted and quiet, and we were able to enjoy this cozy (and cold) spot near the southern-most tip of the South Island (hello, Antarctica).
Moeraki is a sleepy fishing village we discovered completely by accident (a good reason to cross-country camp without a plan). We chose a campsite overlooking the bay where a handful of fishing boats gathered, and we wandered over to the jetty where we were delighted to discover Fleur’s Place, a gem of a spot with breathtaking views of the sunset. This little village is a must-see for others meandering down from Oamaru to Dunedin.
Categories: New Zealand
Tagged: camper van, Fleur's Place, Moeraki Point, Surat Bay, The Catlins
Christchurch, New Zealand: On Tuesday, we picked up our Happy Camper in Christchurch and drove south towards Timaru. With provisions in hand we were all stocked up for 26 days in our new home. Out came the atlas since we hadn’t planned a route ahead of time, and off we went in search of a home for the night.
The first night we found an off-the-beaten path campsite at the base of the Opihi River where it feeds into the Pacific Ocean, a small community called Millford Huts. We ate some dinner, made up the bed and crested the hill to see 5-7 salmon fishermen working on a catch for the night. It was pretty magical to be situated on the ocean in such a quiet spot. Day 1 of camping was good.
We left Millford Huts on Wednesday, heading west & inland. We had a picnic lunch on the rocks at Lake Tekapo, a glacier fed lake with unbelievably green water. Heading a little north and west, we decided on a campsite in a more rural area away from the tourists at Lake Tekapo. We backed the van up against a babbling brook where a few ducks checked in to say hi, and then we were off on a hike around Lake Alexandrina. After a dip in the lake, Thomas grilled outside and dinner was served brookside on our little camp table. So far, we’re both loving this camper van plan.
Categories: New Zealand
Categories: Trees
Categories: New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand: Our weekend tour guide was a 3-year old Spoodle (Cocker Spaniel & Poodle mix) named Adie. This sweet pup crafted a comprehensive tour of the city, which included time spent in both Eastbourne, a beautiful residential area of Wellington, as well as Mount Victoria which provided 360-degree views of the city.
Wellington, New Zealand: On Friday night, we trekked our way up some more hills to Gardens Magic, the free summer concert series in the spectacular Botanic Garden. Catherine, Terence & Adie came down from their side of the hill with a huge feast, which we spread out picnic style. The weather was perfect for some rosé, Afrobeat fusion music and nibbles under the stars.
On Saturday, Adie and her parents took us along the water over to Eastbourne, where we hiked Butterfly Creek. We crested the ridge to even more striking views of the city (notice the trend…spectacular views of this incredible city at every turn), and then descended into the valley. We set up camp along the water where Adie could swim and the adults could picnic. And then after filling our bellies and hiking back down the mountain, we went for a bay swim. We drank rosé on the beach and couldn’t get over the simultaneous sun & moon in the sky at 7:30pm.
Sunday came and Adie suggested brunch at the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club where we sat along the water and enjoyed views south of the city and of Lyall Bay. Afterward, we drove up to Mt Vic for the 360-degree views but nearly got blown over by the wind. Some cooler weather was heading in from Antarctica, so we quickly made it off the lookout point and hiked our way down so Thomas could shoot some spectacular pines along the hillside.
Categories: New Zealand
Tagged: Adie, Butterfly Creek, Catherine, Eastbourne, Lyall Bay, Maranui Surf Life Saving Club, Mount Victoria, Terence, trees, Wellington
Categories: New Zealand
Tagged: Adie, Botanic Garden, Catherine, Terence, Wellington
Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand’s national museum and art gallery is situated on Wellington’s waterfront with beautiful views of the harbor, Mt. Victoria and downtown. The collection is huge, and we may have to head back to see more, but on our first visit we enjoyed Te Papa‘s architecture,
Categories: New Zealand
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