I’m Going to New Zealand!
I got some good news today…I’m going to New Zealand!
Not only that…but I’m going to New Zealand next week.
The Kaikoura Ranges, seen from the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway.
No, this isn’t a plan that I neglected to share, and it’s not a spontaneous trip that I decided to book either (I think my work would be much less understanding in that case!).
Instead, I entered a competition hosted by Wotif.com and Canterbury Tourism. I had to write 100 words about why I was the most adventurous travel blogger that they could send to New Zealand, so I did, then spent the next few days daydreaming over the fantastic itinerary that they’d put together and thinking about how I could really use a vacation like that right about now.
This afternoon, I got the phone call. I’d been selected — was I available for travel between April 11th & 19th?
Of course I was. I’m very lucky to have an incredibly understanding employer, and my boss rightly said that it was an opportunity I just couldn’t miss.
The Fox II Jetty on Akaroa Harbour.
Plus, it’s New Zealand, and it’s an absolute dream itinerary. I’ve been to many of the places, but the activities scheduled in them are new; plus it includes Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook, which I was devastated to miss on my last trip.
One of the important things is that I will be doing good for Canterbury. I will be blogging, tweeting and sharing photos/videos, all to show the world what a great place Canterbury is to visit and why people should still go there even if Christchurch is still in the process of rebuilding. I’ve struggled with the fact that I wasn’t able to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity this year like I’d planned to because of my leg injury, so I am so happy that I will be able to help out in a slightly different capacity.
The hot pools at Hanmer Springs.
The plane tickets are in the process of being booked and I have a week to sort out some slightly warmer clothing than is required in Brisbane and to clear off my memory cards. I can’t wait to see what Canterbury has to offer.
My tentative itinerary is as follows:
A sleepy seal.
Day 1: Christchurch to Kaikoura
- Arrive in Christchurch
- Travel to Kaikoura
- Seal colony walk if time permits
Day 2: Kaikoura
- Whale Watch Kaikoura
- Maori tours Kaikoura
Day 3: Kaikoura to Hanmer Springs
- Depart for Hanmer Springs via Pegasus Bay Winery
- Wine tasting and lunch
- Depart for Hanmer Springs
- Treatment at Hanmer Springs Spa
- Hanmer Springs thermal pools
In Hanmer Springs.
Day 4: Hanmer Springs
- Thrillseekers rafting
- Mountain bike hire
Day 5: Hanmer Springs to Akaroa
- Depart for Akaroa
- Famous fish & chip lunch in Akaroa
- Akaroa Jet Adventure
Day 6: Akaroa
- Swim with dolphins with Black Cat Cruises
- Pohatu Adventure (penguins!)
Day 7: Akaroa to Lake Tekapo
- Depart for Lake Tekapo via Geraldine
- Air Safaris – Grand Traverse Flight
- Earth & Sky Tour (observatory)
The beautiful colours of Akaroa.
Day 8: Lake Tekapo & Aoraki Mt Cook
- Depart for Aoraki Mt Cook
- Glacier Explorers
- Visit Sir Edmund Hillary Centre
- Visit Tekapo Springs
Day 9: Lake Tekapo to Christchurch
- International Antarctic Centre
- Depart Christchurch back to Australia
About KristinI'm Kristin, a Texan born to an American father and English mother. I've been living in Australia since 2008. My first plane flight was when I was three weeks old and I've been hooked ever since. I never feel quite right unless I have a plane ticket (to anywhere, whether it's Sydney or Sweden) booked in my name. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.
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I'm Kristin, a Texan born to an American father and English mother. I've been living in Australia since 2008. My first plane flight was when I was three weeks old and I've been hooked ever since. I never feel quite right unless I have a plane ticket (to anywhere, whether it's Sydney or Sweden) booked in my name!
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This is awesome!! Congratulations!!! Great itinerary too. Had you been to these places on your previous visit. We visited Lake Tekapo recently. So gorgeous. Make sure to stop and get an amazing shot of Mount Cook near there! Enjoy.
Thanks for your comment Bobbi (and sorry for being a bit delayed in my reply)! I was so stoked to find out I’d won this — it came at the best time too since I was coming off 9 weeks on crutches for my broken leg. The itinerary really was fantastic and definitely kept me busy. I got to do some amazing things and fit so much more into 9 days than I would have on my own.
I hadn’t actually been to Tekapo or Mount Cook before, and missing them was one of the things that I really regretted on my previous trip (I ended up having to skip them because I would have gone through the area right after Warbirds over Wanaka and all of the affordable accommodation was completely booked out by people heading back towards Christchurch). I’m so glad I was able to see them and had such great weather for it. Being there for only a few days really made me want to go back again though, especially during winter (which is a season I haven’t seen in NZ yet). Maybe someday
Wow- awesome! I can’t wait to hear about some of these places, especially Akoroa & Kiakoura.
Erik, I know it’s been forever since you posted this comment, and I’m sorry about that. Thanks so much for following along with my trip and I’m still so chuffed that you added Tekapo to your itinerary because of what I wrote about it. It was sad to hear that Tekapo’s weather didn’t play nicely, but at least you tried! I can’t wait to hear more about your adventures as well, once you have time to sit down and process it all!
please visit Sumner when you are in CHCH! the best place on earth
plus we could do with a good word out to the public as Sumner has NOT disappeared from the surface since the earthquakes…
aloha from the beach
sabrina
Thanks so much for your comment Sabrina. I’m really sorry I wasn’t able to reply at the time, but I was a bit snowed under and feel like I have been ever since (although I think you guys have been a bit more snowed under — literally — in recent weeks)! I wish I’d been able to go to Sumner since I’ve heard great things about it. I really wanted to be able to write a lot about Christchurch and the surrounding areas to show that these places are still well worth visiting despite the earthquakes, but I just didn’t have time in my packed schedule. I hope to be able to go back to NZ sometime this year (although that’s just a hope at the moment) and I will do my very best to make it out to Sumner if I do.
Awesome!and enving you..Been to Canterbury last year and it was amazing..wish to go there again! sooonnn
Cynthia, I know this is a very delayed reply, but thanks so much for your comment. It was great to see people following along with me while I was in Canterbury even if I didn’t have time to reply to everyone. I just wanted to make sure that everyone saw what a great place it was! I hope that you get to go back again soon.