A week in New Zealand and we’re just getting started! Our Airbnb is perfect – we have a small place close to Queenstown but outside of the hustle and bustle of tourists. It’s spring here, so still a little chilly but we’ve still managed to pack a lot in! The easiest way to share is to just break it down by day, so here it goes. 

Day 1: We drove out to Glenorchy down the Glenorchy Road, and around every corner was another stunning viewpoint of Lake Wakatipu. The town of Glenorchy itself was small, and we took the rental car down some dirt roads searching for Lord of the Rings filming areas, but unfortunately our tiny car wasn’t able to pass a flooded road.

We went to catch the sunset at one of the viewpoints looking over Queenstown. I was excited to see a little piece of home with a Sugarloaf sticker!

Day 2: We did a short hike up to Lake Alta at The Remarkables Ski Area. Stunning views, but you couldn’t see the lake because everything was still snow covered! 

Day 3: We headed out to Lake Wanaka where the famous Wanaka tree is. We did a short hike and made it back to the lake for sunset (even though it was too cloudy to see the sun).

 

Day 4: We decided to drive to Milford Sound – which is a whole day trip. Part of what we heard was so amazing about Milford Sound was the drive – so we did 4 hours there and 4 hours back. It was stunning.  

Day 5: The Skyline in Queenstown is a gondola that takes you up part of a mountain in town for some amazing views. I did a small part of the Ben Lomond hike while Chris killed the whole thing (I’m not in shape to do that sort of hike, on top of the cold that I’ve had for the last month).

Day 6: The morning was spent back at Milford Sound – but this time we flew with Glenorchy Air over the Southern Alps. The views of the Alps and the Sound by air were breathtaking. As part of the trip we also took a cruise around Milford Sound to get up close to the sights and waterfalls. 

I decided to have my “when in Rome” moment and bungy jump off the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge. This is the worlds first commercial bungy jumping site. When My feet were getting tied up, the guys told me I probably wouldn’t be able to touch the water unless I put on a few pounds (they confirmed my weight 3 times before I jumped). I said bummer, and they looked at each other and said “ok, we can try some things.” They made a few adjustments and told me what to do with my hands and head to ensure I touched water. I would most likely get my hands wet, but there was also a chance of my head going under, depending on how well I followed directions. Not only did my head go in, my entire upper body went in. It was amazing. I definitely recommend it! Everyone else who went around the time I did screamed. Apparently I was completely silent. It was almost relaxing, but a total adrenaline rush at the same time. 

New Zealand is turning out to be amazing. I don’t want to leave!