New Zealand is truly a hiker's paradise. No matter whether you are in the North or South Island, the trails to choose from are so numerous that you basically could do a different hike every day for a long time. However, most of us are limited on time so we made a small overview of our favorite day hikes. Key Summit (South Island - Fiordland) This beautiful day hike starts as part of the popular Routeburn Track. The Routeburn and the … [Read more...] about Best Day Hikes in New Zealand
hiking
Bay of Islands & Whangarei
We arrived in Paihia just in time for sunset by the beach which was a perfect first impression of the beautiful bay surrounded by -just as its name says- islands. Bay of Islands Our traveling is very focused on staying within our budget so we can keep on traveling for a long time. However, there are places where you just know you have to give in and pay those extra dollars for a different and unique experience, at least for us. In this … [Read more...] about Bay of Islands & Whangarei
How to do the Tongariro Crossing
One of the best day hikes in New Zealand, even officially mentioned in the brochure of the Department of Conservation, is the Tongariro Crossing. A 19.4 km hike across volcanic landscape. The area was used for Mount Doom so all Lord of the Ring fans would especially love this hike. After completing the crossing, here are our recommendations to enjoy it to the maximum. Where to stay on a budget There are several accommodation options, … [Read more...] about How to do the Tongariro Crossing
West Coast and Marlborough & Nelson
Another of Chris’ Travel Fails After the glacier area, we drove up along the West Coast towards the North end of the South Island. On the way, we stopped for a dip in Lake Ianthe before heading to the beautiful Hokitika Gorge. When we arrived at the gorge, I wanted to change into my hiking shoes but couldn't find them. Then it hit me: I had taken them off to jump into the lake and left them under the car without picking them up again. So we had … [Read more...] about West Coast and Marlborough & Nelson
The Fox and the Franz Josef Glacier
After leaving Lake Wanaka behind, our next destination was the glacier area on the West Coast. On the way to the first, the Fox Glacier, we made an overnight stop at the Lake Paringa Campsite. Unfortunately, the sandflies made it impossible to enjoy the sunset and we had to retire to our tent fairly early. That was not so bad because we spontaneously decided to do sunrise the next day for which we had to get up at 3.30am to drive to a good … [Read more...] about The Fox and the Franz Josef Glacier
Queenstown and Wanaka
After leaving Lake Te Anau, we began driving to Queenstown where we would spend one night in my cousins' car outside the shared house he lives in. The drive to Queenstown is worth mentioning just because of a crazy rain and thunderstorm we had on our way. We even had to pull over at one point because the visibility went down to zero. Further along the road, we passed some car accidents and were grateful when we arrived safely in … [Read more...] about Queenstown and Wanaka