South Island, New Zealand (NZ)

I recently went on a local road trip around the south island of New Zealand and thought you guys might like some of the photos. The trip started in Christchurch and over the course of 10 days we drove to Lake Tekapo, Wanaka, Cromwell, Queenstown, Te Anau (said t-are-now), Milford Sound, the Catlins, Dunedin and back to Christchurch as a loop. If you come to NZ this is the most visited area and in my opinion the best views.

In Wanaka we did a 6 hour straight up hike to the top of Roys peak. The view is spectacular and I would recommend it to everyone who visits. If you make the trip don't stop at the viewing area. It is only an extra 30mins to the top and the 360 deg view is amazing. In New Zealand all national parks are free to visit but if you enjoy the walk/area we recommend adding a donation to the box as the Department of Conservation (DoC) who look after the area are often under funded.

The drive to the Milford sound is beautiful to say the least. It was completely different terrain to where I live in Christchurch which is quite flat. Milford Sound is actually a fiord not a sound which means that it was formed when a glacier retreats.

On the drive into the Milford sound there are lots of stops and rest points which are a must. The Mirror lakes are named that way because the lakes are so still and clean, the water creates a reflection of the hills behind them.

Another stop was Lake Marian which is a 3 hour hike. The track was a little muddy to get there but the water was cool, clean and fresh.

The weather was a mix of beautiful sunny days and rain. Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world so as expected it rained there. We took an early morning cruise in Milford Sound which although it rained gave spectacular views. You feel so insignificant in size here.

One of the most under rated attractions that we visited was the underwater observatory in the Milford sound. We were lucky to visit when it was very clear water and because the cruise was the first in the morning it wasn't packed. You descend 2-3 stories under water and view the deep water fish in their natural habitat. When I booked I couldn't decide whether on not to go on this but in the end it was extremely worth it.

Underwater Observatory, Milford Sound, New Zealand

In NZ we care about our land and looking after these natural attractions. If you ever visit make sure you take nothing but photographs and leave nothing behind but footprints.