Here is the second part of my Discovering New Zealand blog post. If you have missed my very first part, you can click right here and catch up on my adventures! Last time I left you was all about our very first evening in the incredible city Queenstown. Once again, the lovely team at Contiki gave me a discount code for all you travelers!
You can use the code: PPCARIELLE and save 100$ of your next trip.
Day 4 – Queenstown
Queenstown is without a doubt, where all the adrenaline lovers meet. It is such a gorgeous city surrounded by the most beautiful mountains and lake. Of course, this is where I had to do my very first skydiving. At 15 000 feet, we were going to skydive even higher than the mountains surrounding Queenstown. Having a major fear of height, I knew it was the only time I would get to experience this. With 65 seconds of free fall and about 6 minutes of parachute fall, it was the best adrenaline rush I have ever lived. The view was simply stunning. As you can imagine, the feeling of free-falling was nothing I ever experienced before. You feel so incredibly alive. The scenery as you can see from the pictures was breathtaking. We were able to see the mountains, the lake, the entire city and so much more! This was definitely the highlight of my entire trip.
Day 5 – Milford Sound Day Trip & Cruise
Day 2 in Queenstown mostly consisted of driving to and from Milford Sound. Milford Sound is a beautiful sound as the name suggests. We were able to go on a 2 hours cruise. The landscape is beyond amazing. Milford Sound is actually one of the location where Peter Jackson shot The Lord of The Rings. The only thing I would warn you about is that this area in New Zealand is extremely wet and rainy. As it was raining the entire day, we unfortunately could not stay outside on the deck to enjoy the stunning view. I highly recommend you to check the weather before booking this trip!
Day 6 – Scenic Horse Trek
One of the activities offered in Queenstown was the horse trek in Glenorchy. We rode through the valley, between the Southern Alps and the river to the most beautiful scenery. We actually were on the location where they filmed the location of Isengard. The entire experience was surreal. Our tour guides were so friendly and helpful. They knew so much about the horses, the land and the country. It added so much richness to the entire experience. I had the most beautiful horse Vinny. Even if my legs and bum area hurt so much after 2 hours, I wish the trek never ended.
Day 7 & 8 – Queenstown & Franz Josef
Day 7 was the day we had to say goodbye to beautiful Queenstown. We headed to Franz Josef, a city surrounded by spectacular rainforests, waterfalls, glaciers and lakes. Another activity I was extremely looking forward to was the scenic helicopter flight and Franz Josef Glacier Landing. It was very first time hopping in a helicopter. It was such an exhilarating experience. We arrived on top of the Glacier to have the most gorgeous view. Everything looked surreal, as if I was right in the middle of a movie decor. I wish we could have stayed longer on the Glacier as the scenery was just beautiful.
Day 9 & 10: Christchurch & Wellington
Our two last days were the saddest ones as most of our group had to leave. We had our last group supper and said our goodbyes. The following morning we travelled all day to the North Island, arriving in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital. As Wellington was my last destination before going back home, I tried to do as many activities possible. We went to the Te Papa Museum, the Weta Cave, went window shopping on Cuba Street District and ended the night on a rooftop bar before having supper in an Indian restaurant. Later that night, I packed my luggage and mentally prepared myself to 31 hours of traveling.
As you can tell from my whole New Zealand experience, this was definitely the most amazing trip of my life. I had so much fun discovering a new country, meeting new friends, pushing my limits and conquer my fears. If you are looking for incredible travel experiences, I highly recommend you to check out Contiki’s plans. They offer so many trips all around the world! Once again, Contiki was kind enough to give me a discount code for you guys:
CODE: PPCARIELLE to save 100$ of your next trip!
