Five Days Exploring the South Island
Wow... I have been a bit MIA on here lately! Sorry about that! As I am writing this post, I only have 10 days left in New Zealand before I head off to Chile. Things have been busy, busy, busy as I try to squeeze in all that I want to do before I leave. And, come to terms with the fact that it actually won't be possible to do all that I want to before my visa expires. But that is all for another post, which I promise will come as I reflect on the whirlwind three months I spent in New Zealand.
But, for now, I will recount the events of last week. One of the things that was important for me to do is to take just a bit of proper time off to explore the beautiful country where I have been living since the end of July. Whether or not you have been keeping up with my journey, it might be shocking for you to learn that I actually had not done this before now.
Some insight into my planning process - for both my time on the North and South Island, I left about a week and a half to two weeks open and unplanned before my arrival. That way, as I interacted with new people, learned about the services in the area, etc. I could fill that time with meetings, time for observation, or other experiences. While on the North Island, the way that worked out was such that I filled the majority of those free times with project-related opportunities, but had a few free days scattered in there, where I was able to do a day trip to Rotorua and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves or just explore some sights in the area. However, here, I wasn't able to fill the time in quite the same way. Schedules didn't line up and things didn't work out quite as planned. This left me with a space of Monday - Friday totally free. I figured rather than just sit around and see if something comes up but likely spend the days on my computer or doing nothing, I should make use of this free week and explore more of the South Island!
Thus, my trip came to be and I scheduled myself for a week-long adventure... that never happened. I still had a wonderful week of exploration, just not quite the one I had planned... You'll see. I did also get some fantastic photos, so keep on reading if you want to look at some of the pics I snapped during the week.
**Be advised, this post may take a bit longer to load due to all of the photos and videos!**
Monday, October 3rd, 2022
I finished packing my little carry-on and camera backpack before heading off to the airport on Monday morning to catch a very quick flight to Queenstown. My flight was at 11, but since I hadn't navigated a departure from Christchurch and had decided to check my carry-on to make things easier, I got dropped off a bit early. Turns out it was much earlier than needed, because for this flight, I didn't have to go through security at all! I walked into the airport, handed over my luggage and sat down at the gate... I had to keep checking around me to make sure that others' actions upon arrival were the same, because I felt like I had done something wrong or missed something the whole time I sat there! But I made it on the plane with no issues and got some great views from the flight.
After I arrived, I checked into my hostel, dropped my bags and went out to explore. I arrived a bit after noon and had the rest of the evening to check out Queenstown. Although I'd be staying there for the next few nights, I'd planned to be doing all day tours that left from Queenstown early in the morning and went a few hours away and didn't arrive until the evening. So, I took the opportunity, to walk around the gorgeous lake, check out the Queenstown gardens, and, of course, get myself a gluten-free Fergburger (apparently a must-do [minus the gluten-free bit] when in Queenstown).
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2022
I got up bright and early on Tuesday, worried I'd miss my bus taking me to Milford Sound for a scenic tour and cruise. I ended up being up and ready about 1.5hrs before my bus was set to pick me up, which is pretty impressive considering that the pick up time was 7:30am! It was quite chilly in Queenstown, so I hung out in the lounge of my hostel until what felt like an appropriate time to walk the 2 minutes to the meeting location and wait for the driver to arrive. So, I was outside ready and waiting beginning at 7:05. Not too long after, some others began arriving and sharing their excitement with me for the trip that awaited us. But, the time kept passing and no driver showed up. It was set to rain in Milford Sound, so we worried that maybe the weather was causing a delay or cancelation and we weren't informed. At 7:45, we each took turns calling the tour company for a status update. At that point we were informed that due to a clerical error, we would not be joining the tour that day... While our tickets said that the pick up time was 7:30, it was actually at 6:55 and the driver did not think to call any of us before departing without us on board. We had the option for a refund or to reschedule, but due to my meticulous planning, the rest of my days were filled and I just had to accept the refund and disappointment that I wouldn't get to see Milford Sound.
When the information centers opened up at 9, I ran in to see what other activities they could offer me to fill my day. They recommended the Skyline Gondola and Luge, and a canyon jet boat ride. So, I signed up in the last spots remaining. The gondola was not a tour as the others were but just an activity to do. I could take the gondola up and down the mountain for the luge and the views, but I was also told of an "easy 45-minute hike" to get up there which I could do if I preferred. I had time to kill and figured why not?! Well, the "why not" should have been that this hike was not 45-minutes long nor was it easy. If you don't follow me on instagram (@mollyg.photography), you missed out, because I "logged" the harrowing saga of my journey. Just kidding, I compiled the videos here for you because I have no sense of shame or embarrassment :) Also, here is some info about this hike for reference and a picture of what it looks like from the outside. It is a 2.1km trail that starts at the bottom of the gondola (the steepest in the Southern Hemisphere fyi) and winds the way up to the top through the trees. It is 450-meters (or 1,477-feet) of vertical gain during that trek. Along the way, you get great views of Queenstown, the mountains, and Lake Wakatipu.
But, I made it to the top, and got some pretty spectacular views! And, a milkshake as a reward!
In the afternoon, I did my canyon jet boat ride, which was wild to say the least! I don't think these photos and video do the experience justice, but they are the best that I have to offer.
Wednesday, October 4th, 2022
Wednesday, I was really looking forward to actually being able to get out of Queenstown and explore one of the sights I had planned to see! I made sure to get up extra early this morning and waited at the bus stop 40 minutes ahead of the planned bus pick up time, even after confirming with the operator our meet up time and place. The time, though, was 6:45, so I was out in the cold at 6:05! And, I do say cold intentionally here, because on Wednesday throughout the night and day, there was a bizarre spring blizzard that hit the area, causing colder than usual temperatures and snow. My guide picked me up, as scheduled, but on the bus, he had to inform the group that there was a high likelihood that the tour would not be able to actually run to completion as snow most likely will have shut the road down getting to our destination - Mt. Cook. About an hour and fifteen minutes into our drive, he got official word that the road was closed, we'd have to turn back, and we'd have the option for refund or rescheduling. Again, no time to reschedule so I had to take the refund and find ways to occupy my time in Queenstown for a third day... Whatever I ended up doing wasn't going to be a scenic helicopter tour over the highest peak in NZ with a glacier landing... so it was hard to not feel a bit disappointed.
In the bus, I chatted with two other women who needed something to do that day too, and we all signed up for another tour in the afternoon together. It was a Lord of the Rings theme Glenorchy tour, but I went along with it anyway because I figured it'd have better views than my hostel bunk would! I spent my newly free morning at a bead shop I saw in passing the other day making what will be my souvenir from my time in New Zealand. I was able to design and create my own necklace and even have the center piece be NZ Greenstone. It is way more meaningful than anything I could have bought and it was, actually, a wonderful way to spend the morning. Then I got myself a little coffee and a treat before lunch and my tour, which did have a lot of great views!
Thursday, October 5th, 2022
Finally, on Thursday I was actually able to do what I had originally planned to do that day. That was an 8-hour bus ride from Queenstown to Franz Josef, a glacier town. (As an aside, glacier pronounced in a Kiwi accent is a bit different than in an American one. Here it is said more like "gl-ah-see-er" v. "gl-ay-shure".) Despite how daunting an that long of a bus trip sounds, it actually was a wonderful experience and I spent most of the hours simply looking out the windows and taking in the scenery! Along the way we stopped quite frequently for restroom and snack breaks.
On the travel, I made friends with a woman visiting from Australia who would be staying the night at the same hostel as me. After we checked in around 4pm, we asked the manager for recommendations on how best to see the glacier that evening, as I would be leaving again in the morning. He gave us a map and directions and we set out on a beautiful 3.5-hour walk to some spectacular glacier views, chatting the whole way! We grabbed some dinner afterwards and ended the evening by doing a quick walk along a forest trail in the dark where we were able to spot glowworms out in the wild! It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, especially when I worried that I wouldn't get to do much of anything at this stop.
Friday, October 6th, 2022
The final day of my mini trip! It started off with packing back up my belongings and meeting my friend from the bus bright an early for a morning walk in town. We tried to walk to the lake, but didn't quite make it there. It was still a lovely stroll, though! After breakfast, we parted ways - I went to the bus stop and she went to get picked up for her helicopter tour and hike on the glaciers! I boarded the bus for a 4-hour drive to my next destination, which was a train station. There I caught a scenic coach for the 5-hour journey back to Christchurch. There were some pretty cool stops on the bus ride for photo opportunities, including at a beach at the Tasman Sea. And, the train had an open-air carriage at the back that made snapping pics a bit easier too!
And, with that I was back in Christchurch in time to have Friday night dinner with the family I am staying with here. Funny, but I feel like I need a week to recover now from my week away! In actuality, I had a busy weekend and packed schedule to wrap up my remaining time in Christchurch. You will get to hear more about all of that in future posts in due time! To sum it up in a few words, though, I felt a little bit worried about when I'd be able to find time to pack all my bags and belongings to bring with me for the final (quick) leg of my NZ adventure before catching my plane to Santiago! I still haven't quite worked it out yet, but it will all get done.
I hope.
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Amazing photos! xoxo