New Zealand Travel Diary: Part 2

I think part 2 may be even longer than part 1. But I did manage to wrap up this New Zealand Travel Diary, so enjoy the final part in this photo series! 

(Okay, I cheated a little bit because I've got a separate post coming about our hike up Mount Roy.)

This view from the top of Skyline Queenstown was breathtaking, and I'm so glad I came but the hefty $35 price for a return gondola trip is almost not worth it. If you're eating at the restaurant then it might be better value but we had our hearts set on the burgers at Fergburger. As well-loved and praised as it is, we actually thought the burgers were quite standard given the hype and probably not worth the 1 hour plus wait. (But we're not fussy foodies so don't shoot us for our sub-standard tastebuds. We apologise.)

Location: Skyline Queenstown

Okay technically, Lake Wakatipu is still part of Queenstown but I wanted to separate these photos from the ones above because it's a different, up-close perspective of the lake.

These photos were taken along a really lovely walking trail in Queenstown Gardens which wasn't far from our hotel. 

At the east entrance of Homer Tunnel on our way to Milford Sound, was this incredible scene of cascading waterfalls. We were lucky that it was raining so heavily (one of the few times I'll say that) that we got to experience and capture this surreal view. Yep, we were the only crazy people standing in the pouring rain taking photos but look at the view!!!

It's not hard to see why Milford Sound is a tourist hot spot, but oh lawdy was the drive here long (~4 hours one way). There are a few trails and spots to visit along the way, which we unfortunately didn't have time for, which would be a good way to break up the long drive. 

The sightseeing cruise was actually much better than I expected. The views were beautiful and there are cute booth-like seats inside with complimentary coffee and tea which is where we hid when it got too windy. It was pure luck that we booked an afternoon time slot because all the morning cruises had been cancelled because of bad weather conditions. I don't know how it goes from torrential plan-ruining rain to sunny, blue skies in a matter of a few hours, but imagine driving four hours only to find out your cruise is cancelled... 

The Devil's Staircase is a steep and windy section of the New Zealand State Highway 6 (thanks Wikipedia) that technically isn't a place to visit because it's on the way to Queenstown (not sure if it's the only way in, but we drove in from Milford Sound and on our way out to Wanaka). Obviously, Kevin had a blast driving here, but every turn was also a photo opportunity for me.

There's a lookout spot at the top of the road where you can park to take photos (a view definitely worth stopping for) where we were lucky enough to capture a golden-pink sunset. 

This amazing onsen, which I highly recommend, is only 10 minutes from Queenstown. It's not cheap but I think it's fairly good value considering you get a private room (with a shower) with gorgeous views of the mountain range. We paid extra for the Tandeki package because what's better than eating ice-cream and drinking sparkling wine in a hot tub? 

We didn't take many photos because we wanted to make the most of our hour, which was nowhere near enough :(

Location: Onsen Hot Pools

One of the bluest lakes I have ever seen, and it's even more vibrant in person. If I recall correctly, most of the cars on the road were headed towards the perhaps more well-known Lake Tekapo but I promise Lake Pukaki is also worth a visit! Especially as it's on the way to the very popular Mount Cook National Park trail - which I unfortunately don't have many pictures from, since it was raining very, very heavily when we went. 

J

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