Reset search
New Zealand
  • Jonny Cooper
  • Imogen Hulbert

New Zealand

Honeymoon to New Zealand Read more
FollowInsightsCalendarShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • Trip start
    December 16, 2023
  • New Zealand
    1

    Dubai to Auckland

    December 16, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    After a 17hr flight we landed in Auckand, despite low clouds we had a beautiful view over the islands and bays as we landed.

    A master stroke of saying we had to declare Immy's slightly dirty boots and a packet of haribos saw us rush through the much shorter 'something to declare' queue and get past security within 15mins.

    Bedraggled from the flight and sweating from a December summer climate we made our way to the ultra romantic Ibis hotel to begin our honeymoon.    Read more

  • New Zealand
    1

    Auckland

    December 17, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Day 1, Auckland - a trip downtown to see the waterfront and the Sky Tower and then a stroll to Ponsonby Central (an old haunt from when Immy and Charlie travelled round NZ) for some yummy Japanese food and an ice cold beer!Read more

  • New Zealand
    1

    Queenstown Part I

    Dec 18–19, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    After an early morning flight from Auckland, we arrived in Queenstown in the South Island! We managed to check in early to our hotel and bag a complimentary glass of fizz (did we mention it’s our honeymoon?) before exploring the town.

    We walked around the CBD and went up the gondola to see Queenstown from above, taking the Ben Lomond track for a loop walk.

    Then back to Queenstown for the famous Fergburger (which the seagulls tried to eat) more walking and a well deserved soak and diner overlooking the lake.    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Milford Sound Day 1

    December 19, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Wow, Milford Sound did not disappoint. An early get up to board the tour bus from Queenstown to Milford was an excellent way to see all the sights on the famous Milford Highway, and experience Russell's 967th guided tour.

    The views got more and more epic the further you progressed towards the Sound. We arrived and checked into the Lodge with its stunning Mountainside views. Then took the loop track to the viewpoints. For the wettest place in NZ we had basking sunshine all day.

    Then to round it all off we had an amazing dinner delivered to our room so we could dine with a view!    Read more

  • New Zealand
    1
    1

    Milford Sound, Day 2

    December 20, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    What a difference a day makes! Today Milford lived up to its reputation as one of the wettest places on earth! Overnight the place transformed, as rolling mists and hundreds of waterfalls overtook the landscape.

    We started the day with a rather wet cruise down the Milford Sound, spotting seals along the way and some incredible waterfalls.

    Next, we hiked part of what’s dubbed the most beautiful walk in the world - the Milford Track. We took a small ferry across to the start and made our way up to Giant’s Gate Fall. A hike that usually takes 4hrs took us 2 as the wet weather pushed us on. I don’t think either of us have ever experienced such a wet walk, but amazing to do part of the track (river more like) while we’re here!    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Milford Day 3

    December 21, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Another wet day in Milford! (10cm of rain in 5hrs) Immy had to stay and soak up the views in the room as she had been kept up all night with her pesky wisdom teeth!

    I ventured on solo to do a Rosco Kayak tour around the sound. You were able to get up really close to the waterfalls and appreciate the enormity of the place.

    After just about drying off and changing we took the bus home (it was too cloudy for our flight to safely take off 🙁), although with the way our driver took on the corners at pace I'd have fancied our chances in the plane.

    Back to the Kamana Lake House for some beautiful views over Lake Wakatipu and a glass of wine big enough to swim in.    Read more

  • New Zealand
    1

    Queenstown - Lake Tekapo

    December 22, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Today officially marked the start of our road trip up the North and South Islands! We picked up our car and said goodbye to Queenstown, weaving through the Alpine pass to our first stop Lake Wānaka to see that tree!

    After a pie and some L&P (NZ staples) our next stop was the Clay Cliffs, a filming location that felt out of this world, accessed via a 6km dirt track.

    Next we drove to Lake Pukaki for the crystal blue waters and amazing views of Mount Cook! And finally arrived in the beautiful Lake Tekapo - our home for a couple of nights!    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Tekapo and Hooker Valley

    December 23, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We started the day heading off to the Hooker Valley trail which looks onto Mt Cook (NZ's tallest mountain). The drive lived up to the high standards set by yesterday's road trip with beautiful mountains flanking the road each side.

    We timed the walk perfectly and saw Mt Cook appear and disappear in and out of the clouds. We crossed bouncy bridges (which Immy loved) and stopped for a snack by the Mt Cook glacier, returning just in time before the heavens opened.

    On our drive back the passenger Princess got behind the wheel for the first time🥳

    We finished the day by taking a stroll into Tekapo, listening to a 2 man brass band playing Christmas carols, a Milky way cocktail and then a pizza by the lake side.    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Tekapo to Canterbury

    December 24, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Christmas Eve started with a walk up Mt John - a walk that starts from the shores of Lake Tekapo to the observatory-topped summit. Once again, fantastic views of icy blue lakes and the snow capped southern alps, which we stopped to admire, drinking hot chocolate as Christmas tunes played in the summit cafe.

    Next, we headed to Fairlie a small town which deserved a pit stop for its amazing bakery - the best pies we’ve had so far on the trip. Then it was on to Geraldine, another quaint town. This time we stopped at the town’s Cheese shop to pick up some Christmas supplies - the blue was 👌🏻

    As we continued our route, we stopped at Rakaia Gorge to admire the views before reaching our home for Christmas! The most amazing wood cabin in the Canterbury countryside - equipped with everything we could possibly need including a pizza oven and wood-fired hot tub!    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Christmas in Canterbury

    December 25, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Christmas looked a little different this year 🎄

    We started the day speaking with our families and tucking into bacon butties. Then we headed out for a walk in the nearby town, which took us along the estuary and to the beach. Long story short, we took a massive detour and ended up in some mud flats surrounded by birds - Immy was loving life!

    Eventually we made it to the beach for our picnic and Jonny had a refreshing dip in the Pacific.

    Arriving back home, we tucked into some New Zealand lamb, new season asparagus, roasties and a lovely bottle of Syrah. We had hoped the wood fired hot tub would then be ready for us, but after six hours of heating up it was very much tepid! But we got in regardless and enjoyed some star gazing to end another lovely day!    Read more

  • New Zealand
    3

    Boxing Day in Christchurch

    December 26, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    On Boxing Day, we headed to Christchurch, checking out Quake City (a museum dedicated to the 2011 earthquake) and the Botanical Gardens. The city has developed so much since I last visited in 2016, when the aftermath of the earthquake was still very obvious.

    After a day in town, we returned to our cabin to make the most of our last night there, enjoying a pizza and wine night 🥰    Read more

  • New Zealand
    1

    Kaikoura

    December 27, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    After packing up and feeding the chickens, we hit the road again to head to Kaikōura - Māori for “meal of crayfish” to spot some whales. The bay is basically the Grand Canyon but underwater, so a great place to see marine life.

    As we arrived, the place lived up to its name as we immediately saw a pod of dolphins playing in the shallows.

    Heading out to sea, we followed a pesky whale that didn’t want to be found (don’t blame him). The captain informed us that he wasn’t using his echolocation, so would be very hard to find. After a good hour or so, he finally made not one, but two appearances, so we got very lucky!

    Chilly from a couple of hours at sea, we tucked into a fish supper to end the day!    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Wellington

    Dec 28–30, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We dropped the car in Picton and got the ferry across to Wellington. The 4hr trip takes you through the stunning scenery of the Marlborough Sounds. The sun was shining and the Cook Strait was like a mill pond. When we arrived in Wellington we made our way to Jenny's friends (Rhiannon and Dylan) for an exceptional home cooked meal and the finest local wines. Their house overlooks the hills Wellington is built on and we met their adorable greyhound Bryn.

    The next day we made our way to the Te Papa museum to see the Gallipoli exhibition. The pictures don't do justice to how large the models were.

    Then we headed to the trendy Cuba Street for a late lunch and mimosas. Following lunch we made our way up Mount Victoria in search of a view over the city and a Middle-earth film location. We found a short cut to mushrooms, but promptly had to get off the road 😏

    At the top of Mount Victoria you could see all of about 10m ahead of you. Magical. So we crossed the city to go to the top of the Botonical Gardens (where you could see 20m ahead of you) and got the cable car down.

    We ended our eclectic day with dinner at Rosello having small plates of local produce and washed down with a bottle of Pinot Nior.    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Martinborough

    December 30, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    Oh Martinborough, you beauty! A short yet slightly terrifying drive up the winding mountain pass from Wellington (via a pit stop to see Rivendell) to this small pocket of NZ’s wine country.

    Home to small, locally run vineyards - we had a bite to eat in town before an afternoon of wine tasting. Sampling some lovely Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and learning about Martinborough’s wine making heritage.

    An evening meal in our hotel was the perfect end to a lovely sunny day.    Read more

  • New Zealand

    New Year in Tongariro National Park

    Dec 31–Jan 2, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Arriving in Tongariro National Park in the pouring rain, our early night on NYE sadly wasn’t rewarded with a hike along the Tongariro Crossing. Despite sunshine the next morning, 80mph winds recorded at the top by the Dept of Conservation meant it was sadly cancelled.

    Obviously disappointing, but we were determined to still enjoy the park. We were told a lower 18k walk around the Tama Lakes would still offer amazing views of waterfalls and volcanic craters dotted between Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu (aka Mt Doom). The walk was spectacular and the views were unbelievable. An amazing way to kick off the new year! I    Read more

  • New Zealand
    2

    Rotorua

    Jan 2–3, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Next stop Rotorua, New Zealand’s most dynamic geothermal area and a sacred place for the Māori. En route we stopped at Lake Taupō (NZ’s largest lake which sits in the caldera of a volcano) and Huka Falls (220,000 litres of water per sec fall over an 11m high waterfall).

    As we arrived in Rotorua, our first stop was a tree walk in the Redwood Forest, followed by a tour around Te Puia where we saw geysers, boiling mud pools and visited the Kiwi Conservation Centre.

    In the evening we went to a Māori cultural evening to learn about their history, music and traditions. Jonny was nominated as chief of our bus, so had to take part in a welcoming ceremony. After performances and activities we had a traditional hangi for dinner.    Read more

  • New Zealand
    1

    Concerning Hobbiton

    January 3, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Time to unleash the nerd...

    Hobbiton is set in a beautiful location (Alexander's farm) which was 'discovered' by Jackson in a helicopter flight when looking for the perfect spot for the Shire.

    The tour took us through the entrance to the Shire and around the Hobbit holes featured in the films. Seeing Bag End, Sam' house and also Immy was able to revisit the party tree (where she got special access for her 22nd birthday - how much has changed since then!).

    Then we get to experience the inside of a Hobbit hole, a new feature of the site, which had been meticulously crafted by Jackson around the story of a Hobbit family, the attention to detail was something else and we made ourselves at home very quickly.

    Finally, we rounded off the tour with a 11am beer at the Green Dragon overlooking the whole set.

    What. A. Morning.    Read more

  • New Zealand

    Waiheke Island

    Jan 3–5, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Waiheke Island - what a way to end our trip! After a morning in Hobbiton we took the ferry across from Auckland and arrived at Mudbrick Vineyard - our home for the night.

    Drinking fizz, enjoying the views across the bay to Auckland’s skyline - we soaked up the sun and tucked into mussels, steak and a nice glass of red before a dip in the hot tub for some star gazing.

    The next day we had a lovely lunch at the vineyard (amazing lamb) and then went to explore the island. Walking around the bay, swimming in the Pacific and ending our day with a beach-side pizza and L&P!

    The perfect end to the best trip 💕    Read more

    Trip end
    January 6, 2024
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice