New Zealand: 2 week summer road trip, North and South Island

New Zealand, Aotearoa as the Maoris call it. A beautiful country, with snowy mountains, lush forests, blue lakes and amazing people. It is an ideal location for road trips with many places to visit on every drive. Our road trip here took us all around the country, starting in the North Island and continuing down to the South. I hope you enjoy my adventure through this incredible country.

Singapore → Auckland

Day 1 — Afternoon flight from Singapore. Mt. Eden, North Head

Stay: Rotorua

Day 2 — Drive to Rotorua: Cambridge Botanic Gardens, Hobbiton Movie Set (Matamata)

Day 3 — Whakarewarewa Māori Village, Redwood Forest treetop walk

Stay: Taupo

Day 4 — Drive to Taupo: Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Mangapohue Natural Bridge

Day 5 — Huka Falls, Aratiatia Dam, Lilliput Petting Zoo

Stay: Wellington

Day 6 — Drive to Wellington: Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Mangawheka Cliffs

Stay: Marlborough

Day 7 — Ferry to Picton, Forrest Wines (winery)

Stay: Christchurch

Day 8 — Drive to Christchurch: Kekerangu Black Sands Beach, Pikea Totem Pole, Seal Viewing Point

Day 9 — Day trip to Akaroa — Halswell Quarry, Farmers Market, Hector's dolphin cruise

Stay: Lake Ohau

Day 10 — Drive to Lake Ohau: Geraldine Route 79 Car Museum, Burkes Pass, Lake Tekapo, Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Pukaki

Day 11 — Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park — Hooker Valley walk, Tasman Glacier Landing, Dark Sky Reserve stargazing

Stay: Te Anau

Day 12 — Drive to Te Anau: Lindis Pass, Cromwell Heritage Site

Day 13 — Milford Sound day trip — Viewpoints: Eglinton Valley, Monkey Creek, Chasm, Homer Tunnel; Milford Sound Cruise

Stay: Queenstown

Day 14 — Drive to Queenstown: Devil’s Staircase, Remarkables Mountain Range, Queenstown Pier

Day 15 — Glenorchy day trip — Glenorchy Lagoon, Glenorchy Petting Zoo, Isengard Lookout Point

Stay: Auckland (airport)

Day 16 — Kawarau Gorge, Arrowtown River, evening flight to Auckland

Auckland → Singapore

Day 17 — Morning flight home to Singapore

Amazing Auckland : Mt. Eden and North Head

The flight was an amazing experience. Each seat had its own TV screen where I watched TV for almost 5 hours! The chair reclined backwards, and the leg rest lifted up allowing me to stretch out and lie flat, like a small bed in the sky. Our cousins, Matthew and baby Emma, were sitting right in front of us. We chatted for almost half of the journey. It was a bright, sunny morning when our plane landed at Auckland Airport. We had taken a 10 hour night flight from Singapore, so stepping into the fresh morning air felt wonderful.

At Security Check, a sniffer dog was moving slowly between the suitcases, to detect various items. In New Zealand, there is a strict rule: no fresh plant or animal products are allowed into the country. These items can carry pests that might harm the natural environment.

Suddenly, the dog stopped at my grandmother’s bag. It sniffed carefully. Then it refused to move. Everyone froze. The officer beside the dog opened the bag and searched inside. Nothing! Then, my grandmother realised what had happened. Earlier, she had thrown away a banana before boarding the plane. The dog had caught the faint smell. I was amazed — I never knew a dog’s sense of smell could be that powerful!

We rented two cars - a giant Hyundai Starria van with 8 seats for us and our grandparents, and a smaller Mazda for our cousins with a child seat.

My parents also found me a large map of the full country to keep me occupied on long drives. I learnt that Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand even though it isn’t the capital, and that New Zealand is much bigger than Singapore but still has the same population.

The next stop was our hotel, the Best Western, Ellerslie, for our first night’s stay. After the long flight, everyone was tired, so a short rest came first before heading to the trip’s first destination: Mt. Eden. This ancient volcano stands 196 metres high and a hike up to the rim sounded exciting, but the climb felt long though not steep.

After about 10 mins, the rim came into view. Below lay a giant crater, 50 metres deep, shaped like a huge bowl carved into the mountain. A walk around the edge offered views of the city skyline. One of Auckland’s most iconic landmarks, the Auckland Tower, stood tall above the surrounding buildings. Although Auckland has many attractions, we had to prioritise what we saw since we only had a day.

The final stop of the day was North Head, a former cannon site perched on a cliff. In the past, cannons were used there to defend against enemy ships. Though the cannons have been removed, their original positions can still be seen. North Head is also a perfect photo spot, with clear blue sea stretching toward distant mountains. Matthew, Rebekah, and I imagined being soldiers, guarding the shore and defending it from approaching ships.

Rotorua: Hobbiton Movie Set (Matamata), Whakarewarewa Māori Village, Redwood Forest treetop walk

The next day, it was off from Auckland to Rotorua, our house for the next few days. The drive is 2.5 hours along the major highway SH1, that goes through New Zealand’s farmland with giant fields filled with sheep, cows and even horses! Emma was excited enough to start squealing in the car!

Our first stop was the Cambridge Botanic gardens, in a small town called Cambridge en-route to Rotorua. The garden was small but filled with many different flowers like roses and marigolds, which delighted my grandmother. While my mom and grandmother were admiring the flowers (boring!), the kids went to the playground to play. I tried to balance on a tightrope but I wasn’t that successful. Emma attached herself to a swing and when it was time to go, she wouldn’t get off!

After Cambridge, the drive continued to Matamata to see the Hobbiton set. This set was built for The Lord of the Rings movie - what a treat for fans of the movie like me.

A bus ride took visitors to the entrance, and a guide accompanied the tour. While waiting for the bus, I looked inside the gift shop to see what I could find. A giant Gandalf statue greeted me at the door and in the jewellery deck, I could spot the One Ring (more a replica of)! Soon, the bus was heading to Hobbiton. At the entrance, the guide introduced himself and explained how the set was built in the middle of a sheep farm. The rolling hills and fresh grass created the perfect setting for Hobbiton.

The path led toward a clearing where The Hill stood, with small, colourful Hobbit doors peeking out. It felt as if the movie had come to life. The walk continued along the path, passing many Hobbit holes, each with its own job. There was a beekeeper with a table of honeycombs, a baker with a cake stall, and a cheesemonger with wheels of cheese. Matthew and I enjoyed trying to be the first to guess each Hobbit’s job.

At the top of The Hill stood Bag End, the home of Bilbo Baggins. It had a bright green door and a sign that read, “No Admittance, Except for Party Business.” Below The Hill was the house of Samwise Gamgee, with its yellow door. One Hobbit house was open to visitors. The inside was like a maze, with so many rooms it seemed endless. I sat in a large living room with a real fire, and a Hobbit bed. Everything looked cosy and tidy, and I wished I could live there. My dad tried sitting on a Hobbit-sized toilet, which was far too small for him. He looked hilarious.

The final part of the tour took us across the lake to the Green Dragon Inn. Along the way stood a watermill with a huge water wheel. At the Inn, I ordered ginger beer and imagined being a Hobbit in the Shire, enjoying a drink.

Hobbiton was a dream come true for a fan of the Lord of the Rings books and movies like me. The trip to Hobbiton brought the movie to life and made the world of the Hobbits of the Shire feel real and unforgettable. It remains one of the places I liked the most in New Zealand

To close off the day, we drove to our house aptly named the Lake House since it was positioned right on Lake Rotorua, which is a caldera. It was a large, one-story house with a small jetty connected to our lawn. Some ducks climbed out of the water onto our back lawn but decided to turn the whole place into their pooping ground so we couldn’t step anywhere!

Fortunately, there was still the front lawn to play in and I built a pretend fire out of sticks. My dad discovered a games room where he and I played air hockey, foosball and table tennis

The next day, it was time to experience Maori culture at a village called Whakarewarewa. I was excited to see how the Maori people live and learn about their culture and traditions. The village had lots of geysers, and it smelled like rotten eggs because of the sulfur!

Our guide was the chief in training from another village sent here to gain experience. He carried an axe and a staff that used to belong to his grandfather as a symbol of being a chief. He showed us a traditional Maori house, which symbolises a human body. The top of the house is the head, the white roof is the ribs, and the doors and windows are the organs.

He next took us to view the tall geysers; there used to be about 65 geysers, but the city took too much water and ruined most of them. Now there are only seven left. The biggest one is called Pohutu, and it shoots water super high, about 30 metres into the air! Other hot blue pools were emitting so much steam, I couldn't even see the water. Long ago, the Maori cooked animals by dipping them into the hot pools. We also ate corn that was cooked in a geothermal pool! It tasted sweet and juicy, probably the best corn I have ever eaten!

After the tour it was time to head over to the theatre for a Maori show. Maori dances have a lot of moves and sometimes use objects like a stick twisted around, or balls connected by strings that give off a rhythmic sound as they make contact during the dance. My favourite part of the show was definitely the haka, a traditional Maori war dance. It was used to scare away enemies during battle. The dancers had to put on their scariest face and stomp their faces and for a moment, I did feel a little scared!

Soon the dance was over and my dad found a route on a boardwalk over some of the sulfur pools. On the walk, I saw a colourful bird on the ground called a Pukeko with a bright red beak and a blue body. The water was black and it didn’t stink as much (luckily!). On the other side, there were some mud pools bubbling and frothing - it looked so satisfying.

Our next stop after the Maori village was a Redwood forest, for a treetop walk. Redwood trees are giant, reaching up to 70 metres. There were bridges made only out of wooden planks suspended by ropes and connecting one tree to the next. The bridges were wobbly and I began scaring Rebekah that it would fall. Emma (the toddler) on the other hand didn’t care how wobbly the bridges were. She was so excited that she just ran through and Rebekah and I had a hard time keeping up with her!

Terrific Taupo: Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Huka Falls, Aratiatia Dam

The next morning, we were going to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, for a walk and a boat ride through the glowworm caves. These aren’t worms in truth, they’re actually maggots, but who would go all the way to New Zealand to see a glowing maggots cave! Inside the cave, everyone had to be quiet as it would not do to scare the glowworms. It was a short walk to the boats and our guide showed us multiple rock formations in the cave. It was a limestone cave with multiple sedimentary layers. I found a rock that had the shape of an elephant! Stalactites were hanging like chandeliers from the top looking like they would fall any minute.

Once at the waterside, we got into boats each of which fit about 20 people. The boat set off and the atmosphere suddenly turned quiet and surprisingly spooky. My eyes were drawn towards the ceiling and I realized that there was an eerie green glow above me. Glowworms! They lit up the cavern like stars in the night sky. Our guide navigated the boat using ropes, (I don’t know how he could see them; it was so dark!), and soon the boat pulled out of the cave.

On the drive to our next house in Taupo, Matthew and I played cards but unfortunately, Matthew got motion-sick and threw up, due to the winding roads and had to be moved to the smaller car. We made a stop at the Mangapohue natural bridge created through erosion of the bottom of a mountain leaving a strip of land that looks like a bridge. Rebekah, my parents and I took off on a short hike through the forest to get to the bridge. It was a black limestone gorge with a shallow river down the middle and a roof at the top.

Our house near Lake Taupo was big with a giant lawn around it. We had our own playroom with lots of toys and a perfect view of the lake! The best part was the sleepover with Emma for the first time (although it took a lot of work to put her to sleep)!

The next day, we visited the Huka falls, which are rapids on the river exiting Lake Taupo. The water was bright blue with a lot of foam at the bottom of the waterfall. The force of the water falling was so high that I could feel the spray from so far away!

Downstream from Huka falls, was a dam, and every hour, it releases some of its water so it doesn't overflow. The next opening of the sluice gates would be in 20 minutes so we hurried over there to watch. The water burst out from the dam and into the ravine in front of it. Everyone ran downstream to each viewpoint to see the ravine fill up bit by bit. It was quite a sight.

For lunch, we ordered some burgers and pies from a nearby bakery and had a picnic in the park, followed by a walk to nearby hot springs to dip our feet in. The water was quite warm.

Our final stop for the day was the Lilliput Petting Zoo. I met a mule that slobbered over my hand and a pig that we couldn’t hand feed but had to throw food to. A deer managed to put its head inside Rebekah’s food basket and finished almost all her food! The ostriches were the scariest as all of them kept poking their heads out, and I was afraid they were going to peck us. Emma’s favourite animals were the sheep (I don’t know why?), and she spent at least 10 minutes feeding them. By the time we left, I was tired but happy. It was a great way to end our day.

Wonderful Wellington: Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Mangawheka Cliffs

The major part of our next day would be the long drive to Wellington with many interesting stops en-route. In the beginning, I thought the car would leave Lake Taupo quickly but it was so big that for the first 30 minutes, the only thing we could see was the lake! Soon, we hit what is known as the ‘Desert Road’ and the only thing I could see was shrubs and dirt. In the distance, there were some mountains, part of the Tongariro Alpine crossing, a range of mountains and volcanoes, and a very popular but long hike. We could have taken the hike but we were a large group with a toddler who would get tired, however, no one wanted to miss a stop for some photos. One of the volcanoes, Mt. Ngauruhoe was used to shoot Mt. Doom, the lair of Sauron from Lord of the Rings (so exciting)! The mountain was so tall that half of it was covered by clouds. There was another smaller snow covered mountain called Mt. Ruapehu and I could see the full mountain.

The next stop was the Mangawheka cliffs, which are white cliffs along the Rangitīkei river. I raced towards the riverside and the white cliffs were towering above us looking like someone had painted in chalk over them! Matthew and I tried to skip stones against the river current, without much success.

Lunch was at the Flat Hills restaurant, also an animal farm, before driving to our house in Wellington for the night, a small town house in the middle of the city. Too tired to go anywhere that evening, we ordered dinner from a nearby Thai restaurant which made us feel like we were back in Singapore. At night, Matthew, Rebekah and I got our own beds to sleep in. We were in for a comfy night!

Vineyards at Malborough: Ferry to Picton, Forrest Wines (winery)

There are two ways to get to South Island. One way is to take a ferry from North Island to South Island, which is what we did. You can also take a flight to one of the cities like Christchurch and Queenstown.We had to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch the ferry to South Island. At the ferry terminal, my dad parked the car in one of many rows for different sized cars. It was so well organized! While waiting to get inside the ferry, Rebekah and I spotted a group of seagulls fighting. One of them looked like quite a bully. Once driven into the ferry parking lot, the car was attached to chains (called lashings) to ensure it didn't roll away.

Once inside, my parents found tons of things to do, a cafe where I ate breakfast, a movie theatre where we watched Home Alone and a giant indoor playground where Emma went bonkers!

On the upper deck, the ferry was passing through the Cook Strait which separates North and South Island. I saw an albatross flying across the sea (my first time seeing this giant bird). The wind was so strong that I felt like I would be blown away! After three hours (it didn’t seem like much) the ferry arrived at a port in Picton, and then we drove to Blenheim, a small city in the Marlborough district, famous for its vineyards - you could see the vines stretching out on both sides of the road - grapes were just budding given the season, but it was still beautiful.

Our house was in the middle of a vineyard too! There was a large field outside and inside, we found a cricket set to play with (yay! My favourite sport).

After settling in, we headed for some wine tasting at a nearby winery - Forrest Wines. The parents ordered wine and cheese while the rest of us headed outside to play. There was a giant set of Connect-4 and some tiny beanbags that we needed to aim to land into holes. I beat my mum at the game so badly. Emma was fascinated by the blocks; she would try to arrange them in a tower and would get really annoyed if anyone broke it!

After the winery, it was to the nature park to explore the gardens in Marlborough where my grandmother and mother went nuts trying to capture pictures of all the different flowers there. Luckily we had a very well equipped playground to keep us busy.

Christchurch - Dolphins and Seals: Kekerangu Black Sands Beach, Seal Viewing Point, Day trip to Akaroa — Hector's dolphin cruise

The next day, everyone was up early to drive to our next stay, in Christchurch. Our drive would take a beautiful seaside route on the same highway that we had followed all the way from Auckland - SH1! We started off at the Kekerangu Black Sands Beach. The beach has black sand because of volcanic minerals deposited from nearby volcanoes. The water was so clear and I think I could see right through it. Rebekah was fascinated by the rocks as they were white and shiny, and she wanted to bring them all back to Singapore!

Soon, the road took us by the sea and I was on the lookout for dolphins and whales. Usually, you wouldn’t be able to spot whales and dolphins this close to shore but around Kaikoura was a trench and the water was deep enough for whales to swim in it. Occasionally, I thought I’d sight a whale or dolphin but it turned out to be a rock in the water. Eventually I did see a large fin bobbing out of the water. They were whales, looking like tiny specks of black in the waves. A dolphin also took a leap out of the water in front of us!

Another stop was at a viewpoint with a Maori totem pole dedicated to a hero named Pikea who was said to have come to shore aboard a whale’s back after his jealous older brothers tried to drown him. I found out that totem poles are a significant part of Maori culture.

It was a day for animal sightings. Our next stop was a Seal Viewing point - rocks near the sea with fur seals relaxing on them. There were small babies fighting with each other, seals swimming in small pools and even some massive bulls lumbering about the place. It was quite a sight!

For lunch, we went to a local crayfish restaurant where we ordered a large platter of battered fish like blue cod (from Kaikoura), whitebait and shrimp along with some crayfish. The fish was fresh, hot and crunchy. The only problem was that the restaurant was outdoors and next to the sea so we had to fight the seagulls that kept swooping to grab our food.. While he wasn’t looking, a seagull landed on my uncle’s head - luckily they did not make away with our lunch!

After that crazy lunch, we went to another part of the Kaikoura beach for more seals, up close - 10 meters was the recommended distance to keep. One actually woke up while I was in front of it and for a moment, I thought it was going to charge at me but it went back to sleep. The Kaikoura experience was unforgettable - I saw animals I have never seen before in the wild like seals, dolphins and even whales!

By evening, we reached our city house in Christchurch. The house was nearly spotless and the shower had hot water which was perfect as it had been a very cold day. There were two lawns but unfortunately, it was raining the whole time and we couldn’t go anywhere.

The next day, we took a day trip to a seaside town called Akaroa located 2 hours away. We were going on a dolphin cruise to see New Zealand’s native dolphin: the Hector’s Dolphin. These dolphins are nicknamed ‘Mickey Mouses’ because of their curved dorsal fin that looks like Mickey Mouse’s ear. They are also easily recognizable with their many shades of grey, black and white.

The drive was 2 hrs long with breaks, first at Halswell Quarry, which used to mine a type of volcanic stone called Halswell. A hike to the rim of the quarry took us through fields of tall brown grass called tussock grass, which is to be seen everywhere in New Zealand. Inside the quarry there are three layers in the rock, which are formed not from sedimentation, but from volcanic activity. Along the way, I found slabs of rock around the place. My dad explained that people would cut up these rocks using tools like crowbars and hammers. It was really hard work usually done by prisoners serving time.

Another stop was the farmers market. I had never been to a farmers market before and I was very keen to see what goods would be on sale. There were stalls selling a variety of items like woodwork, meat rubs, honey, second hand books, cards, cheese, jams - the list goes on! What surprised me was that all the vehicles were parked behind the stalls. This was because people would transport their wares inside large trucks to the market, set up their stalls right in front of the truck, then pack up and load the truck at the end of the day - easy peasy.

After buying some jams, and barbeque rubs from the market, we were finally (in my words) off to Akaroa! Nearing our destination, I could sight Akaroa from far away, a turquoise blue sea.

At the jetty, we collected our tickets from The Black Cat Cruises. I noticed that the bottom of the jetty was covered in mussels. The black shells were all over the place, clinging on to pieces of wood. Nearby, a cormorant was also trying to catch fish!

Soon enough we were off! Our captain also served as the guide and peppered us with commentary throughout the ride. The top of the boat was windy and all of us struggled to stand up. The waters were quite choppy, the boat was rocking up and down and for a moment I thought we were flying.

The boat passed a large salmon farm with multiple nets condoring off tanks filled with salmon.

The boat drifted by a rock where a small seal family was resting. There were many small seals and my mom named each of the seals after one of us kids because they kept on fighting! Our boat moved further out into the sea and I kept my eyes peeled for dolphins. There were many seals swimming in the water but no dolphins at all. For a moment, it looked like our guide had spotted one but it swam away before anyone could see it.

Soon it was time to turn back. I was feeling quite down in the dumps as I hadn’t seen any dolphins. We were kind of unlucky. It is unusual to come back without seeing any dolphins on the cruise. Once back at shore, the boat crew gave us a compensatory voucher that would allow us to come again and take the cruise for free. So there was hope! My parents bought us a hot chocolate to cheer us up after which we had lunch at a nearby restaurant (indoors luckily), and then went back home.

Unforgettable Lake Ohau: Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park — Hooker Valley walk, Tasman Glacier Landing

Our drive the next day, from Christchurch to Lake Ohau, would take 3.5hrs. We set off from Christchurch with a stop at Geraldine to visit a museum run by a person who had a collection of antique cars, military tanks and even pottery. My grandfather took a walk with me around the place to show me some of the vehicles like an anti-aircraft gun that was used to shoot down fighter planes, and a car with a strange lever at the front. I found out that you were supposed to rotate the lever to start the engine, a process that was used a long time ago called cranking. Emma’s favourite part was the clay sculptures of animals and she kept on staring at them trying to decide which was her favourite.

Lunch was in a town called Farlie, at the Farlie Bakehouse, well known for its pies (a popular dish in New Zealand). As a matter of fact, it would seem as though New Zealanders take food from all over the world and put them in a pie. During our trip, I tried a steak and cheese pie, a butter chicken pie, and a chicken stew pie!

After we had our fill, it was a short drive to our next stop, Burkes Pass. A pass is a gap in between two mountains that you typically drive through; you can see both sides of the mountain clearly from in between. There was a small town residing on the mountainside with shops dressed up like a town from the 70’s and displaying antique items. I saw an old petrol pump that didn’t look anything like the modern ones.

Next was Lake Tekapo, one of the many lakes of New Zealand. The water was so calm, it looked like a mirror reflecting the sky. The turquoise blue water was quite calm with not a single ripple in sight. There was a small church overlooking the lake, where we attended a sermon by the priest. He explained to us that the church was built to blend into the surroundings as the exterior was made out of stone and the inside of wood.

On the other side of the lake was a giant salmon farm which also sold salmon sushi . I could see the salmon being chopped up to eat, and my mouth literally watered at the sight. We also visited the slightly bigger, Lake Pukaki, which shone a peculiar shade of turquoise that I had never seen before. A vast range of mountains extended across the horizon, their snow-capped peaks high in the sky. I could catch a glimpse of Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand that we would be visiting the next day .

The car turned around a corner as we were nearing the house. Around the bend, I could make out the Ben Ohau range, as well as a vast brown field in front of it. The Pelennor Fields! This was the largest battle scene in Lord of the Rings and my favourite part of the movie. Matthew and I got out of the car to take some photos, pretending to do a ‘Rohhirim Charge (the horse riders)!’

Our house was in fact next to Lake Ohau, with a view of Ben Ohau. My dad and I took a walk to the lake and the nearby stream and got in the water (it was freezing).

We had a bit of a scare as the lock for the house wouldn’t open and we were stuck outside for 10 minutes, till the owner managed to guide us to a back door entry. I looked around the lawn and nestled in the trees was a small treehouse! If this was what the outside looked like, I could only imagine how good the inside would be.

Once inside, I rushed up the stairs into the common room. Before me was the view of Lake Ohau and the Ben Ohau mountain range. Imagine waking up to that every morning! There was an irregular shaped structure on the balcony and I went to check it out. Imagine my delight, when I opened the covers, to see a hot tub!

The true highlight of this house was not the hot tub or the view, but the stars. Situated in the Dark Sky Reserve, a place with almost zero light pollution the stars are fully visible (unlike Singapore). I had to stay up till around midnight as the sun sets late in New Zealand in summer but slowly, a few at a time, the stars began to creep out of the shadows and light up the sky! The whole time, I was staring up at the sky, trying to find all the constellations - we even managed to catch a few shooting stars.

The next morning, I woke up and dashed out of the bedroom, literally on cloud nine. This was the day we were going to take a helicopter flight to Mt. Cook glacier! But, disaster struck. My dad got a call from the helicopter staff saying that the helicopter wouldn’t be able to land on the glacier due to bad weather. I was pretty worried as I didn’t want to miss another trip like in Akaroa.

Mt. Cook was about an hour and a half away from our house so we stopped for many photos along the way. There were some scenic shots of the majestic Mt. Cook in the background but my favourites (my moms, I should say) were those of the Lupin fields. A Lupin is a type of purple wild flower found in New Zealand in summer. On our drive to Mt. Cook, you could see these flowers growing wild on both sides of the road in different shades of blue and purple.

Upon arrival, my dad went to check in at the counter. I desperately hoped that the weather would change as I waited for him to come back. Time seemed to slow down. Soon, he returned… with Good News!! We could land on the glacier! The original plan was to take a helicopter up and a ski plane back, but now it would just be a helicopter both ways. The arrangement was that the four of us and my grandparents would take the flight first, and Matthew and Emma would take the next.

Everyone had to get weighed before boarding so that they could assign us different seats to balance the helicopter. Rebekah and I got to sit at the back while my dad was right in the cockpit - the best view. Then, it was to the helipad for our flight. It was quite noisy and I could see the blades moving swiftly above us. Once inside, I put my headphones on to cancel the deafening noises and it was 3…2…1… liftoff!

My tummy felt funny, like on a roller coaster; down below the ground started getting smaller and smaller, and soon the mountains were right next to us. Mount Cook looked gargantuan, with shiny white snow on top like a giant upside down ice cream cone. I pressed my face close to the window because I didn’t want to miss anything, there were tiny rivers and a giant glacial lake at the bottom.

Suddenly, a large mound of snow came into view, as we began our descent. I squinted for the loud crunch as we landed on the glacier but it never came, we landed incredibly softly. I slowly and carefully put my foot on the snow. It felt cold, and wet but also soft - it was a fresh layer of snow!

I placed my hand on the ground and immediately pulled it back as the snow sent a sharp chill through my skin. I grabbed a snowball and hurled it at my dad, and Rebekah and I teamed up against him in a lively snowball fight. Soon, everyone joined in, including my grandfather, while my mom built a towering snowman by rolling together huge balls of snow and shaping a hat from icy slabs. With snow flying in every direction, It was the time of my life!

Unfortunately, our time on the glacier was short (15 mins) and it was time to get on the helicopter and head back to the helipad. The air began to feel more windy and the helicopter shuddered. The peak of Mt. Cook could be seen through the clouds as sharp as a jagged shard of ice. As quickly as it began, our helicopter touched back down on the ground, and the whole experience was over in the blink of an eye. Now it was Matthew and Emma’s turn to go for their ride, while we drove around to explore a long trail called the Hooker Valley trail, which offered close-up views of Mt. Cook and wound its way through a nearly flat forest.

We walked up to a spot beside a suspension bridge stretching over a river, but the sun was blazing and Rebekah and I were starving. So instead of completing the trail, it was time to head off to a restaurant to find ourselves a much-needed meal.After a quick bite from the Sir Edmund Hillary Cafe (he who climbed Mt. Everest), it was back home for a fun and relaxing night.

Te Anau - Waterfalls and Fjordlands: Lindis Pass, Cromwell Heritage Site, Milford Sound Cruise

The next day, after saying bye to our favorite house till now, it was off to Lindis Pass, our first visit of the day. The brown plains stretched wide and open, their dry grass shimmering like bronze in the sun. I recognized something familiar about the landscape and I was right, this place was used to shoot the town of Edoras in The Lord of the Rings!

After all that driving, everyone was famished so lunch was at a town called Cromwell before visiting the Cromwell Heritage Centre, an old town with shops preserved to see how life was back in the 50s and 60s. My favourite shop was the telephone booth shop where I learned how telephones worked back then. There was a large wall with different plugs (a switchboard my mom said), each signifying a different house number. Whenever someone wanted to call, they would call the operator and have them plug the cord into one of the different slots to connect. Matthew and Emma kept on playing with the wires and got them into an unfixable tangle! I also sat in a pair of stocks, a wooden frame with holes that were used as a punishment device in medieval times. Luckily, I wasn't born then!

It was evening by the time our car pulled up at the hotel next to yet another lake, Te Anau! My grandmother was delighted as she spotted multiple bushes of roses in our backyard. Rebekah, Matthew, Emma and I had to stand there the full evening taking photos!

It was Christmas the next day! In fact, a very rainy Christmas indeed. Here’s a fun fact: Te Anau gets about 1200 ml of rain annually, one of the wettest places in the world! This is because the mountainscape bordering the area blocks the wind flow, causing it to clump together and form rain clouds.

We were off early to Milford Sound for a cruise in the fiordlands. The drive took us through many scenic viewpoints with terrific views of mountains and rivulets. Our drive was well timed because as it was raining, we could see numerous waterfalls sloping down the towering cliffs around us. The rain was pouring down heavily and I had to put on my raincoat meaning that now, I was wearing three layers - my raincoat, jacket and T-shirt!

One of our stops was the Chasm, for a trek in the forest to view a series of gushing waterfalls. It was a short trek, passing through some bridges and narrow paths. One area was blocked, due to falling rocks so we turned around and headed back

The Homer tunnel is one place where we were held up as it is quite narrow, and we were waiting in the queue. I looked out of the window and there was a bird sitting on the mirrors. It looked at us with a look that signified: Hey, I want some food! My dad found out that that bird was a Kea, native to New Zealand. They are said to be very smart and they know that humans mean food! It took a look at us for a while before getting bored and flying away as we weren’t giving it any food.

At the Milford Sound carpark, there was complete pandemonium. There was absolutely no space to park, and it didn’t look like anyone was leaving anytime soon. My dad said he would drop us off at the check-in counter and then try to find somewhere to park. He warned us that if he couldn’t find a spot, we might have to go on the cruise by ourselves. I was extremely anxious because I didn’t want to leave my dad behind. Rebekah and I waited, hoping he would appear.

Time was slipping away, and boarding time was getting closer. Suddenly, a bus driven by Santa Claus stopped outside the counter and… out popped my dad! He had found a free parking area, parked there, and then discovered this shuttle bus that carries people from the free parking to the counter. I let out a humungous sigh of relief. Christmas luck!

After my dad had also brought my uncle to the free parking, we hurried to the ferry terminal to catch our boat which would be departing soon. Once aboard, I prepared myself for an incredible ride.On our ride, there were cliffs on both sides and millions of waterfalls streaking down the slope like white paint on a wall. There are only two permanent waterfalls, the rest are all weather-based.One of the permanent waterfalls was Bowen Falls, and probably the biggest waterfall I saw.

Up on the deck, I could see sea birds flying over the sea, including albatrosses. There was also the tall Mitre Peak that rises out of the ocean, as well as a group of waterfalls called the Four Sisters as they looked the same and were right next to each other like a family!

Ahead I could see a giant raincloud gathering. The boat was hitting the open ocean. Suddenly, the weather began to change. Rain was lashing down hard and the boat was rocking around. There was a loud rapping noise against the window. Hail! I was so surprised as I’ve never seen hail before. It was small chunks of ice being hurled from the sky. Even though it was raining, I was having the time of my life. I saw hail for the first time!

As the boat turned back, the weather started to clear up and I went onto the deck to see what had happened. The place was covered with ice, the hail must’ve been hard. Now, I could see the second permanent waterfall, Stirling Falls. The boat actually drove right next to it and I could feel the spray of water against my face.

Upon return, we hitched a ride to our car via the Santa Claus bus! I convinced my siblings that the modern day Santa Claus doesn’t use reindeer, he goes in a bus around the world! Santa Claus gave us all a lucky dip in the candy box and I got a candy cane. Back at our motel, my dad bought us some pizza for Christmas dinner (the only restaurant that was open thankfully). I devoured it in seconds!

Queenstown Adventure: Remarkables Mountain Range, Queenstown Pier, Isengard Lookout Point

The following day, was the drive to Queenstown - about 2 hrs - with a photo stop at the Devil’s Staircase Viewpoint. The Devil’s Staircase acquired this name, because in the old days it used to be a narrow treacherous road winding straight through the mountainside, quite difficult to navigate on horseback. I could see it from across Lake Wakapitu, a lake next to Queenstown, and it certainly looked dangerous.Soon, we were in the midst of the bustling city of Queenstown. Lunch was at a Korean restaurant - what a treat for us Asian kids who missed eating rice!

Queenstown is called the number one adventure capital in the world for a reason. At the Queenstown Pier, there were multiple water boat activities, like the jetboat which is a fast boat that rides through the lake and canyons. There were also small shark-like boats that could go underwater while in the sky, paragliders sailed right above us. I even saw them land on the ground!

Next, we drove to our house, which happened to be in the middle of the city. The view was the best part. I could see the full city of Queenstown and Lake Wakapitu and in the background, the Remarkables, a mountain range near Queenstown, where the Mines of Moria in Lord of the Rings was shot. It was so cool to have a Lord of the Rings scene right outside your window!

For dinner, my aunt and uncle had to queue up almost 2 hrs to buy the best burgers in Queenstown, from a restaurant called Ferg’s Burgers - each burger so massive it was the size of my head. I was so hungry that I managed to finish a full burger!

The next day took us on a day trip to Glenorchy, an hour from Queenstown before which we visited the Saturday farmers market next to the Queenstown Pier. Emma was fascinated by the ducks in the water. I could see over 50 stalls all lined up in neat rows, run by locals selling animal products, food, and various home-made artifacts. What caught my eye was definitely the woodwork, with a variety of figurines like movie characters, dwarves and even monsters! It looked like the statues were depicting a story, the way they were positioned and what they were doing. My grandfather had wanted to try a traditional Maori dish called Hangi (meat, veg and sweet potato cooked over hot stones). Luckily for him, there was a Hangi stall, where he ordered a Hangi wrap. Down the road, my dad found a shop selling different stones, including real fossils from prehistoric times!

Soon, it was time to travel to Glenorchy, and I climbed into the car, buzzing with excitement for the adventure ahead. Our first stop was a small scenic viewpoint beside the Dart River, near Glenorchy where we discovered a delta covered in clumps of greyish sand that looked almost like concrete. Surprisingly, it felt incredibly soft and spongy beneath my feet—nothing like ordinary sand at all! I later learned that this unusual delta was used as one of the filming locations for the Dead Marshes, the eerie pathway to Mordor.Although the delta looks calm, its water is actually extremely dangerous. The depth is impossible to judge, and the powerful undercurrents are hidden beneath the surface, making it easy for someone to be pulled under and drown.

Our next stop was Glenorchy Lagoon, where we went on a short walk along a wooden boardwalk. The path led us through swampy marshlands, another famous filming location for the Dead Marshes! Water stretched across the landscape, with mountains rising in the distance. The trees were tightly entwined, creating a dense, almost mysterious atmosphere.

Just before lunch, we visited the Glenorchy petting farm! Unlike other petting farms, this one had an open field where we could pet and feed the animals. The field was also filled with a lot of animal poop which I had a hard time avoiding. My dad had to keep the food in his pocket because there were a lot of naughty sheep chasing him around trying to steal the food.

Many alpacas and llamas were grazing around; I learnt that the difference between these two species is that llamas have long banana ears while alpacas have short and straight ones. Llama banana!

After lunch, it was to my favourite part of the day: Isengard lookout point! This place was used to shoot the city of Isengard, the domain of Saruman, one of the main villains from the Lord of the Rings. I could see the exact spot where the tower of Orthanc was. It was a large circle of stone ground and looked exactly like it had in the movies.

The next day would be our last day in South Island before the flight back to Auckland. Enroute to the airport, we made a stop at the canyons around Kawarau Gorge. This gorge was where the Shotover Jet ride takes place; I couldn’t imagine a boat driving at top speed through these narrow canyons; it would be frightening to me. Hanging over the gorge was a bungee bridge, suspended above the rushing river below. From the bridge, thrill-seekers could plunge straight down into the water beneath. I watched as many people nervously prepared to jump—one person even lost a shoe during the fall! A rescue boat crew waited nearby at all times, ready to collect the jumpers once they surfaced. After observing for a while, we walked across the bridge ourselves, although we decided not to try the bungee jump because let's face it, none of us had a strong enough stomach for this.

After lunch at a small town called Arrowtown, which was one of the mining towns during the gold rush, my mom, and grandparents went shopping (boring!), while the rest of us went to visit the Fords of Bruinen! This ford was the shooting place of one of the most iconic scenes in Lord of the Rings, the flight to the ford, where Arwen, the elven princess flees from the Nazgul and invokes the power of the waters to drive the Nazgul away. It was a bit of a hike to the banks of the river but I made it. The fast flowing water was before me rushing through like a raging torrent. I could see the places where Arwen and the Nazgul stood and Matthew and I even acted out the scene! It was the highlight of our conversation all the way to Auckland on our flight.

In Auckland, it was to our airport hotel for the night. The rooms were small but well equipped. The hotel even had a small restaurant saving us the trouble of going far for dinner. After dinner and some food souvenir shopping (Wittakers chocolate and Manuka honey) , it was back to our house for a peaceful night before our flight to Singapore the next morning.

New Zealand is a perfect destination for nature lovers, with towering mountains, ancient forests, sparkling lakes, and loads and loads of fascinating wildlife. We do need to respect nature by staying on recommended pathways and keeping the environment clean, as the landscapes are very special and well protected.

Our trip to New Zealand was an absolute wonder, an extraordinary journey filled with moments and adventures that I will never, ever forget. In my opinion, the best time to visit is during summertime (December), when the weather is warmer and the skies are clearer. One useful tip is to pack layers of clothing, because it could go from quite hot (in Auckland), to rain (like in Te Anau), to very cold (in South Island).

Overall, it is a place that should be on everyone's bucket list.