We traveled from Dunedin to Invercargill.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some potential stops marked:

Narow road:

Nice view:

We did a guided tour of Larnach Castle:

Coffee and snack at the castle cafe:

Balclutha Bridge:

Cafe 55 for lunch:

Arriving at Amble On Inn:

Office:

Map:

Then we headed out again; a fuel stop:

Stirling Point sign in Bluff:

An anchor chain sculpture:

Small lighthouse:

McDonalds Big Arch burger for dinner:

Back at the campground, Jenn did some laundry:

Our site:

We traveled from Twizel to Dunedin.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:

A cat visited our site:

On the road:

Waitaki Dam:

Takiroa Rock Art:

Flying Pig Cafe in Duntroon for a morning coffee and slice:

Duntroon exhibits:

Moeraki Boulders:

Lunch at the Moeraki Boulders cafe:

Katiki Point Lighthouse:

Dunedin architecture:

Arriving at Portobello Village Tourist Park:

Our site; very unusual in that it had a sewer hookup:

We traveled from Rakaia to Twizel. A very scenic drive.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:

Morning snack:

An art:

Southern Alps:

Lake Tekapo lupins:

The iconic Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo:

Scenic lunch in the van:

Looking at Aoraki / Mount Cook across the lake:

Bumblebee:

We arrived at Twizel Holiday Park to check in before they closed:

,,,but the office had closed early, so we just grabbed the map to our site:

Then we headed to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park:

Fuel stop in the park:

Park map:

Park visitor center:

Relief map:

Predator free NZ:

We walked partway along the famous Hooker Valley Track:

There are three swing bridges along the track, but the second one was damaged, so the track was closed at that point (which was fine, since it was further than we wanted to walk anyway):

The first swing bridge:

A monument:

Aoraki / Mount Cook viewpoint:

Pizza for dinner in Twizel:

Jelly Tip ice cream for dessert back at our site:

A very scenic day. But not the last!

We traveled south from Hammer Springs to Rakaia.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with a grocery stop marked:

A nice shower at the Hanmer Springs Top 10:

Back over the one lane Waiau Ferry Bridge:

Waiau Uwha River:

Hills:

Morning coffee and snack at Red Post Cafe in Culverden:

Interesting rocks:

We stopped for groceries at Woolworths in Amberley. It was nice to be able to load groceries directly into the van:

Fanfare sculpture in Christchurch:

Arriving at Rakaia River Holiday Park:

They had a TARDIS by the office:

Campground map:

Outdoor kitchen:

Indoor kitchen:

Shower:

We headed out again to go into town; the iconic Rakaia salmon sculpture:

We got dinner from Rakaia Takeaways:

Rakaia buildings:

We opened some Christmas crackers:

And had mini pavlovas for dessert:

We traveled south from Collingwood to Murchison.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:

A sunny morning view from our site:

A seagull on the skylight:

Leaving Collingwood:

Since it was rainy when we visited Te Waikoropupu Springs the previous day, we decided to stop by again on the way past; very glad we did, as it was much more clear without rain:

Takaka mural:

Old farmhouse:

Takaka valley:

Weka:

Interesting rocks:

Hawkes Lookout track and viewpoint:

Suspension bridge:

Kohatu Flat Rock Cafe for lunch:

Snow-capped mountains:

Nelson Lakes National Park Visitor Centre:

The very iconic Lake Rotoiti Jetty:

Eels:

Arriving at Murchison Motorhome Park:

Buller River below the campground:

Our site:

We traveled northwest from Nelson to Collingwood.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:

I like campgrounds that have separate rooms for each bathroom:

Free shower with timer:

Heading out in the rain:

Dumping waste tanks on the way out:

Motueka valley:

Roadworks, with time to green light:

Curvy road:

Nikau Cafe for lunch:

Interesting rocks:

Abel Tasman Monument:

Labyrinth Rocks:

Te Waikoropupu Springs:

Welcome to Collingwood:

Collingwood Holiday Park:

Our site:

We walked into town to get fish & chips takeaways from Collingwood Tavern:

Then took it back to our site, and enjoyed eating with a nice view:

We traveled from Wellington to Picton, which involved taking our van in a large ferry between the two main islands of New Zealand.

Here’s an interactive map of the ferry route, starting from Wellington (on the right) and ending in Picton (on the left):

And a map of our driving route from Picton; the campground for the night was very near the ferry terminal, but we were early, so decided to take a scenic drive down the coast and back before checking in:

Heading to the ferry early in the morning:

Vehicle check in:

We were very early indeed; this all filled up before boarding:

Coffee vending machine:

Boarding the ferry:

We had booked the Premium Lounge, which included comfy seats and a buffet:

Cattle class wasn’t bad looking, though, albeit noisier:

Outside seating:

Lots of vehicles:

Arriving in Marlborough Sound in the South Island:

Arriving at Picton:

Disembarking:

Vineyards:

Nice hills:

Lake Elterwater Wildlife Refuge:

Coast:

We stopped for a coffee and snack in Kaikoura:

Heading north again:

Arriving at Parklands Marina Holiday Park:

Campground map:

We dumped the toilet cassette again:

We got to choose our site:

After parking, we took a 10 minute walk down to the marina for dinner at the Jolly Roger Bar and Cafe:

Back to our site:

We traveled from Castlepoint to Wellington.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:

Scenic sunrise; not a bad view out our side door:

We didn’t enjoy using the shower in the van, so used campground showers each day after that:

At the campgrounds in the North Island that we went to, the showers had timers, this one with a coin required:

Filling our water tank; the hose the rental company provided was rather short, so we usually had to move the van to reach:

Castlepoint homes:

We parked the van on the sand:

Beach and lighthouse:

Seals:

Looking back to our van:

Walking up to the lighthouse:

Fossilized shells:

Castlepoint:

The campground:

Masterton Golden Shears; proud of sheep shearing:

Entice Cafe for lunch:

Carterton:

Featherston classic hotel:

A glimpse of the Interislander ferry, that we’d be catching the following morning:

Wellington houses:

Wellington is a hilly city, with many tunnels:

Wellington selfie:

We met up with two sides of extended family, one at a cafe, the other at an uncle’s house, then spent the night stealth camping on the road in front of the house.