S01-E06.2
New Zealand Continues - on the South side (or Island that is…)
The South Island of New Zealand - we had heard all about its natural beauty but were unprepared for what we saw. If you are a nature, outdoor activity/sports lover, this island is for you! First was the 3.5 hour ferry trip from the North to the South. Here are the two different ferry lines you could choose from (again you could walk on or drive on):
Bluebridge (which we took): LINK
Interislander: LINK
Again, these are very similar, seem to only have different departure/arrival times.
The first stop was Picton for a few days - below you will find our Picton recommendations for food, tours we took, and what we visited on those tours.
Restaurants in Picton:
Seabreeze Cafe & Bar - a wide range of options - healthy and not so much - we enjoyed our meal. Indoor and outdoor seating (right off the park that is on the harbor. Lots of gluten-free offerings.
Seumus’s Irish Barn & Restaurant - traditional Irish pub food done well. Have live classic Irish music some nights. Fun place to eat or just grab a pint.
Tours:
Marlborough Full-Day Wine Tour with Jade Tours - we stopped at 5 vineyards. Mike and his wife Sue run the tours and are both fantastic. Small group, learned a lot, and drank a lot of amazing wines. Highly Recommend. We stopped at Nautilus, Forrest, Wither Hills, Villa Maria, and Lawson’s. We had to pay extra to get a pick-up in Picton as the tour starts in Blenheim, but was a very reasonable cost.
Marlborough Sounds Ultimate Cruise with E-Ko Tours - small group, passionate crew - saw a lot of wildlife and did a little nature hike up to the point of Motuara Island. Very informative and fun way to see the sound.
Here are a few of our recommendations on where to eat/drink and what to do if you find yourself in Christchurch:
Restaurants & Bars:
Sites / Things to do:
Our last and most epic stop was Queenstown - The Adventure Capital of the World. If you can dream it (or fear it) you can probably do it here. Skiing in the winter, bungee jumping, sky diving, paragliding, hiking, mountain biking - you name it. It is safe to say that this town stole our hearts and our appetites. Here are our recommendations:
Where to Eat & Drink:
Amisfield - $$$$$ 20-course tasting menu with optional wine pairing. They also offer a ‘cheaper’ and smaller lunch option. If you want to splurge do it here, but schedule well in advance.
Blue Kanu - Asian fusion restaurant in the heart of Queenstown
Pedro’s House of Lamb - take away yummy lamb with sides
1876 Bar - DIVE with very cheap drinks and good outdoor seating
What to do/see/experience:
Skline Queenstown (Gondola) - quick 5 min ride up and down. Amazing views of the town and lake from above. Can choose many different paa/ride options. You could also choose to luge down, or bring up your mountain bike and bike down.
Appellation Wine Tour - full day with a small-ish group. We stopped at Mt. Rosa, Carrick, Rockburn, and one other…
AJ Hackett Bungy Center - Mark did the Kawarau Bridge
Full Day Milford Sound Experience - Chelsea was our guide - amazing tour
