New Zealand: A Budget Traveler’s Challenge

You can’t go far in New Zealand without seeing backpackers. They’re everywhere – hitchhiking on the side of the road, packed into cafes and coffee shops, biking on mountain paths, or checking in to the some of the many “budget” hostels the country has to offer. We use the term “budget” loosely because we had just come from Bangkok and before that, Myanmar, where for $40 per night you could get a nice, private, modern hotel room with a private bathroom, bottled water and breakfast included. Now we were looking at places where, for twice the cost and usually half the comfort, you could rent a bedroom in someone’s house at an AirBNB or a private room in a hostel with a shared bathroom. For eight out of the 11 days we were there, we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch in order to save a little money. Instead of renting a nice, normal car to get around, we ended up with a 2000 Subaru Legacy station wagon with roughly 200,000km under its belt, courtesy of the great folks at Rent-a-Dent. At first, it surprised us to see so many backpackers in a place that seemed so unaffordable for budget travelers.

The Beast

PB&J – our typical, daily lunch

It took us only about a half a day to figure out what all the fuss was about. New Zealand is stunning. We followed the advice of fellow travelers and a few New Zealand natives we met in India, and spent the full time on the South Island. It was definitely time well spent. We filled our days exploring the glaciers, lakes, mountains and national parks in the southern part of the country. Our first stop after flying in to Christchurch was driving through Arthur’s Pass National Park. We then continued west to check out the famous “pancake rocks” in Punakaiki before making our way to Greymouth for the night.

Devils Punchbowl Falls at Arthur’s Pass

Punakaiki pancake rocks

Our next stop was Franz Josef where we stayed in a hostel for two nights. At this hostel, they provided toast and coffee for breakfast, free popcorn for a snack, and curried veggie soup for dinner. This was music to our penny-pinching ears. Nothing like free breakfast and dinner that will make you overlook the weird smell in the communal bathroom or the unidentified, giant stain on the carpet in our room. The big attraction in town was the Franz Josef Glacier which we hiked to on our first day in town. It was great that we did the hike early because after that, it poured down rain for the next 36 hours straight. That gave us plenty of time to do some trip planning and (more importantly) catch up on “Making a Murderer.” (Side note: if anyone wants to discuss the show, we have lots of thoughts.) The glacier was pretty impressive to see in person, and was our first glacier of the trip. However, signs in the park informed us that it has been receding more and more rapidly over the past 5 years due to climate change. It seems like before too long they will start to restrict visitor access.

Beautiful, blue Franz Josef Glacier

After Franz Josef, we continued on to Wanaka. This was a place we had never heard of until a few weeks before we went, but it quickly became one of our favorite stops on the trip so far. This small town on the shores of (surprise) Lake Wanaka is full of small restaurants and shops, bike lanes and hiking trails, and stunning scenery. Despite everything it had to offer, it never felt crowded and has that feeling of a place that has yet to be discovered. We did a few hikes in town and took time to appreciate how beautiful the lake and the surrounding area was while walking around. Between the beautiful mountain views and the relaxing waterfront, it’s the kind of place where we could see ourselves living one day. Anyone know where a place similar to this exists in the States??

Lake Wanaka

There are over 7 sheep per person in NZ and we can verify it.

Our hike up Mt. Iron overlooking Lake Wanaka

Our final destination in New Zealand was Queenstown where we met up with Chris’s sister, cousin and aunt. We had heard nothing but great things about Queenstown prior to our arrival. It’s known as the adventure capital of the country, sitting on the edge of stunning Lake Wakatipu with plenty of activities year-round such as: skiing, cycling, hiking, boating, luging, horseback riding, Frisbee golf, sky diving, bungee jumping (the world’s 1^st bungee jump is here), wine-tasting, ziplining, etc. It really had too many activities to name them all, and with incredible scenery in every direction, this place fully lived up to the hype. Though we opted out of participating in the pricey, extreme sports, we spent four nights here, exploring the town and surrounding areas, as well as taking a tour to Milford Sound one day (a must-do for anyone in the area). We easily could have done a week or more just in Queenstown. Here are a few pics, though they really can’t do the place justice.

Crystal clear water in Lake Wakatipu

At the top of Bob’s Peak with Nicole, Kara & Doris

Enjoying a beautiful day on Milford Sound

Drinking melted glacier water in Fjordland National Park

Wine and cheese tasting in Queenstown

We loved New Zealand. It was by far the cleanest country we’ve been to so far. There’s something about a lack of pollution and fresh air that is just refreshing for the soul. It felt familiar at times, but it’s also unique enough that it’s worth traveling across the globe to see in person. We can see why so many backpackers make the splurge!

-The Morts