New Zealand Part 2: South Island

---

The South Island is the area for anyone who doesn't have enough time to see the entire country. It's where the southern alps are located. It's home to NZ tallest mountain, Mount cook and it's also the location where the trilogy, Lord of the Rings was filmed. So it's safe to say there is plenty to keep one busy for any amount of time, however a plan is needed because all of these attractions are spaced throughout the island. And a plan is what we didn't have, which led to a long two hour drive, with a bit or arguing, to a coastal town which neither one of us really wanted to see. The cramped living quarters must've gotten to us so we separated for an hour. Kristine went to a cafe and I went for a run and when we met back up we figured out a plan for the remainder of our time in NZ...problem solved.
Our first stop with our newly devised plan was Christchurch. When we arrived in Christchurch, we realized there wasn't anything we wanted to see or do. Not a good start. Some of the city is still recovering from the major earthquake it withstood in 2011 and you could see the empty plots where buildings once stood. So we hopped back into the van and headed towards Lake Tekapo. The driving in NZ is much different than driving in the states. The population is only 4.5 million with the majority or 3.5 million residing on the smaller north island. We would drive miles without seeing another car pass and it would sometimes freak us out and make us double check our directions. The only hazards were boredom and the random stray sheep. After having a romantic dinner of coconut and pumpkin soup with rice while sitting by Lake Tekapo, we packed up the kitchen into the back of the van and headed to another lakeside town, Wanaka. The Australian couple we met in Argentina had told us about Wanaka and showed us pictures and we immediately knew it was a place we needed to see for ourselves. Wanaka has great single track mountain biking at a place called the plantation, so we decided to see for ourselves and rented bikes and took off for the trails. It didn't take long to realize we were in over our heads, with some of the trails seemingly going straight down hill, we had to swallow our pride and enjoy some of the more intermediate trails. No need to break more collarbones half way around the world from home. With our wobbly legs from a day of mountain biking we set our to hike Mt. Roy with our last day in Wanaka. Our Aussie friends got married at the top of this mountain and after seeing the views from the top, we see why they chose this spot. Sweeping views of the distant mountain range, contrasted only by the deep blue of lake Wanaka....a perfect poster card setting. Continuing southward, we gave our legs a rest during the long drive after a very active couple days. Next up, the adventure capital of NZ, Queenstown. The saying goes, the only reason you leave Queenstown is because you run out of time or run out money. If you can think it up, you can probably find in Queenstown. There's bungy jumping, the worlds highest swing, caving, rock climbing, skydiving, paragliding....the list goes on and on. Three days was enough for us and we chose a couple adrenalin inducing activities to keep us occupied. First up was the shotover jet! The shotover jet is a small speed boat that has tiered seating for about 16 people. The driver races the boat upstream in just inches of water through a tight canyon, all the while getting only centimeters from the steep canyon walls and even pulling 360's in a space wide enough to fit three cars. It's wise to keep your hands by your side on this ride. Not a long ride but money well worth spent for another unique experience. Next, the Nevis swing. Dubbed the tallest swing in the world, it's an alternative to bungy jumping with just as much thrill. And since we haven't spent enough time side by side, Kristine wouldn't do it without me next to her...a tandem swing. Sitting in the swing, harnessed and dangling over the edge will definitely get your heart rate up. It's probably best to have your lunch after you do this. All of a sudden the countdown hits one and the clip releases, the ground gets closer by the millisecond and the only thing you feel is your face flapping in the wind. When it's over, you have time to process what had just happened. Whew, what a thrill. Maybe next time we'll bungy jump...separately. Having done the jet boat and bungy swing in one day we decide to relax the following day and seek out some trails to run. After an early morning run, we stumbled across Queenstown bowling club. Keeping with the relaxed vibe of the day, we stoked our competitive side and played a few games. The best way to describe lawn bowling would be if shuffleboard and bocci ball had a baby, lawn bowling would be the result. Apparently very popular in NZ. We thought about doing some other adrenaline inducing activities like paragliding but like the motto says, whatever you run out of first, time or money. We had plenty of time but a budget to stick with, so we jumped in the van and headed towards Milford sound. There are only a few ways to view Milford sound. You could see it by helicopter, by boat tour or by kayak. It also rains about 280 days out of the year and we happened to be there during one of the 280 rainy days, so kayaking and a helicopter were not an option. We hopped on a cruise boat that took us all the way through the sound and back. The first sight of Milford sound is stunning. Sheer rocky cliffs rise out of still, dark waters and forests clinging to the slopes, sometimes loosing their grip and creating a tree avalanche into the waters. What the day lacked in sunshine, it gained in waterfalls. There must've been over a hundred different waterfalls from the rain poring down the smooth granite slopes. A beautiful sight to behold. We found a cheap campground on our way out the Milford sound area and spent the rest of the night listening the rain pour down on our roof, a relaxing way to end the day.From the Fiordland we drove back the same way we had come from the day before, through Queenstown and Wanaka and then over Haast pass to an area known for its glaciers. We explored both Franz Josef and Fox glaciers over the next two days and they were stunning in their own right but after seeing some of the glaciers in southern Patagonia it was hard to stack up to the immensity of the ice fields in South America. At this point we were on the west coast and working our way north and it was beginning to feel like we were spending just as much time in our van as out of it. I guess that's a small price to pay when your trying to explore an entire country. It seemed to be the little, unexpected things that stuck out the most and reenergized our spirits. One instance that stands out amongst the others was while we were pounding the pavement and trying to get to Abel Tasman national park, we happened to drive past a stretch of coastline that took our breath away. We decided to get out and take a run along the water and then enjoy lunch overlooking the crashing waves along the rocky and tree strewn coastline. While exploring the beach after lunch we found out it was one of NZ top ten beaches and for obvious reasons. With our new found energy from the unexpected we arrived at Abel Tasman national park and set up camp for the night. The next morning we woke up to another beautiful sunny morning and set our sights on spending the next two days kayaking, hiking, and camping. We rented a tent, bought a few snacks to fuel us through one night and set off up the rugged coast in our kayak. We spent half the day paddling to a drop off point for the kayak and from there we hiked the rest of the day to a small beach where we set up our tent, ate our pb and j sandwiches and listened to the howls of the gusting wind as it tried to topple our tent. Luckily our tent held up and we were greeted with one of the better sunsets of our entire trip thus far. We packed up, ate cookies for breakfast and hiked to our pickup point where we were transported back to our starting point via boat. Had we planned a little better we could've spent a couple more nights in the park but we were running out of time and needed to get back to Auckland. Farewell for now, south island. Now, with only a few more days left in NZ, we wanted to make the most of it. After arriving back on the north island we shot up the west coast this time and made our way towards a couple small surf breaks to see what we could find. Unfortunately it was flat. So what do you do when the surf is flat? You find a golf course. And to our surprise there were two within a few minutes of our campground and so we spent the afternoon playing playing golf one a well maintained course with amazing coastal views. It was now Easter weekend and we parked Valerie in her last camp site of her long journey in a town called Takapuna, which had an amazing view of the bay and small islands around it. We spent part of Easter Day in a fitting way, at Campbell beach. If we couldn't spend the holiday with our loved ones we might as well spend it at a beach donning their last name. The other half was spent combing another beach for colorful shells and swimming in the warm, pale blue water. And as Easter came to an end, so did our time in the kiwi country. We spent 31 days in a van and drove over 1500 miles in that time and loved every second and every mile of it. New Zealand is one of those places that is hard to get too but once you arrive your rewarded with more natural beauty, endless vistas and friendly people that your memory can store.

---