by Kate Barba, with contributions by Pete Barba

After a week exploring the North Island, we boarded our ferry for our two weeks on the South Island.  Our ferry was rescheduled so we were on the pre-dawn departure, so a yawning Pete drove our car onto a lower deck before we found some comfy seats near the front.  Pete and Gwyn slept a good bit of the three and a half hour journey from Wellington to Picton through the Queen Charlotte Sound.  Drew and I got a snack, read our books, and went onto the windy deck often to watch our progress.  It was a beautiful cruise, especially through the Sound, which reminded me of Alaska’s Inner Passage.

From Picton we headed for Kaikoura, a small fishing and tourist town on the northeast coast.  We couldn’t drive through the famous Marlborough wine region without stopping for a quick taste though, could we?  No, we could not.  We stopped at Te Whare Ra and had some lovely wines and a great tasting experience.  I recommend the stop near Blenheim and look forward to contacting their CA distributor when we return home!  

For lunch we enjoyed my new favorite lunch, meat pies!  These treasures are small individual pies with a flaky outer crust and delicious fillings like chicken truffle and minced steak with blue cheese.  When you start looking they are everywhere, from gas stations to boutique bakeries like The Burleigh Gourmet Pies in Blenheim.  They are distant cousins to the toaster oven pot pies I grew with, but with a heartier crust.  They make a filling meal by themselves, like many pocket foods such as pasties, empanadas, and dumplings, and also their cousins: sandwiches, tacos, and burritos.  I highly recommend the New Zealand version!

Kaikoura

The coastline drive was spectacular with green and gold mountain ranges hiding their peaks in the clouds and turquoise water crashing into wide bays.  Scenic pullouts and lobster shacks tempted us off the two lane highway while black sand beaches and limestone rock outcrops beckoned, ready to explore.  Our two hour drive turned out to be considerably longer, but we made it into our Airbnb with enough time to go grocery shopping and make a simple dinner.  We had family arriving!

Pete’s dad and stepmom flew in for our adventure once more (they sailed with us in Greece).  They joined us for the South Island and we were thrilled to see family again and share this experience.  “Nana and Pa” are easy to please and always up for an adventure, so they make comfortable travel companions.  Unfortunately they were a little under the weather the whole trip, but they didn’t let it stop them!  Thankfully we shared homes and activities together without sharing the “crud” and we parted with only memories to take with us.  They took home our latest collection of souvenirs and a few cold weather items we no longer need.  Thanks again Peter and Patti!

Kaikoura is known for whale watching and their fur seal colonies.  We elected not to whale watch (stupid budget) but instead hiked along the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway for the amazing coastal views and the seal colonies along the rocky shore.  The trail is part of a land trust and we passed beautiful views of the ocean, but also pastureland with mountains in the background.  About 2 km from the parking lot is a staircase down to the shore and on our way back we descended to the shoreline to see the seals.  It was a gorgeous day and we recommend the walk as a great half day outing.

After five nights enjoying the area and our beautiful Airbnb house we continued our journey south.  We broke up the long day of driving with a stop near Christchurch.  We discovered a fondness for obstacle courses in Switzerland, or perhaps back in Waldorf school.  Either way, when Pete found Adrenalin Forest Ropes Course we had to do it.  Once again we had a blast challenging ourselves to do the tightrope crossings, the zip lines, and the wobbly not-really-bridges.  Pete now has even more ideas to put a course in our back yard!

Lake Tekapo/Southern Alps

We finally arrived in picturesque Lake Tekapo after a disappointingly drizzly and overcast “scenic drive”.  Tekapo is a glacial lake at the edge of the Southern Alps and so far removed from the cities it’s a “dark sky” zone and home to several astronomical observatories.  The weather cleared enough for a sunset stroll, photography, and some playground time.  Unfortunately for us the weather did not allow for star gazing or hiking.  This is a reality of fast travel.  When you only stay for a day or two you can be rained out of your plans and miss part of what you came to see.  I wanted to see so much in New Zealand it was a risk I took and a lesson I learned again.

We did, however, get to see an internet sensation during our stay.  The Church of the Good Shepherd is a star attraction because the small stone building is so charming and photogenic sitting on the shores of the lake.  Crowds surround the church but you can only see the inside by prearranged tour or during Sunday services.  We chose to attend the service and were welcomed by the small local congregation.  I enjoyed a lovely contemplative hour looking out the large altar window and singing a few familiar hymns.  I have this spot on our list of places to return one day.

Te Anau/Fiordland National Park

Another long drive day led us to Te Anau, a small town that is the gateway to Fiordland Nation Park.  The next day we picked up some yummy eggs and meat pies for lunch from Miles Better Pies and drove the hour north to Milford Sound.  I chose a small boat tour by Cruise Milford and we thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic scenery of waterfalls, glacial peaks and dense greenery.  We even had a few sightings of seals.  My favorite part was getting up close to the waterfalls! 

The drive between Te Anau to the end of the road in Milford Sound was packed with gorgeous viewpoints, hikes (both long and short, easy and challenging), and the ever present “Misty Mountains”.  Tolkien never came to New Zealand, but he described it beautifully and Peter Jackson used these remote and beautiful locations to make the story burst to life with majesty and atmosphere.  This area is not easy to get to, but I’d say it’s worth the effort of a long day trip from Queenstown or on your own from Te Anau.  I am grateful to have experienced this scenery, making the long drives worthwhile.

The next day we explored the area a bit more before driving around the mountains again to Queenstown.  Here we discovered that we had made our first really bad choice for our Airbnb.  The place was funky and had a steep driveway, but that didn’t bother us.  What we could not handle were the cobwebs and grime.  We are not overly picky about a missed web or a tracked in leaf, but it was so bad I think poor Patti almost had a panic attack.  We tried to stick it out (they didn’t want me to feel bad for my choice), but we kept finding more that made us concerned for the invisible built-up, so we left.  Fortunately the owner was cooperative and gave us a refund, but that didn’t help us with a place to stay.  After a scramble we ended up at a hotel for the night and booked a beautiful place for the rest of our stay.  The lesson here is read the reviews.  I had been in a rush and disregarded the warning signs.  I assumed the upkeep concerns were a temporary issue from pandemic neglect that would be fixed before we arrived.  I didn’t make a note and then forgot to check the recent reviews as we got closer…it was all there.  Lesson learned.  I hope you can learn it the easy way here and not our hard way!

Queenstown

Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand; it claims the origin of bungee jumping and excels in other extreme activities.  It also has a lot of waterfront, wineries, and a vibrant downtown.  Finally, the scenery is stunning because it’s on a huge lake surrounded by mountain peaks.  We loved it and decided to stay longer than planned.  We were exhausted from all the driving, behind in homeschool, and ready for a break.  We decided to skip the 3 west coast days we had planned.  Instead we did day trips to local wineries and the Wanaka tree, an epic horseback ride through a braided river valley, and two adventure activities as told by Pete.

The kids and I did 2 “crazy Barba” adventures near Queenstown.  The first was Kiwi Water Park, an inflatable obstacle course on a local lake.  Mix together a bounce house, climbing wall, trampoline, teeter-totter, and balance course, then float it on a pristine but freezing cold lake, and you have recipe for fun.  The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this for an hour and half together until we were too cold to talk or move.  I wish I could share pictures, but we didn’t bring a waterproof camera.  Instead here are some fun pictures of us on a playground in Wanaka….

We also went canyoning.  For those who are unfamiliar, this sport is part rock climbing, part rappelling, a little hiking, and some swimming in a cold water canyon.  With Pa replacing Kate in our group, we descended down Creek Canyon.  We were once again in freezing water, but this time wearing thick wetsuits and hiking boats.  All four of us did great, thanks to our years of experience with hiking and rock climbing.  I’m especially proud of my dad (aka Pa).  Not many 76 year olds can say they can keep up with their twelve year old grandkids doing adventure sports.  I hope someday when I’m a grandparent, I’ll be in as good of shape as my dad.          -Pete

Our horseback riding adventure was with Lighthorse Adventures as all six of us took the River Wild Experience.  It was the most gorgeous location I have ever ridden and the best instruction I have ever received.  I much preferred the natural horsemanship methods of communicating with my horse to the usual “yank on the reins and kick him” methods.  We rode across the valley and through many branches of the Dart River.  My imagination fired as we were immersed in the landscapes of Tolkien’s Misty Mountains, Isengard/Wizard’s Vale, and Lothlorien.  We enjoyed it immensely and recommend at the very least a drive up to Glenorchy at the north end of Queentown’s Lake Wakatipu.  If you can, take a hike or ride into the gorgeous countryside bordering Mt. Aspiring National Park.

We made one more long drive back to catch our flights out of Christchurch.  We were blessed to catch a beautiful day and finally saw Mt. Cook as we drove past the Southern Alps once more.  At lunchtime we stopped for some fabulous salmon sashimi from Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon Shop.  In Christchurch we stretched our legs and ended our day as we always do: with a toast and gratitude for our time together.

New Zealand was a dream come true and I can’t wait to return.  The South Island’s glaciers and coastlines need more attention from us, as do the wine regions.  I would like to go hiking in many more locations, and maybe even challenge myself with a few long tramps.  With so much to see and with both familiar and exotic cultures to explore, New Zealand will be a place I will return to as often as I can.  Start saving those points and join us!

Thanks for reading to the end.  Next up: Planning Your Itinerary (or maybe the Tolkien? Whichever I finish by next Saturday….)  Don’t forget to check out our past stories and subscribe for future articles as well.  Find us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content!  Please note that any links or business names provided are for information only, we did not receive any compensation for our opinions or recommendations. As always, if you are planning a trip to any location we visit we are happy to provide more details and opinions, so feel free to contact us!