My 12 Best Experiences at New Zealand’s South Island

Lash with stunt plane – U Fly Extreme – Motueka

My 12 Best Experiences at New Zealand’s South Island

I just completed an adventurous 3-month trip around New Zealand’s famed South Island, the place where NZ’s most renowned outdoor adventures and dramatic natural wonders are found. The island boasts fjords, glaciers, mountain peaks over 3000 M, rain forests, wild rivers & coastlines, several magnificent national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Just before arriving back in Nov. 2014, I wrote a post detailing my proposed travel plan around South Island, listing everything I hoped to see, do and experience while there. I’m happy to report that I accomplished most of that, save for a couple changes in plan along the way.

I ended up skipping a couple things in exchange for other, even more amazing experiences. It’s always good to leave some flexibility in the travel plans.

In the end, of all the great sights and experiences I enjoyed along the way, here are my 12 ‘best of the best’ times I had on South Island, NZ, listed in no particular order.

1. Abel Tasman Coast Track – 4 1/2 day trek

As I explained in my post about why Abel Tasman Coast Track is such an easy multi-day hike, I had planned hiking this trail when I was in my mid 20s. It took me over 2 decades to finally do it, but hike it I did. Quite happily, after all the anticipation and hype about it – one of New Zealand’s most popular and highly acclaimed walks – I was not at all disappointed.

Part of the excitement for me was finally getting back into backpacking, something I used to do quite avidly in my 20s and 30s in the USA and Japan.

While out on Abel Tasman, I realized with great surprise that I had not actually done a proper multiple-day outback hiking/camping trip for over a decade! I think my last trip was my solo climb of Java’s highest peak, Mt. Semeru volcano, back in 2001.

See photos of Abel Tasman Coast Track

Lash hitch hiking in New Zealand

2. Hitch Hiking!

Oddly enough, hitch hiking extensively around South Island was one of the very best things I did during my travels there. I had taken it up mainly to save money on expensive buses. I was also rather curious how it would work, as I’m not generally in the habit of hitch hiking during my world travels.

I never expected it to enhance my travels and experiences so much. I met so many kind & interesting people, both locals and foreign travelers, that I felt connections with people in a way I don’t normally experience.

It was wonderful finding so many people to help me out on my travels just to be helpful. And I made a couple new friends that I keep in touch with as well. My very best experience was hooking up with a French woman, traveling solo, who gave me a lift… for 3 days! We had a marvelous time together exploring the west coast, Hokitika and Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers.

 Read all about my hitch hiking experiences here.

native beech forest on Kepler Track

3. Kepler Track – 4 day trek

Kepler Track is another of New Zealand’s 9 designated ‘Great Walks’. Located in Fjordland National Park in the South Island’s far southwest, Kepler passed through gorgeous NZ beech forests, along two large lakes and up onto high alpine ridges with panoramic views over a sea of jagged mountains.

I had not organized/reserved any treks in that region ahead of time becausae it’s notorious for chilly, rainy weather, even in summer. NOT the type of weather I enjoy walking or camping in, I can tell you! But I kept several treks in the region in mind, just in case I had the opportunity.

My opportunity for Kepler Track arrived while I was staying in lakeside Te Anau. Thanks to my HelpX hosts at lovely Aden Motel, I’d walked several sections of the Kepler Track forests and was awed by its beauty. Checking weather reports online, I discovered that bright, warm sunny days were forcasted for an entire week.

I made a snap decision to skip my upcoming trip to Invercargill and use the scheduled days to go hike Kepler Track instead. I re-packed for trekking, bought up freeze dried meals and other trail foods, and had my helpful hosts drive me over to the trailhead.

One of the best decisions of my South Island travels! Fantastic hiking & camping in gorgeous forests & alpine ridges with superb weather the whole time.

 See photos of Kepler Track

Lash pitot-ing stunt plane

4. Flying a Stunt Airplane 

Flying a stunt airplane was not in my travel plans for South Island.

Luckily for me, Vincent & Alison D’Ath of U Fly Extreme in Motueka contacted me, as a prominent travel blogger, about going for a stunt flight and writing up a review. I was more than thrilled to join their offer. I’ve always loved flying.

So I ended up with one of the biggest thrills of my life Piloting a Stunt Airplane ← watch me fly and read my 1st-hand report of the experience.

Not only did they sponsor me for that amazing experience and video of my flight, but they also be-friended me, invited me into their home, and grealty assisted me in further exploring the region around Motueka – helping me out with rides, organizing a boat trip out of Abel Tasman at the end of my hike and including  me in local events.

Pennyfarthing bicycle in Dunedin

5. Learning to ride a Pennyfarthing Bicycle 

Ever heard of a Pennyfarthing Bicycle? I never had!

But I’ll bet you’ve seen pictures of them. You know, those old-time bicycles with a huge front wheel and super-tiny back wheel. They are Pennyfarthings, the first style bikes, built back in the 1880s.

Learning to ride one was another completely unexpected, but wonderful experience I was fortunate to enjoy during my South Island travels.

My lesson was entirely due to my HelpX host, Sophia, in historic Oamaru town. When she found out I was a huge bicycle enthusiast, she promptly offered to give me Pennyfarthing lessons. As a member of the local cycling club, Sophia had access to the town’s large collection of vintage bikes. So after working in the community gardens one day, we headed down to the historic district and pulled out some Pennyfarthings.

I got the hang of the ‘training’ bike pretty easily and enjoyed several rides up and down the cobbled street. But I didn’t manaage to conquer the much taller ‘regular’ bikes.

No worries – it was all great fun! Thanks Sophia!

blue penguin – photo by on Edward Kim on Flickr CC

6. Seeing Blue Penquins

Another huge treat for me in Oamaru was the chance to see penquins in the wild for the 1st time in my life. A large colony of the world’s tinies penquins lives on the edge of town.

In evenings, just after sunset, the penquins come to shore at the town’s marina and boat pier to access their onshore nests. They clambor up steep rocky banks, waddle across exposed sidewalks and parkland, and make a bee-line for their small grassy nests.

Penquin-loving volunteers are on hand to make sure pedestrians, cars and cyclists don’t interfere with the shy birds’ nightly ‘migration’.

Quite luckily for me, I got to see the cute Blue Penquins on my birthday! Yeah, I love making my birthdays special. Thanks Oamaru!

Lash at Milford Sound

7. Milford Sound Day Trip

Milford Sound is arguably New Zealand’s most famous and most visited attraction. Located in Fjordland National Park, Milford is one of the world’s most easily accessed fjords. Most visitors take a day trip there from either Queenstown or Te Anau.

I chose New Year’s Day – January 1st, 2015 – to do a day trip of Milford Sound from Te Anau. That entailed a 2-hour bus trip along the shore of vast Lake Te Anau then through dramatic Englington Valley and finally through rough-hewn Homer Tunnel, the only way by land to reach Milford Sound.

From there I enjoyed a 2-hour boat cruise through the narrow sound, which is closed in by sheer-sided mountains dripping in skinny waterfalls.

After the cruise, we all re-boarded the bus and returned through the same dramatic scenery to Te Anau.

A wonderful way to begin the new year!

Franz Josef Glacier

8. Seeing Glaciers

New Zealand’s Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are two of the most easily-accessible glaciers in the entire world. That fact is due to their extremely low elevations (under 300 M / 1000 ft) and proximity to nearby towns and roads.

I explored both glaciers with my new French friend, Helena, who gave me a lift hitch-hiking. We hiked up the stunning glacial valleys, full of lichen and moss covered rocks and gushing waterfalls, to the base of the glaciers. We had a lot of fun taking photos and admiring the gorgeous scenery. My first ever glaciers!

 See my photos of the glaciers

Haast Pass

9. Haast Pass

Haast Pass was one of the most beautiful places, if not the most beautiful, I saw in all of New Zealnd. The road follows wild Hasst River through a wide & curving river valley, surrounded by NZ’s most rugged, jaw-dropping mountain peaks. It was absolutely stunning.

Many day hikes, viewpoints and campgrounds are scattered along the valley, offering so many opportunities to get immersed in the wild mountain scenery.

Quite unfortunately for me, beacause of a long detour to Nelson, I only saw Haast Pass on a bus en route to Queenstown and Te Anau. If I get the chance, this is the first place in NZ I’ll return to explore in much more depth. I’m sure I could easily spend a week or more camping, hiking and marveling at the tremendous views there.

Tunnel Beach – Dunedin

1o. Tunnel Beach 

I didn’t know about Tunnel Beach when I visited Dunedin on South Island’s east coast. A local woman recommended it to me and encouraged my Help X hosts to take me out for a visit. Man am I glad they did! It was the best thing I did in Dunedin.

The beach is named for a rough-hewn stone tunnel that accesses the small beach, located at the base of sheer cliffs. The beach is nice, the tunnel is cool. But it’s the gorgeous white limestone cliffs and crazy-clear turquoise sea water that really make this place stunning.

 See my photos of Tunnel Beach here.

my apartment in Oamaru

11. Having my own apartment for one week

Once again, thanks to Sophia of Oamaru for graciously giving me her whole apartment for a week while I was there volunteering at the community gardens. Competely by chance, it just happened to be the week of my birthday! It was marvelous having an entire apartment to myself for a change. And it made this year’s birthday ultra special, to boot. Thanks Sophia!

aerial view of Abel Tasman NP – from scenic flight

12. Scenic Flight over Abel Tasman National Park 

My new-found friends, Vincent & Alison D’Ath, graciously offered me a one-hour scenic flight for Christmas. Vincent flew me and another local hiking friend of theirs up over the mountains of Kahurangi National Park, pointing out interesting topographical features like sink holes, caves, tiny crater lakes, wind-damaged forests and back country lodges.

Then he flew us along the gorgeous coastline of Abel Tasman National Park, where I had just hiked two weeks earlier. It was so very cool to see, from the air, the exact places I had hiked, camped, crossed estuaries and stopped for lunches during my wonderful trek.

If you’re into scenic flights, I highly recommend this trip, with its superb scenery and informative guide.

Thanks heaps to Vincent & Alison at U Fly Extreme in Motueka.

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 QUESTIONS:

 Have you visited NZ’s South Island? If so, what were your favorite experiences?

 Anything you missed?

 If you haven’t been yet, which of these would you most like to do?

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