Stewart Island/Rakiura – New Zealand’s 3rd Island

Stewart Island

Stewart Island is an unspoiled naturally beautiful oasis, and only a 1-hour ferry ride from Bluff, the southernmost edge of New Zealand’s South Island, 30 km south of New Zealand’s South Island across the Foveaux strait.

As the closest land mass to Antarctica, it is quite remote and far to travel; most people never visit Stewart Island, including New Zealanders. Stewart Island, and the nearby Ulva Island, are famous for Continue reading

New Zealand Great Walk – Routeburn Track from Glenorchy

Choose to stay in a big tourist town – Queenstown, or the lesser known town of Glenorchy?

Routeburn track mountain viewWhen New Zealand is mentioned, those who have been there often point to a mandatory visit to Queenstown. Most visitors hiking the Routeburn Track stay in Queenstown. It’s likely if you went to the Southern Alps, you stayed in Queenstown for at least 1 night. Our attitudes towards ‘Adventures in Style for Less,’ led us to Glenorchy instead.

So why choose Glenorchy?

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Top 10 Favorite Places in New Zealand’s South Island

Top 10 New Zealand’s South Island

Want to know the best places to spend your time when in New Zealand’s South Island?

Lochmara pole carvingsAfter completing a trip of a lifetime, we are excited to share our favorites. Four and a half weeks in New Zealand’s South Island, and we can show you mountaintops, snow, beaches, oceans, wineries, seafood, varied history and culture.

This is the first article in a series on the top places to visit in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific South Seas. Since there is so much to share, this first article will give an overview of our top 10 favorite places in New Zealand’s South Island. It will be followed by more in-depth information and photos about each of the top places we recommend and others, as well as those to avoid that are over-hyped. Continue reading