New Zealand has always been on my bucket list, one of the must-visit destinations in this lifetime. The spring in New Zealand is coming soon~ In this season of blooming flowers, I’ve organized a special self-driving itinerary to share with you all, for an off-season travel experience.
🇳🇿North Island – South Island Self-Driving Route
- Shanghai – Auckland
- Hobbiton – Auckland Skytower for night views
- Auckland – Christchurch – Eden Park – Tekapo (Best stargazing time is from April to September, a pollution-free world starry sky reserve) Pukaki Lake – Cook Mountain hike (The hike passes through Pukaki Lake, an intensely blue glacier lake)
- Good Shepherd Church AstroCafe (amazing coffee shop in Tekapo) – Queenstown (Bungee jumping and swing along the way)
- Greymouth – Arrowtown (you can skydive and take a cable car for night views, a fairytale town similar to Greymouth)
- Fox Glacier hike (on the way back to Christchurch, passing through the filming location of Lord of the Rings) Mt Cook Alpine Salmon (Salmon is delicious at Lake Pukaki)
- Wanaka to Queenstown (beautiful scenery along Crown Range Rd!) to see the lonely tree
- Queenstown skydiving – Onsen hot pools soak in hot springs – Skyline cable car (romantic self-service dinner on the mountaintop) – dinner at Fergburger
- Greymouth (Glenorchy Wharf offers views of flowers and meadows)
- Milford Sound (one of the 9 wonders of the world) – Dunedin – Timaru (watch blue penguins) Christchurch – return home
My favorite places in the North and South Islands of New Zealand:
Matamata: Film location of “The Lord of the Rings,” you can have a beer at Hobbiton to pay homage to the movie.
Waitomo Caves: A world of dreamlike fireflies, take a small boat around the caves.
Rotorua: In the thermal park, you can see the colorful Champagne Pool, one of the world’s top ten hot springs, Pohutu.
Wanaka: The “lonely tree” is here. In winter, friends must not miss skiing. Those seeking excitement can also heli-ski on Mt Harris. Fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, and skydiving are available year-round.
✈️ New Zealand Air Travel Tips
From Shanghai to Auckland, the 12-hour long-haul flight is quite exhausting. For a trip full of vitality, a comfortable flight is crucial. This time, I chose Air New Zealand’s lie-flat economy class!
🛋️ The sky couch is a row of three seats connected into a sofa bed, allowing you to lie completely flat for sleep. Waking up refreshed, you’ve arrived in New Zealand! For avid foodies, Air New Zealand’s in-flight meals are exquisite, with carefully selected cheesecakes. Next time, I will continue to choose Air New Zealand!