28 days of land and water activities at Tauranga (seaside) and Taupo (lakeside) on the North Island, then Picton and Kaikoura on the east coast of the South Island followed by Christchurch and west to the mountains at Aoraki/Mount Cook and Wanaka. Part of a trip that included Australia, and stopovers in Hawaii to cut the long flights.
The Mount Iron Track is a loop that goes around and across the top of Mount Iron. The views are worth the effort and the track is easy to follow.
We spent a great day on a jet boat and walking in the wilderness. It was an easy way to see more scenery.
That Wanaka Tree is a landmark and tourist magnet in Wanaka. It’s well worth the easy walk along the lakeshore to that tree and beyond.
We spent four nights walking near Wanaka and just one night near Queenstown before flying out. Wanaka was a nice place for a few days.
The Kea Point track doesn’t get as much love as Hooker Valley. We found it just as scenic, with mountain views that just get better the farther you go.
The hike was cut short by the second suspension bridge being under construction, but it was still a scenic hike.
Just getting to Aoraki/Mt Cook from Christchurch was a scenic trip.
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park ended up being the highlight in a trip full of highlights. We were endlessly fascinated by the mountain views, not having any mountains near home. There were enough tracks to keep us occupied for 4 nights.
We’re apparently not meant to see much of Christchurch. On our first visit we only spent one night. This time we spent 3 nights and planned to see more of the city, but rain nixed those plans.