South Island Travel Guide 🇳🇿 Save it quickly! 👔
New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere 🌍, and it’s currently autumn-winter season there! For those planning to visit, remember to bring warm clothes ☝, prioritize health 🚗, and be cautious not to catch a cold! UV rays are strong, so sunscreen is also a must-bring item.
✅ Itinerary: D1: Melbourne 🚗 Queenstown D2: Queenstown 🚗 Wanaka 🚗 Passing by Lake Pukaki 🚗 Tekapo D3: Tekapo 🚗 Lake Pukaki 🚗 State Highway 80 👉 Mount Cook 👉 Queenstown D4-D7: Onsen Hot Springs 👉 Skyline 🍣 Skydiving
✅ Car Rental: We rented from Apex, approximately $180 per day with full insurance. Pickup and return went smoothly 💪. Before driving, be sure to check local traffic rules—remember, they drive on the left side! It takes some getting used to at first.
✅ Attractions: 🔺 Lake Pukaki: Among these lakes, I think Lake Pukaki is the most beautiful! Make sure to visit the Lake Pukaki Visitor Centre; there’s a salmon shop 🌃, and the scenery is still very nice.
🔺 Tekapo: Stargazing town ⛪, a must-visit at the Church of the Good Shepherd 🍴, and Mt John is highly recommended! You can see the entire lake view!
🔺 Mount Cook: The scenery is excellent from Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook 🏨. There are viewing platforms and temporary stopping points 🍔.
🔺 Onsen Hot Springs: Remember to book in advance ☎️. They have separate rooms, great privacy! It’s quite comfortable—especially in winter, soaking in hot springs while enjoying the scenery! Definitely worth it ✌🏻 (Remember to bring your swimsuit 🩱).
🔺 Queenstown Skyline: You can take a cable car up 🚠, and there’s a restaurant with amazing views. You can also play Luge~ It’s recommended to go early; we went around noon and waited for 40 minutes to get in 🤣.
✅ Hotels: 🔺 Tekapo: Peppers Bluewater Resort – In the center of Tekapo. You can walk to the lake by crossing the street, and there are restaurants and supermarkets nearby.
🔺 Queenstown: Kamana Lakehouse – The hotel rooms are average, but the restaurant is beautiful!
🔺 Queenstown: QT Queenstown – We booked an excellent room with an amazing lake view. It takes about ten minutes to walk to the lake and the city center. Convenient location.
✅ Dining: 🔺 Fergburger: The big burgers have daily queues, but they are indeed delicious! Next to the burger shop is a bakery and ice cream shop. I love the Cream Donut and smoothies 😋.
🔺 Flame Bar And Grill: The pork chop is okay, but the shrimp rice is delicious!
🔺 Thai Cuisine: Thai food 🇹🇭. This place offers takeout 🥡.
🔺 Saigon Kingdom Vietnamese: Vietnamese food 🇻🇳. The beef pho is delicious!
🔺 Raman Raman – Tanoshi IKO: Japanese ramen.
