New Zealand South Island Part 3

15 December 2025

Today was a rainy travel day to Marahau, to prepare for our four day hike on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track that starts tomorrow.

16 - 19 December 2025

So many beaches along our 60 km (just over 37 miles) walk.

Heating up water for tea and dinner, with our tent in the background. 

We had a weka unzip our tent and try to steal my bag of rubbish. Luckily a fellow camper noticed and chased them away before it scattered trash all over the nearby beach and woods. 

On the third day we had a mandatory water crossing. We could've waited another hour for fully low tide, but what's the fun in that!? It was a good decision for me to change into my shorts though, as the water got up to my thighs at one point. Fun fact, New Zealand's tides are semi-diurnal. This means that on most days there are two high tides and two low tides, each usually just over six hours apart.

Just another beautiful view.

Not all of the path was along beaches; much of it was actually covered and jungle-y.

At the end of the hike, on the fourth day, we had a water taxi pick us up to take us back to Marahau.

The water taxi boats are brought out of the water using tractors, which was fun!

20 December 2025

Today we went on a half-day kayaking tour along the Abel Tasman coast. 

21 December 2025

Today we drove to Kaikoura. We spent the day relaxing at our hostel, where there was a small pool, hot tub, and even a sauna (my favorite)! 

22 December 2025

Today we were part of a whale watching tour.

Within the first thirty minutes we saw this beautiful beast of a sperm whale!

It stayed at the surface for ten or fifteen minutes to breathe and then showed us its iconic tail flip before going under again. Apparently they've been known to stay under the surface for up to two hours, so we didn't stick around. 

We saw multiple pods of dolphins, cute fur seals, and huge albatross as the boat continued driving around the waters. Why are there even whales near this part of New Zealand, you may wonder. I'm glad you asked! Pardon me while I nerd out for a second, because I found this very fascinating. 🤓 

According to the website  https://whalewatch.co.nz/our-nature/kaikoura-canyon/, which is the local company that ran our tour: "The Kaikōura Canyon is a submarine canyon located around 800 metres off the Kaikōura Coast. It stretches for over 60 kilometres and reaches depths of up to 1200+ metres. The canyon is part of the Kermadec Trench system which extends far out into the Pacific Ocean." So basically the really deep water is close to the shore, and whales are big and dive down deep. Also, as the current moves toward the coast and rises, it is filled with nutrients from deeper waters that the marine life, including whales and dolphins, enjoy.  😁  

23 December 2025

Today we're on our way back to Queenstown, since it's the airport Ness departs from tomorrow. 

We headed to Lake Tekapo for a few pictures since the lupin flowers were in full bloom.

Another fun fact, these are actually an invasive species here. 

Ness did the Nevis bungy today, the highest in New Zealand. I had no desire to be up 134 meters (over 439 feet) with 8.5 seconds of freefall, so I waited at the less intense bungy jump location and watched people jumping off the iconic Kawarau Bridge.

Spoiler, not me bungy jumping from the bridge, but it was fun to watch others do something crazy. 🤪  

For our last night together, Ness and I went out to dinner in Queenstown and then found ourselves at a silent disco. Not the greatest picture with the darkness and weird lighting but we had fun. 

My first time at a silent disco and Santa dj's were there, which was fun!

24 & 25 December 2025

Happy Christmas Eve! Ness made it safely to the airport to return the car rental and catch her flight to Sydney, Australia. 

I attended a local church service that was advertised having an informal service with carols. Little did I know there would be a legitimate Christmas story shared, fake snow, and bubbles! I met a lovely couple from Auckland who were there visiting their son. 

The new friends invited me to celebrate with their family the following day. So sweet! The public bus wasn't running, so I walked to the church to meet them. This was the view along the Lakefront path. 

The family grilled out lunch, did a book swap instead of formal gifts, and then played a game of Boggle together. I unwrapped Lessons in Chemistry which was a very entertaining read!

26 December 2025

Happy Boxing Day, a public holiday here! It was quite rainy here, so in between the rainshowers I went to a local coffee trailer that I've been enjoying in Queenstown, bummed around the hostel, journaled, and finally finished reading one of the books I brought from home. 

27 December 2025

Today I bummed around Queenstown again and did a lot of reading and people watching, two of my favorite hobbies! 👀 

I drank a fancy hot chocolate from Patagonia Chocolate Shop and eventually moved to an open seat by the window to have a better view of the lake and the craft market happening outside.

28 December 2025

I was so happy to go back to City Impact Church, where I had gone on Christmas Eve and Day, for their regular Sunday service!

I treated myself to ice cream later in the day and sat in a park next to the lake. Even though Queenstown was a bit more expensive and busier (touristy) than I liked, I just couldn't get enough of the mountain views surrounding the city! ⛰️ 

29 December 2025

I was curious about the hype around a restaurant called Fergburger, so I went there for a mid-morning burger. That may seem strange, but I was advised that was the best time to go if I didn't want to wait in a very long line (like 90 minutes)! 

The burger was delicious, and I only had to wait a total of ten minutes.

I then took a shuttle van from Queenstown to Bluff. I was seated next to a sibling pair, 9 year old girl and 11 year old boy) who were on their way back home from spending a few days with their uncle over the holidays. The boy mostly wanted to play games on his new Nintendo Switch, while the girl and I talked nearly the entire way. We played a fun word association game that we made up. At one point she asked if I go to church. I assumed she had noticed my MillCity shirt that says 'Jesus, coffee, Amen' on the back. Nope she hadn't noticed, instead she responded that she thought yes because I was really nice and friendly. 🥰

I spent the evening at the The Eagle Bar & Accomodation in Bluff reorganizing and re-packing my bags for my upcoming 3-day hiking trip to Stewart Island, with some cheesey holiday Hallmark movies playing in the background, . More on that in the next update!