Newzealand

New Zealand, beautiful island country. It has North and south islands and around 600 smaller islands in the south-western Pacific Ocean. Major cities to explore in North island are Auckland, Rotorua and on South island side Queenstown, Christchruch and Fiordland and more. To drive the entire New Zealand, you need to take a car ferry between North and South islands.

Must visit places in New Zealand:

Queenstown –  Perfect place for an adventure and go wild. Bungy jumping, jet boat rides, skiing, rafting, hiking and more… Known as New Zealand’s ‘Adventure Capital’, Queenstown attracts more than three million visitors a year, who come for everything from world-class skiing and snowboarding to unique thrills in the water, the air and on land, or the relaxed pace of the wine trail in Gibbston.

Milford Sound –  Situated on the west coast of the South Island, Milford Sound is a fusion of natural features that are spectacular even in the rain.

Auckland – a short ferry ride away from Auckland, you will find the vineyards, olive groves and white sandy beaches of Waiheke Island.

Rotorua – filled with fascinating Māori culture, hot springs and mud pools.

Hobbiton – green Waikato countryside where scenes from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies were filmed.

Christchurch – known for its English heritage, is located on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. On its banks are cycling paths, the green expanse of Hagley Park and Christchurch Botanic Gardens. known as the “Garden City” because of its many beautiful parks, gardens and tree-lined streets.

Wellington – the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbor and colorful timber houses on surrounding hills. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington Cable Car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Known as the culinary capital of New Zealand, Wellington is famous for its tucked-away bars, quirky cafes, award-winning restaurants and great coffee. Head to Courtenay Place or Cuba Street to get among the good stuff.

There is so much to see in New Zealand and we picked the Adventure capital, Queenstown as our stop.

Customs: What can you bring in? After you’ve cleared passport control, you should collect your baggage and proceed through customs and biosecurity checks. In order to protect New Zealand and its environment, certain items are not allowed to be brought into the country, have restrictions for entry or must be declared if they are deemed to present a biosecurity risk. These include food, plants, animal products and outdoor recreational equipment. Your baggage may be sniffed by a detector dog and/or x-rayed, and it may be searched to identify any risk goods you might be carrying.

To avoid penalties it is best to familiarize yourself with these guidelines prior to travel. For a detailed list of prohibited, restricted or declarable items, please visit Ministry for Primary Industries (biosecurity agency).

I am impressed with the details and search they are doing to protect the country.

Day 1: Queenstown

Beautiful clouds and snow welcomed us to Queenstown, New Zealand. One observation, we saw so many people carried their skies in flight to Queenstown from different cities. I don’t know how much effort and price to carry their own skies in flight for a vacation.

Queenstown sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu, set against the dramatic Southern Alps. Renowned for adventure sports. Most exciting adventure destination.

We stayed in Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, Centrally located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Beautiful location with Lake views and close to everything. Walk-able to waterfront restaurants, activities, markets and shops. Kids wanted Indian food and to the surprise, there were many Indian options. It was very tasty Indian food as well.

Lively place with activities, music, shops on the street and ice cream .  Main street , Lake Wakatipu beach, activities, boat rides, Queenstown gardens, and Marine Parade. Marine Parade is also the place to catch local events like the annual Winter Festival’s opening night fireworks and New Years’ celebrations.

Our favorite stop during our stay. Patagonia Chocolates – Ice Cream, Sorbets & Chocolates

 

Day 2: Queenstown

The Kawarau Bridge Bungy, Is The Home Of Bungy Jumping. Leap 43m from The Historic Kawarau Bridge. This is where it all started, World’s first bungy and most famous place. No visit to Queenstown would be complete without a stop at the Kawarau Bungy Centre, The World Home of Bungy, opened in 1988. Nestled into a rock face overlooking the stunning Kawarau River, the view alone will satisfy any crowd.

Tensed night and long waiting adventure. I wanted to do Bungy jump in Kawarau Bridge Bungy in New Zealand. As a child, I watched one of the south Indian movie in 1998 where first time Hero does Bungy jump in telugu film industry.

Age restrictions for Bungy jumping :
Minimum 10 years old. Children 14 and under require an adult to sign consent at check-in and accompany them on their experience.

Mexican food for Lunch after a adrenaline activity. As a food lovers, we enjoy outside food and try to taste as many varieties as possible.

A relaxing afternoon with OffRoad adventure center, 4×4 dirt bikes in the mountains with rain, cold, and dirt. what an adventure it was…. Waiting for heaters to get some warmth after the ride. Facilities are well designed in all the places to support winter and cold weather. There were heaters close by & heated bars in boat rides and closed glass doors.

Day 3:

Breakfast is really good here. Parfait , fresh fruit/vegetable juice, eggs, bakery and usual Australian beans and more. Our  Milford day tour got cancelled due to bad weather and road closures. We even tried booking flights to Milford, but flights were also cancelled due to wind and road closure near Milford. So relaxing day today.

Queenstown, A relaxing stroll in Queenstown gardens along the Lake side.

Ferg Burger is a compulsory stop in Queenstown. It’s worth waiting for the burger. There is an article in CNN travel about Ferg Burger “Best burger joint in New Zealand or the planet?” Check it out.

We tried Little Lamby, Bombay Chicken , Sweet Julie and Cock Cajun.  Basically all Chicken varieties and lamb. 🙂

Shot over jet

Adventurous boat ride through the Shotover River Canyons, at 85km/hour, with spins & spraying water. The Shotover River is another favorite among thrill-seekers – fast currents make this one of the best places around Queenstown for jet boating and white water rafting. The Shotover River covers 75 kms (47 miles) in length and flows south of the Southern Alps through to the Kawarau River. Stops and jerks in the ride adds thrill to this ride.

Skyline Gondola ride and bird park.

Take Gondola ride to the top for magnificent views. Easily you can spend half day here with activities, hikes and Queenstown Luge ride.

Dinner in Thai restaurant.

 

Day 4:

More exploring and good bye to Queenstown. One more time enjoyed Ferg Burger.

Summary of Queenstown trip

Day 1 : Queenstown main street, Explore, Queeenstown Garden,

Day 2: Bungy Jump, 4×4 Offroad adventure

Day 3 : Milford day trip (canceled due to weather) , Shot over Jet, Skyline Gondola, Kiwi bird life park

Day 4 : Half day explore and shop

FAQ

1. Seasons & Weather

A popular holiday spot at any time of the year, Queenstown is renowned for its four distinctive seasons. Winter brings crisp, blue-sky days, spring retains the snow but blooms into longer, warmer days, summer offers sunshine and long twilights, and autumn a burst of brilliant red and gold.

Summer  : Dec – Feb

Autumn : Mar – May

Winter : June – Aug

Spring : Sept – Nov

2. Best time to visit New Zealand?

New Zealand weather is very unpredictable. you can see all 4 seasons in a day.

December & January will be most crowded month with all visitors. if you OK with crowd and want summer , this is the time to visit.

3. Visa

Visa: Not required for stays of less than three months for US Citizens

Passport validity : Three months beyond the planned date of departure from New Zealand

4. Food

All cuisines and varieties are available every where.

5. How many days is ideal for New Zealand trip?

14 days

6. Not to miss

Ferg Burger & Patagonia ice cream

 

 

Travel Date: August, 2019