This road trip is getting BIG. Since arriving in New Zealand we have already driven more than 2200 kilometres — and we are not done yet. We are almost at the very southern tip of the South Island, enjoying the rhythm of driving, stopping, stopping again to stare at the scenery, doing short hikes, and spending unusual nights in unusual places. It's a fascinating experience, even if moving every single day gets a little tiring.
The Secret Hot Pools
One of our favourite finds was a set of natural hot pools that appear on no official map. We stumbled onto them late in the day and ended up soaking under the stars before sleep — a warm, perfect, completely free bath in the middle of wild nowhere. That is the kind of discovery you only make when you are willing to just stop and explore.
Two Glaciers in the Rain
The West Coast delivered dramatic scenery in challenging conditions. We visited both the Franz Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier on a day when the rain simply refused to stop. Still, even through the grey, the scale of these rivers of ancient ice is humbling.
We ended up preferring the Fox — slightly quieter and with a different angle of approach that felt more rewarding. Between the two glaciers we stopped at the Salmon Farm Café for a lunch that was a perfect consolation for the rain.
The sandflies, however, were another matter entirely. Public Enemy Number One on the entire West Coast.
The Seagull Trilogy: A Three-Act Saga
We present to you "Run for Your Life", our favourite story of the road trip, in three episodes.
Episode One — Birds Awaken. William spotted a beach in the distance and decided to investigate for seals. The only problem: reaching it required crossing a beach that had been claimed, in its entirety, by nesting seagulls.
Episode Two — Birds Attack. There were no seals on the other side.
Episode Three — Birds Craziness, Calling Friends. William gave up and decided to come back. The gulls were not satisfied with this resolution.
(There were, for the record, seals on a completely different beach. One zoom in the right direction was all it took.)
The Tatare Tunnel and Glowing Worms
One of the most unexpected highlights was crossing the Tatare Tunnel Walk — a 400-metre tunnel dug entirely by hand, with cold water running through the dark. Three shifts a day for a full year. And it was the first place we ever saw glowing worms, flickering like cold blue stars in the pitch black. Extraordinary.
Wanaka and the Road to Fiordland
The drive south through Wanaka and Lake Hawea was one of the most beautiful stretches of the entire trip. Wanaka itself is a lovely town with a relaxed atmosphere — and apparently the best ice cream we have eaten in New Zealand.
We are heading now towards Fiordland, and will send the next update as soon as we find internet — the further south we go, the harder it gets.