Marph visits the Land of the Long White Cloud

Kia Ora! 

Wow New Zealand, North to South you did not disappoint and 3 weeks just wasn't enough. 

A land of mountains, lakes, volcanoes, glaciers, geothermal activity, pristine beaches and the flightless Kiwi. 

Enjoy this overview of our holiday in the Land of the Long White Cloud. 

All trips start with a Big Bowl of Pho at HCMC Airport! 

The orchid garden at Changi Airport in Singapore. 

We loved the orchid, sunflower and butterfly garden at Changi Airport and highly recommend a wander around if you have time inbetween flights. 

We arrived in Auckland and collected a rental car there.

The heatwave that was over Australia in January arrived in NZ at the same time we did, we came prepared for cooler weather but it was blistering for most of the 3 weeks. 

An afternoon walkabout at Auckland Botanical Gardens and city centre before travelling to Rotorua the next day. 

Kuirau Park, a free thermal park right in the middle of Rotorua. 

You could feel the heat lifting from this pool! 

An afternoon was spent exploring all the lakes in the central Rotorua area. 

NZ has sooo many lakes!!

Cooling off in the shade of the Redwood Forest. 

It was truly special and so calming walking around these giants.

Champagne Pool at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. 

From Rotorua we drove through Taupo to Ohakune near to the Tongariro National Park.

In Tongariro NP we started with Tama Lakes, a 17 km warm-up hike with epic views of Mt Ngauruhoe (above) and Mt Ruapehu (in the distance below) on a clear day such as it was.

Lower Tama Lake with Mt Ruapehu in the distance. 

One of the bigger hikes of the holiday, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. 

It was cloudy, misty and cool all the way to Red Crater and then cleared into a hot day. 

A challenging hike with steep uphill sections on scree slopes.

And then steeply down all the way after Blue Lake. 

But the views were worth it. 

A rest day with some shorter flat walks followed and then driving to Wellington. 

Views over Wellington, a city very reminisce of Cape Town and surrounds. 

The Interislander Ferry that took us across the Cook Strait between the North to the South islands and into the Marlborough Sounds.

Another beautiful and blistering day in the Marlborough Sounds. 

Sampling the local finest over a picnic with fantastic views over the Wither Hills at our accommodation in the Marlborough wine region. 

We crossed the South Island to the West Coast and headed south starting at Punakaiki.

The Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki.

Awesome coastal views in the Punakiaki area. 

The blue-grey waters of Hokitika Gorge. 

The retreating but still close, Franz Josef Glacier. 

The insanely and aptly named Blue Pools near Wanaka.

Lindis Pass between Wanaka and Twizel in the MacKenzie District. 

The Hooker Valley Track in the Mt Cook National Park, one of our favourite walks of the holiday. 

Mueller Glacier,

and the prize at the end, Mt Cook.

It was clear at the start of the walk but clouded over as the morning went on. We enjoyed relaxing by the lake waiting for the clouds to drift across revealing Mt Cook. 

Mt Cook and Lake Pukaki.

Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd.

Enjoying a stroll at the Lavender Farm in Wanaka.

#thatwanakatree

The next big hike of the holiday, Roys Peak. 

A steep and steady ascent to the top followed by a steep descent down the same track. Definitely harder than the Tongariro Alpine Crossing! But the views were oh so worth it. 

At the Insta-lookout point about 3/4 way up.

Almost there!

Views from the top of Roys Peak. 

A challenging hike but well worth the effort. 

Patagonia Ice Cream, a well deserved reward! 

Relaxing after the big hike.

One of many rounds of  Monopoly Deal Saigon card game.

Lake Wakatipu on another beautiful day, this time passing through Queenstown on our way to Fjordland National Park.

View from my window, Te Anau Downs in Fjordland National Park.

The Milford Road from Te Anau to Milford Road is filled with amazingly beautiful places to stop and views to marvel over. This was one of our favourites, especially after the rain, the water was raging!

Milford Sound. 

Our first day at the sound bucketed with rain (according to the cruise ticket lady it was a mild rainy day for Milford :o) but the clouds suddenly lifted mid-afternoon to reveal a still and picture perfect bay. 

The next day we enjoyed further views of the sound and into the Tasman Sea on a Discover Nature Cruise with Southern Discoveries incl. a stop at their Underwater Discovery Centre, well worth the extra hour. 

If my kitchen had these views I would be way more enthusiastic about doing the dishes! 

View from my window, The Remarkables Mountain Range in Queenstown. 

The shores of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. 

You can't come to Queenstown and not have a Ferg Burger! 

Thank you New Zealand! 

We hope to be back hiking in your glorious mountains again soon!!