It's Christmas and the festive season is here again... when the hotels and flights are jam - packed with the holiday season officially kicked off !! Who wouldn't have a getaway planned out this month !? Sadly , whilst time is in our favour , weather in most parts of the world is NOT !! Thanks to the seasonal lags, we still have places like New Zealand to plan our Summer road trips during the official winter months. This land of the long white cloud is a perfect escape to the winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
South Island of NZ has a more astounding variety of natural attractions when compared to the Country's North Island and not surprisingly, has more tourists pouring in every summer. According to us, the best time to visit NZ is during summer , i.e. , from December through February and these are the warmest months in NZ with all the lush greenery making way to many spectacular landscapes.
However, If you would like to escape the overwhelming crowd of the peak season, November would be ideal for you. Being the last off - shoulder season of the calendar year, it would be less touristy and just starting to get busier. The late spring weather would not disappoint you either :-)
However, If you would like to escape the overwhelming crowd of the peak season, November would be ideal for you. Being the last off - shoulder season of the calendar year, it would be less touristy and just starting to get busier. The late spring weather would not disappoint you either :-)
Here's a road map of our Great Summer Kiwi Road Trip :
There are only limited places in the world where a road trip can be as convenient, relaxing and safe as you can get and New Zealand undoubtedly is one of the safest places on earth you can ever think of for a self drive tour. So do make sure you explore this stunning southern pacific island nation on your own wheels !!;-) .We hired a Nissan Tiida from ANZED Rentals... Check out to see what best suits your needs here : http://www.anzed.co.nz
 |
| Get Lost In Nature And You Will Find Yourself !!! |
 |
| Look Who Was Waiting For A Ride...haha.... :D |
As we set out on our first long day of drive in this Kiwi land, we were awestruck by the stunning and diverse surprises of nature making us feel a bounce at every step. Be it the jagged mountains & fjords , or be it the rolling pasture lands and the milky pristine lakes......NZ welcomes you in a way that you will never want to go back home.
 |
| A carpet of wild flowers spread like a Golden Sea ........... |
It's jokingly said that the New Zealanders are greatly outnumbered by cattle and sheep.....We soon realised it was indeed a fact. You are likely to spot more sheep than New Zealanders on your road trip in the country 
Here's a quick glimpse at our 10 - days Road Trip in South Island and the places we stayed :
Day 1 : We landed in Christchurch by Singapore Airlines. We spent day1 getting our rental car and stocking up on snacks and groceries and headed to explore the quake city later in the evevning.
Stay @ Ibis Christchurch
Day 2 : Drive to Dunedin. Stop at Rakai salmon statue, Ommaru, Moeraki Boulders on your way to Dunedin.
Stay @ kings gate hotel dunedin
Day 3: Visit Cadbury World, drive to Te Anau, take glow worm cave tour ( book tickets in advance ).
#we made all our bookings through relaxing journeys. And they were awesome :-)
It was new year's eve when we visited Te Anau. We rung in the new year with bonfire and fireworks with new Zealanders in Te Anau.
Stay @ Aden Motel
Day 4: Drive to Milford Sound, there are many short hikes and trails you can explore enroute... like mirror lakes , chasm to name a few. So make sure you start early so that you have ample time to enjoy the drive. Driving to Milford is challenging with so many winding roads along the mountain side but equally scenic and exciting.
At Milford, take the milford sound cruise and enjoy the spectacular Milford Sound Fiordland...Book your tickets well in advance through real journeys
Imagine yourself on a cruise with spacious decks and comfortable lounges with a wide variety of lunch options while you enjoy the spectacular views of massive waterfalls , cliffs , glaciers and rainforests. You can also spot wild seals and dolphins in their natural habitat.... What a treat !!??
If you are looking for a laid-back overnight experience, it's all here for you. Take a look here !
We drove back to Queenstown via Te Anau the same day and we have to admit that we felt worn out by the time we reached Queenstown. So we suggest to have a stopover at Te Anau and then drive to Queenstown the next day.
Stay @ Hilton Kawarau
Stay 5-7: We spent the next 3 days in the world - renowned adventure city of NZ, Queenstown... It's a beautiful city with so many great things to do that it can literally burn a hole in your pocket...:D From sky diving , bungee jumping , white water rafting , zip lining to breath taking helicopter flights and vineyard tours... the city has a lot in store for you.
Well, we spent our days in the city zip trekking , bungee jumping, jetboating and what not ! We also took the helicopter glacier landing flight ( highly recommended ), and also visited the Gibbson valley winery....
You can take a look at our related article to see what we did during our time in Queenstown.
Stay @ Hilton Kawarau
Day 8 : Drive back to Christchurch , stop at Cromwell and go for a fun cherry picking....stop at the beautiful lake Wanaka for a quick lunch before heading to Christchurch.
Stay @ Ibis Christchurch
Day 9 : We spent day 9 relaxing at the hotel and driving around Christchurch. We also drove to a historic french town in NZ, Akaroa , which is just 75kms from the city.
Stay @ Ibis Christchurch
Day 10 : Fly back to Singapore
We are sure this one article of ours is enough to persuade one to pack their bags for New Zealand..... Yet we would want to share more of the picturesque South Island......
Check out the below photo journal which tells you why a road trip in NZ has to be on your bucket list right away !!!
Happy Travels !!!
No comments:
Post a Comment