South Island

The ferry from Wellington wasn't the most enjoyable experience I've had. Taking 3 and a half hours the boat was hit with gusty winds and rough seas so I spent most of the trip trying not to throw up! The ferry transfer calmed down towards the end which meant I was able to get up on the top deck and enjoy the beautiful hills and blue waters around us as we headed into Picton. From Picton I travelled to Nelson, one of my favourite places in New Zealand. Small and set in a valley with luscious green hills around it and a lovely little town centre with great shops and cafes. There isn't much to do in Nelson itself but only an hour and half drive away is Able Tasman National Park. I took the bus upto the park and spent the day walking amongst the tropical trees and beaches and then kayaking around the islands and seeing the seals up on the rocks and playing in the water. I had a wicked day here, it was such a nice day and some of the beach coves looked just like the idyllic places tropical places I've been more used to seeing on the coast of Australia.

Next stop was Kaikoura, most famous for it's crayfish and whales. The Maori translation of Kaikoura is a little less exotic. Kai means crayfish and koura means food so actually I stayed in crayfishfood. During my time in Kaikoura I did a beautiful coastal walk with offered stunning views of the sea, cliff faces and the southern alps in the distance. I took a boat trip out to see the Sperm Whales which was a brilliant experience. The whales come up to the surface for up to 15 minutes at a time to take in oxygen before driving up to huge depths to feed. Before going back down the whales will take one last breath and then drive down sticking their tails in the air which is of course when we get the best photos. I would have loved to have seen the humpback whales which also come up to this area but not at this time of year. The humpbacks are a lot more active and will throw themselves out of the water….maybe next time.A long drive down to Christchurch just for an overnight stop.

From Christchurch we took Arthurs Pass over the Southern Alps, one of the highest and steepest passes through the mountains. Although low cloud, this seems to be very common across New Zealand, the mountains looked beautiful covered in snow. Stopping for an all important snow fight just to be sure :) Heading down the other side of the mountain we took a short, very wet (it was raining again!) walk to more waterfalls and through the mountain valleys. Onto Punakaiki, a very small beach town on the west coast. Here we explored the surrounding caves looking for glow worms and spent the afternoon looking at the baby pup seals playing in a nearby spring. A beautiful small waterfall cascaded into a shallow pool of water where at least 50 pups were swimming, jumping and playing around while mum and dad sat lazily watching from the banks above.

On the journey from Punakaiki to Franz Josef we stopped at a slightly bigger town than Punakaiki, Hokitika. Here I spent the day carving my own piece from Jade stone. The Green Stone as the Maori's call it is very sacred and precious to them. They would use the stone to carve very strong weapons for war and also as decorative pieces. They believe the jade should only be given as a gift as it creates a protective bond when doing so. Different designs also represent different spiritual meaning. Apparently (hopefully) by carving my own piece the stone is still sacred as my own spirit and energy should have been carved into the stone and therefore protect me in the same way as if someone had given me the stone. It looks pretty anyways and no one would offer to buy me one.

On the way into Franz Josef we got chance to stop and look at the famous pancake rocks. These rocks are meant to look like thin pancakes all stacked up on top of each other, hence the name. Maybe it was the rain but they didn't seem as impressive as they do in the pictures! A miserable afternoon in very very small Franz Josef but excited about the next day to come.

Thankfully a beautiful sunny clear day in Franz Josef as I marched off to the village (literally a pub, café and the tourist shops for the glacier) and to get geared up for my Heli Hike. Heli Hiking is where you fly up the glacier in a helicopter to higher, more pristine ice and then hike through the crevasses and caves created by the ice. After laying up with thick socks, fur lined leather boots, water proof trousers, fleece, waterproof jacket, hat and mittens (yes, not gloves!) I was ready to get in the helicopter. Luckily for me being a shorty I got to ride in the front. It was brilliant, we set off and I got beautiful views of the surrounding hills and landscape before the glacier itself came into view. Looks just like a large white waterfall cascading down the hillside until you get closer and closer and can see the ice jutting out from below. Really cool to circle over the glacier before touching down and walking very carefully away from the helicopter trying not to fall over! At this point we didn't have crampons. Once out guide arrived (2 helicopter load of passengers) we were kitted out with crampons. These are metal casings that attach to your boots. You step into them and tie them onto your foot and the bottom has small metal spikes to help you grip the ice. The ice being very hard in places meant you had to forcefully dig your foot into the ground in most places. I still felt unsteady at first but we were given an ice pole to help our balance. So off we set across the ice, our guide with a huge ice pick to cut steps into the ice for us to climb the more difficult parts of the glacier. It was dangerous in parts as some ice was thin and would crack under your step if you weren't careful, other parts had very large crevasses which could mean a large fall but our experienced guide meant we were never in any real danger. We were taken through a huge cave, winding and getting smaller and larger in parts. The middle of the cave was actually full of water which meant for most of the walk through we were straddling the sides of the cave, digging our crampons into the ice and trying to hold onto the sides of the wall. Very difficult when they're made of slippery ice! The cave was brilliant though, so blue is the ice and especially when the light shines on it from the sky above. Once out of the first big cave we were taken to a smaller cave, more like a tunnel really. I hate small tunnels but no way was a missing this. Half the group didn't want to go through but the rest of us climbed down a steep entrance which our guide had cute deep steps into and then as you sat on the edge of the tunnel you just slide inside like a massive slide, was so much fun. Only a short crawl later and we were at the other side and climbing up a huge hole. A rope was hanging down from the guide and it was bloody hard to pull myself up! Next we were taken through a beautiful crevasse, never have I need ice so clear and so beautifully clear. Looking up at the sky above was just breathtaking. Several more crevasses and one cave later and we were near the end of our 2 hour hike. I'd had a lot of fun but climbing through the ice was very hard work. Back in the helicopter and down the mountain we flew with stunning views of the never ending landscape, not a building in sight.

Onto the next stop Wanika. A small ski town inbetween Franz Josef and Queenstown. On the way we pulled in for a stop at Lake Matheson, the most photographed lake in New Zealand due to the stunning reflections you get from the water being so calm. Although a miserable rainy, cloudy day I was able to appreciate the beauty of the lake and indeed stare in awe at the beautiful reflections created by the water but it didn't quite have that wow factor as you see in all the pictures. Wanika is very small indeed, just one main strip of shops and a few quaint little cafés by the water front. Wanika sits by the lakeside with the Southern Alps overlooking the town. Not much to do here but relax and take in the scenery. A beautiful place to break up the journey between Franz Josef and Queenstown.

Into Queenstown, wicked place, really really loved it. A much larger version of Wanika. Very ski town kind of place but with a really good vibe to it. Very young with plenty of backpackers about and lots of shops, cafes and pubs too. Set by the biggest lake in New Zealand, the walk around the lakeside is beautiful. The remarkable mountain range sits behind the town and the snowy mountain tops make for a stunning background. A ride up the town's gondola really shops Queenstown for the beautiful place it is. Mountains, town and the lake, it really doesn't get better than that. Queenstown is of course the adrenalin capital of New Zealand offering endless activities from bungees, sky dives, canyon swings, jet boating and of course skiing and snowboarding. I chose not to do any major activities here but took plenty advantage of the many walks around Queenstown itself. One in particular up Queenstown Hill which was completely knackering, and I swear vertical but it was well worth the view from the top, despite not being able to walk the following morning. Queenstown is also a base for visiting the famous Milford Sound. A beautiful Fiord created by rivers of ice. Milford Sound is meant to be one of the most beautiful, breathtaking places in New Zealand and I was very much looking forward to the trip. One road in and one road out, the journey takes 9 hours to drive there and back so a very early start. Arriving for the boat trip just after midday we were disappointed to find the rain and low cloud of the morning had not eased or lifted at all. So unfortunately we sat on a 2 hour boat cruise in the pouring down rain barely able to see past our noses. The rain does mean the fiord is at its best for showing its stunning waterfalls, just a shame we couldn't really appreciate it.

From Queenstown I journeyed to Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand, though you cannot tell to look at. A very small village sits near the mountain and there isn't much else to do except walk around the valleys and enjoy the scenery. Luckily for us the weather was beautiful, clear blue skies and a clear picture perfect view of Mt Cook itself which is very rare for the time of year. Usually low cloud is present. After a very long afternoon walking through the bush and mountain tracks we found a beautiful spot to watch the sunset behind the mountain. It was freeeezing but well worth the cold wait. Only one night spent here before moving onto Christchurch.