New Zealand. Te Waipounamu.

April 1, 2023

New Zealand is my jam. There are so many opportunities for outdoor adventures and I absolutely thrive in this environment. There are two main themes for our South Island adventure – climbing and hiking. If we'd tried to cycle too, we would've run out of time. There are so many options in the south you simple have to choose a focus. Our focus was climbing and we found many exceptional crags in New Zealand. We had the freedom to explore with our trusty Subaru and our first stop was Paynes Ford. Slap bang in the middle of the Abel Tasman, these short, slabby, limestone cliffs also came with an incredible campsite for climbers. We arrived mid afternoon and immediately went out climbing. We met groups of lovely people, all staying at the same campsite. It was quite a shock to climb technical slabs after our time in Krabi with big juggy holds and overhangs. Our new friends spurred us on and we began to enjoy the challenge. 

The next week would be a joyful mix of climbing, swimming in the waterholes and hanging out with some really cool people. All too soon we had to move on to Te Anau - we had managed to secure a spot on the Kepler Track. So after some last minute logistic amendments and a final group dinner with boardgames under torchlight, we headed to bed ready for an early start to blast down the west coast. 

We had heard rumours of a great multi-pitch climb near the Franz Jospeh glacier and we just had to give it a go. After a pit-stop at a roadside cafe which served us the most enormous pancakes, we arrived at the car park early. Without a clear map or guidebook for these climbs, we planned to walk in and see if we could spot any bolts. Unfortunately we spotted a big fence and sign suggesting the pathway was no longer accessible. Turns out New Zealanders don’t mess around! There was indeed an inaccessible path – it had completely fallen away into the glacial riverbed. We played around a bit but ultimately decided to turn around and switch to plan B. We continued driving through Haste Pass to Mount Iron and had a go at some climbing there instead. When we arrived, we had a good crack at some routes. We felt they were quite stiff for the grade, with small holds on overhanging rock. But we had a blast and even tried a grade 22 climb (6c+). After many attempts at the crux (and some loose rock!) we decided it was best to use our mallion (all the way from our friend Paddy in Krabi!) and hot foot it out of there. 

Our campsite, 5 min drive away was ideal. You rocked up to a ticket booth, and much like paying for a car park, you added your car and tent details before paying for your stay and pitching wherever you fancied. We chose a spot close to the river and promptly walked up the nearest hill to witness the beautiful sunset. 

In the morning as we continued down south, we chose to fit in a cheeky mid-day climb at Kingston. This multi-pitch climb was 100m and had views across a huge emerald lake. The sun was shining and we found the route easily. The multi-pitch was sublime – a huge technical slab with good belay ledges and fantastic views. We hit our groove and managed a speedy and fun assent. Rapping down gave us and equally quick descent and soon we were back on the road heading towards Te Anau. 

The next 4 days were spent on the Kepler Track. This hike deserves a blog post all of it’s own so I’ll just touch on some highlights. Spread across 80kms, the Kepler Track takes you from lake to mountain top, offering panoramic views of the Sound, plateaus and glacial rock carvings. It’s truly breathtaking. Thanks to our education from my Godmother, Beverley, we were able to spot several bird species and play with Kea’s at the camping huts. We took our time, usually leaving hours after everyone and arriving at the next camp late afternoon. This ensured we were walking uninterrupted and still gave us enough time to have a dip in the river or lake when we finished. If you ever get the chance to do the track, absolutely go for it!

So now with the Kepler Track completed, we had a more relaxed schedule. We boarded a boat to explore Doubtful Sound and met up (coincidently) with Aaron’s sister’s parents in law. With Aaron becoming an uncle just days before, we had lots to catch up on! So the four of us chatted, shared experiences and enjoyed the beauty of the Sound. We spotted seals sunbathing on the rocks, waterfalls during over into the sea and shearwater birds swimming across the water right by our boat. 

Our next climbing spot was in the valley of Milford Sound. We embarked on a fabulous afternoon of multi-pitch climbing at Shotwell Slabs. Our rope wasn’t quite long enough which made for some interesting (but safe!) lower offs! In the end, our favourite route was called 12 Good Summers – a 5 pitch slab with a couple of scary cruxes. Most notably, a very spicy middle pitch but absolutely fabulous quality rock at the top. Afterwards, we pitched our tent in the trees at the Cascade Creek campsite and met Alana and Gill, 2 fellow climbers. We chatted all evening and found they live in Austrailia but were originally from Canada and Belgium. They were tackling the Routeburn Track and we planned to meet up for more climbing when they finished. 

Whilst we were here, we chose to run the Milford Sound track, starting at the end and getting as far as possible before heading back for the last boat home. After a false start at the wrong port, we found the little boat that took us across the lake to the Milford Track. We jogged along the mossy narrow path, through the forest, looking up at the cuttings and watching the crystal clear water running in the river. We managed to get all the way to MacKay Falls, a 33m waterfall with turquoise blue water and a carved out cave named Bell Rock. This rock phenomenon was carved by water from the bottom up, creating a cave which resembles the inside of a bell. It’s big enough for you to crawl inside and stand up!

Two places we were really looking forward to were Queenstown and Wanaka. They didn’t disappoint! Overall we spent 3 weeks climbing at Gorge Road with Alana and Gill, playing frisbee golf, participating in a climbing competition at Wye Creek, hiking up peaks and meeting new friends along the way. I don’t think there was 1 day that went past where we didn’t try something fun. There was of course, the broken collarbone incident that brought a bit of a stop to everything. Aaron went to the bike park and on the last run of the day took a jump and landed on his shoulder. A quick trip to the local hospital and he was speedily x-rayed and patched up. A stress-free experience, we really rate the health care system in NZ! We were sent away with painkillers and checked in to the fancy hotel I’d booked for his birthday. Despite a broken collarbone, we managed to hike up Coronet Peak and take in the views across the valley of the Remarkables and surrounding peaks. 

Whilst Aaron was recovering and waiting for surgery, I took myself off and had some great mini adventures. These included paragliding in the Wanaka Lake valley, climbing a 100m waterfall on via Ferrata, and exploring Mount Cook. I learnt about the stars at the planetarium, took a boat tour of the glacier, touched icebergs and ate well at the fancy Hermitage Hotel. Then I ventured off into the hills, up steep trails and did my own stargazing in Lake Tekapo. Meanwhile, Aaron chilled out in Queenstown before taking a coach over to Christchurch where we would meet before our flight to Austrailia. 

Before I headed over to Christchurch, a last trip was on the cards – a tour of the Catlins with Beverley and Carl. Nestled right near the bottom of New Zealand, the Catlins include a national park and some of the best wildlife I’ve seen on the island. We met our tour guide, Lindel, and spent a full day spotting seals on the rocks of Nugget Point, watched the huge sea lions on Cannibal Beach and walked through Manuka forests. Lindel shared his extensive knowledge of the area and was a pro at spotting all sorts of wildlife that we would have easily missed. Each evening we retired to a tiny home and a gypsy caravan, two very quirky beds in the middle of a farm. We rounded off our trip by heading down to the southern most tip of New Zealand. Windy but sunny, we took the short walk to the coast edge which reminded me of the Jurassic coast back in the UK. Large fields spread out from the cliffs with sheep grazing and tractors bumbling up and down. We took some fun photos before we had to part ways. It was a wonderful trip and I’m so pleased I got to spend more time with my Godmother before leaving New Zealand. There’s no doubt I’ll be back – there’s so much to explore and totally worth the trip over!