SOUTH ISLAND, NZ
SOUTH ISLAND, NZ
PACK YOUR THINGS, HIRE A VAN OR MOTORHOME AND GET DRIVING!
Our ride sitting pretty in Arrowtown
And make sure you rug up! I mean, come on! Have you ever seen anything cuter!
General info
- We hired a motorhome from Maui camper vans
- For those with bubs, they installed a baby seat for us in the van
- Definitely do not recommend cooking onion or sausages in the motorhome, unless you wanna smell like sausages for your whole trip!
- Everywhere in NZ takes longer to drive to than expected as there are so many incredible spots to stop along the way, so keep this in mind when planning your travel.
- There is incredible Freedom Camping in NZ, meaning you can literally pull over to the side of the lakes etc and spend the night. More options of places to stay if your vehicle is fully self-contained (i.e. has a toilet). There are plenty of apps and guide books with info on where you can/cannot stop.
NB: this guide is a combination of two trips
- The first trip was in Feb 2016 we went to Queenstown, Lake Wanaka, Mount Cook for 5 nights, then spent 3 nights at Aro Ha retreat. This was pre baby. On this trip we just hired an Action Pod van.
- The second trip was in May 2018, we went to Queenstrown and Milford Sound for 6 nights. This was with bub! On this trip we hired a 6 berth motor home (note this is massive!! But we wanted two beds and a dining table).
QUEENSTOWN
While the city centre may have been overrun by enthusiastic, adventurous tourists, nothing can take away from the epic scenery and views and the beautiful food!
Stay
Sherwood hotel
- Previously a manor, that has been sustainably converted into a hotel
- Absolutely delicious restaurant, using mainly seasonal local produce
- Great sauna, well known for their yoga and fabulous massages
We didn’t do stay here but we hear it’s good:
Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde
- Recommended multiple times as a great caravan park in Queenstown
Eat/drink
Sherwood Hotel
- Even if you don’t stay at the Sherwood go there for dinner
- Absolutely delicious restaurant, using mainly seasonal local produce
Amisfield Winery
- Highly highly recommend
- Choice of 3 or 4 course lunch, either with or without matched wines
- Absolutely delicious food and beautiful property!
Bespoke Kitchen
- One of the most popular breakfast eateries in Queenstown (may have to wait for a table)
- Health focused breakfast and lunch options
Fergburger
- You have to try a Fergburger once!
- There’s a long queue to wait for Queenstown’s famous burger but it is really good
Madame Wu
- Yummy Asian (con)fusion food in the heart of Queenstown
We didn’t eat/drink here but we hear it’s good:
Botswana Butchery
Vudu Cafe and Larder
Wineries
- Peregrine
- Chard (no food just wine, beautiful building!)
- Wet jacket (cheesery and Asian street food truck)
Do
Luge
- A little go-kart like car that you race down the mountain, fun for adults and kids
Day trip to glenorchy
- Lots of beautiful hikes!
Aro Ha Retreat
- Amazing retreat in Glenorchy
- Expensive but absolutely incredible/educational experience
- Must book in advance, options of 3, 5 and 7 day retreats/detoxes
- Not for the faint hearted! All raw, vegan food. No dairy, meat, alcohol, coffee, sugar etc.
- Quite difficult day hikes, yoga twice a day, and relaxation/mindfullness exercises
Arrowtown
- Arrowtown is a great day trip from Queenstown or a great place to stay for a night
- It is only 30 minutes drive from Queenstown and is a beautiful small village with old school charm
- We stayed in a powered site at the Arrowtown Holiday Park
- Chop Shop is a must to eat at! It is a tiny cafe so expect to wait for a table, the food is definitely worth it!
- There are great walks around Arrowtown as well
We didn’t do this here but we hear it’s good:
Queenstown Onsen
- Beautiful onsen spas with incredible views
- Cannot take babies though
- Shotover jet boats
- Bungie jumping near the luge
- Skiing/Snowboarding at one of the nearby mountains
Epic yoga views at Aro Ha Retreat, Glenorchy
LAKE WANAKA
1.5hr (approx 70km) drive from Queenstown - beware, will take longer because you will want to stop so frequently to take in the incredible landscape!
Stay
There are some great Freedom Camping sites around Wanaka.
We literally stopped the van on the edge of the lake and woke up to the most stunning views.
We didn’t do stay here but we hear it’s good:
Explore Life
- Glamping experience
- There is a hammock spa!!
Eat/drink
We cooked a lot out of the van due to the amazing places we were able to park the van.
Soulfood Organic Cafe and Store
- Health food cafe with amazing organic produce
- Perfect to stop in and stock up on goodies if you are cooking out of your van/motor home and for snacks for your road trip.
Kai Whaka Pai
- Great for a casual feed, good burgers and beers with a beautiful vista.
We didn’t eat/drink here but we hear it’s good:
Federal Diner
Do
Lots of amazing walks around Wanaka
Blue Pools
- Can be quite busy with tourists but stunning blue water
- Can jump in off bridge if you are okay with heights and very cold water!!
Relax and take in the amazing views of Lake Wanaka.
We didn’t do this here but we hear it’s good:
Sky diving!
- We booked to go ski diving but unfortunately (fortunately) it was too windy to go ahead
Not a bad spot to spend the night. Falling asleep and waking up beside Lake Wanaka! Sorry for anyone with a foot phobia...
MOUNT COOK
Just over 2 hr (approx 180km) drive from Lake Wanaka.
Make sure you pull over and check out Lake Pukaki on the way, believe me you'll know when you see it!
Stay
We stayed at the camp ground at the bottom of Mount Cook at the White Horse Campsite.
There are also a number of lodges nearby.
Eat/drink
We mainly cooked and ate from the van at Mt Cook
Old Mountaineers’ Cafe and Restaurant
- For a casual pub style meal
Do
Glacier flight
- One of our favourite activities in NZ
- Take a helicopter or small plane to the top of the mountains around Mount Cook and hike along the glaciers
- Can be difficult at times, but the views are like no other
Hikes and a swim in the glacial pools
- Our favourite hike was the walk out to Hooker Lake
- When I say swim I mean an incredibly quick dip!
Just relaxing alongside some ice bergs.... BRRRR
MILFORD SOUND
4.5hr (approx 300km) drive from Queenstown, heading West, in a very round about way! (Check Google Maps to see what I mean!)
Check weather warnings before heading off, roads to Milford Sound can be closed in bad weather and therefore there is no access available in or out.
Due to travelling with Poppy we stayed a night in Te Anau on the way there to break up the drive, approx 2 hours from Queenstown
We stayed in the Te Anau Lakeview Kiwi Holiday Park
Would highly recommend staying in Milford Sound the night before doing the cruise of the area so you can get on a morning cruise rather than a midday cruise where there are more crowds and the place is just bloody beautiful so soak it up!
Stay
Milford Sound Lodge
- Whether you hire a powered site or a lodge this spot is so beautiful.
- Only a few kms from where the cruises leave, beautiful views.
- Very convenient to stay here the night before seeing Milford Sound as you can get on the earlier less busy cruise.
Eat/drink
We cooked out of our van
We didn’t eat here but we hear it’s good:
Pio Pio Cafe at Milford Sound Lodge
Do
Milford Sound Cruise
- If you have made the effort to get to Milford Sound you have to do a cruise, no question.
- Incredible scenery of the mountains, waterfalls, ocean etc.
- If you have the flexibility to pick a day that you do the cruise, it is best after some rain due to the waterfalls being full (but its beautiful any old time!)
- The nine AM cruise appeared a lot less crowded than the midday cruise so recommend getting on this one.
Hikes
- We did part of the Key Summit hike, before we had to turn around due to very slippery ice. (NB: don’t go hiking in the snow in runners, pack hiking boots!)
- There are heaps of hikes of differing levels of difficulty in the area.
Discovering the beautiful Milford Sound was one of my favourite moments as a family thus far (even if Poppy slept for basically the whole thing!) P.s is there anything better than mittens!
We hope you loved our recap of our time (well two times) in South Island, NZ. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!
Thanks for reading,
