Road trip in South Island New Zealand
I had tears of joy and tears of sorrow when I took a 12-day South Island New Zealand road trip with my husband and two kids last winter (summer in New Zealand).
The tears of joy came when I saw the wineries of Marlborough Sounds, sipped the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world, sampled the craft beers of Nelson and saw the natural beauty of the Middle-earth. It was a joy to see books left in an unlocked box outside a home for a neighborhood book exchange on a street in Christchurch just like it was 24 years ago.
Let these photos show you things that will bring you joy in South Island:
1. Sauvignon blanc in Marlborough Sounds
2. The mountains and vineyards at Lawson Winery in Blenheim NZ
3. Road to the wineries in Marlborough Sounds New Zealand
4. Wine tasting in Marlborough Sounds
5. Bean bags to sit on in Forrest Estate Wines in Marlborough Sounds
6. Bike around the wineries in Marlborough Sounds
7. Refreshing craft beer in Nelson
8. Neighborhood book exchange in Christchurch
9. Fresh produce in Farmers Market Nelson
10. Fresh fish and chips at Coopers Catch in Kaikoura
11.The lakes and mountains in Queenstown
12. The neighborhood trees in Lake Wanaka
13. Lake Wanaka snow-capped mountains
14. The trails in Nelson
15. Farmers market in Nelson
16. Black sandy beach and dolphins in Kaikoura
17. Maori Warrior at Queenstown Skyline
18. The Luge in Queenstown
19. Just beautiful!! Sailing away from Picton
Seeing Franz Josef Glacier after 24 years away broke my heart. The Franz Josef Glacier I knew was larger and fuller. The ice valleys have retreated and are now just beds of rocks. The Southern Alps has lost a third of its ice and snow over the last four decades according to The Guardian. Imagine 34% of the ice and snow were gone in the last 40 years.
20. Franz Josef Glacier now. I came here 24 years ago and most of the area we walked on was the glacier. It used to be where we were allowed to walk on the compact ice from where we stood. These days you can only walk on the ice if you take a helicopter ride to the top.
21. Franz Josef Glacier is disappearing
22. Peter's Pool, a kettle lake where you can see the reflection of Franz Josef Glacier. Years ago, the glacier stretched across this valley. This pool is still evolving. I'm not sure if the next generation will see the reflection of Franz Josef Glacier here.
Another heartbreaking place was Christchurch. The iconic Christ Church Cathedral is still in ruins. Restoration of the cathedral is still in a legal deadlock. The Christchurch I knew was almost like a ghost town on a late Tuesday afternoon.
23. The ruins of Christ Church Cathedral
24. Earthquake Memorial 185 white empty chairs
25. The Cardboard Church of Christchurch, a temporary home for Christ Church Cathedral
Experiencing first hand the effects of the 2011 earthquakes in Christchurch made me think about our own experience the morning before our departure from Greymouth to Christchurch. We were scheduled to board the Tranz Alpine Kiwi Rail Scenic Journey on January 6, 2015.
26. Tranz Alpine about to depart from Greymouth to Christchurch on January 5, the day before we were scheduled to leave. Unfortunately, ours was cancelled due to earthquakes on January 6.
27. Greymouth New Zealand
On the morning of our departure at about 6:45 am we were awaken by several earthquakes. The earthquakes were recorded near Arthur's Pass, the exact place where the Tranz Alpine would cross. I checked my phone to get the latest news about the quake. GeoNet classified the quake as "severe" at 6.4 magnitude and some "weak" quakes at 4.2 magnitude.
From my iPhone on January 6
Kiwi Rail cancelled the trip and left us with two options: take the bus or get your money back. The Tranz Alpine was the highlight of the South Island tour. Thank God no one was injured and there were no major damages in the area. I had sweaty palms when I traveled on a bus from Greymouth to Christchurch stopping briefly in Arthur's Pass. The route was still beautiful even on a bus.
28. The journey between Greymouth and Christchurch
29. Stopping in Arthur's Pass Cafe and Store to admire the friendly Kea bird. Arthur's Pass had a few earthquakes just hours before we arrived.
30. Passing by limestone boulders of Castle Hill (Kura Tawhiti) along the Great Alpine Highway in Canterbury.
Read more about our road trip for 12 days in South Island in our upcoming eBook "How to Travel on a Budget in South Island New Zealand" where we spent $2,706.69 for a family of four. Get it in Amazon on Thanksgiving Holidays.
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