Nature, stunning scenery and awe-inspiring wildlife is what awaits you in the second half of Aotearoa. When people dream of a far-off paradise on the other side of the world, this just might be the place they’re thinking of..
Although becoming progressively more developed in recent years, New Zealand has managed to stay true to its natural beginnings. And there’s still plenty of untouched wilderness to explore when you visit here. We started in Christchurch. The capital of South Island and a rising business hub that will someday match Auckland. Due to the unfortunate events of 2011, when a 6.3 magnitude earth-ripping quake descended on the town, it is still under reconstruction. And there are roadworks everywhere, as well as artefacts of the disaster such as the old Christchurch Cathedral downtown with no roof or spire. That being said, you can enjoy the sights here all the same. Five years later and they’ve even integrated the earthquake into a tourist attraction. We began by walking through the city centre; taking in the Avon River and its many bridges, the church square and its array of pop-up food stalls, and an art installation presenting the works of top nature photographer’s from New Zealand. Then on to Re:Start mall, a temporary-turned-permanent outdoor shopping and restaurant area using upcycled shipping containers that have taken the place of damaged buildings since the earthquake.
Just 10 minutes drive outside the city stands Port Hills. A magnificent rolling boundary of hills and mountains which envelopes the south of Christchurch. It’s like a curtain the way it wraps around the base of the city and finishes at the sea. We hiked up the bridle path between Christchurch and Lyttleton, a famous migratory route for European settlers between the two towns nearly 150 years ago. The 5K return walk was vertical the whole way to the top. We had to stop at least 10 times to catch our breath, as we wondered how Victorian mothers and children made the journey themselves with all their belongings on this very path. It seemed impossible. The views from the top were worth the trek, as you could see the whole of Christchurch, up and down the coast and to the other side was Lyttleton with its great lakes and valleys. We could’ve taken a gondola ride to the top, but it was expensive and not half as fun. Although, we later found out you could also drive to the top, and with our rental car sitting at the base car park we contemplated what could’ve been.
Following Christchurch, the next logical stop along the east coast was Dunedin. It was one of our longest drives at four hours and over 200 kilometres. Not only was it our first stop on the road, but our first ever Air Bnb stay. Which won’t be our last, as the flat we stayed in was perfect, and by flat I mean converted shed in the garden of our lovely host; Louise. It had everything we needed, kitchen, bathroom, washing machine (free washing!), TV, parking and broadband. Fast internet was something of a rarity in Australasia we had found till this point, just try to watch an episode of Peaky Blinders without it buffering.
In Dunedin there were a handful of interests such as Cadbury World (but they don’t let you inside the factory like they do in England), and nothing else that really excited us. So our main priority was the Otago Peninsula, a beautiful strip of land to the east of the city centre. We drove out here on a clear day and the drive itself was worth the trip. As we meandered along winding coastal roads just big enough to fit two cars, with every following bay the view seemed to get better and better. Driving for just under an hour, we reached the Royal Albatross Centre where we could see flocks of white and brown royal albatross perched on the cliffs and in the bays, their stature was impressive and made our seagulls back home look like sparrows. We even came across a lone fur seal who had been banished as a teenager from his pack. From here we drove across to the southern side of the peninsula to Sandfly Bay. And they say, the Otago Peninsula is one of the most romantic places in the world to propose, (don’t worry, Louis didn’t get any ideas), and upon reaching the bay you could instantly see why. Just look at the pictures!
And what surprised us here were the presence of sea lions. Giant, lazy beasts that chose Sandfly Bay as their sunbathing spot. They were like cows grazing the way they lounged on the sand and were just as big too.
We had four nights in Dunedin, and made the most of our own homely space while we were here. We cooked breakfasts, lunch & dinner, did our washing, some travel planning and caught up with friends and family. By this point we’d done a month and a half on the road without a day off. So took the opportunity to wind down a little. Louis even dyed Louisa’s hair, and didn’t do a bad job apparently. Dunedin gave us the Otago Peninsula, which was beautiful, but what waited for us next further south was out of this world…
Here are some more pictures from Christchurch and the Otago Peninsula.
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