Lakes Wanaka, Pukaki, and Tekapo

On the drive from Queenstown to Tekapo, we stopped for lunch in Wanaka, partly so I could snap a photo of the famous tree there. It's pretty cool -- a tree out a ways into the lake -- and the surrounding scenery is sweet too. There were several other people also snapping photos (some with really big, expensive-looking cameras on tripods) and the weather was sunny and clear. It's hard to go wrong for photos in this middle section of the South Island.

standup paddleboarders enjoying the lake

some ducks along the shore

Then it was on to my favorite rest stop by Lake Pukaki. The blues were gorgeous as usual! We also picked up some Mount Cook Alpine Salmon at the little shop there for later.

And the last stop of the journey was Tekapo, which has a lake of the same name. It stayed light quite late, so we were able to take a nighttime scroll and check out the famous Church of the Good Shepherd in the dark. We tried out my camera's manual settings and got some nice photos with the stars.

Te Anau and Routeburne Track

To get to Milford Sound, you have to first go south through Te Anau, which is the gateway to the Fiordland and the place to get gas and food beforehand. (Then to get to Queenstown, you still have to go back through Te Anau.)



We took a leisurely drive from Dunedin to Te Anau and spent the night there. But because it stays light out so late in the spring and summer here, we were able to take a walk along the lake and gaze at the mountains and clouds.

The next day on the drive to Milford, we stopped to check out one of the rivers and saw lots of pretty flowers in bloom.

Then we did a hike on part of the Routeburn Track (one of the New Zealand Great Walks). It was steep on the way up, and I had to stop several times, but the views at the top were beautiful. Snow-covered mountains, a mountain lake in the distance, and the cute but naughty alpine parrot, the kea, which was keeping an eye on everyone for potential food scavenging opportunities. One of them soared past us a couple times, and they have a pretty orange underside that you can see.

these are mini carnivorous plants

South Island Itinerary: Mount Cook and Hooker Glacier

On our second day in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, we hiked the longer Hooker Valley Track, which took us through a beautiful, almost enchanted glacial valley with mountain peaks towering over us on either side and lots of snow and fog. The peak of Aoraki stayed stubbornly shrouded in cloud, but it was still majestic in its mystery. The end point was a lake full of bits of ice, and people were dumbly trying to stand on it to see if it would hold their weight (yes, I might have tried it a bit too - the thrill and sound of cracking ice are too cool!). We had to cross several swing bridges there and back, and the rain started up just as we made it back to the parking lot - we were quite lucky in the weather while here! This walk and photos will definitely be a long time in memory.

You can just make out the glaciers

weta bug near the restrooms

Gorgeous mirror effect in the lake

South Island Itinerary: Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier

This was my second trip to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park this year, and it has become one of my favorite places in New Zealand, easily. There are so many glaciers and mountain peaks and you're nestled in the valley surrounded by them. Plus, driving up Lake Pukaki to get there is great in itself because it is such a beautiful lake with stunning blue water.

The first day we did a short hike to the Tasman Glacier overlook (in winter, you can't go on the lake). It's surprising how much dirt settles on top of the glacier, because your first thought of a glacier is usually ice, not mounds of dirt obscuring it. But the icebergs floating in the terminal lake are less dirty and have cool patterns of dirt on them as they flip and bump and dissolve.

These ducks were on some smaller lakes on the hike to the overlook.
They are called "Blue Lakes" but the algae has turned them green.

Close-up of the Tasman Glacier. So dirty!

Tour helicopter making the rounds

TranzAlpine Train to Moana

I debated whether or not to take the TranzAlpine train, but it is a really good way to see the different terrain of the South Island and it was a good day trip. [The best views are on the right-hand side of the train leaving Christchurch, and you can request this as well as a table seat in the comments section when you book online.] The rain held off during our stopover in Moana / Lake Brunner, so we were able to walk around and have lunch by the lakeside in muggy weather. Granted, the tourism website was faking it in touting it as the next big thing because there seemed to be only one cafe in the tiny town -- at least within walking distance from the train station -- and nothing else to do except fishing or boating, but we still had a nice time. The cafe was playing 50s music and we spotted a couple wood pigeons and lots of flowers on our walk. The one boat with inner-tubers had the whole lake to themselves, which you can't do much anymore in the U.S. Seeing animals along the train ride was a fun thing to do, and we saw several belted Galloway cows which look like an Oreo cookie!

beekeeping containers

New Zealand wood pigeon

New Zealand brown duck

Belted Galloway cows

Clydesdale horses

Waimakariri River