Captivating Canterbury - Mount Cook, Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch, Akaroa
THIS IS IT! Our final New Zealand episode, for now... Come for the mountains, stay for the lakes and dolphins. The scenery is breathtaking. It's legendary! If you only watch one of our New Zealand episodes, it should probably be this one! (BUT you really should watch *all* of them!)
Mount Cook
Come hike the Hooker Valley and Sealy Tarns tracks with us. The incredible views are not to be missed! The snowcapped mountains are majestic, standing tall and mighty. The snow means it's some of the coldest nights we'll have in Blue Steel. See how bundled up we are, and what it's like to sleep in a van. #vanlife. Mount Cook aka Aoraki, Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain, and just one of 19 peaks over 3000m tall. Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock; did you know that 40% of the park is covered by glaciers?!
Lake Pukaki
Everyone loves blue waters, right?! Take a look at the one of the bluest lakes in all of New Zealand - Lake Pukaki. The glacial feed to the lakes gives them a distinctive blue color, created by glacial flour, the extremely finely ground rock particles from the glaciers.
Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo was one of the hardest places to leave because of it's beauty. It also signified the end of our NZ adventures in Blue Steel. Watch the sunset with us at the top of Mount John, where the University of Canterbury's observatory is located. See one of NZ's most photographed churches: Church of the Good Shepard, which features an altar window that frames views of the lake and mountains. We also go ICE SKATING for the first time in a decade. Will adventureViV be able to stay upright on the ice? Watch to find out!
***After our final New Zealand adventures, the CameraMan goes on a rant to update you everything that’s happened in our final weeks in New Zealand as we try to sell our beloved minivan, Blue Steel.***
Christchurch
WWOOFing in Christchurch was one of the most amazing experiences we could have ever hoped for. We had an incredible host who made us feel like we were home. Thank you for inviting us into your home and life ❤ Our favorite place to visit in Christchurch was the Botanical Gardens! We’re surrounded by autumn colors as we stroll through the (FREE) garden. Hang out with us in the suburbs of Christchurch: Sumner, Lyttleton, and New Brighton. You’ll definitely enjoy the stunning views
Akaroa
Akaroa is a historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano. We decided to spend our final two weeks in New Zealand WWOOFing in Akaroa. To our delight, WWOOFing in Akaroa turned out to be more like housesitting! We absolutely LOVED it! We took care of the cats, chickens, and occasional B&B guest while spending two weeks in Akaroa. The best part of our stay: swimming with the dolphins! Thanks to Black Cat Cruises for an incredible experience - and for taking us out on such a fortuitous day where we’d see albatross, blue penguins and a male orca!!
Blue Steel
The #vanlife has been an unforgettable journey. We’ve explored the northernmost areas down to the southernmost areas of the North and South Islands in loyal and reliable Blue Steel. However, as our New Zealand travels were coming to an end, it was time to find new owners for Blue Steel. Do we succeed? Or will we have to drive Blue Steel off a cliff for some EPIC drone footage (and the insurance claim, of course)?! Find out in this episode!
Shoutouts
Thanks to our maple-syrup covered, hockey-loving, tuque-wearing, Canadian-BFF SETH G for allllll of the birthday love (especially the ice-cream sandwich)! The CameraMan couldn’t be more thankful to have you as a friend!
Thanks to my brother Stefan for all of the birthday love, also! What a nice surprise - you shouldn’t have done that!
If you want a shoutout, all you have to do is buy the CameraMan a cheap beer –
For all of you GADGET GEEKS
Interested in getting a drone but hesitant to drop $$$$$ and crash it? We recommend getting a CHEAP drone first ( so you can practice with it, crash it, and get a good feel for flying before investing in a pricier drone!
Next up - catch us in INDONESIA! We’re back to chasing summer, and we couldn’t be more excited to have our friends meet us in BALI. It’s going to be amazing. Shoutout to Daphne who's bringing us some goodies! Check them out here:
- we're not kidding about this one.
- we lost our last one while quad biking :(
- ever seen one of these before?
- WE SHOULD HAVE HAD ONE OF THESE FROM THE BEGINNING. DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE WE DID. GET ONE OF THESE AND MAKE YOUR TRAVELS WAYYYYY EASIER!
- we swear by this.
For more details on our travels and whether we're staying on-budget, check out adventureViV.com