NZ: Mt. Cook and Queenstown

After a long day of driving, we stopped for the night at Lake Tekapo and marveled at the aqua glacial lake water. In the morning, we visited and snapped pictures at the famous Church of the Good Shepherd.

Our favorite experience in New Zealand was the amazing hike we took at the base of Mt. Cook. The Hooker Valley Track was promoted by Steve Cook’s NZ Frenzy as “indisputably, the south island’s best day hike”, and I fully agree! This trail really had it all (swing bridges, boardwalks, glaciers, majestic mountain views), and we were blessed with perfect weather. I was amazed that my kids (even my 4-year-old!) hiked the entire 10 km (that’s 6.2 miles!). With snack and rest breaks, it took us four hours, but it was worth every step!

Exhausted, we parked that night opposite the “Plains of Rohan”, sipped wine, ate fajitas, and put a movie on for the kids. The next day it rained, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. We spent a few hours at Puzzling World in Wanaka, exploring the world of illusion and conquering the Great Maze.

Continuing on into Queenstown, we parked at Lake View Holiday Park then took a 5-min walk into the heart of town. Bars, restaurants, and shops lined the streets, and my kids were quick to raid the Remarkable Candy Shoppe, named for the surrounding Remarkable Mountains. (Meanwhile, I bought some treasures of my own!) We enjoyed not cooking dinner (Mt. Cook salmon!) and drank in the lively, fun atmosphere and the hip, young crowd.

Despite the rain, the next day we rode the luge. It was fun but very cold zooming down the hill in our ponchos. =) For a brief ten minutes, the rain cleared and we were able to see what a beautiful city Queenstown is, truly “fit for a queen”!

We went back to the city for the afternoon to have lunch, wander, and eat cookies. The kids enjoyed some carefree time on the beach by the gardens.

Sadly, we didn't plan enough time in this fun city, and the weather wasn't cooperating. It was clearing up and getting really beautiful as we left, but we had to start making our way back to Christchurch for our flight home. Also, we were unable to ride the “must-do” thrill, the Shotover jet boat, due to high water levels. We’ll just have to return! =)

Back in Christchurch we made a brief stop before closing at the International Antarctic Center. We saw some cute fairy penguins and learned about this continent too cold to live in without the help of technology.

We LOVED our holiday in New Zealand and made many “sweet as” (fine) memories. Where in the world will the Dews end up next? Just wait and see . . .