The Southern Scenic Route is a 600+ kilometer driving route that connects Dunedin, Invercargill, Te Anau, and Queenstown, New Zealand. It is a gorgeous drive, and along the way you are treated to some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. On this drive, you will visit quaint coastal towns, deserted beaches, waterfalls, fiords, and a long list of …
Best Things to Do in Franz Josef | Glacier Country, New Zealand
Hike to viewpoints of glaciers, see the rarest Kiwi, soar over Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier in a helicopter, capture Mount Tasman’s reflection in Lake Matheson, go heli-hiking or ice climbing, and relax in a hot tub…these are all things you can do in and around Franz Josef, New Zealand. Glacier Country is an area on the west coast …
Fox Glacier & Franz Josef Helicopter Tours: Photos, Tips & What to Expect
A helicopter flight over the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers is a thrilling experience. To see this land of glacier-capped mountains, rainforests, and rugged coastlines is one of the best experiences to have in Glacier Country, if not all of New Zealand. On a helicopter tour from Franz Josef or Fox Glacier, you will fly over several glaciers, get to …
Doubtful Sound Day Trip: What to Expect, Photos & Map
Doubtful Sound is a fiord in southwest New Zealand. It’s a neighbor of the more popular Milford Sound. A visit to Doubtful Sound, with its more remote location and less touristy vibe, is a much different experience than a visit to the Milford Sound. A Doubtful Sound day trip takes one full day. To get here, you first have to …
One Day in Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand’s smallest park. Located on the northern coastline of the South Island, Abel Tasman is home to one of New Zealand’s multi-day walking tracks, aptly named the Abel Tasman Coast Track. This is also a great place for kayaking, exploring the wide, empty beaches, and walking on trails amidst a rainforest-type landscape. We planned …
Island Hopping New Zealand Style
Our travels in New Zealand started in Queenstown on the South Island. April in New Zealand is autumn…chilly nights, changing leaves, cooler temperatures. As the weather got colder, we slowly moved north, trying to stay ahead of the cooler temperatures. Over the course of two weeks we gradually moved north into slightly warmer temperatures, traveling from Queenstown up to Wanaka …
Silo Stay, New Zealand
This post was written by Tyler and Kara. We are a family of four who have been traveling around the world for ten months. We have slept in caves, in tents out in the African bush, in teahouses on the Everest base camp trek, and even under the stars in the Indian desert. While in New Zealand we had the …
Hooker Valley Track and Its Views of Mt Cook
For more amazing New Zealand views, do not miss the Hooker Valley Track in Aoraki/Mt Cook. Located in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, Mt Cook is New Zealand’s highest peak. It is best seen by helicopter or airplane flight but since we had recently blown the budget in Queenstown our feet were stuck on the ground, at least for …
Hiking Roy’s Peak Track With Kids
Time to go hiking again! This time we are in Wanaka, New Zealand, a gorgeous area with lakes framed by beautiful mountains. It is autumn, a terrific time to be in New Zealand. The trees are changing color, temperatures are cool but not too cold, and it is low season for tourists. Climbing up a mountainside for unbeatable views makes …
Becoming Adrenaline Junkies in Queenstown, New Zealand
This post could have been called a lot of things. Blowing the Budget BIG TIME. Having the Time of Our Lives. Getting Our Adrenaline Fix. Best Three Days Ever. #Neverwanttogohome. We had an absolutely amazing, action packed three days here. And there is still so much to do when we come back, and come back we will definitely do. Forget …
A Tale of Four Bungy Jumps
Prior to this trip, we would never have gone bungy jumping. That’s just for crazy people, right?! But as we passed bungy jump locations around the world, the idea grew on us. Once in Queenstown, the birthplace of bungy jumping, the idea didn’t sound so crazy anymore. How could we circle this globe, trying to experience as much of the …
The Perfect Day Trip: Te Anau to the Milford Sound
The Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most popular sights, is located just a few hours away from Queenstown on the South Island. Before arriving in Queenstown, we heard that you cannot visit New Zealand without visiting Milford Sound. It would be like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. After seeing tons of photos on line and …