It's amazing how different New Zealand is in different parts of the country. In the North Island we saw adorable towns, beautiful mountains, desert-like terrain and incredible people. In the South Island, we discovered beaches, gorgeous coastlines, beautiful animals, impressive rock formations and more incredible people!
What we saw as the ferry pulled into the South Island:
Nelson
Our first stop after the ferry docked was spent exploring the little city of Nelson.
We found some cute streets and stores and another busker festival!
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| Our favourite laugh-out-loud buskers |
On the road again! We headed over to the west coast of the island because it was recommended as one of the most beautiful scenic coastlines in the world. It didn't disappoint!
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We stopped at a little shack where this guy hunts for and sells Jade -
pretty cool! My mom has passed on her love of stones to Zac. |
The West Coast
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We stopped off at a little cafe for some
lemon lime bitters and enjoyed the scenery |
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| I forget the name of this bird - cute |
Then we hit the beach! Zac was excited to swim now that his cast was off :)
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| Cows at the beach! Really :) |
On the Road Again
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| Cool landscapes! |
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| These guys were everywhere |
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This peaceful scene was followed by a swarm of bees and
all three of us diving head first into the van screaming |
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| Zac and I spinning at the park :) |
We stopped off at the "Pancake Rocks" for a little stroll and snack
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| Pancake Rocks! |
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| Sunset on the coast |
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| Sleepovers in the van by the beach :) |
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| Beach Art! |
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| Before I die I want to... |
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| "Explore the world" |
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| We saw Kiwi's! |
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Zac buys himself a jade necklace: "This only costs me
$15 and I'm going to sell it for a thousand!" |
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| No road trip complete without fudge!! |
Then we headed away from the coast to drive through the winding hills
and roads of the centre of the island.
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| Even the delays were fun! |
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| Tickle Fight in the van! |
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| Some of those winding roads I mentioned |
Christchurch
What a fascinating city. Earthquakes have taken their toll, as see in some pictures, but the city is spectacular. It was one of my favourite NZ cities, and once again the people of New Zealand proved to be AMAZING. After chatting with a couple for approximately 5 minutes, they doubled back to ask us over to their house for a bbq and actual beds to sleep in for the night! We loved them.
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| You know I love markets - the biggest one in Christchurch :) |
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| Lots of wall art in Christchurch |
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Following the earthquakes, the city turned the debris
into musical instruments!
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We learned that there is a huge debate over whether or not
to tear the rest of this church down and start fresh,
or to rebuild. It's Christchurch's oldest church. |
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| Botanical Gardens |
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After so many buildings were lost, store owners got creative -
these storage containers were transformed into stores! |
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| Art Gallery! |
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Beautiful old buildings still standing
throughout the city |
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| Exploring Christchurch |
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| New friends - the best part about travelling! |
The Antarctica Centre
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| This was hilariously terrifying to ride in! |
We were told that we MUST visit the Antarctica Centre and we were not disappointed!
It was a really "cool" experience ;)
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| New Zealand is one of the closest countries to Antarctica |
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| In a simulator that brought out winds and WAY below freezing temps! |
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| We waved to adorable penguins! |
All in all, New Zealand was an incredible road tripping experience! I see quite clearly why so many fall in love and never leave. New Zealand has officially joined my list of favourite countries, along with Cambodia. Despite their immense differences, one thing they both hold in common is
the incredible people.
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