Rediscovering New Zealand: A South Island Road Trip and Epic Expedition to the Subantarctic Islands

New Zealand, a treasure trove of natural beauty basically in our backyard, often gets overlooked for more distant destinations. Our first roadtrip through New Zealand taught us the importance of pacing—we tried to cram too much into too little time so we barely scratched the surface. We thought a campervan would give us flexibility, but lack of itinerary meant that we missed out on several activities that required advance booking. This time around, we came prepared: we would only explore the South Island, activities were pre-booked, and our itinerary was crafted with a cushion for the famously fickle South Island weather, allowing room for the spontaneous and the unexpected.

 

The centerpiece of this trip was an ambitious expedition to the remote Subantarctic islands. Few people have heard of the “Subs” and even fewer have visited. We hoped to see three new penguin species, as well as half a million king penguins on Macquarie Island (assuming we could get there). Nothing is guaranteed in expedition cruising, and the weather in the roaring 40’s certainly isn’t welcoming. The expedition was nicknamed “The Galapagos of the Southern Ocean,” and having visited the Galapagos, we were intrigued. Would it live up to the hype? Would we be disappointed after the rich wildlife encounters of Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands in 2022 and 2023?

I prefer not to risk the stress of delayed flights so always arrive days before an expedition starts. The ship can’t wait for you if your plane is late. To make the most of my vacation days, I initially planned to leave the Saturday before so we could enjoy a few days in Queenstown. The more I researched, the more I realised that I wanted more time. This, and frequent flyer ticket availability, is how we wound up spending a full six days in the Southland before boarding the ship. When it comes to travel, I can justify just about anything.

After the expedition, we planned to hire a rental car and make our way north over the course of two weeks, spending:

  • Three nights on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin to relax after the expedition
  • Two nights in Aoraki/Mt. Cook to do a glacier hike and some night sky photography
  • Two nights in Lake Tekapo for a deep sky astrophotography workshop
  • Three nights in Kaikoura to swim with dusky dolphins
  • One night in Nelson before three nights hiking in Abel Tasman National Park

 

This was the plan, but would the fickle moods of New Zealand’s weather have other ideas?

First Up: Queenstown

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