New Zealand South Island Part 2
New Zealand South Island
Once again, it was impressive even in the rain.
First thing's first, helicopter tour over the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers.
The view from above the glaciers was amazing. They are miles long!
Now is the time when I changed my screams of terror, as I sat at the edge of the door of the plane with my legs hanging outside, to yells of "This is AAAAAwesome!" while I was freefalling.
That is the look of pure joy as I took in the amazing scenery of the glaciers, mountains, and ocean during the freefall.
After the parachute was open, I even got to steer us for a short while.
And back along the coastal road.
We had a mostly sunny Summer day, so walking on the ridgeline offered such amazing views on both sides!
Parts of the trail were rockier than others. I'm sure there's some wisdom about life's path, with its ups and downs, sometimes a rocky road and other times a smooth path. 😀
Part 2
1 December 2025
Today we walked the Ben Lomond track in Queenstown. Views like this are why I remind myself to turn around every so often on a trail.
Even with a few clouds, we were rewarded with an amazing view at the top!
2 December 2025
Today we booked a tour to bicycle near Queenstown, around the Gibbston Valley. We took a shuttle to Arrowtown and started biking toward the vineyards from there.
One of the bridges we got to cross along the way.
We made it safely to the winery, ready for shade and sitting on a chair instead of a bike seat!
3 & 4 December 2025
We hiked the Routeburn Track these two days, and stayed overnight in the tent at the DOC (Department of Conservation) campsite. Thankfully the weather was great, and we didn't have to worry about a leaking tent.
This has been one of my favorite hikes so far!
Such epic views, like this one, almost the entire way! We walked about 14 miles each day and I loved (almost) every minute of it. By the final couple of hours on day 2, I was ready to give my feet a rest. Shoutout to Veronica's cousin Jessica who initially recommended this New Zealand Great Walk.
There was even one spot along the trail covered in snow. This is me slipping. Thanks to strength and balance built up through years of hot yoga classes, along with my disdain of being cold and wet, I didn't fall!
5 December 2025
We left Kinloch Eco Lodge today and headed to Wanaka. Since we had to drive the scenic route from Glenorchy to Queenstown along the way, we made a few stops to break up the trip and to look at the beautiful scenery.
6 December 2025
We woke up so early that it was just late for some people and got to the trailhead for Roy's Peak at 2:30am. We planned to do the sunrise hike, but we didn't realize it would also be a full moon hike, with the moonlight giving us a bit of extra guidance beyond our headlamps.
That's the moon behind me, with the sun rising on the opposite horizon.
I made it to the top just in time for sunrise. What a way to start the day! We went back to the hostel for breakfast, a shower, and a nap. Then we went to the local cinema to watch Wicked: Too Good.
7 December 2025
Just another planning day at the hostel today. The reality of travel, especially as Ness is meeting a friend in Australia on Christmas Eve.
8 December 2025
Today we hiked the Rob Roy Glacier track.
This involved driving through many fords that crossed the road on our way to the trailhead.
I didn't get a picture of these up close, since we were focused on not getting stuck or breaking off a bumper as we drove through each (hence the warning sign in the picture). The only casualty was the front license plate, which was returned to us by someone driving behind us. Thank goodness because we had no idea it had even fallen off!
Standing at the bottom of the glacier was cool though. 😎
9 December 2025
Today we drove from Wanaka to Franz Josef, stopping along the way for the beauty.
The Blue Pools.
Thunder Creek Falls.
Finally along the east coast!
10 December 2025
This was an adrenaline filled day. I'll let the pictures explain. 😁
We even got to land on the Middleton Snow Field for a few minutes.
When we got back to town, we went for a leisurely walk around Lake Matheson, known for the mountain reflections.
Last, but certainly not least, we went tandem skydiving from 13,000 feet.
The most terrifying part for me was watching others leave the plane while I waited for my turn. That's the look on my face, after I just told that exact thing to Shaggy.
11 December 2025
Today we hiked the Alex Knob Track. On a clear day there can be amazing views of the glaciers, mountains, and ocean.
Thankfully I saw the great views while skydiving because it was not happening at the top today. Complete cloud cover is what we walked up into.
But we got this amazing view of the glacier along the trail on our way up, so I'll still consider it a win!
12 December 2025
Today was another long day of driving with nice stops along the way.
Okarito Trig was a slightly steep walk to a viewpoint where we could see as far as Mt. Cook.
Hokitika Gorge was a beautiful stop and had a nice trail and easy walk along this beautiful blue water.
Dorothy Falls (loving shoutout to my Aunt Dot in Wisconsin)!
13 December 2025
Today we hiked the St. Arnaud Range Track. Most of the trail was a fun trail through the woods as we continued to gain elevation.
Then we came out to this lookout, which I mistakenly thought was the end of our walk. Lovely view of Lake Rotoiti though.
And then I looked up the hill and saw the rest of our trail...into the clouds.
The clouds lifted a bit while we ate lunch at the top, on the ridgeline. Little did I know how much I would appreciate the rest of partially hidden view on a clear sunny day, just as soon as the next day!
14 December 2025
Today we returned to the same area to hike Pourangahau/Mt. Robert in Nelson Lakes National Park.
This can be a very hazardous trail in the winter, with snow, ice, and unpredictable and fast weather changes.
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