My mum and sis visited me for 2 weeks in New Zealand. We spent the first week on the South Island, starting our journey at Queenstown and then driving up to Christchurch.

Since this was a family trip, I made this a relaxing trip by having multiple stops, not doing anything too adventurous and also staying in better accommodation. I wanted my family to visit South Island because it is too beautiful to be missed!

 

Day 1: Queenstown Central and Glenorchy

We stayed at The Whistler apartment in Queenstown for 2 nights. We rented a car from Avis Car Rental for a week. I liked that we could pick up the car at Queenstown Airport and drop-off the car at Christchurch airport on the last day of our trip (with no additional charge).

When we arrived in Queenstown, we had a big lunch in a pub before driving to Glenorchy. This was a good decision because there are not many restaurants/cafes in Glenorchy. The road scenery along the way was quiet but lovely.

I love this panoramic photo so much >>

It is worth noting that we also drove further to Dart Valley (Isengard) which takes around 15 minutes. This place is recommended by this website as one of the must-see Lord of the Rings locations. However, we were a bit disappointed when we reached there as there was nothing to see. Maybe we are not really LOTR fans and do not know how to appreciate…

 

Day 2: Buffet lunch at Gondola & taking a helicopter ride to The Remarkables mountain

I booked our tickets online from this website that includes the return gondola ride (cable car) + a buffer lunch at Stratosfare Restaurant. Though it is not necessary to book in advance, the restaurant is quite popular and may be full. We did not buy the luge rides because it is too adventurous for my mum.

We got the premium package which allowed us to have the window dining seat. But when I was buying the tickets online it showed the premium package was no longer available for 3 Pax. Here’s a trick: you can buy the normal package and then ring them directly for an upgrade – they may still reserve it for you if available.

It was a bit crowded in the restaurant, especially with Asian tourists. The food was actually not bad. The sky was a bit cloudy so we didn’t get to see the best of Queenstown, but the view was still lovely. We then took the helicopter tour which they picked us up from our accommodation.

Taking a helicopter flight was not included in my itinerary, and I only just booked it online yesterday from The Helicopter Line. I was surprised to know that my family is daring enough to take it! Therefore, it marked the most adventurous activity in our entire trip.

It costs NZ$270 per person for the helicopter flight to The Remarkables which also includes an alpine landing. I was envious of my mum who was able to sit beside the pilot on the front row. The view from the helicopter was amazing!

It was fun but also a little bit scary on the helicopter… but guess who was the most daring amongst us? My mum was smiling graciously while my sister and I looked so scared. 😅

 

Day 3: Driving from Queenstown to Twizel. Passing by Arrowtown and Wanaka.

In Arrowtown, we visited Arrowtown Chinese Settlement and also had a delicious lunch at Stables Restaurant and Bar. My sister said the museum is a little bit too simple without many decorations. But this is New Zealand – it is just natural and not commercial.

In Wanaka, we visited Wanaka Lavender Farm as it is on the way to the famous Wanaka tree. The flowers were not fully bloomed yet. I liked the animals on the farm.

#ThatWanakaTree Don’t belittle this tree! This tree is more famous than most of us. You can find its photos on many postcards in New Zealand. You can even locate this tree on Google Map! (just type ‘ThatWanakaTree’)… Honestly, I don’t know what is so special about this tree… 😣

We stayed in Twizel for a night. There was not much to do in Twizel and the food choices were limited. I booked a night here because the accommodation in Mt Cook is too expensive, and Twizel is somewhere between Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo – so my family won’t be too tired sitting in the car for so long.

 

Day 4: Almost done nothing

Unfortunately, the weather was terrible. There was no way we can hike in Mt Cook as planned. Travelling in New Zealand is very weather dependent as most of the activities are outdoor based – so I have to go for Plan B.

We drove to Lake Tekapo directly. We stayed at Garden Cottage of Parkbrae Estate for 2 nights – it is very spacious and beautiful! There were 4 beds for 3 of us. 😝

The best thing about this cottage is that it is overlooking the famous Church of Good Shepherd. It is such a perfect place for stargazing! But the most unfortunate thing of our entire trip was the cloudy weather. Only if we stayed 1 more night, we would be able to gaze at the stars…

 

Day 5: Mt Cook

In my opinion, Mt Cook is very ‘New Zealand’ and I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys nature and hiking. It is one of my favourite things to do in New Zealand so it is already my fourth visit here.

My sis and I did the Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walk while my mum waited for us at Hermitage Hotel. This is an hour steep walk and we were rewarded with the stunning view of the tiny bit of glacier!

As you can tell from the photos, the weather was very cloudy and no blue sky (we can only glimpse a little bit of it). Trust me, it is an extremely beautiful place on a sunny day!

 

Day 6: Leaving Lake Tekapo for Christchurch

We went to Astro Café for a breakfast. It was a shame that we only got a nice sunny day on our last day in Lake Tekapo.

We reached Christchurch in the late afternoon. We visited the Canterbury Museum and also went to the cathedral… not knowing that the cathedral was still closed since it was destroyed by the earthquake. In fact, Christchurch is still in the recovering phase and some buildings are still in constructions… this is why I only planned for a short stay here.

 

Day 7: Departing from Christchurch to Wellington

My mum and sis stayed with me at Hotel St George in Wellington for another week before flying back to Malaysia. Here’s the last selfie of us at Wellington Airport at the end of their trip:

 

It is good to spend some time with family 🙂