South Island
After living in Perth for 6 months over their winter, I was ready to stretch my legs and explore once more. Novemebr felt like the perfect times to set off once again, spring staying to blooms and evenings growing longer.
Travelling brings you so many companions, but there was comfort in knowing that I could fledge again, with the reassurance that you will find your people again. Saying that, I was so excited to spend the next few weeks completely solo, just me and my camper. I spent the first 2 weeks travelling the north island by Intercity Bus, stopping off at various cities staying in Hostels. But the excitement was brewing for the independence and exploration that was waiting.
Rent a car/camper! 2–3 weeks ideal
Arriving in Christchurch (Ōtautahi) and picking up my car, I decided to go for the Spaceship self-contained car that sleeps two, with cooking equipment. Due to the small toilet inside, it meant that you can freedom camp, the possibility of pulling up almost anywhere and staying for the night for free. My aim was to mix and match campsites, spending every other night at a paid site to shower and facilities. Then the other nights, freedom camp with just the scenery at my side.
The car is very well equipped and has everything you need. But I am a woman of comfort, which only means one thing. As soon as I picked up the car, I headed straight to thrift stores and Kmart to get a cosy blanket, plump cushions, fairy lights and a supply of books, followed by a food shop, camper car cooking instalment later on.
Supplies in hand, it was time to hit the road.
Plan your route, go anti clockwise
After lots of research, I decided to do the South Island anti clockwise, heading north from Christchurch up to Kaikōura. A short two hour drive, the perfect route to ease you in.
When I arrived at the first camping spot, I set up camp, walked through the small, quaint town and then strolled along the coast, sandwiched between cliff faces and lazing seals on the rocks overlooking the ocean.
As the rain and wind rolled in, I set up for the night, making a pot noodle for my first evening in the car. I laid out my bed, propped the fluffy cushions up, wrapped fairy lights around the roof and sat with a book in hand. The first night I slept like a baby, the wind gently rocking the car back and forth as I drifted off.
Nelson Lakes
The next morning, I woke up bright and early. After breakfast and a walk to the coffee shop, I hit the road, driving up through Blenheim and on to Nelson Lakes National Park (Te Tai Tapu). A jetty launching out into the vast lake with rolling hills either side.
And what a view to have lunch with.
After a chill by the lake, I packed a small bag and headed for a walk around it, taking me up into the canopy overlooking the view.
I got chatting to a fellow camper due to me forgetting cooking oil and that then night I spent with other campers, playing cards and having a BBQ. The sun went down and the night grew colder. To bed I went for the second night.
Waking up at the lakefront, I was greeted by a mother duck and her ducklings at my boot as I ate my morning granola.
As I drove, the weather just got more miserable, heavy rain and wind lashing against the car. I knew it would just be a day of driving and reading. I set off with the West Coast in mind.
After three hours I stopped in Greymouth (Māwhera). Out of everywhere in the south this town felt like it had the least to offer. Maybe that was due to the gloom of the storm overhead, but it just felt like there was not much to do there.
I also realised a camper car is not rain friendly when it comes to food prep, which meant one thing, fish and chips.
That night I freedom camped and secured a spot right by the coast. Other campers trickled in, grabbing the last few spots in this desired site. As the rain thrashed against the car, I binge watched Line of Duty, waking up to blue sky.
Franz Josef (Waiau)
The next day was one of my favourites.
Franz Josef, you pull into a small town with the glacier looming over it in the distance. It felt like being transported to some French Alps ski resort. This town is for two things, walks and helicopters.
I instantly decided this was worth the hundreds of dollars I was about to drop. The flights are weather dependent and I booked to go early the next morning.
After I booked, I grabbed lunch and did a short stroll through the national park trails. Another rainy evening, so I treated myself to a curry house down the road from the campsite, this running theme will end soon.
With adrenaline rushing through me, I arrived wrapped up warm and headed to the chopper office. The lady on reception informed me that some previous flights had been cancelled due to clouds coming in, so to set my expectations low. However, if it did go ahead, as I was on my own and could make up numbers, I would be put in with the extended tour, worth three times the price of the one I paid for. There are many perks to solo travelling but this has to be at the top of the list.
And that is exactly what happened.
Sandwiched between the pilot and a Dutch lady, up we went, through the valley, up the mountain and gliding along the glacier before landing and stepping out high above it. Crisp snow beneath my trainers, the white glare making me squint and the quiet hum of other choppers in the distance. What a surreal experience that was.
Another 15 minutes flying around the mountain range and low through two tectonic plates meeting, forcing up the ground around us. We landed on solid ground once again. I hugged the fellow passengers, in awe of what I had just done.
There are many moments from this past year that will stick with me, but there are things that cement that the decisions you made led you to this exact point. Fulfilled and astounded, I dropped a photo of me in a helicopter into my family group chat.
Haast Pass (Tioripatea)
One of my favourite drives from my whole trip, a highway cutting through the Southern Alps, surrounded by waterfalls made by melting glaciers.
After three hours of driving I pulled into the Blue Pools, changed into swimwear and a big fluffy jumper at the ready, and went for a dip in the icy pool at the bottom of a waterfall. So refreshing after a long day behind the wheel.
After, I found a freedom spot looking through the valley. As I set up camp and got my gas hob out onto a table, a van pulled up next to me. It was the older Swiss couple from the chopper ride earlier that day.
We sat, chatted and drank a bottle of wine. They told me all about their adventures over their 45 odd years together and the ones planned for the future.
Slightly tipsy, the sun down, I made creamy pasta with pesto and headed to bed.
Wanaka and Queenstown
My favourite town, Wanaka.
Though the weather was not good enough to do the famous Roy’s Peak hike, I decided to ascend Mount Iron, a shorter two hour walk with panoramic views over Lake Wanaka and the town below. A short but rewarding walk.
There is so much to do in Wanaka, a beautiful, cool and trendy town situated right on the lake. Many coffees were drunk with a view and I had dinner in a campsite on a hill. Another must is to see the solo tree, lonely in the lake.
I decided to stay here for two nights because I just loved the atmosphere of the place.
The next afternoon the sun was beaming down as I headed through the winding mountain roads on to Queenstown (Tāhuna). Driving straight through the city, I took a dip at Bob’s Cove, a serene swimming spot with a mountain situated perfectly in the background. I spent the day lazing around, sunbathing with a book and a sandwich.
As the evening drew in and it got cooler, I set up camp at a nearby camping spot, a lot cheaper than the sites in Queenstown. I pulled out a bottle of wine, wrapped myself in a blanket and finished off my book. Looking up from my torch light, I saw the magnificent stars above the lights of the city across the lake.
Little did I know, the stars only get better.
After waking up it was time to hit the city. First stop, the port, where I went under the lake water into a fish and eel feeding at the Time Tripper tourist attraction. This was actually a really interesting experience, with a short show about the evolution of New Zealand and specifically Lake Wakatipu.
Then I went up in the gondola to Bob’s Peak, and what an incredible view that was.
Quickly followed by a pie, I headed out of the town, away from all the people and back to the roads and surrounding mountains.
Milford Sound (Piopiotahi)
Today was a long drive as I headed towards Milford Sound (Piopiotahi). I ended up staying at my favourite secluded campsite, a small stream running through the centre and mountains either side.
I parked and instantly felt the fresh air soothe me and a slight relief that I had no phone signal. I walked and explored the surrounding forests and trails, finishing with a freezing cold dip in the stream when I got back to my car.
I made carbonara and read my book with the sun setting behind the mountains.
The next morning I arose bright and early and made my way to Milford Sound. Often described as the eighth wonder of the world, this beautiful fiordland comes to life with rain. The rock faces become cascading waterfalls with a moody atmospheric feel. Despite it being rather out of the way in terms of its location from Queenstown, it is well worth the journey and the night at the most peaceful campsite.
Lake Tekapo (Takapō)
Before I arrived at the fairytale land of lupins, I detoured via the Clay Cliffs. Towering points of earthy clay jutting out of the ground, an eerie and mesmerising sight.
After having my lunch there, I continued the journey for another hour and a half to Lake Tekapo (Takapō).
I arrived late afternoon with the sun shining down on the aqua blue lake, lupins in full bloom creating a pastel hue surrounding the shore.
I packed a bag and headed to the lakefront. I lay and read for hours, taking in the surroundings and fully soaking up my penultimate destination.
The campsite was right on the lake, overlooking the views.
During the night I tried to see the stars in the Dark Sky Reserve, but I was disappointed when checking the weather that clouds had descended over the lake.
The next morning I woke up, slipped on my trainers and ascended Mount John summit through the woodlands, watching rabbits dart into the undergrowth. At the top, you can see panoramic views from the lake to Aoraki and the Southern Alps. The wind was strong and cold up there, so I grabbed a coffee in the Astro Cafe at the top of the mountain.
I went down the open side of the mountain, battling against the wind and slumped by the lake when I reached the bottom.
Later that day I explored the rest of what Lake Tekapo had to offer before heading to the nearby free campsite, Lake Pukaki.
The best site I stayed in. These views were even more impressive than the previous site, with a clear view of Aoraki looming on the far side and the sun coming down like a Bob Ross painting.
Here, the stars were magnificent. A few hours after sunset, wrapped in all of my layers and a blanket round my shoulders, the sky lit up. The Milky Way was clear and vibrant, with hints of colour in the far distance. Truly a night I will never forget and unbeatable in my opinion.
The best till last, Mt Cook
Saving the best till last.
My last destination before heading back to Christchurch, Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park.
Up bright and early, hiking gear at the ready, I was prepared for a day of adventure.
On my way, I stopped at Mount Cook Village for coffee and WiFi in a small trekkers lodge with big windows looking out to the mountains.
I then found a parking spot and began the Hooker Valley walk. This location is incredibly busy, but I am not surprised. The beauty of this landscape attracts people from far and wide and more than lives up to expectations.
The Hooker Valley Track is a 2.5 hour walk over swing bridges, river views and glacial lakes, with direct views of the mountain on clear days.
One of my favourite parts was finishing the walk and basking in the sun with my lunch, feet dangling in the ice cold stream.
After some rest, the next ascent was Kea Point Track. After a 30 minute climb up many stairs, you reach a viewpoint overlooking Mueller Glacier and the lake below, and on the other side the whole valley and Hooker area.
I ended up staying in the same campsite as when I was in Tekapo, satisfied and with a full sense of accomplishment. The realisation started to set in that my trip was almost over. Tomorrow I would give the car back and this would all just be memories.
Conclusion
Solo travelling the South Island of New Zealand felt like more than just a trip.
From swimming in crystal clear lakes to helicopter rides over glaciers, from standing beneath the peaks of Aoraki to watching the stars over Lake Pukaki, you realise how capable you are of navigating the unknown on your own. There is a freedom in making every decision yourself, but also a deeper confidence that builds with each mile, each detour and each discovery.
People are not wrong when they say New Zealand is filled with stunning landscapes and wonderful people. Kiwis are so down to earth. There is less formality, more openness, just easy. I have never felt safer or slower than I did here. Two weeks in a car by myself is sometimes the clarity and acceptance you need, that you can achieve anything you want.
By the end of it, it is not just the landscapes, kea birds or endless waterfalls that stay with you, it is the knowledge that you did it independently. That sense of accomplishment is quiet but powerful and it follows you long after you have left places like this behind.
This extended period of mindfulness set me up perfectly for the busy travel periods I was about to endure when stepping foot in Asia.