While New Zealand in general is one of the best countries to visit for it's diverse landscapes and beauty, let me tell you why you should especially visit the South Island. While the North island is warmer and full of beautiful beaches, the South island is known as "the real" New Zealand. Why? That's where you can witness wilderness and raw beauty - icy glaciers, incredible mountain range, diverse wildlife, adventures and much more. Here I'll introduce you to my ultimate top 7 things to see in the South Island.
1# Mount Cook - Hooker Valley Track
This is definitely a must do short track in the South Island. It's fairly easy 3 hour return track that goes through the landscapes of the Southern Alps. You'll enjoy the views of the New Zealand’s highest peak - Mount Cook, the Hooker river and the Mueller Glacier. And you'll get to walk over three beautiful swing bridges. I really recommend!
2# Queenstown
I can't really describe how much I love this place. Queenstown for me was inspiring, because of it's adventurous vibe and beautiful mountains. I used to dream going to places like this, while sitting at home with a cup of tea and browsing through tumblr. And now I got to be there and take my own photographs. I went there in Winter, meaning, the streets were full of people with skis, snowboards and other Winter attributes. Some days it was snowing, making this place a real Winter wonderland. There are plenty of things to do around here, like going up the gondola, trying local restaurants and bars (if you're there, don't miss the Fergburger), go skiing in one of the ski resorts, go wine tasting, visit nearest towns (like Glenorchy) or if you want to go on a real adventure - try the biggest swing in the World, bungee jump, catapult or other crazy stuff.
3# Roy's peak track in Wanaka
This is one of those challenging day hikes. If you want to do it, be prepared for 6 hours of hiking, bring lots of water and food. The hike is steep and you have to have reasonable fitness level to reach the summit. If you do it in Winter like me, make sure you wear boots and appropriate clothing for the weather (it can get really windy and cold up there). But the hike is super worth it - you'll see amazing views of Wanaka and the surrounding mountains.
4# Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park is a coastal walk and you need 3-5 days to walk the entire track. But it's also popular to do just a part of it by doing single day walks. You can get there by water taxi, boat, kayak or even helicopter. We chose to walk the middle part of the track - Medlands Beach to Anchorage Bay, and it took us about 4 hours. There are lots of cruise operators, who offer various tours for day walks. The coast walk incredibly beautiful with golden cliffs, nice beaches, swing bridges, pools and more. Recommend doing it in off season as it's really popular and can get crowded.
5# Nelson
If you're traveling in summer, make sure to stop in Nelson. It's a beautiful coastal city with beautiful parks, beaches, wineries and mountain views. I spent there a month in the middle of Summer and it was the best experience. Things that I recommend doing here: go to the centre of New Zealand, watch the sunset on the beach, visit Nelson markets, listen to live music at the Freehouse bar, go to a concert at the Fairlfield house, go swimming in Maitai river's black hole, visit Rabbit island, go to the Nelson Provincial Museum, play mini golf near Tahunanui beach. Another reason to come here - Nelson is the sunniest place in New Zealand, so sunny days are guaranteed.
6# Kaitiki Point penguin watching
So this is one of those unique experiences in New Zealand, where you can actually see seals and penguins in their natural habitat. This was a special place for me as I could actually experience a Yellow Eyed penguin coming out of the Ocean. If you're planning to go penguin watching, be sure to follow guidelines on how not to disturb and stress them. We've tried a couple of places to watch penguins, but we were lucky only here. Tip: make sure you're going at the right time of the year - between end of August to December, and at the right time of the day - around 4pm. Magnificent experience!
7# Pancake rocks
The pancake rocks are situated on the West coast and are really worth seeing. It's just a 20 min loop track from the car park and it will blow your mind. These incredible limestone formations began forming 30 million years ago and now are in the shape of pancakes. This place is also know for it's blowholes, but make sure you go in a high tide. The more windy and stormy the weather - the more impressive the experience. Don't forget to take awesome photos - it's a photographer's paradise.
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I hope these were good enough reasons to visit the South Island in New Zealand. This part of the World is just incredible and words cannot describe how beautiful it is. You just have to come and see yourself. Happy travels!
"Traveling -it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." - Ibn Battuta
x Liene
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