An epic drive up the west coast and inland through the stunning Nelson Lakes National Park took us to the Marlborough wine region at the top of the South Island. Driving through the beautiful vineyards, our first stop was Cloudy Bay winery. On the deck looking out to the vineyard beyond, we tried five different wines all washed down with clams and, of course, some cheese. It was bliss sitting out in the sunshine in such serene surroundings knowing that we didn’t have to drive any further that day.

We camped in Blenheim that night and, being the small world that it is, Caroline met an old colleague, Fiona, there who was in New Zealand for her honeymoon. The next day, we made the most of being in wine country and visited two more vineyards – Giesen and then Villa Maria, where we learned the ins and outs of what makes a good chardonnay from a very passionate and knowledgeable young lady. “Mmm, why yes, I can taste the notes of buttery oak and old socks.”

Cloudy Bay winery, Marlborough

Double parked

We picked up my good friend Andy and his wife, Jo, who had sailed from their home in Wellington in the North Island, to meet us in Picton for a weekend in Abel Tasman National Park. Bright and early, we headed off to our safety briefing for our wilderness adventure which would see us sea kayak the first day and hike the second. We were taught how to use flares, how to right a capsized kayak and … how to fight a shark. We were all kept entertained by a know-it-all called Nigel whose response to any instruction was: “It’s easy, I’ve done it before.” Unfortunately, I don’t think Nigel had done it all before. When asked to demonstrate how to enter a kayak after capsize, he somehow managed to bellyflop onto the boat and bounce out again – all on dry land.

We packed our kayaks with all our supplies for the weekend and set off for Anchorage. It was pretty hard going, all that paddling in the sea. We had a couple of stops on islands to explore and refuel (mini mars bars – mmm) and saw lots of seal pups who were playing in shallow pools – they were incredibly cute and inquisitive. Eventually, we arrived at Anchorage Bay. We tethered our kayaks together into a raft and drifted along with the current while enjoying a well-deserved beer and Andy’s stories of misadventure. We spent the night on a floating hostel where we had a great BBQ and the company of twelve older ladies who were hiking the 51km Abel Tasman Coast Track.

Kayaking with seal pups in Abel Tasman

Andy and Jo

The next day, we were taken ashore on a tiny speedboat and continued hiking our way north on the track. After about 200m, we had to take our shoes and socks off and hoist our bags on our heads to cross a bay at low tide – very dramatic! We tramped on through the beautiful rainforest getting glimpses of the sea and sand below, eventually stopping for lunch and a swim at Mosquito Bay. We quickly left when the bay started living up to its name and continued on the track. We covered the 11km quickly, chatting, laughing and playing daft games along the way.

Hiking the Abel Tasman Coastal Track

The crossing from the South Island to the North through the Marlborough Sounds was absolutely stunning – huge mountains on either side, the sun shining on the water and even a few dolphins. The bay which Wellington sits is beautiful – kind of like a cross between Belfast, San Francisco and Sydney. Andy and Jo took us for a hike up a hill near their house which looked out over the city and the entire bay – stunning views and a great way to get our bearings. We both felt so at home in Wellington – we loved its small town vibe, its seaside location and its proximity to the great outdoors. A fantastic weekend with wonderful people. Too bad Wellington is the furthest place from home without actually having to go into space!

Andy and Jo at the lookout over Wellington’s many bays

A long drive north through crazy hobbit style scenery – strange mounds and hills – and we arrived at Whakapapa. Now much higher, it was pretty cold and damp at our campsite and we were a bit apprehensive about what awaited us the next day – the 20km Tongariro Crossing, which is thought to the best day hike in New Zealand.

We set off before dawn – as you can imagine it was a tad chilly – and were rewarded with the incredible sight of the sun rising over Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings Films), the active volcano we would be scaling later that day.

Mount Ngauruhoe at sunrise

The first section of the hike, through a lava field and then up a steep rocky ascent, was pretty challenging but we managed it in less time than we had anticipated and decided to take the optional 5km detour to climb Mount Ngauruhoe itself. It was the hardest climb either of us had ever done, scrambling up powdery ash and jaggy unstable rocks at a 30 degree gradient. Eventually we reached the top. We peered into the enormous smoking crater, surrounded by rocks that were hot to the touch, and took in the strange lunar-like landscape far below. The descent was almost as hard and more nerve wracking as we slid and stumbled down the scree slope, being careful to avoid dislodged rocks falling from above.

We made it!

Sliding down the ash and scree

Delighted and exhausted, we continued on our way with another 13km to cover. We eventually reached the stunning Emerald Lakes – three lakes of varying shades of yellow, green and blue. The last section of the hike took us past violently smoking thermal vents and through a very Scottish looking landscape.

The Emerald Lakes

Tongariro Crossing

Tongariro Crossing

Plumes of steam gushing out of the side of the mountain on the last section of the hike

That night, we rewarded ourselves  with dinner and drinks at Chateau Tongariro, a bizarre hotel which looked like something out of ‘The Shining’, before returning to our tiny tent for the night.

Onwards we drove to Rotorua, through some incredibly smelly volcanic areas, stopping at a hot mud pool which belched out great sulphur bubbles, throwing mud into the air – sights, sounds and smells that had everyone giggling like little girls.

Thhhhhhppppppp went the mud

Having had enough sulphur to last a lifetime, we headed on to the Bay of Plenty on the east coast where we spent the night in the seaside town of Mount Maunganui. The scenery couldn’t be more different to the Mordor-type landscape we’d spent the last few days in. A walk on the beach followed by a tasty snapper burger washed down with a local ale in the town brewery finished off our day nicely.

Our last day was spent in Auckland. We’d decided to splash out and stay at The Langham for a treat after all our camping. The doorman did a great job keeping a straight face as we pulled up in our dusty, battered car, with equally dusty occupants, next to a Lamborghini. Our pots and pans and towels drying on the back seat added to the spectacle. A much needed relax in the roof-top spa and a sleep in a real bed and we vaguely felt like human beings again.

We were both over-awed by New Zealand. It is definitely one of, if not the, most beautiful countries we’ve visited. The people are so friendly, the landscape is incredibly beautiful, varied and dramatic and the active outdoor lifestyle is definitely something we want to take home with us.