This is a travel series documenting our 1-month family road trip in New Zealand traveling from North Island to South Island.
Exploring New Zealand by car had always been a dream for @iamyohann and I.
Why New Zealand? I fell in love with the country many years prior when Yohann and I backpacked together via Kiwi Experience Bus in 2007. Since then, we made a pact to return and seized the opportunity to bring my non-English speaking in-laws to experience this marvelous country with our then 4-year-old daughter.
Packed with stories, short films, and photographs, I tried my best to capture the moments in the hopes that one day, my daughter and family could re-visit this grand adventure and share how it is like to travel in a rental car as a family of 5.
@discoveringarni/getting-to-new-zealand-from-the-philippines
A helpful guide in getting to New Zealand, visa preparations, how to plan the logistics and itinerary, and information in arranging a car rental. It also includes a video of what to expect during the air travel from Cebu to Auckland.
@discoveringarni/a-day-and-a-half-in-auckland
Day 1 and 2 of our 1-month family road trip where we explored the city of Auckland on foot and how we initially navigated our way with the challenge of driving on the other side of the road with a rental car.
@discoveringarni/road-trip-mishaps-to-rotorua-from-auckland
Day 3 - We drove on the left for our first major drive from Auckland to Rotorua. Popping by the Lord of the Rings town of Matamata. It includes a video of the scenic drive.
@discoveringarni/a-visit-to-a-maori-thermal-village-in-rotorua
The smell of Rotorua reminded me of rotten eggs. I suddenly remembered a tour guide in the Kiwi Experience Bus Tour we boarded in 2007 calling the city *"rotten-rua" * Our noses eventually got used to it. This aroma comes from the volcanic activity in this incredible geothermal paradise. We visited a living Māori thermal village.
@discoveringarni/forest-bathing-in-the-redwoods-of-rotorua
Day 5 - Rotorua is a hiking and biking wonderland. We spent the morning before Christmas Eve forest bathing in The Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest.
@discoveringarni/out-and-about-in-rotorua
Things to Do and See while you are in Rotorua, Bay of Plenty in New Zealand.
Christmas Day in Taupo, a charming boating and fishing town on the central north island of New Zealand. Here is a helpful guide in planning your itinerary of Things to Do in Taupo. It includes a video that would give you a glimpse of what this lakeside town is known for.
@discoveringarni/art-deco-streetscape-of-napier-and-wine-tasting-at-hawke-s-bay
Day 8 - Getting from Taupo to Napier popular for its Art Deco Architecture and Wine Tours
@discoveringarni/tui-brewery-guided-tour-and-beer-tasting-in-new-zealand
Day 9 A spontaneous beer tasting detour to Tui Brewery Guided Tours on our way to Wellington. An excellent activity for beer lovers!
@discoveringarni/wellington-on-foot-with-video
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand which Vogue dubbed as a "locavore's dream." Be prepared to explore the culinary capital through its restaurants, cafes and craft beer bars. Check out the video exploring the hilly city of Wellington on foot.
@discoveringarni/goodbye-north-island-hello-south-island-and-marlborough-country
Day 11- The journey from Wellington to Picton on the interisland ferry was more than 3 hours (96 kilometers) of scenic views of Cook Strait to get to South Island.
@discoveringarni/a-coastal-hike-in-the-wilderness-of-abel-tasman
Day 12 - Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand's smallest national park located at the north end of the South Island. We all decided to spend the last day of 2017 walking and tramping along the pristine coast of Abel Tasman National Park.
@discoveringarni/a-road-detour-to-cape-foulwind-seal-colony
Day 13 An unplanned detour to Cape Foulwind Seal Colony, a breeding colony of fur seals on Tauranga Bay. A self-guided coastal track of a 1.5-hour walk one way offering a panoramic view of the mountain, rugged coastline, a lighthouse, and elevated viewing platforms to observe fur seals in their natural habitat.
@discoveringarni/hiking-overload-in-the-abel-tasman-wilderness-tauranga-bay-and-punakaiki
A video of the hikes in Abel Tasman Park, Cape Foulwind Sea Colony and Punakaiki
@discoveringarni/explore-the-west-coast-of-new-zealand-punakaiki-marine-reserve
Day 14 Punakaiki Marine Reserve lies on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. It surrounds the Dolomite Point's Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Our hiking overload continues and an invigorating stay at Te Nikau Retreat.
@discoveringarni/pancake-rocks-and-blowholes-on-the-west-coast-of-new-zealand
Day 15 - A stopover at Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Dolomite Point which lies visibly on the fringe of Punakaiki on coastal state highway 6. Pancake Rocks and Blowholes is the entry point to the limestone country of Paparoa National Park and it the most underrated destination in New Zealand in my opinion.
@discoveringarni/glacier-country-journey-to-franz-josef-glacier
Day 15 and 16 - The drive from Punakaiki to Franz Josef Township, things to do in the glacier country and a memorable hike to Franz Josef Glacier.
@discoveringarni/glacier-country-hike-to-lake-matheson-and-fox-glacier
Day 17 - Hike to Lake Matheson and Fox Glacier (The Valley Walk) when it was still open to visitors.
@discoveringarni/an-epic-road-trip-from-franz-josef-to-wanaka-haast-pass
Wanaka is known to be one of the best scenic routes in the world. This post and the short video will take you on a joyride on Haast Pass, also known as New Zealand State Highway 6.
@discoveringarni/one-chill-out-summer-day-in-wanaka
Wanaka is a lakeside resort town nestled along with the crystal clear waters of New Zealand's fourth-largest lake, Lake Wanaka. It attracts two kinds of tourists; adventurers and those with relaxation in mind. Things to do, where to stay and how to get around are what you might expect from this post.
@discoveringarni/discover-summertime-in-queenstown
Experiencing Queenstown twice and discovering its many faces. Queenstown is an urban area built around Lake Wakatipu, also called Queenstown Bay and is magnificently surrounded by the Southern Alps. Check out the Queenstown video.
@discoveringarni/road-trip-to-te-anau-and-back
Day 21- I drove 180 kilometers from Queenstown southbound to Te Anau, our base in visiting Milford Sound. Fiordland Great View Holiday Park was our home and this post will show you what to expect in this small town.
@discoveringarni/why-a-day-trip-to-milford-sound-was-on-our-list
Day 22, a day trip to Milford Sound, where it rains almost 200 days a year. Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) is a 22-kilometer long fiord that lies deep within Fiordland National Park in the southwest of South Island in New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's most popular and most visited tourist attractions due to its breathtaking landscape.
@discoveringarni/a-morning-walk-at-morningstar-in-queenstown-new-zealand
Day 24 -A short film featuring a surprise morning hike at Morningstar Track on Arthurs Point Road in Queenstown
@discoveringarni/road-trip-postcard-gold-and-golf-in-arrowtown-new-zealand
A detour in a gold and golf small town of Arrowtown. Check out what makes this charming town a part of your itinerary list.
@discoveringarni/road-trip-to-mount-cook-and-lake-pukaki
Day 24- 26 Watercolor lakes. The enchantment of Mount Cook National Park and Lake Pukaki will leave you in awe. Check out the video that features a lovely airbnb in Twizel, a cold hike to Hooker Valley and watching sunset at Lake Pukaki.
@discoveringarni/a-beautiful-lavender-field-in-a-totally-unexpected-place
Day 25 A visit to New Zealand Alpine Lavender, the largest organic lavender farm in the southern hemisphere and a stunning picture-worthy attraction along Mount Cook Road in Twizel, Canterbury, New Zealand.
@discoveringarni/road-trip-to-lake-tekapo-and-the-canterbury-plains
Day 26-27 Capturing the scenic road trip on film and photographs as we journeyed from Lake Tekapo to Canterbury Plains on our way to Christchurch. We had an overnight stopover in Fairlie to break the long drive.
Day 28 A travel video of our family day trip to Akaroa, a seaside town in the south island of New Zealand established by French settlers.
@discoveringarni/visiting-christchurch-before-and-after-the-earthquake
Day 27-31 Re-discovering Christchurch Before and After the Quake that destroyed this charming garden city in 2011.
Photo Collage by Canva