“It’s not where you are but who you’re with that really matters.” – Dave Matthews Band
The South Island of New Zealand may be the most naturally beautiful place on the planet. If there is a more scenic destination, please tell us because we’ll want to go there. We were lucky enough to be able to spend our time here with my family, for which we are incredibly grateful. Here are 10 pictures from the South Island that will attempt, but ultimately fail, to capture the stunning beauty of this place:
Milford Sound
Mirror Lakes en route to Milford Sound
Driving on the “wrong” side of the road combined with these views literally everywhere you look can make for some driving challenges…but Dad handled them well
Alison killing it on the Nevis Bungy in Queenstown
Central Otago wine country – how often do you see vineyards in front of snow-capped mountains?
Sun beating down on the Franz Josef glacier
Franz Josef crew. Although it may not look the case, thankfully no one was hurt here.
Kaikoura, a little town packed with beaches, snow-capped mountains, seal colonies, and the largest mussels you will ever see
Driving near Arthur’s Pass
All the beauty here meant nothing compared to luxury of spending time with family… and seeing Mom tipsy at a vineyard.
Beaches & Backpacks 
It looks like you got a great day in Milford Sound. The Milford Road is blocked with snow today! If any of your readers are travelling that way, we have a great downloadable driving guide on what to stop and see on your way to Milford Sound – http://www.cruisemilfordnz.com/milford-sound-information
Yes yes it was. And the road to get there was almost as great! Hope the roads have cleared up for you guys and thanks for stopping by the site.
Beautiful pictures! I love reading about all your amazing travels:)
How was the weather in NZ in June? Our current RTW plans will put us there around the same time next year. We are planning to do some trekking so I was worried that winter in NZ might be too cold/snowy. What were your experiences in winter there?
Hi Katherine, I’ve been to NZ twice, both times for about a month and during June/ July. The weather at that time of year depends on where you are. The South Island is cold, around freezing, particularly farther south in Queenstown/ Fiordland area. Almost all walking tracks (multi-day treks) down there are closed that time of year due to weather. I believe there are some open on the northern part of the South Island (Nelson area) that may be worth lookin into but based on our experience it would be pretty cold and miserable to try the walking tracks there in June. Working up north the Bay of Plenty region is much more temperate, up to 18-20C during the day (haven’t been further north to 90 Mile Beach but probably even warmer up there). That said, there are cold nights, particularly middle of the north island, at that time in Taupo, Rotorua, etc, but good day treks that are open year round (Tongariro Crossing) with comfortable day temps (12-15C). June is a good time to go to NZ in general with MUCH less crowds than their summer, but if you are going there primarily for the walking tracks you may want to do more research on what’s available/ comfortable at that time, which will probably limit you to the North Island. The department of conservation website (http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/) is very helpful for all the walking tracks, including weather tips and reserving huts in advance. Hope this helps and let us know if you have any other questions. You’ll love NZ no matter when you go, it is a gorgeous country!