NEW ZEALAND
13-Days Itinerary - South Island
Part 3: Day 9 to Day 13
Hello fellow traveller!
New Zealand comprises two major landmasses – North Island and South Island. Over here we will be covering the most exciting parts of the South Island. New Zealand adds an adventure twist to nature. A country of stunning and diverse natural beauty: jagged mountains, rolling pasture land, steep fiords, pristine trout-filled lakes, raging rivers, scenic beaches
This will be Part 3 of the 3 posts that will bring around New Zealand South Island. We’ve created a custom google map and an excel file of all the places covered here. From there, you will able to see the duration it takes to travel from one location to the other. Of course, you can tweak the itineraries to your own preferences. Please request it in the “Contact” section and we will send it over to you.
Make sure to read this post: New Zealand (General Info) to get background of what to expect in New Zealand.
Day 9: Drive to Franz Josef and the Western side of NZ
Today we will leave Wanaka and head over to Franz Josef.
Weather at the western coast of NZ is often rainy. Packed with lush green forest and winding road, it offers a different terrain compared to the rest of NZ.
Blue Pools Walk
The first stop for today is to take a short walk through the forest which leads to pure glacial water gathered from the mountains. The pools get their name from the unique blue color of the water. The blue color is a result of light refraction on the clear and icy cold water.
There’s a limit to the number people allowed on the swing bridges at any one time – be prepared to wait at each end if numbers allowed have been reached.
Knight’s Point Lookout
As we take our journey through the windy roads on the Western side of NZ, this will lead us to the Knight’s Point Lookout. Here, you get to see beautiful coastline, with it’s rocks, the blue water, green vegetation and unobstructed view of the Tasman Sea.
Be careful of the black flies (they call it sandflies in NZ) here. They are more prevalent on the Western coast because they need running water to breed. They are attracted to dark clothing. Their bites are painful and leave red marks. Bring some insect repellent or lemon grass spray.
Bruce Bay
By the time around sunset, you will arrive at Bruce Bay. Take a short break, stretch your legs and enjoy the waves crashing into the beach and the sunset.
Franz Josef Airbnb
This airbnb we stayed has the least light pollution out of all. Hence when it was a clear sky at night, we could see the stars so clearly (see post below).
Day 10: Heli ride to Glacier Hike and Lake Matheson
Glacier Hiking and Lake Matheson
Due to the rainy weather, our glacier hike was cancelled. We would highly recommend doing this activity. Because you get to take a helicopter and start the 3 hrs glacier hiking.
Unfortunately, the rain continued throughout the day and we didn’t get to see Lake Matheson as well.
Milky Way
Maybe due to the raining in the day, we had clear sky in the night and we managed to get our first milky way experience.
As we stood outside our Airbnb, we could see the whole milky way stretching across the whole night sky. The photo doesn’t do it justice as it only shows 10% of it. Never ever take the chance for granted. We were out there for around 45 mins and the cloud quickly came back and covered the sky.
Day 11: Drive to Lake Tekapo, Church of the Good Shepherd, Star Gazing
Castle Hill
There are 2 routes to Lake Tekapo, either you backtrack by the way you came in, or continue the road and going through Castle Hill. We would suggest going the Castle Hill way because you get to see a new area rather than going through the same scenery, even though it’s one hour longer.
Castle Hill was named because of the imposing array of limestone boulders in the area reminiscent of an old, run-down stone castle.
Church of the Good Shepherd
This beautiful small church with charming stone façade is the perfect piece of Mackenzie heritage. It’s situated by the shore of Lake Tekapo and frame by the Southern alps.
Mt John University Observatory
Unfortunately the rainy weather continued on and our star gazing tour at Mt John University Observatory got cancelled.
Lake Tekapo Airbnb
Lake Tekapo is part of a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, making it the perfect spot for stargazing. So if there is a clear night sky, do pop out and enjoy the view.
Day 12: Fresh salmon and Hooker Valley Trek
Mount Cook Alpine Salmon
A must try around Lake Pukaki region. These delicious farm salmon are a good start before the Hooker Valley trekking.
Peter’s Lookout
Peter’s Lookout is the place for a picturesque view of the road curving next to the turquoise Lake Pukaki with a towering mountain backdrop.
Hooker Valley Track
Probably the most iconic activity to do in NZ South Island. The gloomy weather continued and the Hooker Valley Track was closed. I’m very sure that this trek will be very beautiful. If we get the chance to be back in NZ, we will surely attempt this again.
Day 13: Fly back home
Depending on the time of your flight. You can choose to hang around more at Lake Tekapo or have a walk around Christchurch city.