David and I spent nine days in the South Island to celebrate our achievements and hard work in 2016. This was my first time to the South Island and I really enjoyed it.
We flew down from Auckland to Queenstown with Air New Zealand and booked the window seat. I would highly recommend to everyone who travels to Queenstown to choose the window seat if you can. If you flying with Air New Zealand, by paying extra fee ($5) you can secure your preferred seat in advance.
We flew down from Auckland to Queenstown with Air New Zealand and booked the window seat. I would highly recommend to everyone who travels to Queenstown to choose the window seat if you can. If you flying with Air New Zealand, by paying extra fee ($5) you can secure your preferred seat in advance.
We arrived in Queenstown at 5.15pm, I booked the Super-Shuttle in advance to transport us from the Airport in Frankton to our accomodation in Queenstown city. The Super-Shuttle fare is $13 per person, the same fare applies to the airport bus. Super-Shuttle is a good option of transportation from or to the airport, it is affordable, punctual and you can book and pay the $13 fare online, online bookings cost an extra one dollar. The Super-Shuttle is a door to door service which is great when carrying heavy bags.
On this trip, David and I decided to camp in our tent which is a great advantage for us because it gave us more flexibility to go anywhere we want and stay as long as we like. However, because we arrived late in the afternoon and had no car until the next day, I decided to book a campsite in Lakeview Holiday Park in advance. I am pleased with the location of the campsite as it is right in the centre of Queenstown, with only a few minutes walk to the sky-line gondola. However, if you come in Summer or peak season, there is a two-dollar-fee applied to limited shower time. And because of the location, this holiday park can be very crowded, so the big dinning area might not be accommodating and you need to queue to use toilet and shower facilities. there
On this trip, David and I decided to camp in our tent which is a great advantage for us because it gave us more flexibility to go anywhere we want and stay as long as we like. However, because we arrived late in the afternoon and had no car until the next day, I decided to book a campsite in Lakeview Holiday Park in advance. I am pleased with the location of the campsite as it is right in the centre of Queenstown, with only a few minutes walk to the sky-line gondola. However, if you come in Summer or peak season, there is a two-dollar-fee applied to limited shower time. And because of the location, this holiday park can be very crowded, so the big dinning area might not be accommodating and you need to queue to use toilet and shower facilities. there
We picked up our rental car from Apex-rental that has a branch in Queenstown city. This rental company up-graded our rental car and gave us one day free due to a two hour delay waiting for a car to become available. We headed south right after and had a short coffee break in Te-Anau, then continued our journey to Fiorldland. Because it is almost dark we decided to find a campsite and finally stoped at Deer Flat campsite, which is about half way between Te Anau and Milford Sound.
The Deer Flat camp site is managed by the DOC (Department of Conservation), it is a basic camp ground with limited places and three simple long-drop toilets. As we were there in the middle of summer, the campground was packed and the toilets were not in the best condition. However the views were amazing. Be warned of the sandflies that inhabit the Fiordland region, take insect repellent.
One of the journeys that I really looked forward to, was the trip to Milford Sound, and it exceeded my expectations. Snow capped mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and crystal clear rivers. We could not resist to make several stops along the way. My suggestion is not to rush this trip if you want to truly enjoy it. Stay the night in one of the campgrounds along the way and drive slowly to Milford Sound, make sure you have enough time for your cruise and make a few stops along the way. We booked the last cruise of the day at 5.15pm with Go Orange as this ship provides free dinner, and desert, on board.
One of the journeys that I really looked forward to, was the trip to Milford Sound, and it exceeded my expectations. Snow capped mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and crystal clear rivers. We could not resist to make several stops along the way. My suggestion is not to rush this trip if you want to truly enjoy it. Stay the night in one of the campgrounds along the way and drive slowly to Milford Sound, make sure you have enough time for your cruise and make a few stops along the way. We booked the last cruise of the day at 5.15pm with Go Orange as this ship provides free dinner, and desert, on board.
As we do not like driving in the dark, we decided to make another stop in Te Anau. After visiting some holiday parks in the area, we decided to stay at Te Anau Lakeview Kiwi Holiday Park. In my opinion this holiday park is the biggest in Te Anau, and it is next to the lake. It also has the best shower and toilet facilities compared to the others campsites I have been to in New Zealand.
On the way back to Queenstown we made a night stop at Kingstown, which is located at the southern end of Lake Whakatipu where we were treated to an amazing view.
On the way back to Queenstown we made a night stop at Kingstown, which is located at the southern end of Lake Whakatipu where we were treated to an amazing view.

If you look closely, will be able to see some snow on top of the mountains in the photo above as the temperature was dropping drastically. Yes that is snow - in the middle of summer. We stayed the night at a small campground in Kingstown (Kingston Holiday Park). The owners were very friendly, and they also offer glamping tents for an affordable rate, for those who want a taste of luxury. There are some downsides though: the kitchen is very small and the area allocated for tents is next to the main road, but I slept well that night thanks to the unlimited hot shower.
Driving to Queenstown from Kingston was very enjoyable as we were driving in between the mountains and the lake. We stayed for a few days in Queenstown.
Driving to Queenstown from Kingston was very enjoyable as we were driving in between the mountains and the lake. We stayed for a few days in Queenstown.
Queenstown has so much to offer. There are so many thrilling activities for adrenaline junkies, from bungie jumping, giant swings, to jet-boating. For those who would like to relax and enjoy the views, they can take the gondola up to the top of the hill or just relax at the side of the lake. As for foodies, there are so many options to choose from; Patagonia chocolate and ice cream is the best option for those with a sweet tooth, Ferg Burgers offers many options for burger lovers, and there are many options for fine dinning.
There are some tracks around Queenstown, for those who like exploring on foot. We were walking up the hill from the gondola base station and made it half way to the top of Ben Lomond. I had to admit that my fitness level was at its worst state, as I had not been doing any exercise in the last six months and as the result I gained 10 Kg. All the extra weight made it so difficult to climb the hill. However, we will do the second attempt to climb Ben Lomond in June 2017.
There are some tracks around Queenstown, for those who like exploring on foot. We were walking up the hill from the gondola base station and made it half way to the top of Ben Lomond. I had to admit that my fitness level was at its worst state, as I had not been doing any exercise in the last six months and as the result I gained 10 Kg. All the extra weight made it so difficult to climb the hill. However, we will do the second attempt to climb Ben Lomond in June 2017.
We visited Glenorchy and Paradise which is about an hour drive north from Queenstown. I was not expecting much but we were very pleased.
On our last day in Queenstown we stayed at Creeksyde Holiday Park, had a BBQ on the converted old style stove. You can find interesting ornaments all over this campsite. This trip was pretty much spontaneous, I booked the plane tickets just a week before, and only booked accommodation for our first day and last day.
Queenstown is very popular, in fact it is the number one tourist destination in New Zealand. So, if there is any particular accommodation or attraction that you really like, I suggest to book and plan in advance to avoid disappointment. If you are into camping, you will have more flexibility as there are many campsites all around the South Island. However, book your rental car as early as possible, because they are booked out quickly, especially in summer.
I hope you enjoy reading my post, it took me a long time to finish as I have been very busy lately. My blog posts have been quite long as I wanted to share as much as possible. I enjoyed our trip so much that I am planning to do another trip in winter.
Queenstown is very popular, in fact it is the number one tourist destination in New Zealand. So, if there is any particular accommodation or attraction that you really like, I suggest to book and plan in advance to avoid disappointment. If you are into camping, you will have more flexibility as there are many campsites all around the South Island. However, book your rental car as early as possible, because they are booked out quickly, especially in summer.
I hope you enjoy reading my post, it took me a long time to finish as I have been very busy lately. My blog posts have been quite long as I wanted to share as much as possible. I enjoyed our trip so much that I am planning to do another trip in winter.