Kia ora! Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to have the MOST incredible family trip to New Zealand’s South Island, and I’m excited to share all the incredible adventures that we had along the way. Over the next few blog posts, I’ll be diving into everything you absolutely must have on your New Zealand bucket list. Read the previous blog post here. For a bit of context: my brother lives in NZ, so my mum and I travelled over for a family holiday with him. It was packed with hikes, swims, and endless mountain views. This trip marked my second time in this stunning country (after exploring the North Island in December 2022 with my Mum and Dad and brother), and I was beyond excited to come back. Trust me, there’s so much to see and do in New Zealand, I hope this blog helps inspire anyone looking to plan their own trip.

After leaving Queenstown, we made our way down to Fiordland National Park to explore the iconic Milford Sound by boat.

Milford Sound is actually a fjord—a dramatic, narrow U-shaped valley carved out by glaciers. As we cruised towards the Tasman Sea, we were surrounded by towering cliffs and mountains, with panoramic views that seemed almost too perfect to be real.

Along the way on our two-hour boat trip, we spotted seals lounging on rocks, and we passed by stunning waterfalls cascading straight down the cliffs.

The boat poised near the ‘Four Sisters’ waterfall and sprayed over the passengers. We were told the myth that drinking this water would make you younger… not sure it worked on any of us sadly!

We would’ve loved more time to explore the remote beauty of New Zealand’s beautiful southwest coast, but we were on a tight schedule with the Routeburn Track looming just ahead. So, after our boat trip through Milford Sound, we made our way to our home for the night: a simple tent pitched at the Cascade Creek campground.

As the tent went up and dinner simmered over the stove, I grabbed my camera and wandered off to capture the blooming lupins scattered around the campground. I was excited to have the opportunity to do this as the only few places we’d seen them was along the roadside (with nowhere safe to pull over).

The soft evening light as the sun set behind the mountains made for the perfect backdrop. However, this photography session didn’t last long before the sandflies began biting at my ankles. Safe to say, if you’re camping here, insect repellent isn’t optional — it’s essential!

After dinner, we tucked up into our sleeping bags to get as much sleep before we began the Routeburn track the next day!