A few months ago, after studying abroad in Australia for 6 months, I decided to travel around New Zealand with my cousins. It was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. The budget was higher than we had anticipated, but it was 100% worth the experience.
Left to right: Me, Amy (cousin), Kevin (cousin)
Day 0:
We landed in the southern island of New Zealand in the city of Christchurch at 10pm. It was late at night so we decided to rest up and start our journey early tomorrow morning. We walked about 15 minutes from the airport to our accommodation, Jucy Pod.
This place is amazing. It costs around $25 USD per night per pod. The pods are spacious enough to be comfortable, have shades for your personal privacy, and even USB outlets to charge your phone. There is also a huge lounge with hammocks, board games, vending machines, fridges, and bean bag chairs.
Their facilities (including bathroom and showers) are very clean. Honestly, it was one of my favorite accommodations throughout my travels, including airbnbs, hotels, motels, and hostels. I would recommend checking them out if you need a place to stay in Christchurch.
P.S I am not paid by or affiliated with them. I just had a great experience there.
Day 1:
The next morning, we picked up a rental car in the city and headed off to our first destination: Lake Tekapo.
Time of travel was between 3-4 hours. (Highly recommend renting a car and driving around yourself if you are in New Zealand)
A famous landmark at Lake Tekapo is the Church of Good Shepherd
Tip: No pictures can be taken inside the church so be careful, but you can take pictures of the church from the outside.
Second tip: Go inside the church and look at the lake through the windows of the church. The view is breathtaking.
We stayed in this location for around 1 hour (it was below 35°F so we got really cold after a while).
Our next location was Lake Pukaki.
Time of travel was around 50 minutes.
Our plan was to watch the sunset over Lake Pukaki, but due to the immense fog, we weren't even able to see the lake itself. So, we drove to a nearby town, Twizel and stayed the night. Time of travel was around 15-20 minutes. We stayed in a motel for the next two nights here.
Day 2:
After a disappointing visit to Lake Pukaki yesterday, we decided to wake up early and give it a second chance. After 15-30 minutes of driving from Twizel, we finally reached Lake Pukaki. Without the fog blocking the view, it was a completely different scenery.
After soaking in the sun's warmth for an hour on a cold winter day, we headed off to our next destination, Mt. Cook Village.
Time of travel was 50 minutes.
Mt. Cook village is at the bottom of the tallest mountain in New Zealand, Mt. Cook. It is also surrounded by the Mt. Cook National Park, which contains many paths to walk and explore from. We arrived around 1pm, so we didn't have much time before the sun went down. So, we were only able to do a 2-3 hour return walk along the Hooker Valley track.
(My two cousins)
After a long day, we drove back to our place at Twizel and rested up for an intense hike up to Roy's Peak tomorrow.
Leave a comment on what is your favorite place in New Zealand!
Stay tuned for part 2 :)