So everything anyone has told you about New Zealand, it’s all of that and so much more.
We’ve had the great bit of luck of being here under some perfect weather. We’ve gotten perfectly clear views of Aoraki / Mount Cook for multiple days as well as clear nights under perfectly dark, moonless skies for viewing the band of the Milky Way Galaxy. I’ve even been able to get a few photos of the Aurora Australis (the Southern Lights).
We’ve been here a little over a week now, exploring the south central parts of the south island. It’s mid-March, which is very early Fall here in the southern hemisphere. Days have been warm in the sun, but cool at night… or in the shade. Today’s weather had a low of 8 warming to a high of 20. (46f–68f). The sun is intense at this latitude so in the direct sun it feels much warmer than 68.
Driving in NZ
I’ve driven on the left now in a few countries including a road trip along the Great Ocean Road in Australia and the Garden Route in South Africa. No real surprises here in NZ. The roads here on the south island are mostly not very busy and are usually just one lane each direction. Even in cities that you’ve heard of like Queenstown, it’s nothing like downtown Sydney. It’s probably as good a place as any to have your first experience with driving on the left if you’re so inclined. There’s also plenty of clockwise roundabouts to practice on too.
Our time so far
We flew into Auckland, NZ which is on the north island. We only stayed for one night and the next day we flew south to Queenstown on the south island. The flight is about two hours and the scenery, if you’re lucky enough to have a clear day, is fantastic. We only spent one night in Queenstown before heading to our first multi-night stay which was at Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park.
Aoraki / Mount Cook
With three nights we had the chance to explore the park for two relaxing days. We hiked the Hooker Valley Track, the Tasman Glacier and Red Tarns. Unfortunately, only the first part of the Hooker Valley Track was accessible due to a trail maintenance at the second bridge which is being replaced. The views from the part that is still open are well worth your time.
The Tasman Glacier trek is a fairly short trail but the views are fantastic and even in late summer/early fall there were some icebergs on the lake. The Red Tarns track is basically a hill climb. The trail is about 4km (2.5miles) but it’s straight up. The trail has stairs to take you up the mountain’s switchbacks —1200 of them. So you gain about 300 meters (1000ft) of altitude very quickly. It’s probably best done earlier in the day since the sun, even when it’s only 20c (70 degrees) out, is intense and there is very little shade.
Lake Pukaki
After we left Aoraki / Mount Cook, our next stay was only about 45 minutes away. We stayed at Lakestone Lodge at the southern rim of Lake Pukaki. There is a mountain biking trail down there and easy access to other treks. We stayed there for two nights giving us one relaxing full day to explore. Since we’d already visited Aoraki / Mount Cook, we decided to check out the Clay Cliffs. We went early in the day and were treated with deep blue skies and a gorgeous view of the badland area. It was quite different scenery than other places in the area so if you’re in that part of NZ, I’d highly recommend checking it out. The trail is only about 1km.
Te Anau
After leaving Lake Pukaki we went to Te Anau where we spent three more nights, leaving two full days to explore. Since Milford Sound came so highly recommended, we made sure to take one of the cruises. Milford Sound is a fiord within Fiordland National Park and it’s known for sheer cliffs, towering waterfalls and rainforests. It is an absolute must see. The area is gorgeous and absolutely fantastic. We ended up doing a small group tour which was nice because I didn’t have to spend the two hours driving into the park and our guide knew the best lookout spots for some great photography during our misty morning ride out to the fiord.
On day two we did another tour, this time to see the glow worms. We went with RealNZ as a tour operator. The route to the caves is across the lake so the excursion includes a half hour boat ride to the visitors center and then a short walk into the caves. The caves are filled with water so the viewing of the glowworms is done from a small boat in complete darkness within the cave. It’s kind of cool and a unique experience. A few years ago we visited Dismals Canyon in Alabama, USA, which also has glow worms. There, the worms aren’t in a cave, but outside on canyon walls. So you have to go at night to see them. In Te Anau, it’s deep in a cave so you can see them during the daytime.
Dark skies
So far the Aurora Australis hasn’t been bright enough to really see it with the naked eye any of the times and locations I’ve looked for it, but with a bit of a long exposure on your camera it has been visible. The galactic core of the Milky way galaxy however is easily visible to the naked eye and absolutely sings on camera.
We’ll be on the south island for another two weeks or so with plans to do some hikes, and to visit more locations on the western coast which people keep telling me is amazing.
