If you want to know one thing about me then pizza is my ultimate thing. Pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner, snacks and all, that is of course if the above was socially acceptable. So when I found out about a new pizza eatery in town, there was no question in this gal’s mind where we would be heading at the weekend. Before I start on a post purely about my love for the heaven-sent cheesy goodness on a plate I want to tell you where you can find the good people who brought the slices into my life.

OKAY, WE GET THE POINT. PIZZA IS AMAZING AND THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING IN LIFE.

In Queenstown you will never be short of somewhere to eat or drink, it can be quiet overwhelming as you stroll the streets hoping to find a table somewhere in the middle of Winter. Let me introduce to you the finest looking lady in town… Miss Lucy. She stands tall (on top of the new Jucy snooze hostel in the center of town ) she has views to die for and fit out worthy enough to splash all over your Instagram feed. It is super important to know that you DON’T have to be a hostel guest to go and enjoy Miss Lucy’s beautiful hospitality. Follow the colored lines straight into that lift and hit the fourth-floor button.

What awaits is a beautiful space, its light, its bright, there’s a chill area, eating area and a balcony complete with a fire so you can warm your toes when you land back in town after a day up the mountain.

We went for a few runs up the hill in the morning and headed into town to engage in my second favorite activity… eating. When we arrived at Miss Lucy’s the chefs were already preparing two delicious fresh pizza’s for us and two coffees awaited. We grabbed these and headed to the lake to enjoy the last light of the day while chowing down on some cheesy, cheesy goodness.

Back at Miss Lucy’s, we sampled some other menu items. Garlic bread, extra pizzas, delicious salads, Brussel sprouts… I repeat Brussel sprouts! The brit in me was having a party and I tell you, those sprouts were most certainly invited! The term eyes bigger than your belly rang true and for the first time in my life, I was defeated by the amount of food I ordered. However, I did manage to taste everything in front of me and I gave it all the Sophie seel of approval.

We retreated to the fire pit we watched the groups of people come through the doors and enjoy the deliciousness we just had.  There was such a mix of people, groups of travelers, couples enjoying a double date and a ski touring group planning their week-long adventure here in Queenstown.

We kicked back in the corner and enjoyed some Garage Project beers and dessert. I literally thought I couldn’t fit anything else in me but I’m pretty sure from a young age I was told you have a separate space for desserts right? Right! The dessert pizza, yep that’s a thing and wood fire baked cookies went down an absolute treat.

The night up at Lucy’s came alive, you can see the chefs cooking your food, the staff have permanent smiles and the beer is cold. The mix of people was a refreshing change, as was the decoration, were talking neon lights, mirrors, and comfy seats. Als,o I found a sweet little spot that would be perfect for some daytime chilling, a space I can plug in and watch the world go by with the mountains in the distance.

I am as passionate about good places as I am good pizza and luckily for Queenstown, this place has both. After spending some time sitting at the bar and getting to know the staff they filled me in about some of the epic stuff they have going on this Winter.

Apres ski sessions 4pm – 7pm daily where they have food and drink combos for you and all your ski bum pals. Monday nights is quiz night where a $100 bar tab is up for grabs and don’t forget the breakfast… they have bottomless coffee for $4! Whaaaaat! I know where I will be hanging out for my breakfast meetings!

Miss Lucy’s is one of those hidden gems that when you find you will never forget, I will be back soon!

No one really prepares you for losing a family member or losing anyone for that matter. It’s a heartbreaking moment when you learn that your loved ones have left this earth to find their peace elsewhere. Being away from your loved ones at that moment is painful. Right now as I write this recalling the happiest of memories I also try to justify what gives me the right to give you advice about how to deal with said situation. In a quick second, I have managed to full circle, it’s not about having the right or being right about this whole thing, it is just my way of letting you know that’s its okay not to be okay.

I’m a bottler, I always have been. Keep your mouth shut and your feelings in kinda gal, because one would never want to feel like a burden on someone else right? WRONG. Let it out, scream about it if you have to and you know the good old fashioned saying its better out than in… Well this god damn applies right now. You may feel lost, you may want to run straight to the airport and head straight back home or you might want to pull that duvet over your head and pretend like nothing is happening. Whatever is going on in your mind right at that moment, embrace it because your mind and body need the time to process bad news. The process is unpredictable, It is important to treat yourself with compassion as you journey down this path. Time is a great healer, remember that.

My best advice, however, is to get outside. Nature is also a great healer. Spending time outdoors either walking or just sitting will do wonders to help clear your mind. If you’re lucky enough to live near water then head there, after all, your emotions will be tornado-ing around inside and you may need to listen to the power of nature to ground you. Also, as hard as it may be, talk to someone. Either ring your loved ones, no matter what the time, they are there for you, talk to a friend or even a bunkmate (if you happen to be in hostels at the time) humans are good, so are dogs but humans, they can give you a cuddle because you will most probably need that. Don’t be embarrassed, its natural and everyone will want to help you.

My initial reaction was to cry, naturally, of course. I had just lost one of my beautiful people and I was sat in bed getting ready to start my day totally unprepared for that news. But then what I did was important… I text my boss and politely said I wouldn’t make it in today and I got up. I got up, dressed and went straight to my favorite place. Lake Hayes. I walked in silence, I cried and it also took me way longer than it normally would but right at that moment it is where I needed to be. After all, the time difference in the UK meant my family was entering the early hours of their morning and I wanted them to sleep, not listen to me cry down the phone.

I sat all day thinking about her and also toying with the idea of going home that weekend. Home to you may be close; home to me is the other side of the world. I was thinking hard about the last time I saw her, I think she knew. She gave me something so precious that I will keep and cherish forever and told me, in her own way, don’t you dare come home! The boss’s wishes. So I didn’t. The funeral was a hard day but again I spent it outdoors celebrating her life and all her wonderful ways. I also talked to her; let her know I was there. Maybe I looked crazy but it brought me peace. Where I am going with this? Apart from just needing to blub into a blog post, is that there no right or wrong. No one will be mad if you don’t go home, no one will be mad if you do. You have to do what is right for YOU even if that goes against what your family wishes.

I chose to stay here in New Zealand because of her wish for me to not return. I had said my goodbyes in my own way and my heart was happy knowing that she finally will be reunited with the man she missed so much.

Rest peacefully my sweet Grandma,

I know Grandad kept that bench seat warm for you in the sky.

I was on my way.

Lonely planet in one hand, coffee in the other, busy lusting over a whole heap of Bali inspo pictures on my Instagram feed. I was getting excited at the prospect of swimming with the Manta rays and spending half my intended budget on smoothie bowls and daily yoga sessions. Two plane rides and a confusing baggage situation later we were greeted by an absolute onslaught of taxi drivers in yo face. After two flights and zero snacks inside me, I couldn’t handle it. I sent Robbie to find us the cheapest, quickest deal he could and off to Canggu we went.

Is it me or do taxi drivers in Asia just not have a clue where they are going? 40 mins in and we were lost. Look, we didn’t mind, there wasn’t really any rush, apart from the fact it was Nyepi day at midnight so the whole island shuts down for 24 hours. You are to stay put in your accommodation and let the island rest, PERFECT, for the first day of our trip, I did just wanted to sit by the pool and chill. However, snacks are important so we were itching to get to a supermarket before everything shut or face the consequences of a 24 hour involuntary fast.

I spent the next day in silence planning trips to the hotspots, researching the not so secret spots and getting excited to explore. I felt like day one, my dreams had been crushed. The first thing that greeted us as we sped off toward the beach was the little wooden baskets on the side of the road, in front of every house and business. They were pretty, flowers-adorned them, charming. That was until we arrived at the beach and they were strewn everywhere. Washing up on the beach, littering the pathways and thrown all over the steps, accompanying the other mounds of litter that had washed up overnight. After further inspection of said baskets, they had cigarettes, mints wrapped in plastic and food cartons, they had also been stapled together. These baskets for the Gods were washing up out of the ocean and everyone stepped over them and carried on about their day. The morning after Nyepi day is popular, families gathered as did the tourists…just adding to the baskets already floating in the watery landfill. We drove away from the beach with heavy hearts, hoping that for the next month this wouldnt be a norm.

We spent one whole month in Indonesia and dare I say it? I didn’t get it. I never found the hype or the reason why everyone bangs on about it so much. Around day 6 I was questioning why we came and was considering running back to the mountains and hiding out there for a while. I am happy we stuck it out because we did some incredible things, we did find some beautiful places but paired with this was the sorrow at the state of a country quite clearly in despair and the constant need I felt to keep up with the ideal on this paradise Isle.

Before we left, everyone and I mean everyone I spoke to told me I would LOVE it. That it was a haven for great photo spots and that I should take the month to immerse myself in the local culture. Well if you call local culture a hoard of overpriced wooden handbags and avo on toast run cafes then you, my friend are wrong. I struggled to find the culture in the tourist hotspots so we headed for Ubud. Hoping to have some Julia Roberts style experience and lose myself in a yoga class or two. All I could find was overpriced mats in a sweaty barn and a flurry of Asia pants taking over the streets, however, I found a soft spot for the monkey forest, that place was both amazing and terrifying at the same time. I decided to climb a mountain, hoping to find my fix by getting high and spending some time in nature. To find we walked single file for two hours and spent time at the top being herded like sheep into separate groups to watch the sunrise from where the guide seemed fit – again the best bit included the monkeys, they sure gave everyone a fright when they came for the picnic boxes everyone had so casually left lying all over the ground.

I only swam in the ocean on Gili Air as this was by far the clearest waters I found and by clear I mean I wasn’t wading through the sea of plastic bags and other crap to have a refreshing dip. I found the amount of trash on the beaches and floating around in the waters so hard to handle. One day I even took to shoving it in my bikini bottoms to no avail when the boat captain threw countless cigarette butts and his snack packets overboard. The Manta rays, a day I was looking forward to the most. I actually left the water in fear of getting decapitated by the number of boats in the area, who by the way had no chill when trying to pick their passengers up. I also left the water in fear of feeling like I was contributing to the mess we are leaving in the home of these beautiful innocent creatures.

NOW, where am I going with this post before I get hung drawn and quartered for having an opinion… I just didn’t love it. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I hated it because that’s not fair and I most certainly do not want to come across as ungrateful, because I am not. We had a great time, a month off, just me and my main squeeze hanging out and exploring. HOWEVER I feel there is an unbelievable push and urge from others to send every Tom, Dick, and Harry to this island and quite frankly it looks to me as if they can’t cope.

I have been afraid to write about this topic, for fear of getting scrutinized for being honest and also I didn’t want to sound like a total negative nin pants. Looking back I did enjoy myself. For example, a private walk around the waterfall forest in Lombok was incredible, the whole day I felt I found the connection I was longing to find. One of my fondest moments was when a sea turtle took me on an exclusive tour of his favorite eateries off the shores of Gili Air. The food, I mean everyone gets sick of noodles, right? So it was nice to find healthy, vegetarian options in most place and also some undiscovered local spots serving up the most delicious and cheap authentic cuisine.

I suppose where I am going is, don’t believe everything you see or read, which I naively did. Expecting days of sandy beaches and private lookouts when in fact you may have to queue to get ‘that shot’ and find yourself on your very own beach clean up mission. I am happy I visited for sure, I am happy I got to make my own mind up on the place that has sat high on my list for a while… would I return? I would politely decline.

Maybe it’s my style of travel or maybe I just need to head to places where I may not see a face for a few days and steer clear of the hype.

Please don’t let my opinions sway you, I am more than happy to chat about my experience & if you’re planning to go I do have a list of amazing places we stayed, ate and experienced BUT for now, I’m off to plan a trip to Nepal to lose myself in the mountains and Dal Bhat…

Enjoy, I will share more adventures soon Xo

Make something everyone likes and no-one will love it – Tim Ferris

If an adventure offer is laid out on the table, wanna know my advice? Take it! & that’s exactly what I did.

While in Bali, the gals threw out a potential Milford trip the weekend after I returned (forever grateful it was the weekend after I returned home, thanks to the food poisoning I brought home with me… but that’s another story) My innate panic about packing for a weekend away kicked in the moment I started to pack. I don’t know if anyone else is like me, literally panicking about how many pairs of socks to take away on an overnight trip?

Our head guide / driver / fastest hiker in the world unfortunately struck an illness the night prior to departure but like the true explorer she is managed to pull through while napping in the back of the car en route to Milford while I rode shotgun (hallelujah for car sickness) & Zemira safely transported us into the magical world of Fiordland.

Theres something so great about being on trip with like-minded humans. By likeminded humans I mean nature frothers, photographers and Instagram Queens. The ray of light we all spotted and wanted to stop for was captured beautifully, the mood that greeted us as we exited the homer tunnel was played with, all the while dodging the tour buses swinging their way round those narrow roads. We took it slow and stopped when our creative brains wanted, which made for a beautiful scenic ride deeper into Fiordland National park.

The weather that greeted us when we reached Milford was to die for. I mean it was raining, cloudy and overcast but c’mon who doesn’t love that Milford mood? I think anyone else may have been a wee bit disappointed but we were out of the car quicker than a kea could steal your picnic. Frolicking in the mist and rain, taking it in turns to photograph each other under the majestic Mitre Peak, the swing was also a great find and all was going swimmingly until one hungry sandfly decided to give Zem some natural lip fillers.

Now sporting her Kylie Jenner style / mother nature incident we tanked back to Te Anau for homemade pumpkin soup (just call me Ramsay) and a well needed rest. Cut to about four hours later. The ice box we were staying in was dropping in temperature by the minute and I took to hammering the temp up button on the heater to no avail. At least when my alarm went off an hour later I was already deliriously awake and ready for a sunrise mission. First mission however was a sprint to the shower block in the freezing cold to warm bones, fingers and facial muscles.

I can’t quite put in to words how magical the sunrise was. The whole sky was a pasty white colour, then out of nowhere turned the most beautiful pastel pink, intensified and then faded welcoming the new day. We used the jetty to our advantage & the dream like reflections before rushing what for toward the boiling kettle to warm our fingers and toes!

Key Summit was on the agenda today. An hours drive back through Fiordland brought us to the divide. Snacks packed, water bottles filled and off we went. The walk is pretty easy, a steady incline for around 1.5 hours – this is of course is if you include all the photos stops we did. When you reach the tree line the whole world opens up before your eyes. Looking down into Fiordland national park, surrounded by mountains, the native bush, the sun shining & the cool air. I had a sudden realisation, this is where I was meant to be, right here, right then, hiking and connecting with the beauty that surrounded us.

I pretty much floated to the summit, high on the adventure and never-ending snow-capped mountains. The boardwalk will lead you straight to a tarn which perfectly reflects the Humboldt and Darran Mountains opposite. After carefully navigating the sinking bog and walking further along the boardwalk for another pano view and a sneaky glimpse at Lake Marian, we descended, filled with content.

Our drive home was slow and quiet. A pit stop for sour cream with a side of wedges, I kid you not it was pretty much a bowl of mr whippy style sour cream in Te Anau we headed home.

Home… Queenstown, wait one second while I pinch myself again. What an adventure!

I can’t quiet describe what it felt like peeking round that never-ending ridge line after a four and a half hour climb uphill and catching our first sight of that famous little red hut. We were lagging behind, mainly because we were taking photos and secondly because we were too busy soaking in the views surrounding us to hurry ourselves along. After climbing for what felt like forever, we hit the home stretch, the red hut sitting pretty surrounded by snow. One last jaunt uphill through the ice and we settled down with a brew and the best view my eyes have ever seen.

I had been packing and un packing for weeks. Worrying about what to take, what bag to take and most importantly what food to take. This would be my first overnight hike with a group of people who had never seen me at my worst while hiking. Robbie is the only one who has had the pleasure of my over dramatic wails halfway up mountain peaks. Luckily I was sent a backpack the week before from Kosan travel which made my life a whole lot less dramatic. Sleeping bag, clothes, cameras & enough snacks to make sure everyone in the hut was catered for.

The girls had planned a golden hour Lupin session and a campground stay in Omarama. After being collected from work Friday afternoon, I sat back in the car and watched the beauty of NZ roll by on route to our first destination. The campground was cute, our hut was placed away from the rest and conveniently equal distance from the kids play area and the kitchen.

I had to pinch myself as the sun was setting over the mountains and the fields came alive with colour. We had found the perfect Lupin spot and danced around in those brightly coloured wonders for hours. Turns out I can now add Lupins to the allergy list, however I wasn’t going to let anything ruin this sunset. We hopped across the road and found a river reflecting the pink sky. Mother nature was making four girls very happy!

I spent the night packing and re packing again knowing tomorrow before we started the hike I would re-pack again. Maybe it was the nerves kicking in or the excitement, or the fact im a huge control freak and have to know at all times what order my belongings are in. After shooting some iconic Mt Cook road shots that I was secretly itching to get we had some time to kill before the others made it to the village. We drove round to Tasman Glacier and walked the short 20 mins to the lookout. This was my first time seeing the glacier and my eyes were not fully prepared for how blue it was going to be. Excitement levels for the rest of the trip set at an all time high and I must have looked like some creepy joker wandering around with a grin bigger than my face. The words WOW, Oh My God and Krista’s Woo-Woo’s had all been truly exhausted within the first few hours.

Something happens when I see Mt Cook, some kind of weird happiness washes over me. Maybe its the beauty, maybe its the sheer size of it or maybe its the connection it holds to Mt Everest which is my absolute dream destination. Whatever it is, something makes me go all warm and fuzzy inside. Although my nerves had started to kick in I was still excited. We ate what was left of from our campground dinner the night previous and packed our bags. Eagerly waiting for the other two to join our party I packed, unpacked, re packed and tied my boot laces one million times over.

Everyone was pumped, we had just embarked on the route to Sealy Tarns. 2000 steps later we would be patting each other on our sweaty backs and admiring the views below. It was hard, I’m not going to lie and carrying half of your personal belongings on your back made it that little bit harder. Everyone became a moral support system, we all had each others backs for rest stops, photo stops and please don’t carry on without me I need to catch my breath stops.

Reaching Sealy Tarns is an achievement in itself, the steps are hard and somewhat never-ending. It felt amazing to drop my pack for twenty mins and explore. Mt Cook was hiding behind a little cloud but the sun was shining as high as everyone’s spirits. The next stretch goes down in my books as the hardest bit of hiking I’ve ever had to do. It started with rocks, winding up the mountain, it then turned into snow. I used a rock and my bottle to haul my ass up that face. With Kate two steps in front of me we kept pushing. Luckily she was on hand to pull me out of a hole I fell through. My whole left leg had disappeared, eaten by a snow hole that I later found out Zemira had created on the way up! When we reached the top of the snow and the path flattened out a little we looked back down on what we had just climbed… I don’t know about Kate but all that was running through my head was how we were getting back down in the morning!

So this is where I started to dream. Dream about that big hot cup of tea waiting for me in the hut kitchen. Just around the corner we kept telling ourselves. Trust me, there was quite a few corners left before we hit that steaming kettle. After clambering up and down rocks using the markers as support, stopping for one last impromptu photo shoot as Mt Cook had decided to show his beautiful face we hit the official home stretch. Just twenty mins of digging our boots into the snow and the red hut was in sight.

Walking through that hut door, throwing our packs onto the bunks and sinking into a lemon tea was one of the best moments of my entire existence. Not only had we hiked in snow for the first time, vertically for what seemed like forever but we did this together, as a team and I was feeling very happy and content. We quickly ate some snacks and did what all photographers do, wrap up warm, brace the elements and get out exploring the surrounds. Like kids in an icy playground we were, frolicking around in the snow, finding new perspectives and taking in the sheer magnitude of nature surrounding us. I literally felt like we were in a dream world. The mountains were so epic and beautiful I had to keep pinching myself.

Upon arriving at the hut we met four other photographers who were taking adventuring to the extreme by camping out in little man-made stone forts. The four guys up there happened to be four of the biggest Instagrammers in the game and high on all of our inspiration lists. Sharing that sunset with a bunch of like-minded people was pretty mind-blowing and a moment I will never forget.

After tucking into my veggie backcountry meal and braving the outdoor toilet one last time, which came complete with an ice slide to and from the steps we hit the hay ready for sunrise. I laid in bed watching the light slowly disappear and listening to the sound of the not so distance avalanches fall. I felt like I had been asleep for a second before getting a head ruffling wake up call. Deliriously putting clothes on back to front in the dark and grabbing my camera gear together it was time to brave the cold morning wind.

 

Being awake before the sun rises gives you a real sense of life. It helps ground you at least for a moment to enjoy the start of a new day in all its glory. We hopped around on the rocks a little longer and retreated when the kettle was calling, thankfully Benny was on ice collecting duty as the water tank had frozen. Packing up and saying goodbye to Mueller hut is something I didn’t want to do. Slowly realising the adventure was nearly over we soaked in the last of Cook as we descended through the snow.

The snow wall was approaching, after successful mastering the rocks I knew it was just around the corner. I was terrified of falling down & took some time assessing the situation before being moved out the way by Kate who gladly got down on her ass and slid right down to the bottom, whooping the whole way. She set a president for the rest of us and also knocked about half an hour off our descent time.

The stairs came quicker than we had all hoped and tackling them together is the best way. No body likes coming up and I don’t think anyone in their right mind likes going down. A collective of knocking knees and very questionable joints made it to the bottom in one piece. Then a whole second wave of emotion flooded through me. The achievement, the adventure and most of all the cemented friendships that came hand on hand with this epic trip took me back for a moment.

I thank my lucky stars daily for the people who surround me and push me to my physical and creative limits. New Zealand sure does provide some world-class views and adventures that I am grateful to share with these wonderful people in my life. Until Next time Mt Cook.

Find more images here…

 

Welcome!

If you’ve made it this deep, then I guess you’re after the nitty gritty or you just wanna know a little bit about who is behind all the adventures…

My Mission

My mission is first and foremost to live a happy, adventurous, creative lifestyle. It’s in my bones to create – I just love it. If I know one thing for sure, theres a little creativity in all of us. Maybe this comes to you in the form of photography or writing or painting or even perfecting the way your breakfast looks before you tuck in. Maybe your creativity lies in your mid week work doodles as you plan your weekend escapades or you find it from creating new season looks in your wardrobe. Wherever it may lie, embrace it and grow…. you never ever know where it may take you. My main mission for this blog is to take you on my creative journey. You can follow this in the form of my words and photographs and I hope it inspires you to also soak up and explore the creativity instilled in you.

Sophie
Born and bred in a place where the tea is strong & the accent stronger. From the city of rolling hills and friendly faces. You will ALWAYS need your big coat and you will need to establish a strong a love for the famous relish found at every table. I’m obsessed with everything outdoors. Climbing mountains and throwing my arms out at the summit is my thing and I am eternally grateful to have found a fun loving human to accompany me on all my adventures… and occasionally carry my pack!

Robbie
Born in the land of William Shakespeare, think thatched roofs, canals and endless countryside. If there was ever a human to travel it was him. With a backpack firmly strapped to his body, not a hairbrush in sight and his love for an atlas means our trips are always immaculately on point. Leaving the UK over seven years ago he sure has a tale or two. Since meeting, we have created our own tales & now we are just two best friends, experiencing the world together, one step at a time.

Our Story

Imagine nipping over to Sydney to hang out with some of your gal pals, jumping on a boat to sail around Sydney harbour, meeting the love of your life, spending the whole night running away from everyone so you can download each other’s backstory in a short four hours and then ending the night not knowing what would happen next… Well thats how it all began.

Then girl heads home, realised England wasn’t where she belonged, packed her bags a mere four weeks later and jumped on a one way flight to Sydney. Working holiday visa in hand and a heart full of hope.

Boy buys a camper van in those weeks, renovates it and heads to Sydney airport to pick up a girl he had never even spoken to on the phone. New van keys and nerves in hand he stood waiting in arrivals.

Then just like that the most beautiful (I may be biased) story evolved. Filled with roadies, banana pancakes, finding our feet, moving countries, bursting backpacks, multiple travel trips and full hearts.

So yeah, fast forward four years later and thats us. Residing in Queenstown NZ, happily as residents & a married couple, new home owners & exploring all Mother Nature has to offer us.
& god damn, do we feel lucky!

If there is anything else you want to know about us, our story or any places we have been then please don’t hesitate to ask. I love meeting new people and spreading the knowledge about all the wonderful things I have had the privilege of seeing & doing.

Enjoy the adventure!

 

There is something so satisfying about scoring a big old tick through one of your bucket list destinations. The Routeburn track had been high on my list from the start of this New Zealand adventure. Due to huts being booked up, not having transport and then when we did being to scared to tackle the gravel road in case of a wheel malfunction we just kept putting it off. A very warm and beautiful sunny day in November however would be the day we made our way to one of New Zealand’s great walks. 

Coffee at this time in a morning was very important and needed to help navigate through the Queenstown marathon traffic. We were soon on the road to Glenorchy, not a soul in sight and minds on the pre hike pie snack from Mrs Wooly’s general store. Robbie opted for the biggest pie known to mankind and I was offered two measly mouthfuls. Not as hungry as my small baby Elephant of a boyfriend I decided to wait until we reached lunch time somewhere on the track. Note to self – always have a pre hike snack; your faint, disoriented body will thank you later. 

It was hot and getting hotter. We set off around 11am. In hindsight we should have maybe set off earlier as we pretty much ran the first bit of the track. It is so beautiful, you will need the time to take it all in. Pretty much the first section to the Routeburn falls is under the tree’s popping out now and again to blow your socks off with some incredible views back over the valley or to lure you down to the bluest water I have ever seen. We filled our bottles up in the stream and I dramatically poured it over my forehead to cool myself in the heat of the day. 

We made it to the Routeburn flats hut in record time and decided to push on to the falls and then check out all the things we ran past on the way back. This is where it got hard. Not hard but just long. Probably due to the fact I hadn’t eaten since my half bowl of cereal at 6.30am and anxiously worrying about the lack of water in my bottle I found this section challenging. Robbie raced ahead and I felt like I was walking in a spacesuit. EVENTUALLY making it to a clearing with the most spectacular views over the valley & one final push up some rocky stairs we made it to a DOC wooden walkway. 

 The hut had to be close for the wooden walkway to be this maintained we thought AND it was! I raced to the nearest bench and stuffed as much food down my throat as humanly possible. It took me around fifteen minutes to come right and stop feeling faint. 

 We explored the hut which exceeded all my expectations & made me want to set up camp and stick the kettle on but unfortunately we were restricted in time and had a few more hours exploring to do. After being warned by a group of boys to not get to close to the water we stayed a safe distance away on one ledge. I looked up and could see some tiny ant like people coming down a small walkway. My legs were saying no but my camera was pulling me up the track an extra fifteen mins. It looked way longer than I thought and my dramatic wails were soon silenced when we reached the most epic viewpoint. One speedy photo shoot later we refilled our bottles and made for home.

 Keen to stop off at all the little nooks on the way back we full on sprinted down the hill that had caused me pain on the ascent. Making it back down to the flats hut in record time. We nosed around a little, grabbed some photos and convinced ourselves we wouldn’t be back at the car for at least another four hours. Turned out our legs are way quicker than our heads and we made it back to the car in less that two, even with all my photo stops.

It was magic. The whole day from start to finish was everything you could want from a backcountry hike in New Zealand. I thought I would be exhausted but I think I was still buzzing from the excitement. We made it back in time to enjoy the afternoon light hitting the lake the whole way back in to Queenstown.

 We have already planned our next great walk and decided on completing The Routeburn one day, sometime soon.

 

Our Journey down to Milford Sound started very similar to many others. We had our snacks packed, clothes prepared for all four seasons and heading downtown to the Southern Discoveries office in Queenstown. The promise of on route coffees made the 5.30am wake up call a little easier. We made our way into town sleepily and checked in with the ground crew on the wharf, hung around taking in those beautiful morning views over Lake Wakatipu.

The bus was PLUSH! The seats are comfortable and spacious. There is WiFi and charging points and best of all…. A glass roof so you don’t miss a single thing on the way down. Southern discoveries sure know how to spoil us!

Some describe Milford Sound as the 8th wonder of the world and you will have to see it with your own eyes to believe it, or take my word for it, I promise I’m telling you the truth. It is one of the most magical places on earth. You will find Milford Sound quietly tucked away at the bottom of the South Island. It will take you around 5 hours to reach from Queenstown via the road through Fiordland National park, but this includes five hours of constant jaw dropping scenery. Our first stop was Te Anu to grab some coffees and some much-needed second breakfast.

We wandered around the quaint little town trying to take in the mass of deer heads covering the walls of the cafe. We later learnt about the Deer hunting history from this part of the country along with some first-class information about local fauna and pests that we British foolishly brought onto the island many moons ago.

Mirror Lakes was our next stop off, unfortunately due to the rain there wasn’t must reflection going on but the moody atmosphere of Fiordland was creating some beautiful scenes for me to capture.

Next stop LUPINS! December is the perfect time to run amongst the lupins and take in their absolute beauty. Washing the fields with vibrant purples & blues I was in my element skipping through the wet grassland unaware of the rest of the passengers sat watching and waiting. The coach driver quickly became my friend after realising I was incapable of making it back to the bus on time like everyone else. He kindly waited as I grabbed one more photo at all the pit stops asking if I got ‘the shot’ and off we went further down into this magical part of the world.

When they say pack for all weathers, listen! It rained the whole way down, we were battered by winds and at one point felt cold enough to snow. However this place is breathtakingly beautiful in any weather. The whole place comes alive under the powers of mother nature, the mountains transform into walls of waterfalls and the mysterious fog that hangs low transports you straight into a scene out of Jurassic park. While queuing for the homer tunnel we took full advantage of the glass roof to witness the beauty around us. The driver guided us safely though the tunnel. The Homer tunnel was created in the 1950’s by blowing through a mountain. This then created the road we now all take to Milford Sound today.

What we were about to witness truly blew our socks off. The valley of a 1000 waterfalls the driver called it and he was right! The walls were covered with running water, fog rolled in through the lower valley and the whole place was alive with atmosphere. I couldn’t quiet believe it.

Back to the comfort and warmth of the coach we were on the home stretch to the boat. As soon as we pulled up, noted where our boat departed from we jumped off and ran around taking some photos away from the hustle & bustle in the terminal, which in my eyes is worse than an actual airport terminal or a shopping mall the week before Christmas. We were happy to take in the sights and little sound away from the crowds.

Running for transport quick became our speciality and we boarded the boat ready for our two-hour nature cruise around the sounds. Pulling out of the dock into the shadows of Mitre peak is jaw dropping. The boat hugs the left of the sound getting you close enough to the mountains to appreciate the sheer size of them and catch the mist on your face from all the falling water. Milford Sound was carved by glaciers way back in the ice age leaving us with monumental cliffs that rise vertically from below and host some of the most dramatic waterfalls ive ever seen.

The captain got us close enough to rocks to see the resident seals basking in the afternoon sunshine. Oh yeah It was now stifling hot. It was still windy but the weather gods turned it on as soon as we got out on the water. We were enjoying what the rain had created from the past few days without having to hide inside.

Towards the end of the cruise the boat will make its way toward Stirling falls, Robbie had convinced me we wouldn’t get that wet if we stayed outside and with a little help from the on board MC we were all stood waiting to get drenched by the biggest waterfall I have ever seen. I thought it might be a quick whip under and back but I recon I had my years worth of showers in the time we spent under the fall! Huddling as close to Robbie’s back to not only protect my camera gear but also the small part of my body that appeared to still be dry. The side door swung open and us ladies made a dash for the dry as the captain pulled us away and back out into the peacefulness of the sounds.

I saw the port coming closer to us and wished it away, I could have stayed out there for hours taking in the incredible beauty. I stole one last look at those awe inspiring views before  joining the rest of the pasengers to disembark who were all equally as blown away. Back on dry land sporting our newly washed outfits we made our way back to the bus and homeward bound to Queenstown.

If you have the means to get yourself to Milford Sound in your lifetime, I highly suggest you do, if you don’t, try to find a way or at the very least I hope this blog has given you a glimpse of this incredible place. I have been infected by it’s magic & I know one day I will return.

Thank you Southern Discoveries for transporting us to another world so close to home. The Coach & Cruise package from Queenstown is an excellent way to sit back, relax and enoy the beauty on display!

The day started just as every day should. Coffee.

It was early, we were about to get on a boat and I needed something to calm my travel sickness, who likes to make an appearance whenever on or near water. After checking in and intently listening to the directions of where to go when we depart the boat at Mt Nicholas we met the bike master who also happened to captain the boat.

Anxious about the fact I couldn’t remember the last time I had been on a bike I made sure a helmet was first on my list, then we were matched with bikes our size and sent off to wait on the dock. Map, passes and coffee vouchers in hand we wheeled our bikes onto The Spirit of Queenstown. The bikes are conveniently hooked to the back of the boat allowing you the freedom to roam around as you sail over to Mt Nic. The boat ride is an adventure in itself, pulling in to Bob’s cove is enough to blow your socks off. The water was so blue and clear, a real tropical paradise.

Continuing on to Mt Nicholas you are rewarded with the most epic views down toward Glenorchy with Mt Alfred sitting pretty in the distance.

We disembarked the boat, carefully listening to directions again from one of the ground crew. I have the best track record of getting lost so Robbie was put in charge of taking note. Helmet strapped on, safety first kids! We were off!

My bike riding skills showed their true colours when I failed at the first hill. I am literally talking about five minutes on land, I was already lagging. I had it in the wrong gear so my poor legs couldn’t even turn the pedal. Rookie mistake. I got off and pushed it up the hill chasing Robbie as he rode peacefully into the mountains. After sorting out my inability to choose the right gear we were on the straight and narrow. The lake on our left, incredible mountains hugging our right side and Walter Peak 12km away.

The ride itself is pretty easy, straight roads, beautiful views and only the local sheep and cows wondering what you are up to. I loved every second of being out on the bike. We had the weather gods on our side providing beautiful sunshine all day. The lake was so blue and calm it was hard not to stop at every corner to take more photographs.

We passed the biggest herd of sheep being moved paddocks, I was in my element and took the time to watch them move to their new home, with a friendly greeting from the farmer we hit the last stretch of road down to Walter Peak Station.

We maxed out the riding time of 1.5 hours through photo taking and opting for the slow pace. I really didn’t want this trip to end. We perched under a tree surrounded by the incredible flowers at Walter Peak and waited for our ride home.

The lady of the lake made her way slowly into the bay, tooting her horn letting us know she was here. We pushed our bikes onto the Earnslaw and took up residence next to the piano for the beautiful ride back into Queenstown.

We both agreed this was one of the best days out we’ve had since landing in Queenstown, exploring new places and having the bikes to be able to cover more ground. The weather was perfect, the views were to die for and right now I’m on my way to purchase my own bike to carry on the adventures.

Thank you to Southern Discoveries for getting us out on the Station 2 Station Cycle Trail, it was truly magical!

Right now if you are local to Queenstown you can grab some amazing local deals on this activity & the best thing about it… Southern Discoveries will be donating part of the proceeds to the local charity Happiness House. This will help over 40 families in need this Christmas in and around the Queenstown area. Book your next adventure! You won’t regret it!