2025 New Zealand

22nd November - 6th December 2025.

New Zealand is one of those destinations that is just so far away and remote that the usual 1 week / 9 day holiday would not be worth it. In late 2025, we got a chance to take 2 weeks of leave straight. Being probably one of the last few times we are able to travel till a good while after the child grows up a little, we decided to spend it at the far flung New Zealand. 

The trip started several months prior. From the moment we booked our tickets on Qantas, I started reading all about New Zealand. We were interested in wildlife and sightseeing. It was quite intimidating looking at the great number of seemingly "must see and must do" things in NZ. What we came to realise is that it is impossible to do it all, and we would need to prioritise what we truly wanted to experience - at a comfortable pace rather than rushing to tick off a checklist. Our ability to hike was limited as C would be in her 2nd trimester, and I was to be the sole driver of the trip. I had wanted my parents to join in the trip, for it was where they first met and would be of great significance to them. However 2 weeks with the in laws may be a little daunting so we scrapped that. 

What was daunting was the big distances we needed to cover. We were able to narrow down the list of things we wanted to see and do, but they all still involved covering big distances. Stewart island was top of the list for me. I like going to the ends of the earth. Steward island is the third-largest and southernmost inhabited island of New Zealand, famous for its bird life on Ulva island, the diurnal Stewart island Kiwi, and the offshore pelagic birds. It was a must do.

Flying in and out from Christchurch meant that we had alot of ground to cover. After too many hours of planning and asking around for feedback, we (mostly I), came up with this planned route embedded below. It would bring us from Christchurch, through Arthurs Pass and to the west coast, then down south to Queenstown where we would take a break from driving and join a tour, continuing on farther south to Invercagill where we could catch a plane to Stewart Island where we would spend 3 days. Heading back up, we would take the ferry across the notoriously treacherous Foveaux Strait, and then continue our way driving up along the east coast. It was a massive trip with lots of driving in store, the most I would ever do thus far. 

• Dist. Traveled 2608.79 km 

• Max. Speed 115.68 km/h Max. 

• Elevation 1025.13 m

Day 0 - packing up for the long flight.

There's quite a lot of things to pack for, going on a 2 week trip in a fairly remote area. In the past i would have one-bagged it with a 30L Osprey, but times have changed. There's more standby medication that we bring along, more camera gear, and more sets of everything. The accommodations we booked - mostly Airbnbs - didn't all come with washer/dryers, so we would need to ration our clothes or bring more. 

What we ended up packing is abit of an over-kill - a 26 inch and a 30 inch check in, with a 20 inch and my Shimoda v2 30L for carry on. It was a lot. Looking back, this is something that I would not want to replicate on future trips. Keeping things light means you can be more mobile, and not occupy yourself with extra items that you probably don't need anyway. We rented an SUV, a Nissan X-Trail for this trip, so we were quite confident the luggage could fit. It however, was a tight squeeze in my dad's car on the way to the airport. 

Day 1 - Christchurch.

The flight was uneventful, other than a very scenic view of NZ as we entered. We transited through Sydney airport and it was extremely crowded. We managed to find a seat at a cafe before catching the next flight. With us on the same flight was a small family with 2 young kids carrying the exact same luggage as us - the 3 piece set from American Tourister in green. Had some concerns that they may take our luggage instead, but at least we would know who to look for. 

From the airport we caught a shuttle to the Rental Cars 247 booth and got the work sorted out quickly. Could immediately sense a disconnect in our idealistic expectation of NZ as a nature wonderland and how locals (the staff) see it. Think the wages and job opportunities in NZ may be less than desired. I also recall reading about a problem with rapidly increasing housing prices with an influx of foreign investment. This prices some locals out and breeds discontent. These are things that we may not appreciate as tourists.

We got a hang of the car, and made our way to our Airbnb at 9A Nikau Place. It was in a nice area right next to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens - one of the reasons why we chose it. Staying within Christchurch allowed us to ease ourselves into the roads, and give us some time to prepare our supplies for our journey down the west coast, where there may not be so many food options available. 

The BnB is owned by Allison, a single middle aged lady who works / volunteers as a member of the Canterbury land search and rescue team. She's super fit and had both road and mountain bikes in her garage. It felt like a nice man-cave. After learning about our plans, she even gave us a butane gas canister for our trip. Our rooms were on the 2nd floor, where there was a shared bathroom (no other guests were around so it was sort of private). The toilet decor was very nice, with lots of wood, and even a wooden seat lid/lip. 

We had fish and chips at Fresno fish as our first meal. It was highly rated, and very affordable. It was located in probably the Chinatown area as there were many Chinese restaurants and stalls around it. The owners were Cantonese speaking. Turns out they were to close the day after for a long holiday. We were lucky to catch it in time! Had the fish of the day + flounder (battered) + small chips for NZ 14.9 total, probably cheaper than SG. Ate it from a paper bag in the car. The vinegar salt was very nice. 

Stretched our legs with a visit to the Sunson Asian supermarket next door. Bought NZ 90 worth of instant food, carried out in a box. This would be our emergency stash of comfort food for the next 2 weeks. We made a mistake when we went to Woolworths to get water after - turns out we got 6 x 1.5L of sparkling water instead of still water.. At least they were the same price! Sparkling water is somehow much more expensive in SG, probably because it's not as popular. Indulged ourselves with some Pistachio cheesecake from Woolworths as we convinced ourselves there will not be many options down the road and to just indulge early.

Day 2 - Christchurch to Arthur's Pass (164km).

Ate some granola for breakfast - this turned out to be C's favourite granola, the Hubbards Pistachio, Almond and Chia Seed granola. We had stocked up on granola and non dairy milks at Woolworths yesterday - oat / almond / soy milk. These were all very affordable, cheaper than in SG. 

We left early to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Our target species today was the introduced California Quail. We happened to visit when the rose garden was in full bloom. Amongst the bird life, we found a shy Piwakawaka (NZ Fantail) that led us to its small round ball shaped nest hidden deep in the tree under the leaves. There was a bold Song Thrush that came right up to us as we took turns to use the toilet. We unfortunately did not manage to find the California Quail, but we were still early in the trip. It drizzled a little during our visit to the gardens so we didn't hang around too long.

After packing up and showering, we set off west toward Arthur's Pass. it was quite an introduction to the roads in NZ, as we entered 100 kmph single lane roads. This took some getting used to and I was glad we chose to both get a full night's sleep and plan for a relatively shorter day of driving. It rained while driving and I drove cautiously. We stopped at Sheffield Pies for lunch. Not many food options around the area. The highlight for us was the vegetarian option with garlic cream and pumpkin - felt very hearty given the weather. It was much nicer than their Sheffield special which was very salty. Spent NZ 24 on 2 pies and 2 lattes.

Continuing west, we reached an unplanned stop at Pippa's Lookout overlooking Lake Lyndon. It was an empty gavel parking spot where we enjoyed our first views of the NZ landscape out of the city. We had some mandarins for some hydration and our daily fiber / vitamin intake. After resting up, we continued up north toward Arthur's Pass Scenic Lookout. This was a bit more of a popular stop, and we had to wait for a bunch of teenage girls to get done with their Instagram photo shoot before we had our chance with the sign board. 

We would be staying at Arthur's Pass Alpine Motel. We were given room 5 - 'kiwi". It was a nice family suite with 2 bedrooms, double glazed windows and a small kitchen. I recall that this was the only room type available at the time of booking, Turns out to be a very comfortable and spacious place with good heating. We found it very cute that they provided a small glass bottle of milk in the fridge. 

Looking for a snack, we headed to Arthurs Pass Café & Store, where we were told that there would be a pair of Kea hanging around. We were certainly not disappointed as we spotted them right as we pulled into the shop. We grabbed some pies to eat and chose to seat indoors to avoid getting harassed by the Kea. Seems like either we don't know how to find food, or that there aren't many other options aside from pies. We were beginning to feel the hypertension creep in. Didn't get too many shots of the Kea as they were mostly harassing people and hiding behind cars. 

We headed on further north to the Bealey Valley Track where we walked up to the point of the chasm. The forest is slightly different, with mosses and algae growing all over and up to the trees. The whole place felt very green. We took our time walking, one carrying a baby, the other carrying his babies. There was another elderly couple that went in with us. The elderly man took along his tripod and took his time taking photos of the chasm while his wife patiently waited. Can tell from her look that this has probably been the arrangement for many years. Would this be the life for future C?

Birdwatching was tough. We often rely on the movements and track the birds and see where they perch. It was unfamiliar seeing the trunks and branches all covered with patches of moss, lichens and ferns. Every time we thought we saw a bird, it turned out to be some moss/lichen. Still we managed to see some tomtits, both male and female, hanging around a nest. Seems like the AF also couldn't concentrate on the birds as I found myself having difficulty focusing on them. May also be due to the low light conditions.

Moving on we decided to push with another hike at the Devils Punchbowl Walking Trail. It is supposed to be a short 30-40min hike with a nice waterfall at the end. Turned out to be much longer, closer to an hour due to our poor fitness, and also as we paused at any occasion we heard a bird. Probably have to double whatever time estimate optimistic fit people have left Google review. We also started to realise the birds here are much more vocal. They seemed to be more in number, but with less diversity.  

There did not seem to be anything open for dinner. We retreated to our warm bunk and had China's favourite Kangshifu 红烧牛肉面 and Acecook Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen. The warm bowls of instant ramen felt very refreshing and familiar. Our best meal, and only meal that was not pies thus far. 

Back was already starting to feel strained from our first day of walking. Will probably need to pack abit lighter. 

Day 3 - Arthur's Pass to Okarito (235km).

Had a great night's sleep at the alpine motel. Actually even felt too warm. There were some trains running along the town overnight, probably coal trains shuttling between coal mines of the west coast and Christchurch. Breakfast was again the Hubbards Pistachio granola, our new favourite. 

Took a stroll behind the motel where the hotel lady mentioned there were tomtits. Saw some eurasian chaffinches and sparrows but nothing special. Nice to see local houses. Not sure what they do for a living..

Our first stop was the Otira Viaduct lookout. This was a location that was supposed to have more of those pesky Keas. There was a bright green Jucy van campervan cooking pasta and eating away with doors fully opened - thought this would have tempted the famous pair of Keas there! However there were none when we arrived. Waited around a little and heard the loud shriek of the Keas, who came in flying and landing on a high rock quite grandly. Unfortunately it was backlit with the morning sun and did not make for nice photos. 

Next stop was Hokitika, about 100km away from the Otira lookout. It would be the last point along the west coast where we could fuel up on petrol and groceries. Reached on schedule around 12pm. Pumped at NPD Hokitika - self service machines.

I had a lamb burger from Triple B Burgers while C had The Meg from Hokitika sandwich company. Sat outside Triple B burgers, very sunny afternoon. The small town was very crowded, full of tourists that probably also similarly wanted to make a grocery run along the west coast. 

Walked down Weld Lane to Beach Street where we used our first public toilets. C unfortunately had hers unlocked and opened mid pee by our favourite local friends and cultural ambassadors. 

Went to New World to stock up on some groceries. I was quite resolved to buy more instant noodles after last night's desert. Found a small but surprisingly nice collection of cup noodles. Also discovered the freeze dried camping food section at the canned food section. Never knew Backcountry was a NZ brand. The regular sized freeze dried meals, 175gm cost 13 NZD! Much cheaper than at Arthur's Pass where the small 90 gram packet cost 15 NZD.

Well stocked, we continued heading south down the west coast towards Okarito. Stopped at Lake Ianthe Matahi Campsite for a quick break along the way. Needed to pee but toilets there were not in service. Wasn't too long before we turned off the 100kmph state highway into the road leading to Fork / Okarito. It felt nice to be off the curvy single lane 100 kmph roads.

Okarito is a very small town, and we reached our Little Yellow Bach Airbnb at around 4pm - it wasn't at the google maps location but we could find it relatively easily in this small town based off photos. It was very cute and small, adequately furnished with 2 heaters and a small kitchen. It had a queen bed and a single bed in a 2nd room. For some reason they kept the kettle plugged into a multiplug, which didn't make sense as it kept tripping. The house had very old wiring and I guess didnt have enough capacity for the high wattage kettle. Managed to make it work by plugging it into a mains outlet. The kettle was extremely important as we were relying on it to heat our meals.

The town of Okarito has a population of 30, and had no food stalls. The nearest shop was 20mins away in Franz Josef. We had chosen this place for the Okarito kiwi tours, where we would have a chance to spot the rowi / Okarito brown kiwi. This tour would commence at 740pm before sunset this evening. Our house had thin walls and was right in the middle of a bush so the bird calls were constantly ringing in our ears. There were numerous Tui around. It was the first time for us to see them. They have a very melodic, polyphonic call. Almost mechanical, resembling our local Common Hill Myna. Not sure why they keep screaming.. but they are very cute with the 2 white puff balls on their neck.

We had an early dinner of Backcountry freeze dried Thai green curry, Attimo fusilli with tomato and basil (instant pasta), Sun Rice microwavable special fried rice (tastes like shit) and hot chocolate before heading out for a walk. Backcountry camping food was great. Warm and refreshing. There was a small gravel airstrip between the town and the beach. A bunch of yellow flowers along the beach had an incredible fragrance. Somehow the strong sea breeze did not do much to dampen the scent. The strong winds also brought about a nice wavy movement of the tall grass. Wind was chilly but we were shielded by our fresh Montbell Thunder Pass hiking jackets.

Crossed back onto the gravel airstrip and admired some horses before making a quick stop at the Okarito lagoon where we saw our first Pied and Variable Oystercatchers. Saw a nice bellbird posing by some fax flowers by someones house gate on our walk back to the bach. 

Attempted to take a nap before the night kiwi walk but failed Reached the tour start venue promptly at 740pm but somehow everyone was already there and the briefing started. walked in as they were playing the male and female kiwi calls. There were 13 of us, split into 2 groups of 7 (following Ian) and 6 (following Pau). We were in the group of 6, hand picked because we were supposed to be young and fit, able to do the harder walk. Guess nobody noticed the baby bump.

Our walk started at the carpark for the Pakihi Walk Lookout, but we took an immediate detour south of where the actual walk started. There were a few short briefing sessions along the way, where we were given instruction on how to behave and what to listen out for. This was quite good as it allowed time to rest, for we were much slower hikers than the other german couples (of which 1 of them was gay). We were told to stay in a line, and to allow for a path for the kiwi to walk. The kiwi mate for life and have 100-200 nests among the pair. They can use any nest so the guides use a radiotracker to find the approximate location. The kiwi are near blind but have very sensitive sense of smell (nose at tips of snout), and sense of vibration (large feet). So staying quiet and still is important. It was a long but peaceful wait, as we got separated about 10-20 m apart from each other. 

The light slowly dimmed as the sun set. With the tall tree cover and a lack of a full moon, we soon descended into complete darkness. It was not possible to see even the hands held in front of our faces. There were many sounds from the forest, none of them resembled the crunching footsteps of a kiwi as re-enacted by Pau earlier. It was both slightly eerie yet very serene and peaceful. The NZ forests have nothing that can really harm us - we were told. 

Soon we started hearing the vigorous rustling of leaves and a chilly air blowing through along with the smell of impending rain. I was quite apprehensive as the rain we are familiar with is often torrential, accompanied with strong winds - a recipe for falling branches. This is something that can harm us. The fear of being out 3-4 km deep in a remote forest, off the official path in complete darkness and freezing cold is also quite daunting. The fact that C also needed to endure all this while in the 2nd trimester is also even more scary. We were only equipped with a thin fleece and nothing waterproof as per the given instructions to avoid scaring the kiwi (C had a 2nd fleece from the guide). This meant we were more vulnerable to the weather.

I had a red torch while the rest of the group held white torches. 3 of us in the group aside from the guide had walkie talkies. Soon it started to drizzle (about 9 pm). Fortunately the tree cover meant that we stayed relatively dry. It was not that bad! The occasional increased howling of wind/rain brought about moments of uncertainty - was it wind, or was it rain? Overall the weather wasn't as bad as feared. We decided to push through as a group.

The sounds of the forest only increased with the pitter patter of the rain drops. It was now much harder for us to hear the kiwi. I also started to question if we even knew what to listen out for - the sound of dry leaves crunching up is no longer valid given the wet ground? There were moments when we were separated 10-20 m to spread us around to optimise hearing the kiwi, and there were moments where we were brought back together as a group. It was a good mix of both and I felt it was quite reassuring for us all. I sometimes took a squat down just to rest the knees.

About 11pm, i heard a buzzing of the walkie talkie. No sound. Then i saw the flashes of light indicating “come over”. I proceeded as fast as i could while trying to stay silent. There were several moments like this earlier which turned out to be false alarms. We stayed entirely silent in a line as we saw the guide shine the red light onto the path beyond. We heard some footsteps, then started seeing a round shape with a long snout clumsily walking in. It was an okarito kiwi (rowi) - female! It walked along the path for what felt like a good minute or 2, turning almost to smell the guides feet before moving away. It seemed unfazed by the red light. It met up with the male behind the bush and made some loud cries - higher and lower pitches. This was very surreal. Amazing experience - this pair was named by the Department of Conservation (DOC) as Fancy and Jolene.

We stayed for a while - probably a good 15 mins, listening to the grunts and hoping it would come back out. Eventually we decided to leave. Guide says he found it by intuition - he didn't hear the kiwi. Walk back was quite scary as occasionally i thought i heard some sounds from behind (I was the last man). We made a last ditch attempt at the carpark to see another family of kiwi - this set had a young one.

It rained heavier as we exited the forest. We had walked about a good 8km and spent 4.5 hours for this kiwi. It was great that we saw one, and to me the whole experience of standing there in the darkness and feeling vulnerable made the process magical and special.

Pau is a wildlife photographer from spain - no photos allowed at this Okarito kiwi tour though! Strictly protected species with 600 of these left in the wild. The population of humans in okarito was just 30 lol. Traded some stories before he dropped us off at our little yellow Bach.

Took a warm shower and made some instant noodles (Nongshim and Kangshifu seafood) before retiring for the night. The Bach is supposed to have a limited amount of hot water but fortunately we did not get to experience this. Slept at about 130am. It would be a long day of driving tomorrow. 

Day 4 - Okarito to Lake Hawea (303km).

Woke up around 830am to the sound of birds chirping, Tui calling. It would be a long drive down to Lake Haewa today. It was still drizzling this morning. Breakfast was our standard granola, with barista oat milk this AM. We don't keep the opened milk cartons at the end of breakfast as they will probably spoil during the drive, so we end up wasting quite a bit of it. We also have a family pack of Tim Tams that I foolishly thought would be 2 individually packed rows, but actually came as 1 mega pack that once opened, was not able to be sealed. 

Didn't get fantastic shots of the Tui singing outside due to the overcast weather. There were some welcome swallows playing with dried leaves on the floor next to the car as we prepared to leave. Every time I picked my camera up they would decide to be shy and hide away. Only to return once the camera is kept away… such is the life of a budding birder. Bumped into the old English couple from the previous night. Actually didn't recognise them at first, but they definitely recognised us as the only Asian couple in the village and on that tour. They got up really early and went to do abit of the Okarito Trig walk. They spotted their kiwi at 10pm the night before, an hour earlier than us, so guess they could afford abit more sleep. They were to stay at Haast today after a Franz Josef Heli walk. However that has been cancelled due to weather. Our journey would be longer as we planned to go a bit beyond Haast and onto Lake Hawea. Our planned stops to try and see the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers both via hike and car also won't be possible.

Saw the oystercatcher at the lagoon again, and some spoonbills just up the road abit  Am still regretting not stopping to snap some pics of the spoonbills - felt there was no safe stopping spot as the road was windy and the lighting was poor, but then again there are no cars. These spoonbills didn't have as broad a spoonbill as some of the other royal spoonbills we saw subsequently..

Exiting Okarito, we joined the rainy, mountainous and curvy 100kmph roads of the NZ south island west coast. I was pretty cautious, probably staying at 90kmph and letting whoever was behind pass. Still getting used to NZ roads. Was a good plan to start the trip with lower mileage. We took a small round around Franz Josef to try and find CNF's previous accommodation that I came across while scanning his old album. I had previously already looked through the small town via Google street view but was unsuccessful. Driving around, we were unable to find it. Probably doesnt exist anymore..

Took a stop by the roadside along Bruce Bay where we made some instant noodles. I had the Kangshifu preserved veg mei cai purple lid noodle while C had the Acecook sapporo miso ramen (bought from the new world at Hokitika. These arent limited to Asian supermarkets!). Warm soup tastes better in cold rainy weather.

Drove abit farther down and got a latte and pulled pork ciabatta (15 NZ) from the Bruce Bay coffee cart. Many people clamoring onto the rocks to look at the rough ocean waters. One middle age lady (40-50s) fell on her back while coming back down. Saw her head slam onto the gravel. Rough… The nearest hospital is probably several hours away. 

Next stop at Roaring Billy falls track. Don't actually have much recollection passing Haast. Maybe just a tiny town.. The track was nice. Walking amongst the green mossy forest was actually nicer than the actual falls at the end - seen on the opposite side of the river. 

Driving further on, we stopped by some random riverbed and snapped some photos with the DJI 360. Stopped by another view point by the side of the road on the north eastern edge of Lake Wanaka for some photos. The inland lake landscape is really nice. 

Reached the accom at Lake Hawea around 6pm, fairly tired. Our Airbnb was a cute bunker style semicircle shed. The owners were clearly hunters, with stags placed all over the property. Took a stroll out to find dinner. Right outside the property we were greeted by a family ripping down the Hāwea Community Bike Park. Fun little trail with jumps slightly more intense than our Gangsa trail. We grabbed fish and chips takeaway from Hawea Store & Kitchen. Walking around the small town was nice. Very pleasant atmosphere and quiet town. Living in a city, we prefer visiting smaller rural areas that offer more peace and quiet. This accommodation had the worst Wifi of the whole trip - in line with the rural vibe. Okarito didn't even have Wifi - vibes.

Eating indoors while we enjoyed the garden views through our huge glass front doors, we had a very enjoyable dinner. C quickly went to bed while I hung around fiddling about with things. Booked a kiwi spotting tour at Stewart island as I realised slots were filling up. 

Took the chance to use the Panasonic Leica 9mm f1.7 for some starry sky shots. 

Day 5 -   Lake Hawea to Frankton (172km).

Breakfast was a sumptuous meal of Hubbards granola, served with extra nuts, fresh banana, Avalanche Hot Chocolate, and orange juice. Being able to transport all these goodies around during a self drive trip makes early morning breakfasts so much more convenient. The drive was short today, as we planned to tackle the Rob Roy Glacier Track. We drove south and turned into Wanaka, where we saw our first crowds in a while. There were many tourists, a large number of whom were Asian. The stretch from Wanaka to Queenstown would be expected to similarly be filled with tourists. Crowds are not something we like, but then again there is a reason why the crowds are drawn here. 

Joining in the party, we headed to the famous Wanaka Tree. It is beautiful, not breathtaking. The windless morning meant that the lake was relatively flat, not yet a perfect mirror but close. The early morning fog also rolled in and around the mountains in the background giving a nice mythical effect. There were several professional photographers around, slinging complex gear. We took the chance to ask one of them to help us with a photo, for which he gladly obliged. 

It started drizzling a little so we made our way down the road and on toward the direction of Mt Aspiring. We saw a little parking spot at the Rotary Park and took the chance to check the place out. Took some self portraits at this more quiet location before heading off. Along the way we passed by green fields, mostly private farm land with deer and sheep. We saw several Swamp Harriers and gulls along the way. Didn't know gulls can be found this far inland. 

Soon we left the sealed (paved) roads, and we were on to gravel. This day was one of the reasons why I chose a 4WD vehicle instead of a sedan that may offer more security with an enclosed trunk. The road to the track would bring us along the river and across several creeks / fords for which a 4WD is advised. We soon saw its use as we passed by a section of road that was flooded by the adjacent river that breached its bank. It was extremely fun going over the flooded road - we saw another vehicle ahead pass it safely so had no concerns crossing it. It had rained a fair bit the past few days so we weren't too surprised with the water level.

We soon reached our first ford. The water was raging, and there were several vehicles waiting out the water. We turned off into the mud and waited along with them. Exiting the car, I was greeted by strong chilly winds that blew down along the river. The raging water can be felt, even from a distance through the spray and howling winds. The ground around us was all wet mud. It was quite fun to see everyone in the same predicament. There was a single vehicle at the opposite bank. Not sure if he was stuck there from the previous night, or if he crossed one way and was thinking to retreat.

It was a tough call whether to go or now. I was 50% confident we could clear this shin deep water, but less confident we would make it past the other 6 fords, and even less confident that it would not rain more and trap us in. Not wanting to rush into a decision, we decided to park facing the ford, and have front row seats to the show as we heated up some Backcountry Classic Beef Curry. Thankfully we were well prepared with 1-1.5L of boiling water in the multiple thermos flasks we brought, and if that ran out, we have cartons of 1.5L bottled water and a camping stove to heat it up. 

We excitedly watched as 2 brave souls, 2 young ladies made the attempt to cross. They first stripped their shoes and socks, walking barefoot to test the depth. One drove while the other stayed outside the car to direct. It was good teamwork, and they made it across. We continued eating, and also made ourselves some hot Genmaicha, and a instant bubble milk tea. We saw cows crossing the ford with no issue, and some local farmers crossing in their pick up trucks. Only one other SUV was brave enough to cross in the time we spent there. As we walked about and chatted with the other vehicles, one of the working vehicles came by to tell us that he will be closing the road. He was one of the road crew and was in a pick up truck. According to him, the fords further down are flooded far worse, with water hitting his windscreen. He looked at our SUVs and said none of us would make it. He comically looked around for a road closure sign then cussed when he couldn't find one. 

In one of the other cars, was a young family with a kid just a few months old. They were planning to stay at the Mt Aspiring Hut - booked via DOC. Not sure what they will be doing now. Another vehicle had an old British couple that were here for a month. They were on a long trip as his wife just retired, and came to NZ after a month in Japan..They were in a campervan and had no issues staying the night at the spot we were at. They were very chill and took things as they came.

We said our goodbyes and headed back out toward Wanaka. I needed to pee, but there was no suitable spot. The roads were flanked by open private farmlands. I remembered passing a toilet sign near Diamond Lake track, so that was where we headed. It was along the way and we had time to burn now that we weren't doing the Rob Roy Glacier Track. 

The Diamond Lake Track was very crowded. The parking area was full of cars, spilling out to the main road. These were probably overflows from Wanaka. We found a spot right at the end and took a walk in. I was confused by the Google maps location of the toilet, as I couldn't see anything recognisable as a toilet. Looking at the noticeboard and the physical map of the area, there appeared to be a toilet at the start of the circuit so that was where we headed. 

It was a zig zag slope up with nice wide views of the farmland we were driving on. The skies cleared abit and the sun shined through as we ascended. We were now at the start of the circuit but there was no toilet to be found. I am gone. It was not as open here and I could probably get away peeing in the bushes, but as the carpark situation alluded to, there were many tourists here. I could not tarnish the good reputation of us tourists. Counting on my youth, I held my bladder as we pushed 1 round about the Diamond Lake. There was a separate track further up for a top-down view of the Diamond Lake, but it was not in my bladder's interest nor C's 2nd trimester gravid status. It was a nice walk around the lake, and I think most people are actually here for the higher view point, as we didn't encounter too many people on this part of the circuit. 

Quickly going down, I inspected the side of the carpark where Google maps had a pin for a toilet. The non descript looking rocket object turned out to be a small toilet. Queuing behind a fella (that was waiting for his wife inside), I hoped that my bladder could hold on just a little more. Thankfully it did. I told C to grab some water and tissue from the car as the toilet had none, and she used the toilet as well. It was a life saver. 

Our bladders empty and our car thoroughly UV treated, we headed back to Rotary Park where we had some snacks. Ate a ton of instant food and snacks, nice at the time but felt super unhealthy after. 

Headed down south past the old Gold mining town of Cadrona before encountering some heavy traffic outside of Queenstown Airport. Pumped petrol at NPD Frankton - 53L for 154 NZ. Saw that the google reviews for NPD Frankton were raving about their fried chicken so we got some to go. Our accommodation was at SPA/B&B in Frankton. This would be one of the only places we would stay 2 nights at, other than at Stewart Island. It was a small accommodation on the second floor above a massage parlor. It was run by an Austrian guy who moved here. The dining area was very nice with full length windows overlooking Lake Wakatipu, but it was west facing and fairly warm without the AC running. 

Threw our dirty clothes in the laundry before doing some groceries at New World Queenstown. There was this tourist club card that allowed you to get discounted prices. Not sure if they applied that for us at Hokitika. Got some cheese and hummus along with biscuits. Came back and hung our laundry out to dry. Tomorrow will be an early start as we will be going on a full day trip to Milford Sound. Better catch up on some rest!

Day 6 - Long road to Milford Sound (602km).

Started the day bright and early around 545am as we had a taxi pickup for our RealNZ tour that starts 730am. Opted to go for a full day tour today instead of driving as I wanted have a planned break from driving. Staying 2 days at this location also enabled us to do our laundry and overall have a a more relaxed pace to our travel. 

Milford Sound is quite underwhelming. Glad we chose RealNZ as our operator as the driver cum guide is very entertaining. The glass roof sloped coach style also meant we had great views throughout, better than what our car can offer us. We made a stop at Te Anau to stretch our legs, use the toilet, and grab a coffee. Don't think we managed to get anything as the queues were long and we were distracted by some gulls and Tui at the start. We skipped several stops that we would otherwise have made if driving on our own, and our first stop was the Eglinton Flats. Nice grassy plains. Made 1 more toilet stop at Knobs Flat Toilets. Next stop was Monkey Creek. We didn't have too much time or flexibility at each location as we had a boat to catch. C saw some Kea along the road but I didn't catch any.

At Milford Sound, there were tonnes of tourists queuing to get in. It was quite a mess, but we quickly found our boat. It felt quite rushed, as expected. We were all ushered in like sheep and the boat promptly set off. The weather was clear, which actually wasn't ideal for this cruise. The ideal conditions would have some low level drizzle so the waterfalls would be full. Oh well, we can't pick and choose the weather, and after several rainy days, it was quite nice to see blue skies. We joined a Japanese couple at the dining table. They had booked an expensive looking Bento set while we chose the backpacker style bringing our Backcountry food. Reviews for food on these cruises are also very +/- so we were happy to save a little where we can.

It was a short ~50min cruise out to the Tasman Sea before turning back in. The long coach ride may actually be more scenic than the cruise. The journey back only had one stop for a toilet break at Te Anau. By the time we got to the Frankton Bus terminus it was almost 8pm. We walked back to our BnB before driving to MONKEE'S - Asian Fusion Restaurant for some dinner. I got a shrimp Pad Thai while C got a curry. Shared a Thai Mlik tea between us. Slept well this evening as we were exhausted.

Day 7 - Frankton to Stewart Island (262km).

Got up about 830 am and had our standard Hubbards Granola together with some almond milk, biscuits with cheese and hummus, and a yogurt drink. Packed up and headed down south. Our end point today is Stewart Island, and we chose an interesting way to get there. You can either take a ferry from Bluff or take a plane from Invercagill. We chose to fly there and take a boat back. It is actually cheaper to fly both ways (due to transfer fees), but we thought it would be fun to experience both options. 

Our first stop was the Devil's Staircase Lookout Point. It was a windy woad along the southern arm of Lake Wakatipu. Shea previously showed me some photos from his trip there and it was nice. I chose to use a telephoto for some compression of the bendy road. 

Next stop was at Roasted x Toasted by ROAR COFFEE where we had some toasties and latte. Very nice quiet town. Parked at a freedom camping spot next to a small old railway station. Very nice place. 

It wasn't too long before we were at our next spot - Queens Park, Invercargill. Saw that they had an aviary there so we wanted to check the place out. It was quite a nice small park. Saw a nice European Goldfinch at the entrance into the park. Several melodic Tui around, hard to photograph. We were soon off to Invercagill Airport to catch our flight. 

There was a large parking area at the front of the airport. We found a quiet spot near the staff parking area. We decided to bring along a 26 inch luggage for the flight, leaving our other stuff in the car. The airline provides a storage service for free, but we decided it wasn't necessary. There's some concern about theft from cars in NZ especially in the touristic areas, but Invercagill felt like a very local and safe area. The airport is small, and served a few flights from Stewart Island Flights and Air NZ. Our flight today was at 4pm, on a Britten Norman Islander. It is a twin propeller aircraft carrying up to 9 passengers. It was first produced in 1965 and is still in production today. We were both quite excited to be able to fly. We entered via doors at the side of the craft under the wing. Each row had just a small bench that fit 2 people. There was no aisle or stewardess. The guy assisting with boarding, loading of excess baggage etc, was the pilot himself. Our fellow passengers were predominantly elderly Caucasians. Some looked very local, carrying boxes of fruit and vegetables. It was a fun 20 minute flight, very turbulent as we descended at Stewart Island - the pilot even commented that it was more bumpy than expected. The airstrip we landed at would be the same place we would come to this evening for our night walk Beaks and Feathers. We were ferried to Oban via a shuttle bus, and walked to our accommodation from there. 

We booked 2 nights at Stewart Island Backpackers. It was a very affordable accommodation and a double room cost us just 230 NZ for 2 nights. Toilets were shared. There was a huge communal area with multiple areas for people to cook. Cooking is a big part of backpacking in NZ as food is generally expensive. We dropped our stuff and headed to the Kai Kart for some fish and chips. Sat outside and saw gulls try and steal food from some others. Great vibes. 

Took a walk down the main street and saw a huge sea lion by the beach scaring some children off. Not sure if this is the norm here. Stopped by the local Four Square supermarket to check things out before taking a big detour back to the hostel. C was quite tired and wanted to rest, while I wanted to maximize my time here, so I headed out for a second walk. Did a short Fuchsia Walk to Traill Park as I was told there were occasionally kiwi seen at the park. Heard some loud squawking and saw several Kaka flying around. Saw a variable oystercatcher eating stuff off the field - thought they had a diet of seafood? Several NZ pigeons were also hanging around. Nice short walk. 

As I walked back, I saw the threatening weather rolling in. Dark clouds that we kind of expected as we had already seen the poor forecast. It felt quite intimidating as we are in a fairly remote area, and transport by air and sea will be severely limited by weather. 

Our tour tonight starts very late, around 10pm. Our guide was a guy from Czech Republic. Fairly easy going, perhaps a little too casual after our prior Kiwi tour at Okarito where it was 110% serious business / conservation etc. There was no dress code, no limitations to gadgets or cameras. Good to see a bit of both sides, but I think I prefer the Okarito vibes better. We took a small van to the airstrip, where our guide started the search with his thermal camera. We saw several juvenile Kiwis, some of them scared away by our fellow group mates who were a bit too eager to get up close, and by our guide that allowed it to happen. The kiwis were very open and plentiful here. C and I were quite sure that we heard / saw a few shadows behind us that were probably Kiwis - maybe Wekas too? All in a decent tour, a comfortable way to see Kiwis. Managed to get some photos despite the drizzle. Brought both the 12-100mm f4 and the 100-400mm ii but really only used the 12-100mm. One of the ladies wanted some of my photos, not sure if she passed me her contact eventually.

Was past midnight when we finally went to bed.

Day 8 - Exploring Stewart Island, Paterson Inlet, Ulva Island.

Made a very last minute booking request to Ruggedy Range for options to cruise. The weather remained terrible so we were thinking a boat tour would be a good option today. The message was replied with a call by a very anxious and frustrated sounding lady, who was hurrying to get ready for her morning tour. Turns out we were speaking to the owner and also the guide for Ruggedy Range, Furhana. She sounded like a very strict mom that wanted to do things in a certain order, and our late message definitely went against her principles. Oh well what can we do. Thankfully we were kindly accepted to the morning tour of Paterson Inlet. We made payment online and quickly got ourselves ready.

We made our way down in the rain to Golden Bay Wharf. We were the only ones there it seemed. Should be the correct spot. There was a toilet and a small shelter which we hid from the rain from. We saw terns making dives into the sea. Terns are very elegant looking birds with forked tails. There were also several sailing boats parked in the bay. I can only imagine what kind of seas these guys must have been through to get here.The open ocean is no joke. 

We were soon joined by 3 other couples. 2 old and 1 young. We had a quick briefing by Furhana before we set off. She clearly runs the tour alot more strictly than what we experienced yesterday. It was nice when she made it clear that she will give everyone an equal chance to see / photograph the birds. It was overcast, but we still managed to see a great deal of birds. We spent nearly 3hrs out at sea, covering 15nm.

An e-bird list compiled by our dear friends Harison Klever and Felicia Sweeney. They were a cute couple from the US that actually met at a bird class. They were super intense with spotting and identifying birds. 

• Variable Oystercatcher (1), Brown Skua (1), Silver Gull (X), Kelp Gull (X), White-fronted Tern (11), Little Penguin (24), Fiordland Penguin (9), White-capped Albatross (7), Cook's Petrel (1), Fluttering Shearwater (2), Common Diving-Petrel (1), Spotted Shag (80), Pied Cormorant (3), Stewart Island Shag (60) 

It was quite a shame we didn't see other species of albatross, but nevertheless it was a good trip for poor weather conditions. Seeing the white-capped albatross and gulls fight over the fish we threw overboard was quite fun. The albatross had huge wingspans and could glide impressively over the water without much effort. They are so huge that they take off and land sort of running on the water surface. 

We took the time after the tour to grab some food from The Old Butchershop Café before getting some souvenirs from Oban Visitor Centrer. We were told the DOC also sold some, but it was closed when we were there. Freshened ourselves before heading back to the wharf for round 2 at Ulva Island. We had approached Furhana for a guided tour but I think was probably aware that the chances of spotting birds was low and so suggested we go on our own instead. We called the Ulva Water Taxi in advance and arranged a time to depart. The captain was this lanky dude dressed in a Mr Gadget outfit. Very cool looking guy. Might appear suspicious instead if he was at the corner of an alley instead of steering a boat. Joining us were 2 German girls staying also in the same dorm, just a few rooms down from us.

We were greeted with the sight of a sealion disturbing some locals on a boat. Think they might have been doing some freediving as they were in wetsuits. We had wanted to get a brochure/guide from the visitor hut but looks like they were sold out. We would later realise our hostel had some copies available. It was still drizzling a fair bit but we decided to press on. It would be our only day to visit. We could have rushed down abit the day before and taken an earlier flight, but at the same time didn't want to cramp our schedules too much. Sometimes the weather just doesn't work for you. There were just a handful of trails on the island. We picked the trail going to Boulder Beach. It was quite fun being in such a remote setting. We were really at the edge of the earth here. Unfortunately there weren't many birds around. C saw a parrot? on the ground but it ran away before I could see it. We saw a flash of a yellow bird, perhaps a yellow head. It hung far away from us and was hard to capture in the poor lighting. We then went back toward Sydney cove, hoping to detour via the beach and flagstaff point. Unfortunately our path on the beach was blocked by a sea lion, and not wanting to be more exposed to the cold rain, we headed back into the trails and onto the exit. There were several more bird calls, some were Kaka flying above, others we could not identify. Overall still a nice walk to do, but would have been better if the weather was favourable. Tired, we boarded the boat where the other 2 Germans were already waiting. They said they saw a total of 3 birds along the entire trail. 

We took a nice warm shower and thawed ourselves in the room before heading out to the South Seas Hotel for dinner. We went early as we heard it can get very busy here, being one of the only places available for food. We bumped into our young American friends from our morning excursion, Harison and Felicia. They warmly welcomed us to share a table with them. We looked at the menu and ordered the seafood chowder, blue cod, and lobster. We chatted quite a bit while waiting for the food. Turns out this is their honeymoon. He is a policeman while she is a teacher, and they met at a bird class. They are extremely passionate e-birders. They also arrived yesterday, but came earlier on a boat and managed to squeeze in a trip to Ulva island early and capitalise on the good weather. They had also taken a tour from Furhana and we were told they saw a great deal more bird life, with Wekas pecking at their feet. They were quite lucky as they even saw a Kiwi within Oban, with the one they saw even coming right up and smelling his boot. We chatted for a long while before realising only Felicia had her lobster. The both of them and C had ordered lobster. Even the blue cod and seafood chowder had arrived. We called the waitress who realised that they had mixed the tables up. The couple had actually prebooked the meal the day before, and the staff didn't know that we were seated together, hence only served our food. They were very apologetic and insisted on giving us free drinks to compensate. Really good service recovery with genuine and sincere reactions. It was a busy night so can't really blame them. We eventually all got our food and had a very satisfying dinner. They would next go on to do some diving with the great white sharks in Invercagill - one of the 3 places in the word you can do it. They also highly recommended we checkout the Clearwater Wildlife Tours at Dunedin. We wanted to visit Orokonui Ecosanctuary but as luck would have it it would be closed the only day we are there. We thanked them for the recommendations and the great chat before parting ways. 

I did not have much laundry to be done despite the incessant rain as I have been rocking the same outfit since we departed Queenstown.

Day 9 -  Stewart island to Balclutha (300km).

It was time to say goodbye to Stewart Island. Our short stay here unfortunately coincided with bad weather, but the overall vibe of the place is something that I really like, and I think I will want to make a dedicated trip here in the future, perhaps flying direct to Invercagill from Christchurch. We were booked for the 8am ferry out to Bluff. Was quite excited to do some birdwatching / spot some whales / sharks from the ferry. Turns out the boat is fully enclosed so that limits wildlife spotting. Nevertheless it was a very warm and comfortable ride on the catamaran. We ate some pies from the Stewart Island Four Square for breakfast while on the ferry.

It was a short wait for the shuttle bus back to Invercagill from Bluff. There were just 4 of us on this RealNZ shuttle. We were glad to see our car intact as we arrived at the airport.

Headed to Black Shag Boutique Café for breakfast but it was either full or closed, so we went to Toasted instead. It turned out to be a nice spot with dedicated parking. Got some toasties, latte and a pancake. Saw an interesting place called Truck Stop Takeaways 1991 on the map so headed there to check it out. It felt like a very authentic place predominantly serving truckers as the name suggests. The gravel parking outside the small standalone shed was riddled with muddy potholes but that all added to the atmosphere. They served mainly finger food and was takeaway only. Think I enjoyed this place more than the other cafes. 

We took the chance to visit local camping store MacPac before heading off. It was alright, decent products and prices but nothing to shout about. We would be going to Balclutha through the scenic Caitlins today. Our first stop was The Southern Most Point of the South Island of New Zealand. It was a nice 15min walk through the grass fields onto an exposed cliff with the marker. Saw some other camper cars/vans at the carpark. Used the toilet at the carpark.There were some very windswept trees opposite the carpark. They are Macrocarpa trees, famous for growing permanently sideways due to the relentless Antarctic winds that blow up to ~50 knots.

We then headed to the Curio Bay Cliffs. The drive there was interesting, as we had spotted a swamp harrier eating a carcass on the road, probably a possum roadkill. It flew off quite late and we got quite a nice view of it, but of course not in time for any photos. There were supposed to be Hoiho (Yellow-eyed Penguins) at Curio Bay, so we were quite excited. We didn't get to see any penguins, but instead saw some bellbirds, song thrushes, and interesting petrified fossil forest. We didn't get right down to the bay so only looked from above. We later walked onto the camping grounds where we ate some of the cookies from the truck stop prior. It was also there that we were entertained by some gulls harassing a camper.

We wanted to try the burgers at Papatowai Country Store & "Peake's Kitchen", recommended to us by our e-bird couple friends. Unfortunately it was closed that day of the week. 

Next stop was Nugget Point and the Roaring Bay Penguins & Seals Observatory. Nugget Point was a nice cliff side walk to a lighthouse where we could see some dramatic coastal landscape. We saw some colonies of Royal Spoonbills and some fur seals from afar. The drive to Nugget Point itself was quite an adventure, with the coastal route hugging the shore, at times just wide enough for a single lane shared by both sides of the traffic. We took the same route out, and headed to Balclutha via Kaka Point. 

We opted to eat something a bit more familiar, and chose Raj Indian Restaurant. It was highly rated on google maps. We had some naan, rice, curries and a mango lassi. Our Airbnb was across the river at 7 Riverview Lane, in a very rich looking part of town where houses were big, clean, and nicely landscaped with flowers blooming all over. The host is a nice old lady. The house was well insulated, and decorated with old photos of horse racing, probably a big industry in Invercagill and the region. It was another planned laundry day, and we wasted no time spinning our dirty wet clothes from our Stewart Island adventure. 

Quite a pleasant day. The drive through the curvy and hilly roads of the Caitlins was nice. Pity we didn't have more time to stop along the other attractions and walks along the Caitlins. 

Day 10 - Balclutha - Oamaru (289km).

It would be yet another long day of driving. We had some distance to cover, and a significant stop planned at the town of Dunedin. Our host was super nice and had set up a small table with cereals, fresh fruit, milk, yoghurt for us - self service. There was also a kettle, microwave, and sandwich toaster. We ate right outside our room in front of the radiator. Super cozy. Retrieved our laundry from the dryer and laid it out to air. It was a comfortable stay and we felt very welcome despite not having much opportunity to chat with the lovely host lady. 

We parked at Thomas Burns Street Carpark, a dodgy looking area across from the Dunedin Railway Station and headed on to Dunedin City Council where we were picked up by Clearwater Wildlife Tours. It was not cheap, about 250 NZ per person, but offered us a guided tour through a private farmland at Cape Saunders. Much of the land is either privately owned or managed by a local Maori trust. It wasn't as easy to explore freely and roam around here in NZ. The freedom to explore was something we greatly missed from our drive in Kyrgyzstan. This tour was highly recommended by our e-bird friends and I had high expectations. Unfortunately I felt that the main highlight was the drive to Cape Saunders rather than the actual walk about the private farmlands. The drive brought us through several wetlands where we saw waders like the Pied Stilt and Royal Spoonbill. It was also our first time seeing a Puekeko / Australasian Swamphen. At the farmlands we saw their reared sheep, colonies of fur seals, a single rare Southern Elephant Seal, New Zealand Sea Lion, breeding seagulls with their babies. In the distance we saw several Albatross hovering just above the water, too far to tell the species. We drove along the coast for a bit where we got to a small beach where we learnt was a nesting site for the Hoiho. The Clearwater team and DOC have set up a conservation area with small huts for the Hoiho to nest in. We had quite a long briefing at the beach, where we saw gulls showering in the fresh water. We observed from the opposite hill and saw a Hoiho in one of the huts. It was really difficult to see and even at 800mm EFL was difficult to get a clear shot of. Should have brought down my 1.4x TC (left it in the van). After hitting another scenic view point, we headed back. I felt like there was not much we gained from this trip, definitely nothing that we couldn't see ourselves. Seeing Hoiho in a hut, did not feel like a true wild encounter. Perhaps the expectation we had was too high.

Fairly disappointed and very hungry by now, we headed straight for an Asian restaurant we spied on the map. It was one of the only ones open at this weird timing ~3pm. We had 红烧牛肉面 at TANGNOODLE. It was the best. Tender and juicy chunks of beef with a very savory soup broth and fresh noodles. It was very welcome after the standard affair of pies, fish and chips. May be we just don't know where to find the good local food. The staff at TANGNOODLE were authentic. Speaking loudly in Chinese and using Wechat. It felt very homely. 

It was a pity Orokonui Ecosanctuary was closed as we heard so many good things about it. We skipped the Dunedin Botanic Gardens and the world's steepest slope and headed straight for Shag Point Lookout. There is a small chance of seeing Hoiho, but we didn't find any there. The carpark was empty when we arrived, and we had the whole place to ourselves. There were a ton of Shags in the distance flying around. Several fur seals lazing about. Lots of Bull Kelp.

Our next stop was Katiki Point Lighthouse. We drove for a bit on gravel roads to get there, only to realise it closes at 530pm. We were just short. It was another potential Hoiho spot. Guess it made sense as Hoiho leave at sunrise and come back at sunset, so setting a restricted timing would allow them to be undisturbed. It was not a total loss, as we saw 3 Puekeko in a mating ritual as we headed on to Moeraki.

We found a very nice eating place called the Moeraki Tavern. It felt very old school western country style. The type where you expect some cowboys to walk out of slinging guns. We ordered a large fish and chips and a seafood chowder. The portions were huge and we weren't able to finish it as we had a late lunch. The lemon spritzer was very refreshing. 

We then headed on to our accommodation tonight, an Airbnb in the countryside - 45°08'52.2"S 170°55'36.9"E. It was along a very aptly named Thousand Acres Road, in the middle of nowhere just south of Oamaru. It was a small shed that was used by sheep farmers back in the day. The room is tiny, but the sheep shearing shed and the grounds it was on is huge. The toilet was adjoined to the shearing shed and was bigger than our room. There were some pheasants and rabbits hopping about as we entered the premise. We were quite tired and didn't venture about at night. 

I was quite bummed by the Hoiho experience with Clearwater and missing out on the Kaitiki Lighthouse, so I did more reading around it. Turns out Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve had some Hoiho sightings on e-bird recently. They show up at dawn and dusk, so our only chance would be for the sunrise tomorrow. It did not take much to convince myself to get out at 530am, and thankfully C was on-board with the plan, albeit slightly less willing. On to bed.

Day 11 - Oamaru - Twizel (208km).

We were out of the house at 545am as the sun started peering out of the horizon. There was no opening hours for Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve, so we were able to enter at 618am just as it was getting brighter after sunrise. There were restrictions on going down to the beach as this was their nesting season. Again, we were the first and only ones at this site. It did not take long for us to notice some movement in the beach below. We saw them as we walked along the trail in, didn't even have to wait! It was amazing as we saw 5 Hoiho at the first viewing window. I immediately jumped for joy and hugged C before taking some shots at 800mm EFL. I quickly realised that it was insufficient reach and added the 1.4x TC. Even with 2x digital TC, the 2280mm EFL was still not sufficient to fill much of the frame, and the lens really struggled with the poor light and distance. We were ecstatic witnessing the Hoiho get about their day. We saw 2 jump in and out of the water. Not sure why but after swimming a short round they came back to the beach. We were expecting them to depart for their day's catch. They are extremely rare, with 143 breeding pairs in NZ as of 2025. There is a larger population in the less studied and even more remote subantarctic region. It was amazing to see them, and I was glad our early morning workout paid off. 

We left at about 710am, and headed to town for a congratulatory breakfast. Not many places were open this early. We chose Badger & Mackerel Messhall Espresso, where we got some healthy food that came in the single color - green. Don't really know what was in it, but I remember it being a refreshing meal that felt healthy. A good change from pies, and fish and chips. 

We were still quite high on adrenaline, but had to head back and pack up. We needed to move on with the rest of our day. We drove around our BnB area along Beach Road (the streets there were all very aptly named), and saw a campervan. This would be a very nice place to car camp. There is hardly anyone around and the beach is endless. Beach Rd had a section closed off, probably for repair work, so we headed back to pack up. 

It was too early for lunch at this point, but leaving now would mean we probably will have some difficulty finding food past Oamaru. We chose to while away some time at Oamaru Public Garden. It was a very good choice as we were treated to some beautiful flowers in bloom, a small aviary, 3 local kids living the life and climbing trees. The birdlife was decent too, with a Piwakawaka hanging around, albeit in the shade and extremely poor lighting. There was also a young Silvereye that stayed quite still for photos. There were Tui hanging around high up in the trees and difficult to photograph. It was a pleasant walk. 

We opted for something familiar for lunch and headed to Yumee bento bowl restaurant. I had my version of Cai Png while C had her Char Siew Ramen. The rice was extremely sweet from all the sauces used. Will need to dial down on the sweet stuff if I am ever back. I never really liked ramen so no comments on C's dish. It was a melting pot with all sorts of people coming in for a meal, mostly takeaway. 

Our next stop was Duntroon Wetland Walk, where we walked amongst the Fax flowers. The stream that passed through was crystal clear. Didn't manage to find any fish to my disappointment. There were a couple of Paradise Shelducks flying in circles. Several small yellow birds that I couldn't ID. Seems like this is a shared path and also a popular biking trail. We realised from seeing signposts along the road about this Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, and learnt that it starts from Mt Cook and ends down at Oamaru. Seeing the gravel trails in a dedicated section off the road made me want to come back to cycle here. We drove around the gravel paths at Duntroon for a bit, chasing some Masked Lapwings and just generally having fun. Stopped only after encountering some overgrown bushes that blocked the path - it felt more like a cycling path than a road, not sure.

We continued north and turned off at Aviemore Dam Lookout. Stopped there for some shut eye before continuing on the more scenic road that runs east of Lake Aviemore. We went up to Benmore Hydro Station, stopping along the way periodically at scenic spots. Saw some lines carved up the side of the hills and realised that they were mountain bike trails, just as we saw an e-biker speed up one. It was quite amazing the infrastructure they have set up for bikers here. Along the trip so far I have noticed that people here run quite nice bikes, usually full suspension stuff from the big brands, and often e-bikes. Used the public toilets at Loch Laird Reserve - extremely clean and dry. Took some selfies there as well.

Headed straight to our hotel thereafter - Twizel Central - Studio Accommodation. We actually stopped by one of the salmon shops but they were out of the sashimi and there was a long queue of mostly Chinese tourists eagerly waiting for their restock. Didn't have energy for other stops along the way like the other salmon spots and some parks. Unloaded our stuff and ordered a pizza from Shapau Pizza. We got the half and half BBQ chicken and bacon, and the vege delight. It was a portable stall run out of a van by the side of the road, where there were a few of these makeshift stalls around. The pizza was the clear favourite with long queues. It was run by a couple, the guy probably a local, while the lady was an Indonesian (we realised after some customer spoke to her in Bahasa, and I parroted the same when I collected the food to her excitement). We devoured the food in the comfort of our accommodation accompanied by some Bundaberg Lemon Lime and Bitters, and a Traditional Lemonade. There were 2 Four Squares in the vicinity, both closed at 8pm so no further snacking. 

After having risen at ungodly hours to catch the Hoiho, we tucked ourselves in for a good night's sleep in room 2.

Day 12 - Twizel - Mt Cook - Tekapo (214km).

Today would be a short drive to Lake Tekapo with a long detour up to Mt Cook. We made ourselves the standard affair of granola with fruits and yogurt. We had bananas and mandarins for fruit. We had a Chobani Passion Fruit yogurt - redeeming ourselves from a previous mishap where a bottle pierced through the thin aluminum seal and squirted the yogurt all over our grocery bag the night before. Twizel is a really nice town to stay at. We really only chose this because it's the closest affordable option to Mt Cook. Staying at Mt Cook itself is possible, but the accommodations there have poor reviews both in terms of the living space and the food options, and they cost about 5 times what we paid at Twizel. 

Driving up north to Mt Cook, we could feel the pressure and urgency the other cars had. Drivers here, probably tourists, felt less chill than the likes of Oamaru etc. This is probably self selecting as people on short schedules would want to hit up the top spots around Queenstown rather than faff around Okarito / Stewart Island etc. We didn't make any stops along the way as the view was already great while driving. I made a mental note of a spot at Glentanner where we could potentially do some bird watching 43°54'18.3"S 170°07'36.4"E. 

As we turned past Mt Cook Village and on to Hooker Valley Road, we saw heaps of cars parked up along the sides of the road. We were quite stunned by the crowds. Expected it to be busy but not quite this much. Trying our luck, we turned into White Horse Hill Campground to try and find parking, but it was completely full. We headed back out and parked our car off the side of the road, with a sideway slant of about 20-30 degrees. C almost couldn't get out as the door couldn't open fully. 

We began walking along the Hooker Valley track. It was partly closed, but we aren't expecting to do massive hiking anyway so we were happy just hiking the bit that was open. Right out of the car, we saw some Korean drama as a Korean couple had an argument. What poor timing ruining the mood at such a scenic and romantic spot. Aside from them, we were also drawn to the Black-fronted Terns that were handing around the area and darting down to hunt lizards/ small insects etc. Terns are really beautiful with the forked tails. We also saw several Paradise Shelduck couples flying around with Mt Cook as the backdrop. Paradise Shelducks we've seen so far are always coupled up.

The gravel path was mostly flat, and we deviated abit to take some photos with my tripod. Going off-piste proved to be more of a challenge than we thought, as the bush had Giant Spaniards and other thorny devils lurking. Despite our long hiking pants, we were thoroughly pricked. We for sure do not have diabetic neuropathy. This temporary pain was for us to capture a precious memory that we can fondly look back to. It actually got quite warm in the mid-day sun as we crossed a suspension bridge. Most of the trail was also completely exposed with no tree cover. Unfortunately for us we had only brought thermos flasks of hot water as the icy landscape tricked us into thinking it would be cold - after all we were in Alpine country.. We still had a good time with hot Genmaicha, mandarins and some pork floss confectionery we got from the Asian supermarket at Christchurch. Drinking the hot tea really caused us to overheat, and we began heading back down. On the way we saw some squabble between a Chinese tourist and an Indian couple. Apparently the Indian couple cut queue and got into the way of other tourists taking photos. It was quite a loud shouting match between them. Again quite sad that they ruin their own days like this, but it is unsurprising with the crowds. It was a first for me to see an active dispute over a photo spot on a hiking trail. Maybe the more difficult hikes would be less accessible and have less of these issues. 

On the way in earlier, we passed a Mt Cook signboard off the side of the road. I was determined to snap some photos there and hence scouted the exact location on google maps and headed to it - 43°47'20.3"S 170°07'10.2"E. It was easy for us to drive off-road in our 4WD. There were no tourists here and we had lots of time to snap whatever photos we wanted. We were mainly limited by the mid-day heat. 

We went to the nearest available food option at Glentanner, the Tasman Delta Cafe. It was located at the side of an airstrip where they did the scenic flight tours - both heli and small aircraft. The food was fairly miserable. We got a bagel with salmon dip and a toastie. There was not much else on offer, only counter top food. What we did get was a good view of the scenery with full glass windows and a nice cooling shade, plus a clean toilet on hand. 

Now it was time for the next highlight, the birding spot at the end of the airstrip - 43°54'18.3"S 170°07'36.4"E. Made some risky turns on the 100kmph road with speeding tourists and got to the unmarked spot off the side of the road. We were quite perplexed as we walked on, as it seemed the path had been submerged. This was confirmed as we were soon joined by a dedicated birding group led by a local guide. The guests were all elderly Caucasians. We were told the water level at the Tasman Delta is a little higher today than normal as there was some rainfall. Normally we could walk a fair bit further to get closer to the wading birds. The group was targeting the Black Stilts, an extremely rare bird that is even fewer in population to the Hoiho. Neither of us saw anything of interest, and we both headed off. 

The drive to Tekapo was quite pleasant, with wide open roads and vast landscapes seen all along the drive. It was a change from the mostly tree-lined road side of the west coast (and rainy), and the Caitlins. We reached Tekapo about 5pm, right as our planned stop was supposed to open. We were hungry and wanted to eat some good food at Monster Kitchen. We waited by the carpark for this mobile food stall to open, but realised that was not happening. After some sleuthing around, C found out that they would be at the biweekly? town bazaar this evening. It was coincidence we were there for the occasion. The town was buzzing with activity. There were many mobile stalls, mostly selling international food. These were probably run by those working holiday type folk. There was also a performance by a group of children singing Christmas carols. Someone even brought a goat - his pet. 

We got 2 pork burgers and a huge rack of pork rib to go, and ate in the car facing Lake Tekapo. It was quite warm, but manageable with the AC. We were staying at Creel House Bed and Breakfast tonight. It was run by Rosemary, a very warm and hospitable lady with good local knowledge. We chatted briefly about the local bird life and she immediately recommended us to a spot at Lake Alexandrina where we could see the Pūteketeke / Crested Grebe. We took some self portraits and snapped some photos of the grebe. 

We took a small detour on the way out, stopping at a point along Godley Peaks Road 43°56'09.7"S 170°28'50.8"E. I think I turned this way just to scout out the area about more, and it paid off, as we saw a lot of Lupin flowers by the waters edge. I might also have scouted this place on ebird explore. We got down and snapped some photos of both the flowers and the model. As we did so, we saw a rather large bird in the bush. It was hidden quite deep in and I thought it would be an NZ pigeon at first, but we soon saw the distinctive comma shaped topknot, we realised it was a California Quail! This was the species we were chasing on the first day at Christchurch Botanic Gardens and as we near the end of the trip, we are lucky enough to see it. It was extremely shy and ran to what we presume was its partner waiting around the corner. Together they scurried away hurriedly, leaving my with only a few faraway shots. It was good enough for us.

We continued taking photos of and with the Lupin flowers. 2 young girls drove by and hopped out, taking photos with the flowers as well, with one commenting it was great for her Tinder. 

We headed back to Creel BnB for the night. Tekapo would have been a great place to stargaze, but our time here coincided with the Cold Moon - the last supermoon of 2025. The moon was so bright that it cast shadows. It was amazingly bright, and yet we could still see some stars. It was difficult to do any astro with this bright moon. Using the 400mm with 1.4x TC, I snapped some quick moon shots before hiding away from the cold. 

Day 13 - Tekapo - Lake Murray - Rakaia Gorge - Christchurch (308km).

We had breakfast provided for at the BnB. Rosemary told us that the American couple that was supposed to come in at night eventually scrapped their plan as they had a small flight delay. I had thought their initial plan was already quite a risky one - they had planned to drive from Christchurch straight to Tekapo after their long flight from the US. This is something I would try to avoid doing. Coming out of a flight exhausted and onto unfamiliar roads, driving on the opposite side and in darkness, is not a recipe that mixes well. Seeing the local news about accidents involving tourists just reinforces that. Rosemary prepared some simple food. Think she made her own strawberry jam. She mentioned noticing more pollen on the floor today, and that it would mean there would be strong winds the whole day - this was proved 100% correct as we got on with the day.

We headed out to Lake Murray as our first stop. We were quite hopeful to see a Black Stilt, as there were recent sightings. Similar to our Hoiho day, I had spent the previous evening trawling through the web for potential leads and pins. I found a spot, located within probably private farm land. This was our target today. As we drove through along Lake Mcgregor, we passed by a familiar looking van. It was the same group we saw at Glentanner! We kind of both realised this and I both stopped to greet each other. They were at the exact spot that I scouted this AM and had seen 1 Black Stilt from a distance, but it had since flown away. No matter, it was good information he shared that the road into the farm will be gated but open to visit. I try to stay within the rules especially in foreign land and knowing that it was allowed to drive into the farm - at least from a local guy - is reassuring. 

We drove slowly through the farmlands, and up along Lake Murray. There was a car behind us, also driving suspiciously slowly. We then saw 2 guys walk out with binos and telephoto lenses. This is quite a serious birding spot. We turned into the private farm land and onto our spot 43°54'05.3"S 170°28'24.0"E. Slowly, we inched through the farm and tried finding the Black Stilts. There were many other birds around like the Black Swans, Pied Stilts, but not our target so far. The car from previously also entered the same track and soon pulled behind us. We came to a dead end and got out to see what lies beyond. The wind was very strong and piercingly cold. Scanning the distance, we weren't able to find the Black Stilts. We exited together with the other vehicle. We turned up north further along heading towards Cass river. We saw many Black-fronted Terns along the way. Difficult to get a good shot as they were flying all over the place and the winds made it hard to hold the telephoto lens steady. It was also heating up so there was both heat distortion and dust degrading the image quality. 

We got to Cass River Viewpoint and turned around from there. It was too windy to take self portraits, and C didn't want to get her hair blown all over the place. There was a wooden bridge that went across the river - did not want to take a chance on that for our last long day of driving. We were also running low on fuel and the petrol stations at Tekapo somehow only served trucks?

We pressed on east toward Farlie where we finally fueled up - 55L for 149 NZD. Lunch was at Eat Cafe Fairlie, where we sat looking out onto the street. I had a fried chicken burger while C had blue cod fish and chips. We both also took the chance to use the toilet there. Stretching our legs, we went to Four Square Fairlie. The selection of produce is small, and prices seemed quite high. We then saw a long queue at Fairlie Bakehouse. Looking at the glowing google reviews, we got a salmon pie, and probably a coffee too. 

We continued east to Geraldine before taking a detour north towards Rakaia Gorge Lookout. We chose this route instead of the more direct and popular highway 1 just to avoid the crowds and take a more leisurely drive back to Christchurch. We had time to spare and were not in a rush to get to any place. At Rakaia Gorge, the winds continued to howl and may have even been slightly stronger due to the wind tunneling effect. Stopping our car on a slope, perpendicular to the wind, we could really feel the car getting pounded by the strong gusts. It was the same during the drive today. There is not much on the side of the road to block the wind. Any time the wind was coming from an angle at the side, we could feel the car getting pushed by it. All I could do was to ease off the gas and proceed cautiously. There were some cyclists along the way. It was impossible for them to tackle the steep hills with the headwind, so unsurprisingly a good number of them were pushing the bike. 

We stayed in the car enjoying the salmon pie from Farlie, hiding from the winds. We were entertained by some of our South Asian counterparts that had their sunglasses blown off in the wind. Our Creel house Bnb host Rosemary is frighteningly knowledgeable about the weather. She could also rattle on about the various plant and bird species in the region, and is well connected with the tourist scene in the South Island - she gave us a run down on the history of the Haka house.

I got out to snap some photos of the Gorge before we continued on to Christchurch. We were staying at an Airbnb at 9 Dalton Place -intentionally chosen for its proximity to the airport. It was run by Warren, a super budget and down to earth guy. He does abit of everything, like food delivery, buying and selling bicycles from a recycling facility, hosting on Airbnb. He showed us around his house and bike collection - they were all very old but well kept bikes, using stuff like LX components. This was a far cry from the posh branded bikes I've seen around so far. Talking to him felt quite nice as the stuff he does shows how you can get the same experience for much less. He did a month long bikepacking trip in Germany with a beat up bike and non branded gear. Would have wanted to chat with him more but we were quite tired and had to do some packing for our flight back, plus some shopping for souvenirs. We also had yet to have dinner.

As he cooked his steak, we went out to Old Street Asian Hawker Food. It was a Malaysian style place where we got a bowl of prawn mee and char kuay teow. The portions were huge, probably 2-3x the amount in SG. We barely made a dent in the food. The prawn mee was much better than the CKT. As we ate we realised some of the locals ordered 1 bowl to share - this is probably the right way to do it. We went on to Woolworths Avonhead where we stocked up on honey and chocolates for our trip back. The price of supermarket stuff is arguably cheaper than SG. Things like granola, chocolates and honey were somehow more affordable here. I made a small blunder by filling up the wrong amount of gas and ended up having to re-fuel twice. 

We went to bed around 930pm. Had to wake at 3am to return the car and catch a shuttle to the airport for our flight at 6am. Tough schedule. Great trip overall. Not sure when / if I will be back. I don't particularly enjoy long flights. The scenery is nice, but the only thing that really stands out is the plant and wildlife. Being so isolated means that the vegetation and animals here are all very unique. In particular it was nice to be standing in the middle of the forest in the rain in Okarito and not needing to worry about venomous snakes and bears etc. With a kid coming, a long flight is even more out of the question. It's time for us to explore what we can on our local and regional shores. I like the idea of starting local and progressing outward step by step. Asia has a lot to offer in terms of culture, food, landscapes and wildlife. I look forward to exploring more with my family. 

Camera gear.

• OM System OM-1 body x 2

• 8-25mm f4 PRO

• 12-100mm f4 PRO

• 100-400mm f5-6.3 ii 

• 9mm f1.7

• OM System TG-7

• DJI Osmo Pocket 3 with mic mini 2

• DJI Osmo 360

• DJI Mini 4 Pro - did not find the opportunity to use this as most of the places we visited were within park boundaries / no fly zones

• Shimoda v2 30L

• Manbily WZ-224C Plus Tripod (0.89 kg, 1.22m)

Comments:

• The 12-100mm and 100-400mm practically lived on the 2 OM1 bodies. Summer time meant that we almost never found ourselves without sunlight. The 9mm was useful in the few times we could try some astro. The 8-25mm is good to have, but hardly used. On hikes, I like to also take some portrait style shots with slightly more compression than the 25mm (50mm EFL) can offer. A 

• For hiking, I may be keen to explore the more lightweight 12-45mm to replace the 8-25mm and 12-100mm. Perhaps a 75-300mm for hikes would be sufficient. I would still want a longer / sharper telephoto for non hiking based photography.

• The TG-7 was meant for C to use for fun. It is small and compact, will not hesitate to bring along any future trips.

• The Osmo Pocket 3 did not see much use as I was already carrying fairly heavy M43 setups.

• The DJI Osmo 360 offered unique shots and is something I would take along in the future. 

• I like drone photography / videography, but it is tough to keep within regulations, and for that reason I find myself under-utilising it. 

• The tripod was a great addition. If it had more height, it would be better.