For anyone wondering, our itinerary took us from Queenstown, to Aoraki, to Wanaka, then Franz Josef, to Punakaiki, and finally to Christchurch.

The best places in each place, in my opinion were-

• Take a gondola ride in Queenstown, then do the Luge on the way back down- SO FUN and we did it in the freezing rain but absolutely loved it
• The city centre is a beautiful place at night
• Lake Wakatipu-incredibly stunning scenery and a lovely walk
• In Aoraki, go visit Mount Cook
• The Hooker Valley hike is amazing- definitely will take at least half a day (we couldn’t do it because it was cloudy and rain had flooded the track, so ensure it’s clear on the day you decide to do it)
• You can see all the snow-capped tips best from that area
• We touched glacier water from the nearby fjords- IT WAS FREEZING
• Arthur’s Pass- do the Devil’s Punchbowl Walking Track- close to 600 stairs, but the view is worth it. There are multiple waterfalls scattered around the area
• You can drop in to see the Insta-famous Glenorchy hut- the mountains and the lake around the area are prettier though
• Lake Wanaka- must see, GORGEOUS
• The sunset over the mountains is breathtaking- I took so many pictures
• Franz Josef Glacier- you can take a helicopter ride (weather permitting), land on top of the glacier and take a walk; you can see the glacier from a nearby viewpoint accessed by a hike as well
• Punakaiki- go see the Pancake Rocks (very, very unique formations) and watch the sunset by the ocean- it’s so peaceful, and it looks like something out of an aesthetic Pinterest picture
• It also had dense forests to explore- there were so many different kinds of mushrooms, tall, winding plants, birds- it felt like a paradise, honestly
• Castle Hill- rock formations scattered across multiple hills- we saw people setting up tents on the hillside underneath the rocks overnight, to camp on
• You can see stars on a clear night- all open land and no light pollution

It was an AMAZING trip- one of the best in a long time, with wonderful people, food and breathtaking views, not to mentions, DUCKS AND SHEEP. THEY’RE SO CUTE.

10000000% recommend for anyone wanting to go.

Signing off…