Touristing in an 'untouched' South Island
My first time in the country of kiwis, I visited Queenstown and its surroundings. Among the many beautiful things that got stuck in my head, there's one word that I felt pretty much describes this land.
When touristing in this postcard-nation, you tend to bump into signs that call it an untouched area of the world. Being born in Patagonia, it seemed a bit overrated at first, but after a few days, tours, hikes and lookouts, more I began to see it.
Although it's clearly a civilized area with a few hundred years of settlement already and loads of visitors walking through it every day, somehow it manages to keep its "virgin" feel.
It's just too much
A couple I met in the area joked about how it can be exhausting to see so many breathtaking sights, which left me wondering, can it be too much?
You see, we're on a bus that was taking us to a helicopter to fly over Mt Cook. On the way, we stopped at a couple of lookout points, each more beautiful than the one before.
We found one stunning view over a lake first –that will definitely make you understand why Lord of the Rings was filmed there–, then we stopped and turned around to see forests full of stories and legends.
Just a few km after, we found another one and then another. And just like that, on your first day, you'd already understood where they're coming from.
Nevertheless, I feel like it could never be too much of that.
Let's go back to the breathtaking part
During this just-2-weeks New Zealand trip, I managed to get all the rest I needed, eat and try as much food and drinks as expected,–as if that wasn't enough– hike on a glacier, fly over stunning mountains, ride ancient rivers on a boat and walk on magical forests.
So what is it about this place? When you're touristing around New Zealand, as popular as it may be, somehow the crowds disappear. When you're in that Insta-worthy spot, everyone around simply stops. For that moment, you know you have to stand and take it all.
It feels like nobody has been there before and during those minutes, you get a fantastic sense of calm and peace, like an outdoor drug that just gives you that feel-good sensation.
Can you imagine getting used to this scenery? Well, that doesn't seem like a sad way to live life either, now does it?
Main tours I took
Heli-hike over Tasman Glacier
Boat tour Milford Sounds
Frankton walk trail
Wanaka tour
Paragliding Coronet Peak
Next article we'll show you the beauty of the North Island too.
