I had once heard that New Zealand is such a beautiful place that you can’t believe it, even when you see it with your own eyes. We have only been here several days now and I agree with that statement. New Zealand just may be the most beautiful country we have ever visited. This post was written at the beginning of our first trip to New Zealand in 2015.
We arrived in Auckland from Fiji, spent a night in the hotel by the airport, and then flew to Queenstown in the south island. The airport in Queenstown gets my vote for the most beautiful airport in the world. As we stepped off of the airplane onto the tarmac, we were greeted by blue skies, the colors of autumn, and our first view of The Remarkables, a rocky mountain range featured in “The Lord of the Rings” and a popular skiing destination in the winter.
Wow!
As we walked through the airport, picked up our rental car, and then drove into Queenstown for lunch, I found myself saying “Wow!” over and over again until it became some kind of joke.
Wow! Look at all of the ads in the airport for paragliding, bungy jumping, skiing, and jet boat riding (Queenstown is New Zealand’s adventure capital).
Wow! Look at all of the cool restaurants in Queenstown. There are people sitting at outdoor cafes drinking beer (it’s been quite a long time since we’ve seen that after touring Asia for 5 months).
And later, as we drove south to Te Anau, we were all saying “Wow!” as we went around every turn, another stunning view unfolding before our eyes.
Wow! Look at those mountains!
Wow! Look at all of those sheep (there are more sheep than people in New Zealand)!
Wow! Look at that view!
And this was just day 2 of an almost one month journey through New Zealand.
Wow! We are so thrilled to be here!
More Information about New Zealand
OUR FAVORITE EXPERIENCES IN NEW ZEALAND: All four of us went bungy jumping in Queenstown which was a blast. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is our favorite hike in New Zealand, followed by Roy’s Peak Track and the Routeburn Track. We also love Waiheke Island (a great day trip from Auckland), Queenstown and visiting Franz Josef (Glacier Country).
NEW ZEALAND ROAD TRIP: With 3 weeks in New Zealand, visit the highlights on a road trip to the North Island and South Island. If you have less time, you can shorten this itinerary by spending 2 weeks on the South Island.
SOUTH ISLAND: On the South Island of New Zealand, visit Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, spend a few days in Wanaka, hike the Routeburn Track, drive the Southern Scenic Route, visit the Marlborough Wine Region, and visit Franz Josef and Glacier Country. For the full list, read our article Best Things to Do on the South Island.
NORTH ISLAND: Top experiences on the North Island include spending a day or two in Auckland, hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, visiting Cathedral Cove, touring Hobbiton, cruising the Bay of Islands, and seeing glowworms and blackwater rafting in the Waitomo Caves. For the full list, read our article about the Best Things to Do on the North Island.
We have TONS of information about New Zealand in our New Zealand Travel Guide, including Auckland, Queenstown, Wanaka, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Franz Josef, Christchurch, Wellington, Taupō, and the Milford Sound.
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Comments 4
Great info and pictures. Thanks for sharing.
I love watching you . You are doing a very good job with pictures and information about he places. I am learning sooo much! Thanks forsharing
Now my turn:Wow!!!!Hey the earthtrekkers,haha,I have a good friend named Yan,she is on her one-year WHV(working holiday visa) time in New Zealand now,and she is a tour guide,really hope she can help with something!here is her email add:yanshaflow@gmail.com and I ve also asked her to follow you!haha
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Thank you, Celine!