By JAYAPRAKASH P
The South Island of New Zealand is renowned for its spectacular snow-capped mountains, lakes, fjords, beech forests, glaciers and golden sand beaches. The Southern Alps run along the Island from North to South, which includes New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook (Aoraki). No wonder, South Island is one of the most scenic tourist destinations in the world.
We boarded our flight from Auckland to Queenstown on 21st April, 2024, before noon. As the flight descended to Queenstown, the mountain ranges and lakes came into view. Immediately after touch down, the aircraft took off again causing great concern among passengers. The Captain announced that there is no need to panic and to stay calm, as this kind of situation is not unusual in Queenstown. The airstrip is between tall mountains and because of adverse wind conditions, sometimes the pilots will have to abort landing in the last minute. However, after about 10 minutes of flying around, the aircraft successfully landed in Queenstown, and there was a collective sigh of relief. As we came out of the airport to board our tourist coach, the enchanting sights of mountains and beech trees welcomed us.
After having lunch at Queenstown, we proceeded to Te Anau about 175 km away. In the beginning, for about an hour, the road runs along the shore of lake Wakatipu and the colourful trees on the sides present a pretty picture.
After about 3 hours of an enjoyable ride, we checked into the Kingsgate Hotel on the shores of Lake Te Anau.
After an early breakfast next day, we checked out from the hotel and boarded our coach. We wanted to spend a whole day in this pretty little town, but we had to leave early to reach Milford Sound in time for the famous Milford Cruise.
The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound, through the Fjordland National Park, is indeed scenic. We stopped at a location where the Hollywood movie, “The Lord of the Rings” was shot, but the morning mist played spoil sport.
However, we were lucky we could enjoy the heavenly beauty of the Mirror Lake, situated a little ahead. An aesthetically built walkway, made of steel and wood, was provided on the lake side for tourists to enjoy the scenery and take pictures.
Monkey Creek was the next attraction on the way, providing great views of snow peaked mountains. In all the view points, proper parking space was provided for tourist vehicles, so that the tourists could enjoy the scenic beauty, without disturbing the ongoing traffic.
A few kilometres before reaching Milford Sound, there was a narrow 1.2 km long tunnel cut through the mountain – Homer Tunnel – where we had to wait for our turn to enter the one-way passage.
After the tunnel, the road descends into the valley and soon, you get to enjoy the first view of the fjord. (Fjord is a deep and narrow sea inlet between steep hills or cliffs formed by glacial activity.)
Milford Sound, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, is a fjord which opens into the Tasman Sea. (Geiranger Fjord in Norway and Milford Sound in New Zealand are the two major fjords in the world, most popular among tourists.)
The boat cruise on Milford Sound was a mesmerizing experience, with the boat navigating among the steep, lofty peaks, studded with some beautiful waterfalls.
The boat took us to the point where the fjord opens into the sea and returned in about 2 hours.
We enjoyed the Buffet Lunch provided onboard the cruise boat `Milford Sovereign’.
The return journey was along the same route and we stopped at Te Anau for a short break before driving back to Queenstown. As we approached Queenstown, the majestic view of Lake Wakatipu in the backdrop of mountains painted a pretty picture.
Our accommodation was arranged at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside Hotel, right in the city centre, just by the lake side.
Queenstown is often referred to as the “Adrenaline Capital” of the world, offering numerous adventure activities like bungy jumping, skiing, white-water rafting, hiking, and so on.
We started our sightseeing with a visit to the Kawarau Bungy Jumping Site, one of the oldest in the business. The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge built in 1880 over the stunning Kawarau river is used for commercial purposes by the adventure sports company for bungy jumping. This adventure site attracts thousands of thrill-seekers from all over the world.
The well-preserved historic mining town of Arrowtown exudes old-world charm. A stroll along the main street among the beautiful buildings and the greenery is a soothing experience. Coffee shops, bars, ice cream parlours and souvenir shops were all set beautifully alongside the street.
The scenic town of Queenstown, on the banks of Lake Wakatipu is a pleasing sight. The beautiful buildings nestled on the hillsides, in the background of the serene blue lake, provide a picture postcard view. Queenstown Gardens set along the lakeside is one of the best tourist attractions in the city. Photos clicked from anywhere turned out beautiful.
We had booked our Buffet Dinner at Skyline Restaurant at the summit of Bob’s Peak, one of Queenstown’s most spectacular locations. We took a Gondola Cable Car ride to the summit which offers breathtaking views of the charming city, Coronet peak, Walter peak and remarkable mountain ranges, in the background of lake Wakatipu.
Next day morning, we checked out after breakfast from Novotel Queenstown to proceed to our final destination of the tour, Christchurch.
The 3 hours drive from Queenstown to Twizel was also very scenic, as we drove past rivers and lakes through the beautiful landscape of Central Otago region. We had our lunch booked at Distinction Mackenzie Country Hotel, in the pretty little town of Twizel.
During our journey from Twizel to Christchurch, we took a de-tour and stopped at Peters’ Lookout on the shore of the lake Pukaki to enjoy the views of New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook.
We returned along the shores of the lake to re-join the highway to Christchurch and drove past the brilliant blue Ohau canal to Tekapo. The stunning view of the azure blue lake Tekapo, bordered by tall pine trees, and ringed by brown hills, provide a stunning visual.
The small, beautiful Church of Good Shepherd and the adjacent Statue of the Collie, add charm to the place, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in New Zealand.
We reached Christchurch by evening and checked into Novotel Christchurch Hotel, conveniently located at the city centre.
Christchurch is a laid-back city, where elegant Victorian buildings stand shoulder to shoulder with European style Cafes, Bistros and Bars, thanks to the early English settlers. For those interested, there is a Tram ride to cover the important landmarks.
There was a massive earthquake in Christchurch in 2011 and the city suffered significant losses. Our coach captain explained the history of Christchurch during our sightseeing trip and informed that the city is yet to recover fully from the damages.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife park and nature reserve, focussed on conservation of endangered native animals and birds.
The Park, laid out beautifully, with a lot of waterways, provides the opportunity to see many New Zealand native fauna like Kea, Kaka, Kakariki, Kiwi, Tuatara etc, at close quarters.
We took a relaxed walk through Hagley Park and the Botanical Gardens and it was quite enjoyable.
The last day of our tour was to Akaroa, a quaint little town, south-east of Christchurch in the Banks Peninsula, which used to be the sole French outpost in New Zealand. The most popular tourist route is along SH76 to Littleton where a stop at the Port Hills offers extensive views across the harbour and the lush green farmlands that make up the Canterbury Plains.
The rugged Banks Peninsula, which is of volcanic origin, abounds in rolling hills and green patches, offering a number of scenic locations.
We had our lunch at the famous Bully Hayes Restaurant in the charming Akaroa town, well known for its seaside cafes, boutique shops and wildlife cruises.
During the “Pohatu Penguins Tour” in Akaroa, you get to see the Little Blue Penguins, the smallest species of penguins, in a remote farm area where they are conserved. The tour takes us on 4WD vehicles from Akaroa town, crossing a few steep hills to an award winning Wildlife Conservation Area.
The entire route is quite scenic and there are viewpoints to enjoy stunning views of Akaroa Harbour, farmlands and forested hillsides.
We returned to Christchurch through a different route, driving along the shores of Lake Ellesmere.
The next day morning we packed our bags and set off to Christchurch Airport. The New Zealand tour had finally come to an end. We were ready to return home with memories of visiting one of the most beautiful lands on earth.
The tour operators in New Zealand were very professional in executing the tour – every minor detail was worked out. The travellers gelled together very well; the camaraderie of the group members ensured that the exciting tour was completed to the full satisfaction of all. The weather was also very pleasant.
New Zealand is a must visit for any avid traveller.
Nostalgia EE 84 