Refreshed: September 2026
Stunning natural beauty are the words I would use to describe New Zealand.
I visited both the North and South Islands, but it was the South Island that really stood out for me. The scenery was spectacular and some of the drives between places were as memorable as the destinations themselves.
New Zealand was also one of those countries where I learnt all sorts of interesting facts along the way. For example, New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world to give women the right to vote, in 1893. Kate Sheppard became the country’s most famous suffragist.
And then there were the sheep!
You can’t go to New Zealand without expecting to see sheep. Sheep farming is one of the things the country is famous for, right? I expected to see thousands of them everywhere.
I didn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I saw sheep, but nowhere near the numbers I had imagined. I was probably looking in the wrong places!
Starting in Christchurch
My tour of the South Island began in Christchurch.
A city tour is usually a good way to get your bearings when arriving somewhere new, so that was our starting point.
Christchurch is known as the Garden City and has traditionally had a strong English influence. When I visited, the city was still recovering from the devastating earthquake of February 2011.
The damaged cathedral in Cathedral Square was a reminder of the enormous impact of the earthquake. There was a huge rebuilding programme underway across the city.
We didn’t take the tram because much of the centre was easy enough to explore on foot, although the tram itself was certainly part of the Christchurch experience.
And naturally, I tried some local food.
This time it was Blue Warehou fish, pronounced something like “worry fish”. It was a thick, firm and mild fish and another local dish ticked off my list.
An unforgettable drive across the South Island
One of the highlights of the trip was the drive from Christchurch towards Franz Josef.
We travelled across the Canterbury Plains towards the Southern Alps and through Arthur’s Pass. The scenery changed constantly as we travelled, and the descent down the western side of the Southern Alps was particularly spectacular.
This was one of those journeys when you spend a lot of time looking out of the coach window.
We passed Castle Hill with its unusual limestone rock formations before continuing through Arthur’s Pass.
We stopped at a lookout above the Otira Viaduct, an impressive piece of engineering surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery.
Our guide was also keen for us to look out for the kea, New Zealand’s native alpine parrot. There was quite a bit of excitement when we eventually spotted one.
The South Island weather was certainly unpredictable. It could be raining lightly and then, after a relatively short drive, suddenly become bright and sunny again.
At one point we saw the most beautiful rainbow stretching across the hills. We managed to photograph it, although sometimes photographs simply don’t capture what you can see with your own eyes.
A stop in Hokitika
On our way to Franz Josef we stopped in the small town of Hokitika.
Some people headed straight for the souvenir shops, many of which sold jewellery made from locally sourced greenstone. We were also able to watch some of the carvers at work.
I headed for the beach after trying the recommended local speciality — a whitebait omelette.
I must admit I was slightly disappointed by both!
The beach was grey and gravelly, and the whitebait were some of the smallest fish I had ever seen or eaten.
Still, you have to try these things.
Franz Josef
After a long coach journey through some wonderful scenery, we finally arrived in Franz Josef.
There wasn’t much need for a sightseeing tour of the town itself. Some of my fellow travellers discovered the hotel laundry facilities and immediately took advantage of them. I preferred to have a walk around the small town and also visited a local Catholic church.
Franz Josef is very much an outdoor adventure destination, with activities including walking, helicopter flights and skydiving.
There was plenty of promotion for skydiving when we were there.
I looked at it.
I thought about it.
And I passed!
I couldn’t bring myself to jump out of an aeroplane at 6,000 feet, never mind the much higher jumps being advertised.
There are limits to my sense of adventure!
Franz Josef is a buzzing ski type resort, with lots activities such as skydiving; glacier helicopter rides and various walks around the area. Skydiving around the glazier is a popular adventure activity in this part of New Zealand. There was a lot of promotion at the resort about it as a scenic way of seeing the glazier, and companies boasted about how they were the highest skydive in NZ at the height of at 19,000 ft.! I couldn’t bring myself to do it even as a tandem skydive at 6,000 let alone 19,000 feet so I passed on this one!
Franz Josef Glacier
We set off early to see Franz Josef Glacier, one of the sights I had particularly wanted to visit.
We were able to take a guided walk in the area and get a closer view of the glacier.
There was also the option of taking a helicopter flight, but the weather wasn’t particularly good during our visit, so I decided against it. One of my fellow travellers shared her photos with the group. I selected this aerial view of Franz Josef Glacier – simply beautiful!
Franz Josef Glacier was on my must-see list, so naturally there had to be a mollywozhere photo!
From Franz Josef we continued towards Queenstown, travelling through yet more beautiful scenery along the west coast and through the Mount Aspiring National Park area.
This was one of the things I loved most about travelling around the South Island. You didn’t necessarily have to arrive somewhere before there was something worth seeing. The journey itself was part of the experience.
Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd
Another memorable stop was Lake Tekapo, where we visited the small Church of the Good Shepherd.
The church is in a wonderful location beside the lake, with views towards the mountains.
It was a small building in a very big landscape and, unsurprisingly, a popular stop for visitors.
Mirror Lakes and the road to Milford Sound
On the journey from Te Anau towards Milford Sound we stopped at the Mirror Lakes in Fiordland National Park.
It was a good opportunity to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery.
Everyone wanted to photograph the reflections of the mountains in the water, so there was plenty of jostling for the perfect shot.
And naturally, the mandatory mollywozhere photo had to be taken too!
Then came the Homer Tunnel.
The tunnel runs for more than a kilometre through solid rock and, when we travelled through it, I found it pitch black and scary.
I didn’t like it at all.
I shut my eyes!
Sometimes the best sightseeing technique is simply not to look.
Queenstown
We arrived in Queenstown in the early afternoon and were immediately taken on a city tour.
It didn’t take very long!
Queenstown sits beside beautiful Lake Wakatipu and is surrounded by mountains. We had a lovely sunny afternoon, so many of us headed towards the waterfront and promenade.
I really liked Queenstown. It had a relaxed atmosphere and was a pleasant place simply to wander around and enjoy.
Then there was lunch.
I had heard about the famous Fergburger and decided I had to try one.
My fellow travellers couldn’t understand why I was prepared to queue for about half an hour for a burger.
But I was determined.
And I wasn’t disappointed. It lived up to its reputation and was yummy!
Sometimes you just have to ignore everybody else and join the queue.
Millord Sound
One of our days in Queenstown was devoted to visiting Milford Sound.
The journey took us through Fiordland National Park and a constantly changing landscape of farmland, native forest and glacial valleys.
We stopped for a comfort break at a place called Knobs Flat. Our guide tried to explain the meaning of the name to us.
None of us got it.
And apparently it wasn’t even a joke!
As far as I was concerned, it was somewhere in a remote part of New Zealand where we could use the facilities and stretch our legs.
Our guide had much greater success with his next joke. He described it as a “Nike stop — just do it”, because there wouldn’t be another comfort stop for quite some time.
That one we understood.
And we all dutifully complied!
Cruising Milford Sound
There were huge peaks rising around us and waterfalls cascading down the cliffs. The cruise took us past Mitre Peak and Bowen Falls, and we were fortunate enough to see wildlife along the way, including dolphins, seals and penguins.
Milford Sound was definitely one of the highlights of my New Zealand tour.
I had seen photographs before travelling there, of course, but being surrounded by that enormous landscape was a completely different experience.
Would I recommend New Zealand's South Island?
Absolutely.
The South Island was the part of New Zealand that stayed with me most. I loved the changing scenery, the long drives through the mountains, Franz Josef, Queenstown and, especially, Milford Sound.
There were plenty of smaller memories too — the disappointing whitebait omelette, queuing for my Fergburger, looking for the kea, shutting my eyes in the Homer Tunnel and deciding that skydiving was one adventure I was perfectly happy to miss!
Would I go back?
Yes.
But I still wouldn’t jump out of that aeroplane.
Have you visited New Zealand? Which part of the country was your favourite?
Join My Inner Circle
If you love slow exploration and stories of human connection beneath the postcards, let me send a personal travel letter directly to your inbox once a month. No spam, just honest reflections.
You can also read about my journey through Australia- A Country and A Continent.
