First touchdown on the North Island

It was our first time heading to New Zealand’s North Island. We arrived early after an overnight flight (sleepy-eyed but full of anticipation) and headed straight to pick up our rental car. Our destination? A place we’d dreamed of for years: Hobbiton.

The drive from Auckland to Matamata was its own kind of welcome. Rolling green hills stretched on either side of the road, dotted with sheep and cows. We queued up the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and with every bend in the road it felt more like we were stepping right into Tolkien’s world.

Day 1: Kangaroo Sanctuary

On our first day we flew into Alice Springs and picked up our rental car. The main reason we wanted to visit Alice Springs is because it’s home to this amazing kangaroo sanctuary run by Chris otherwise known as Brolga. He rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned baby kangaroos back into the wild or if they cannot be returned into the wild they find a permanent home at his sanctuary in Alice Springs. You can only visit on a guided sunset tour to not disturb their daytime sleep which runs 3 times a week so this is how we kicked off our red centre adventure! The tour itself was great fun and lasted almost 3 hours, we got to bottle feed a kangaroo and while we walked through the sanctuary we listened to Brolga teach us the importance of checking a roadkill kangaroos pouch for the joey may very well be alive. He knows every kangaroo by name (fun fact: if you rescue a joey you get to pick its name), which is even more impressive knowing there are currently 60 residing on his property! Having started in 2005 you can imagine he has some great stories but the highlight has to be that we each got the chance to hold a baby kangaroo!

Fly-cruise-fly

During our stay in Wanaka, we decided to embark on a fly-cruise-fly adventure. The weather had been rather gloomy in the days leading up to our tour, but on the morning of our excursion, we woke up to clear blue skies and sunshine. After a late breakfast in town, we made our way to a small airport just outside Wanaka, where we boarded a charter plane.

The flight itself was nothing short of spectacular. For about 40 minutes, we flew above the UNESCO World Heritage area of Te Wahipounamu, which encompasses the landscapes of Mt Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. The scenery below was remote and unspoilt.

Our journey took us out towards the Tasman Sea before turning inland towards Milford Sound, home to just one runway nestled into the mountainside. The flight was smooth for the most part, although we encountered a bit of turbulence as we approached this rugged terrain.

Upon landing, we hopped on a short bus ride to take us to the ferry terminal where we departed on a 2-hour cruise taking us through the 16-kilometer-long sound, all the way out to the Tasman Sea and back. Despite its name, Milford Sound isn’t actually a sound but a fiord carved by ancient glaciers. On clear days like ours, only two permanent waterfalls, Stirling Falls and Lady Elizabeth Bowen Falls, can be seen. Though on rainy days, the landscape transforms with thousands of waterfalls cascading down the steep rock faces. There’s also plenty of wildlife around; we were lucky to spot a playful baby seal and a pair of dolphins.

After the cruise, we boarded our plane once more, this time flying over Dart Valley, Glenorchy, and Queenstown’s Shotover River. The fly-cruise-fly experience was undeniably another highlight of our trip, one we wholeheartedly recommend to anyone visiting the area.

We embarked on our ascent up the mountain at 5 in the morning, underneath a sky full of stars and a near-full moon. The sky was perfectly clear, yet we observed a cloud inversion beginning to form over the lake nestled between the mountains. The hike started off steeply right from the moment we departed the parking lot, zigzagging its way up the mountain. Despite the darkness, we could see the headlights of a few fellow hikers who had set off before us, their journey seeming endless. We hiked a total of 1.3k in elevation over 8km; perhaps it was fortunate it was still dark, or I might have been tempted to turn back.

Finally, we reached the summit and found a comfortable spot to sit, awaiting the sunrise. The cloud inversion had transformed into a vast sea of clouds, enhancing the enchantment of the moment. Shortly after the first rays of sunlight touched the mountain, the small crowd dispersed, leaving us to take in the stunning view all by ourselves.

With the sun now illuminating our surroundings, we could fully appreciate the path we had traversed, marvelling at how we had conquered certain sections. On our descent, we encountered a small group of cows grazing near the path, high above the clouds. The steepness of the terrain made the hike down almost as hard as the hike up, and once we descended beneath the clouds, the sun disappeared from our view.

Undoubtedly, it was an unforgettable adventure, every step worth the effort.

Day 1

In pursuit of the best opportunity to see the majestic mountains, we opted to stay in Mount Cook Village, enabling us to monitor the weather conditions as closely as possible. Upon our arrival, we touched down in Queenstown, arguably one of the most picturesque airports we’ve encountered. After securing our rental car, we embarked on the scenic 3.5-hour drive to Mount Cook National Park.

Accommodations are limited in this remote location, but the lone hotel boasts breathtaking mountain views from every window. As we settled in, we were greeted by the sight of Mount Cook itself, visible from the comfort of our own bed!

One of the first spots we drove up to was the iconic lighthouse perched atop Cape Byron which is the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia. Despite the intermittent rain showers, the views from this point were stunning, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We were also lucky enough to spot many dolphins playing in the waters below who live here year round. During winter (and spring) it is also possible to watch migrating humpback whales but we were a bit early for that.

Ascending to the summit started of pretty easy but demanded climbing sections of rugged granite rock slabs, often requiring us to use all four limbs, especially during the descent. Yet, the panoramic reward awaiting us at the peak made it every bit worthwhile. From this vantage point, we were treated to sweeping views of Wineglass Bay, a preview of another captivating hike we embarked on in the days that followed.