Geography:We had roughly four weeks to cover New Zealand. We decided on renting a van and traveling independently through the two islands, with the main focus on the South Island.
We flew into Auckland from Hong Kong and took a direct flight from Auckland to Christchurch. So the trip actually started in Christchurch. We picked up the van in Christchurch and then made our way to the west to Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook. From here we travelled south on the Southern Scenic Route all the way to Balclutha, through the Catlins and then north to Milford Sound. From here we drove to Queenstown and then made our way up the West Coast via Haast, the glaciers, Hokitika and up to Westport. Then we turned east and visited the Able Tasman National park before crossing the Cook Straight with the ferry to Wellington.
In the North Island, we covered big distances and only spent some time in Wellington, Tongariro National Park, Matamata, Rotorua and Auckland. We left New Zealand via aeroplane to Santiago, Chile.
I expected the weather to be a bit cooler than it was. We had good weather overall, except for the never ending rain on the West Coast (especially Milford Sound) - but this was expected.
New Zealand favourites:
* Tim Tams!! (Specifically for Chantell)
* Our super wicked van!
* The beautiful landscapes and scenery (noting the drive to Milford Sound)
* Very friendly and helpful people, especially the people from Kaitangata Riverside Motor Camp
* The boiling mud pools near Rotorua
* The super cheap DOC Camp sites
* The windy trek on the Tongariro Crossing
The ‘not so cools’:
* Expensive!! (I suppose the fact that we just came from Asia made everything seem even more expensive)
* Wellington’s lack of parking and therefore a $100 fine 
* The lack of wildlife
Overall:
We enjoyed the independent travel in New Zealand. It was easy going as the roads (like everything else) are in top notch condition and we did not have to rely on busses and bus schedules.
New Zealand is a beautiful country with lots to offer, especially when it comes to adventure activities. But on our tight budget we couldnt take part in these luxuries. Next time!
Overall, it was a great experience. We’ll go back one day and take with enough money.
Click on the link below to view the gallery for New Zealand: