South Island WHAT IS UP!!! here’s a snippet of my 7 days in New Zealand in 2018

DAY 1: DRIVE TO QUEENSTOWN

first things first. we picked up our rental car (whom we later nicknamed Gertrude) then began the 6 hour drive from Christchurch to Queenstown. with barely anyone on the road and snow on the ground it seemed surreal. after not seeing anyone for hours we got a speeding ticket, but we stopped along the way to feel the snow. we got to Queenstown around 9:30PM only to find out the airbnb that I booked was about 7 hours away (yikes). within minutes we tried finding another airbnb, but settled on staying in a hostel for the night to prepare for our busy day ahead. we planned all our accommodations when we got there because New Zealand weather is so unpredictable and all the activities were weather dependent so we never knew exactly where we were going to be. 

Day 2: Fiordland & Milford Sound

Saved the best day….for the second day. not only is Milford absolutely INCREDIBLE but we probably spent 3 hours making tons of stops along the way driving through Fiordland National Park. favorite part of the day was seeing dolphins in Milford sound, seeing the bluest water of my entire life (think blue majik BLUE), and getting covered in glacier water & drinking it (best water I’ve dranken, next to Kangen ofc) 

BTW: THE SHEEP TO PERSON RATIO HERE IS SEVEN TO ONE (ABOUT 30 MILLION SHEEP IN NZ)

Day 3: Ben Lomond Hike & Te Anau Glowworm caves

went on a hike and then did the glowworm caves through the tour company “Real Journey” . super cool, once in a lifetime kinda experience! I have no pics of the glowworms because they didn’t allow us to take pics, which is a blessing because the darkness is what makes it so dope

Day 4: Bob’s Cove, Roaring Meg, & Lake Wanaka

soooooooo we were supposed to jump out of a plane at 8am BUT the weather conditions were bad so we rescheduled for the following day. All is well because we ended up finding Bob’s cove on the drive back from Glenorchy and eating breakfast at Fergburger (popular burger spot with a line out the door at all times bc it’s freakin amazing). Then we ventured to the OVER HYPED Roaring Meg (unless we were missing something?? or Milford was the best yet). Next we went to Lake Wanaka to see the legendary #thatwanakatree. It truly is beautiful and I could literally be there for hours.In all seriousness the lone willow tree’s environment is being hurt by tourists, so lets do everything in our part to keep her beauty!! Ended the day with some gelato, journaling, and sunset watching at our sick airbnb.  

Day 5: Adrenaline Rush to the MAX

best day eva. I faced every single fear I’ve ever had of heights. jumped out of a plane and off of a bridge in the SAME day. Then after all of that we made the 5 hour drive to Franz Josef Glacier, while stopping many times through Mount Aspiring National Park. We booked our Skydive through Skydive Southern Alps in Glenorchy at 12,000 feet. It was a great experience & didn’t feel real. For the Bungy Jump, we did it at the famous AJ Hacket Bungy Jump. TBH I was more nervous about that then the skydive, but it was thrilling!!   

Day 6: Heli-Hike at Fox Glacier & hiking around Franz Josef

after waking up in one of the coolest airbnbs in Franz Josef, we drove to Fox Glacier for our heli-hike. first time in a helicopter baby!! pro tip: wear sunglasses. I got a major eye sun burn (because the sun reflects onto the glacier) and had no sunglasses on the trip with me. We hiked on a glacier and even went in an ice cave that had just developed that morning. after the hike we did some hikes around Franz Josef.  

Day 7: Drive to Christchurch, Hokitika Gorge, National Kiwi Centre

drove back to Christchurch & made many stops along the way. I finally got to see a Kiwi, but it was hard to see because they live in the dark. we also went to a fuego sandwich place in Hokitika called The Hokitika Sandwich Company…it was fresh & amazing. 

Day 8: breakfast, mini golf, and fly back to Sydney

stayed in Christchurch until our flight. tbh there isn’t much to do there. it’s very industrial (saw an orange theory fitness) and there is still a lot of damage from the recent earthquake. we ate food & more food. I played mini golf for my first time. we went to the museum and saw some street art. we also went to the “185 empty chairs”. The 185 empty white chairs is an unofficial memorial for the 185 individuals who passed away in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. 

if you’re looking to go to the most serene, nature untouched, and spiritually nourishing place come to New Zealand & experience this