New Zealand Week 2: From Queenstown to the West Coast
- coleenkarpf
- Apr 1
- 5 min read
It’s hard to believe we’ve already been in New Zealand and on sabbatical for two weeks!
When we planned our sabbatical, we set out for New Zealand to be dedicated to reconnecting with nature and hiking loads. So far, we've clocked 107 miles and ~22,000 feet of elevation gain on hiking trails-- not bad!
We've also tallied nearly 20 hours in the car over 1,512km. Despite some crazy roads, I think we're officially getting this "driving on the left" thing down!
New Zealand has been surprisingly easy to navigate as travelers, and we're loving it even more than we anticipated. After two weeks on the road, here are some of our top New Zealand learnings:
This really is land of the waterfalls! We've been blown away by the number of soaring waterfalls that we regularly pass while hiking and driving the countryside
You can find organic kombucha, turmeric juice, or kefir water almost anywhere—even at roadside markets and gas stations.
Sandflies on the West Coast are no joke. Think mini mosquitos, but the bites somehow itch even more?!
Marlborough King Salmon is next-level. Drooling just thinking about it.
New Zealanders love a good outdoor picnic. Luckily, so do we!
There are four times as many sheep as people here—and after driving half the South Island, we can definitely confirm this.
New Zealand is hiking paradise. The diversity of landscapes is mind-blowing and the trails are so well kept. National park entrance is free here and parking is plentiful! We've joked that hikes like this in the US usually entail a permit, a fee, a line of cars, and a hoard of other hikers. Out here, we've just shown up and usually been some of the only ones on the trail. I guess it pays to be somewhere remote!
Since our adventures last week hiking both Mount Cook National Park and the Milford Track in a 7 day span, we decided to make this week about slowing down a bit and getting back into a rhythm.
We started with two days of rest in Queenstown, giving our legs a much-needed break. We treated ourselves to a wine tasting at Mt. Rosa (fab!), a nicer dinner at Ayrburn, took in sunrise over Arthur's Point, slept a little extra, and generally took it easy and enjoyed our last "city" for awhile.
From Queenstown, we took the Crown Range Road an hour North to the small town of Wanaka. Little did we know but the Crown Range Road is the highest main road in New Zealand and had what felt like infinite hairpin turns.
Our AirBnB in Wanaka was about 10 minutes outside of the town center and located on 35-acres of farmland. It was beyond gorgeous, had the friendliest farm cat who came over for pets, and our closest neighbors were these adorable Valais blacknose sheep. Leaving the doors open and hearing the sheep over sunset while cooking a wild caught Marlborough salmon dinner will be one of my favorite experiences in New Zealand, I'm sure.
Building a sense of home in Wanaka with cooking & lots of time in nature:
One thing I’ve really appreciated during this time so far is how we’ve been able to create a sense of home, even while moving every 1–3 days. Simple habits—morning movement, cooking nearly all of our meals, waking with the sun, winding down at sunset—have helped us stay grounded no matter where we land. Getting in tune with the rhythm of nature here has brought a big sense of ease and familiarity to each new place.
After 3 rest days, we found ourselves ready to move again. We woke up early to climb Mt. Isthmus. At nearly 4,000 feet of elevation gain, it was a challenging hike but worth it as we were rewarded on the summit with views of both Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka from above. Lake Wanaka is the fourth largest in New Zealand.
The next day, we switched things up and rented mountain bikes to ride ~18 miles around the two lakes. It was my first time doing a ride like that—and while it was definitely a leg burner (and a confusing route at times!) it was also a lot of fun.
From Wanaka, we drove four hours west to Franz Josef, making our way up the rugged coast. The roads here were some of the craziest we've ever driven, with 1-lane roads that have about 4 inches on each side before the rainforest starts. Let's just say there is very little room for error. Good thing we've had some practice driving on the left side by now!
Our home base there was an amazing off-grid cabin:
We were smack dab in the middle of nowhere, but we had all the creature comforts: a kitchen, fireplace, sauna and even a small lake out front with ducks gliding by. We spent the days cooking, doing a bit of yoga, and sweating it out in the cabin’s sauna, which felt pretty perfect after being out in the rugged westcoast landscape.
We also spent one of our days hiking Robert’s Point Track to see the Franz Josef Glacier. One of the things that makes the Franz Josef area so special is that it's a temperate rainforest ecosystem with a glacier above. So as we hiked, we were looking above to an icy glacier and snow-capped peaks while passing verdant mossy creeks, enormous ferns, and rainforest waterfalls at eye level:
Despite the beauty, this was not my favorite hike! The entire 7 miles were slick with moss-covered rocks, wet terrain, and lots of scrambling, with very few sturdy places to plant my feet. It wasn’t just physically tough—it was mentally challenging, too. The constant slipping kept me on edge, and I had to really trust myself with every step. It ended up being a humbling one for me—I (Coleen) took way longer to get back than I expected because I was so focused on my footing. Guess I need to practice more rainforest hiking! 😉
Next stop: Fox River, where we’re heading to another bach (pronounced "batch," which is what they call a beach cabin here in New Zealand) further up the coast. More winding roads and wild beaches ahead!
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