Tekapo to Queenstown: The South Island Drive

Following a thrilling afternoon and evening in Tekapo. We packed our bags and headed down the mountain passes to Queenstown. The three-hour drive was full of stunning views. This lasted from start to finish.

New Zealand tells you what to see; there are signposted lookouts and viewing points everywhere!

Breaking Camp Tekapo to Queenstown

They mark the best spots. Pulling over for a quick photo had become normal. We saw memorable views over Lake Pukaki. The incredible, snow-covered Mount Cook stood tall.

Mount Cook across Lake Pukaki

The journey through Lindis Pass was simply memorable. We drove long, straight roads. They led to narrow, twisting bends. The views were stunning.

We looked back from a marked lookout spot; the sight was astonishingly beautiful. It was rugged and imposing. We wanted to capture it. We knew no photo could deliver its true scale.

Frankton - Queenstown Arrival

We arrived mid-afternoon. It was pleasant. The sun was still quite high. Our Airbnb was lovely.

We wasted little time and headed down to the lake,  in search of Wet Jacket Wines down by the harbour, wine tasting on Saturday evening was perfect. We enjoyed the wines and tucked a bottle away for later.

Next, we took a chance on Altitude Brewing. It was an interesting little outlet, they had a brewing facility in the back but most importantly several taps were in the wall. The pleasant staff made us feel welcome.

Following our first choices, we discovered Ding Ding Round Two. Wow, it was so good! Round Two turned into Round Three. It then became Round Four. The food from the two outlets wasn't bad either.

The sun had long since set when we began our pleasant stroll back and that gave us a chance to try some creative dusk photography. By the time we found our little digs it was going quite dark.

Glenorchy and Farewell

Sunday morning we drove the 50km to Glenorchy. It was easy to see why people love this area. Rain was threatening and a  stiff breeze made the temperature fall. Not surprisingly, we saw snow falling on the mountains above.

The drive there and back was the highlight. It’s famously used to advertise new cars. It was certainly an exhilarating drive, maintaining focus was difficult, discipline was required not to keep checking the views. It’s easy to understand why companies send film crews to shoot car adverts here.

Queenstown In The Rain

Today, Monday is our final day in New Zealand and it saw the rain catch us. First, we returned the minivan, our huge SUV to the car hire company.

We then ventured out into Queenstown itself  even in the rain it had a certain loveliness about it. The rain was endless and the weather report suggested snow, so decided to head back to our digs.

New Zealand is almost completed and with our memories stored, attention begins to focus on the trip ahead.

Almost time to take to the sky and say farewell New Zealand! 🇳🇿

We start to imagine warmer days as we plan the next stage, Australia we are heading back!