It’s no secret that New Zealand is one of the most naturally stunning countries ever. And I’m pretty sure the filming of the The Lord of the Rings sealed the deal for that reputation.
And why not? With picturesque coasts, rugged mountains, jade-green fjords and rolling pastures, New Zealand is a shutterbug’s dream.
Our family traveled to New Zealand in January 2013, and it was terribly difficult to decide where to go. Due to the geological diversity of the two islands– North and South– we had to make some tough choices.
After hum-ing and ha-ing about our trouble in paradise, I selected two destinations on South Island– the second of which I’ll be sharing in the near future. First stop? Marlborough Sounds.
Getting there
The Sounds are in a lovely section right on the northern tip of South Island. To get there, you must first fly to Wellington, which is at the southern tip of North island. And then take a tiny plane (and say a prayer). And then take a boat into the Sounds.
It’s a long journey, especially if you live nowhere near Oceania, which most people don’t.
We were jetting off from Taiwan, so it took quite a few transfers: Hong Kong, Brisbane, and finally Wellington.
The tiny flight operated by Sounds Air is more than safe– it’s enjoyable if you don’t mind small planes. There probably isn’t a more scenic view than from the window of this 16-seater aircraft.
Once landed, take Cougarline to your Marlborough Sounds destination!
Staying there
We were lucky enough to snag a stay at the Bay of Many Coves, one of the most beautiful accommodations I’ve ever seen. It overlooks the water, has its own gourmet restaurant and cafe, a pool, and free kayaks for exploring!
The Bay of Many Coves is for the relaxed adventurer. The backpacking types might find themselves a bit bored. But, if excellent views, a day hike and a good book can keep you happy, then this is where you want to be.
The wine in New Zealand is also remarkable. There’s nothing better than reclining at the Bay’s dining room sipping a glass of local red!
Exploring Marlborough Sounds
Due to its relatively difficult accessibility, Marlborough Sounds is supremely well-preserved. It’s the perfect place to hike, relax, kayak and explore.
A word to the wise when it comes to sea kayaking: it’s harder than it looks.
We took a short boat trip to Motuara Island– known as a sanctuary for native birds. On the way, we were chased by local bottlenose dolphins.
I can’t say we actually saw that many birds on Motuara, but we did see the New Zealand Giant Pigeon. It was a weird experience. Up until that point, I understood pigeons to be evolutionary accidents that hatched out of the garbage cans of Manhattan. But, seeing one that was larger-than-life in its natural, unpolluted habitat gave me a new perspective.
We wanted to see kiwi birds, but those adorable creatures do a better job hiding than their pigeon friends.
Should you go?
The thing I loved about New Zealand was that it has so much to offer, truly. It’s not a one-hit-wonder kind of destination that you then try to find ways to make interesting once you’ve seen the one thing that everyone wants to see there.
Quite the contrary– New Zealand has everything. We probably could have spent months there without a minute of boredom, but then again, I’m a proponent of slow travel.
So, if you’re ready to go on an epic trip, then I urge you to consider New Zealand. Marlborough Sounds is one of many stops you’ll want to make, and if you can make it to that corner of the world, don’t miss it!
Oh my gosh those dolphins are so adorable and what a wonderful shot to have gotten of them! New Zealand has always been on my list of places to visit right next to Australia. It looks like such a beautiful place!
That would be so cool to move to New Zealand!
Bloody oath I will be sharing photos
New Zealand is very high up on my list of places to visit…. or move too if possible. It seems so incredible. Sea Kayaking is definitely tricky- but it would be SO cool to do it with dolphins around
That is AWESOME! Please share photos, Jo-Anne!
Yes! I’ve loved your NZ photos. This was a spot we just decided to go for, forsaking all of North Island and a good chunk of South Island. The only other place we went to was Queenstown, and that was mostly to see the Remarkables and do that Milford Sound tour (which as you know is amazing).
Your parents were totally smart to grab a car and just drive around– I’m convinced that every corner of NZ is amazing! And the small plane was fun for the most part, but the landing was not so fun. I was totally nauseated and just wanted to get out!
It was so great!! We were glad to get a good shot of the little dolphin swimming! And thank you so much, friend– I’ll keep posting until I run out of photos! 😉 I’ve been loving your throwback travel photos too, especially the eloquent thoughts you pair with them.
It’s really amazing! I hope you do Brooke! Let me know if you have any destinations in mind! 😉
New Zealand is so photogenic. Totally worth it Ash!
Awesome Mara! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Haha it’s so perfect! Hope you make it there one day! 🙂
Ah thanks Shannon!! It was just stunning! 🙂
I know right?! I was slightly creeped out by the giant pigeon too, but it seemed so oddly natural on a bird-only, non-contaminated island. A real headscratcher…
It’s so great!
Hahaha thanks Christina! You’ll love New Zealand– it’s just a great place to take in lots of amazing scenery. And don’t worry if you’ll have to wait a few years– it’ll be there (and it isn’t quickly sinking like Venice)!
I am off to New Zealand in August this will be my third trip over the ditch and this time we are touring the bottom half of the South Island, it is a beautiful country
so beautiful – oh and the dolphins! we originally wanted to do an inter island cruise during our NZ trip, but had to cut it out to save time. I shouldn’t complain since we had 3 weeks, but this was one of the things I was sad to miss [and Wellington!]
What a cool experience! And you got to ride a small plane? I think small planes are so fascinating, but I’ve only ridden in one once, taking a tour from air of some island in Michigan. My Mom and Dad were in New Zealand in March, for work, but they two 2 days, borrowed a friends’ car, and just drove around as much as they could. We’d love to go someday!
Oh my goodness, those dolphins! You got an amazing shot! Everything about New Zealand just sounds (and looks!) wonderful. In fact, I cannot think of anything better than sipping on a local red while looking out over the bay. 🙂 I’ve been loving your travel posts lately, Daisy! They’re always so beautiful and inspiring. Keep ’em coming!
This looks like so much fun! The water is just gorgeous…well everything is gorgeous! If I ever get to traveling out of the country, I’ll have to ask you for tips!
Brooke
pumps and push-ups
I have never been, but I would absolutely love to go someday. It’s one of the more beautiful places I’ve seen in pictures. And yours are gorgeous, by the way! 🙂
gosh how beautiful!! This totally make me want to travel more 🙂
Mara
M Loves M
I am so jealous! What a great recap of your adventure. What I would give to sip a big glass of red wine looking onto a view like the one pictured 🙂
Thanks Renee! It’s really amazing.
Ah thank you Julie!! And yes– it’s a GORGEOUS part of the world, and somewhat hard to get to. The only small flight you really have to take is if you’re flying to the Sounds, or going to some other place that’s hard to reach. You can also always take a boat– if you do better on water than you do in the air. 😉 I hope you make it there one day, Julie! It’s worth it.
Oh man! I don’t mind small planes… until they start rocking and jumping in the air– then I start praying. 😉 But, I think you’d LOVE New Zealand, especially if you liked Alaska! Both of those places have stunning mountains and coasts. And thanks! We had tons of dolphins following us but we were so glad to get a good photo of one. He’s so cute!
Thank you Gina! I think you’d love New Zealand. It’s definitely worth a longer stay so you can see all the different parts of the country. We only stopped in 2 places over the course of a week (before we went to Australia), but I really wish we had more time there!
So jealous of all your travels, you have been to such beautiful places! New Zealand is definitely another place at the top of my list. Looks absolutely gorgeous.
Shannon
So cool that you went to New Zealand! That place never existed for me before LOTR, but it’s one of my goals now to go there. And wait. . .giant pigeons? When I read that, it seemed grotesque (definitely have the same opinion of pigeons as you) but that one in the photo looks pretty!
That’s amazing! I wanna go! 🙂
Excuse me for a second while I pick my jaw up from the ground….lol. How gorgeous!! Hubby and I have been talking lately about how New Zealand is definitely on our bucket list of places we’d like to visit. We’ll have to wait awhile since it’s so far away and wouldn’t be a pleasant travel experience with little kids, but maybe when we have high schoolers or are empty nesters!
New Zealand seems so magical!! I would so love to visit there!
Renee | Lose The Road
This looks amazing! New Zealand (and all of Oceania really) is high up on my list of places I’m dying to visit. I just hope I could survive the flight coming from the East Coast 🙂 I don’t mind small planes, especially when there is gorgeous scenery to partake in (my h is another matter ha ha). Your pictures definitely inspire me to want to visit here!
Small planes tend to scare me. I got to experience my first when I visited Alaska in 2009. Literally it was a 40 minute flight, but I forced myself to go to sleep to calm my nerves.
Most of what I know of New Zealand is from LOTR (totally a LOTR nerd) and I think those movies did a fantastic job of capturing a lot of the natural beauty. I definitely think if I ever had the opportunity to travel there I would. I love nature, just being outside and exploring, which I think is a huge reason Alaska was one of my favorite trips. I don’t necessarily need to vacation to do things. Thank you for sharing these experiences with us. (:
btw… that dolphin photo is unreal and should be a post card!
http://www.accordingtokiki.net
Oooh! What an amazing adventure! New Zealand has recently been on my travel list! I never thought I could be able to travel that far, flight wise, but I think those long flights would be worth it to see such amazing beauty! Thanks so much for sharing this trip with us! I loved seeing what you did when you were there!