Queenstown was an amazing place! It was a long drive from Franz Josef though. We even picked up a hitchhiker! Julius from Germany, another backpacker like myself. So after leaving about 9am we didn't get there till maybe 4pm. We did stop at Wanaka for some lunch. We wished we had more time as it looked like a really nice place to spend a few days. Our accommodation was called Villa del Lago, which were lakefront apartments - beautiful views! That evening we had t...

Once we arrived in Greymouth we had a long-ish car journey down to Franz Josef. By the time we arrived and had checked in to our accommodation it was dinner. So we went down to one of the local restaurants for a bite to eat and glass of wine. We had to be up early the next day for a helicopter ride over the glaciers but the weather wasn't looking too great... The next morning we called the company we were meant to be flying with and they told us to come down to ...

So we had a very early start from Christchurch for the TranzAlpine train journey across to Greymouth. It's one of the quickest ways across the South Island but also recognised as one of the top scenic rail journeys in the world. And it didn't disappoint! The train itself was very comfortable and included an cafe cart and an open air cart where you could get an even better view of the surroundings. Most of the middle part of South Island is deserted due to the ter...

By the time we arrived in Christchurch after driving from Kaikoura it was almost evening. We checked in at our B&B which was lovely, very nicely decorated like shabby chic but more luxurious. We went for a short walk around the local area and grabbed some dinner. The next day we had planned to go in the city centre which was a bit daunting as we didn't know what to expect after the earthquake. 80% of the buildings in the centre had either been destroyed or n...

On the way to Kaikoura we stopped at Yealands vineyard, world famous for their organic wines. The grounds were enormous and stunning - the vines went all the way up to the coastal cliffs and there chickens and sheep roaming free! Very unique as a winery. Further along our journey to Kaikoura we stopped at Ohau Falls where seal pups are frequently seen. We were in luck and there was two young ones playing and swimming in the water. They are such gorgeous animals. ...