We took our little one to New Zealand! It was our fourth holiday on the South Island, and, as usual, it was the loveliest experience. Since we knew the exact spots we wanted to see this time, we stayed in the same places for longer and it gave us plenty of opportunities to let Daniel explore at his own (very slow) pace. It was so exciting to share the places dear to our hearts with our little one, and to see them in the new light through his eyes. It was wonderful and inspiring.
We decided to fly directly into Queenstown instead of Christchurch this time to save time on driving, and I must say landing in Queenstown was exhilarating and spectacular – we flew over Southern Alps, saw Mount Cook (and that sight made my heart flutter), and then the plane was flying right above The Remarkables.
Here are a few photos from our first couple of days there. We walked around the town a lot, checked out the playground next to our hotel, and took a drive to Glenorchy which we always do as that place is pure magic.
The late afternoon sun on the mountains makes me feel like we are in a fairy tale:
Checking out the view on our first morning in NZ:
He was ready to jump into the water. We had to stop him which resulted in a little drama but nothing that a slide and a swing couldn’t fix:
Autumn, glorious autumn. That smell of wet fallen leaves and the crisp air and the gentle sun are so invigorating:
On our way to Glenorchy. Look at those views:
Finally at our destination (someone was extra happy to roam free and play with all the sticks and stones he could see):
This drive is one of the most stunning we have ever done:
Nothing like a glass of local Pinot at the fireplace at the end of the long day of exploring and toddler wrangling:
I will post our photos from Arrowtown next, and trust me, you wouldn’t want to miss it – the autumn colours are magic!
