Most tourists go to Milford Sound, because it is easier accessible than the other sounds, and it also looks stunning of course. But don’t pass Doubtful Sound, it is bigger than Milford and very different. You’ll feel humbled being there.

Milford Sound isn’t the only Sound worth visiting in New Zealand.

Unlike Milford, there is no direct road access to Doubtful Sound. The only way to get there is by a 1h cruise across Lake Manapouri and a coach trip over Wilmot Pass. Because it isn’t easy to go there on your own, I teamed up with the local and family-owned Real Journeys for a day trip.

The trip to the start of our Doubtful Sound cruise was already beautiful, but once we were on the big boat in the Sound I was just blown away. Doubtful Sound is extremely vast (3x longer than Milford) and almost untouched by man. It’s also sometimes called the ‘Sound of Silence’, because – yes you guess it – it is so silent.

The calm water was mesmerising. It was a cold and crisp day, but I just didn’t want to go inside. We spent three hours on the water in the Sound, but I could’ve stayed much longer. Real Journeys also offers overnight cruises, but only unfortunately for me, not in winter. Spending a night on the water would be a dream.

What a perfect day.

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Disclosure: the day trip on Doubtful Sound was offered to me by Real Journeys. My opinions, stay as always my own. Since arriving in New Zealand, I’ve always wanted to visit Doubtful Sound, I’m happy I did now and that I can share this beautiful location with you. 

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We jumped in the car and were ready for our girls’ weekend. The drive from Christchurch to Akaroa is absolutely gorgeous (see some tips below for the best route). It was a cloudy day, but the Banks Peninsula still looked stunning. I think it’s very hard to find ‘ugly’ scenery in New Zealand. Oh, we’re so spoiled.

France or New Zealand?

Akaroa is a small, historic village on the Banks Peninsula, only an hour and a half from Christchurch. There are about 650 inhabitants, and it’s mostly known for its French touch.

French explorers tried to colonise Akaroa in 1840, but arrived just a few days after the British. They still managed to leave a big influence though. Akaroa breathes a French atmosphere, with the colonial architecture, French street names, and a gas station that’s called ‘L’Essence’.

Akaroa is small, but let that not mislead you. There are lots of things to do. You can find a list of my favourite activities below!

Dolphins with Black cat cruises

The Akaroa waters are home to the rare Hector dolphins. They are the smallest dolphin species around and a delight to see. Dolphins have something playful and disarming, I just love watching them.

Black Cat Cruises is the place to be if you like to meet some dolphins (and believe me: you want to!). We signed up for a swim with the dolphins and went on the water. There was a bit of a swell that day, which tested our stomachs, and made the boat ride very bumpy.

I didn’t really mind. It’s nature in its glory, and it made adrenaline rush through my veins.

I saw dolphins swimming and some even put a show up for us.

We also saw a White Flippered penguin, aka the world’s smallest penguin, in the middle of the water, which was cute and funny in a weird way. If you want to see some penguins from up close I highly recommend doing a tour with Pohatu Penguins. They help the population grow and take care of wounded penguins.

In the end all the dolphins we encountered were feeding, so we couldn’t swim with them. It was still very cool to see them in their habitat, and if you don’t manage to swim with the dolphins, Black Cat Cruises pays a portion of your fee back.

Alpacal Love

Do I need say anything more? Doesn’t this picture say everything? Alpacas are cute and they’re just the best.

On Saturday afternoon we spent some time with the alpacas at Shamarra Alpacas. They have 150 alpacas, and we got to walk between them, feed them, and learned a lot about this beautiful animal.

I don’t want to know how many photos I took, but I can tell you this: many.

Did you know that they produce wool in 22 different colours? It’s the only animal in the world that produces this many colours. They clearly wear it well.

Not only will you enjoy spending time with alpacas, you get some superb views, as the farm lies up a hill.

Accommodation

You won’t have any problem finding nice accommodation in Akaroa. There are Holiday Houses, B&B’s and hotels.

We opted for the Akaroa Waterfront Motel, because it is right in town, and – yes you guess it – right at the water. Our little studio with double bed and 2 single beds was perfect for the three of us. We had a couch, kitchenette, table and balcony!

I loved that we could just walk to the water and to nearby cafes, but it was also nice to spent some time inside. With, as it should on any girls’ weekend, wine, cheese and crackers.

Book your stay here: Akaroa Waterfront Motels 

Giant’s House

Do you want to feel in a different world? Go to the Giant’s House. Your eyes will go wild, exploring all the impressive and huge sculptures.

The Giant’s House is up a little hill in Akaroa, and owned by Josie Martin. She’s the artist, and has made EVERYTHING herself, over the last 20 years. I think we can call that persistence, patience and talent.

There is so much to see. I could’ve spent all afternoon there. I recommend that you just take your time and wander around. You’d be surprised of what you’ll find.

FOOD

Food can’t be excluded in this guide to Akaroa. Exploring a new place makes one hungry. Luckily for us, there are some good options in this quirky town!

Sweet As

Sweet As café is as French as it can be. Lots of red colours around, freshly baked croissants, baguettes and sweet and savoury crepes.

Every time I visit Akaroa I make a stop at Sweet As, because their croissants and sweets transport me to France. 

Hilltop tavern

A must stop for the view! The location of the Hilltop Tavern is superb. The tables inside and outside give you a first class view on the Banks Peninsula.

I recommend stopping on your way to Akaroa, or on your way back to Christchurch. Take a coffee, wine or some yum food and enjoy the view! It almost looks like a painting!

Sweet and Savage

Looking for some energy? The doughnuts from Sweet ‘n Savage are the perfect sugar infusion. They almost look too delicious to eat, but we did it anyway (no regrets).

You can see and taste that they are made with love. Baker Rachel makes them just outside of Akaroa, and she brings a little food caravan into town in summer. If you want to try them in winter, then I recommend visiting the Christchurch Cafes Uncommon or Park Ranger. They sell her doughnuts too.

Wine

A great place for wine tasting is French Peak Wines. You can find the vineyard on the shore of the Akaroa Harbour.

They ‘re specialised in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, and I like all of them

The Brasserie

On Sunday morning we slowly woke up at The Brasserie, with a much needed coffee and some breakfast. I ate the eggs benedict, tasty and beautifully presented on my plate. I always appreciate it, when cafes do that little extra to present food nicely.

Waterfall Walk

The Banks Peninsula is home to many walks and longer hikes. One right in town is the Newton’s waterfall.

You drive up Aylmers Valley Road to the Misty Parks Reserve car park, or you can walk up the hill. I opted for option two, to stretch the legs a bit.

It’s only a 10-minute walk from the carpark to the waterfall. I didn’t expect much, but it turned out to be quite impressive, rainbow included!

Cinema fever

I’m a fan of little cute cinemas (as you can read here), and Akaroa hides one as well. The Akaroa Cinema is small, with only two small rooms available.

You can take a coffee or wine inside and enjoy a movie in peace.

Some extra tips…

• When driving to Akaroa, start at Dyers pass road, then take Main Road en Gebbies Pass road until you’re in Little River. From then you just follow the main road to Akaroa. This route gives you a beautiful view on the peninsula. It’s a small detour, but you’ll be able to get a better view of the Banks Peninsula.

• Near Akaroa you’ll find the scenic road: Summit Road. Take it on your way to Akaroa. It’s a little detour, but the views are the best. You get a great vantage point, and at one point you will see water on your left and right.

I hope after reading this girls’ guide to Akaroa that you don’t ignore this cute French town when you’re visiting Christchurch!

Disclosure: I received discounts and free activities for the dolphin tours, accommodation, alpaca tour, doughnuts and the Giant’s House. All opinions are, as always my own. Some links might contain affiliate links. That means that by no extra cost of your own, you will be supporting this blog by buying something through these links. Thank you!

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Wanaka is a little magical place in New Zealand. You probably think: damn, another place to add to that long list of what to do in New Zealand. Well, I don’t care how long your list is, you have to go here. And otherwise, just scratch Hobbiton off your list and replace it with Wanaka. Bang, done!

Why you should visit Wanaka in New Zealand! 

Wanaka is a cute little village of around 7000 people. It is a touristy place, but not in a way that it’s TOO much. Due to the tourists there are some nice little bars and cafes, which can’t be said of other little towns in this country.

But enough about the town, it is the nature around that is mind blowing. The first time I went to Wanaka I felt such a calmness coming over me. You are surrounded by mountains and mountains. It is an impressive view and the huge lake only adds up to that. It makes you feel so little and you are reminded (again) that the world is a beautiful place.

Wanaka is also known for its ‘lone tree’. A tree that stands by itself in the lake… It is possibly the most photographed tree of New Zealand. I’ve seen some nice pics of it (check google), but in real life I found the whole magic around it way too overrated.

Walks 

There are a lot of walks around. Some easy accessible ones are Rob Roy’s track and Roy’s peak. The Rob Roy’s Glacier Track brings you through a forest super close to a glacier. Once there you’ll blink twice with your eyes, because it almost doesn’t look real.

Another one, of which I’ve been sharing quite some photos is Roys Peak. It’s a nice couple of hours up to the top, but the views are just insane. You can find more technical details on the NZ DOC site. Try to do it in winter, so much better with the snow around.

Find all the info you need to visit Roys Peak here: Roys Peak Guide.

It was the second time my boyfriend and I walked up there. The first time we left a bit too late, so it was too dark to enjoy the surroundings. The second time we had enough daylight left to play around! As we’re both a bit goofy, we wanted to try something else and I needed some new pictures for my About-page. So I came up with the idea of taking balloons. Easier said than done, the wind was so strong it stole a couple of balloons, it was super cold and I had to change shoes (I was wearing bad ass hiking shoes, not perfect for the pic I had in mind). We still had fun though and I quite like the result!

Skiing 

In winter Wanaka is packed with passionate skiers and snowboarders. And they have a good reason. Wanaka is voted by National Geographic as one of world’s 25 best Ski Towns. Cardrona Alpine Resort is great for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders, Treble Cone Ski Area offers long uncrowded slopes and a legendary off-piste terrain and for cross-country ski you should be at Wanaka’s Snow Farm.

And if you want a day inside, go to the Puzzling world (sounds stupid, but is secretly really cool) or go to the shooting range. Rifles, arrows and my favourite: clay shooting!

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One of my favourite mountain weekends was the one to Mueller Hut (1800m). It is quite a popular walk – which we try to avoid – but this one is a must. You start in White Horse Hill car park, near Mount Cook village and you go up up up. It isn’t a long walk in distance, only 5,2km (one way), but you climb all the time. And believe me, it’s worth it. A 360 degree panorama, stunning views on glaciers and highest peaks are your rewards. Try to do it in fall or winter, when there is snow!

Can’t wait to see what this weekend is going to bring!

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I can’t believe how fast time flies. One year and a half ago I quit my job to travel. Bye vtm– newsroom, bye family and friends and bye good life. I’m ready for an even better life. Looking back on all those things I’ve done I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I challenged myself to go travelling alone, I met great people, did crazy stuff and saw beautiful things. Of course there are lonely and sad moments, but after a while you’re not afraid of those anymore and they only make you stronger.

One year and a half equals Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, France, Italy, India, Maldives and Singapore.

TOP 7 MOMENTS
I want to share the best moments of this last year and a half. Those moments where everything feels right. But when I start making a list I end up with 23 moments. These seven made the list:

1. Bumping into wild elephants

Sitting on the motorbike in India, driving through beautiful nature, holding my boyfriend tight and seeing a wild elephant crossing the road. On top of that we see a few minutes later some other elephants chilling along the road. I realized that moment that life was spoiling us.

2. Being part of an Indian wedding

My high school friend Heleen married her Indian fiancé in Calcutta. What an experience! The colors, the people, the atmosphere! A blogpost about that wedding is coming soon!

3. Diving with sharks in the Maldives. My first time ever I saw sharks while diving. Trust me, you feel very much alive at that moment!

4. Screaming on the highest swing in the world

For the wimps that don’t dare to bungee jump – like me – there is the’Nevis Swing’, the biggest in the world. You are hanging 160 meters above the canyon floor when they suddenly let you go. Be prepared for a free fall of 70 meters and to go 120km/p/h. Go and have a look at the site and see what you think of it.

5. A day scootering around Pai, Thailand

You know those perfect days? Everything goes smooth, you do nice things and you realize how much you are enjoying life. I had one of those days in Pai, Thailand. Some friends and I decided to rent scooters and go away for the day. We went to a huge Buddha-monument, jumped into hidden waterfalls, checked out a canyon and tried to boil eggs above a really hot hot spring. And in between we enjoyed the combination of warm sun and a breeze on the scooter.

6. Stumbling upon a lost place in Italy

During the Italy-motorbike trip with my boyfriend we stumbled upon a restaurant in the middle of nowhere between the mountains. We couldn’t believe our eyes. An old Italian guy cooking some meat skewers above a bbq. That with some good cheese and a beer made the perfect motorbike break!

7. Camping in the van next to Lake Pukaki

Sun, food, good company and Mount Cook proud in the background. And the stars at night aren’t bad either.

What now?

This trip was definitely a good decision for me. I had the urge for so long and I’m happy I did it. I guess I’ll never loose the the love for travel. But now it is time for my next challenge. And that will be in New Zealand (so that’s also still a bit of travelling, right?)

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New Zealand is known for its good wines, but beer-wise it isn’t yet as far. If you like wine tasting, this country is the place, go to Napier on the North Island or Marlborough on the South Island or many more. That’s what my friends and I did. Enjoying the sun in the Marlborough region, eating great salmon and lamb and sipping on wines. A regular weekend turned into a holiday.

We were happily on our way to the third winery when we saw a sign: ‘Moa Brewery and Cellar Door”. Bye bye wine, hello beer!

The tasting costs 5 NZ dollar and is worth the while. You enter a charming bar with a quirky decor and a lovely atmosphere. And not unimportant, a nice barman willing to answer all questions. Outside you have big wooden tables and a barbecue waiting for you. Great if you want a break from all the wine and vineyards and just want to hang out with locals and tourists.

Of course you’re not only here for the fine interior, but for the beers! And they are great too! Moa Beer experiments with different flavors, which spices up the tasting (pun intended). It was for example the first time I tried a ‘smoked’ beer, a strong and hoppy beer with coffee, mocha and smoked cedar characters. My all time favorite though was ‘Moa St Josephs’, the strong spice and caramel characters did it for me.

Go and let yourself be surprised!

Cheers!

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My first days were amazing, seeing my family and friends again. A nice brunch at my brothers place with my brand new nephew, a big BBQ the day after with the rest of my family, drinks and food with my girls, a bachelor party for one of my girlfriends that’s getting married, and so on. Moments of happiness!

But, there’s always that but. I can’t put my finger on it, but it feels weird to be back. First of all it doesn’t feel like I’ve been gone for ten months. Which feels strange, because SO much has happened in my world and for everyone here their daily life just went on.

The first day I arrived in Belgium, I realized how crowded Belgium is, how many houses there are in such a small place and how there is a lack of impressive nature. I think I got a bit used to New Zealand I guess the rain and the traffic jams are not helping me to adjust either.

But I don’t want to complain! I’m a happy person. And other plans are being made – more about those later! I look back on my travels with such happy memories. I am so thankful for all the good times I had, the beautiful people I’ve met, the adventures and the nature that amazed me.

If people ask me if I changed, I say I hope I did. I met so many good and generous people, that would do so much for their friends and people they just met, like me. I find that remarkable and actually the only way to treat others. When I arrived the 1st time in Sydney for example, I could stay at a friend of a friends place for a whole week(which is a luxury in Sydney), while he was at his parents for Christmas. I had never met him, we just sent some emails. He left me an amazing room, with towels, soap and an instruction letter.

Believe me, if you’re living from your backpack, camping, always on the road, and suddenly someone takes care of you, that is a wonderful feeling. You appreciate it so much more. Other people also opened their doors last minute because I didn’t have a place to sleep. Everyone is so very chill and has zero stress of strangers in their house. I consider myself as a good person, but meeting all of them I felt like I still had a lot to learn. It maybe sounds stupid, but I will try to be a better person

I guess I also grew as a person. There are moments where you just have yourself and you feel a bit lonely. Those moments you get to know yourself better. I’m sure it only made me stronger and appreciate what I have in Belgium. And most important: those moments don’t outweigh the great times I had.

Conclusion: I am truly happy and proud that I made that last minute decision of traveling for almost a year. If you’re in doubt, just do it! You won’t regret it. Or if you want to have a talk about it or some more information, just contact me!

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The last 6 months New Zealand was my second home. I was amazed by the mountains, the sunsets, the lakes, the bush, the cute little villages, the clouds, the Maori culture, the ocean, the stars at night and the people. I made some amazing memories in the land of the long white cloud. My expectations were high and were – luckily -fulfilled.

Take a look yourself

tongariro national park

marlborough sounds

marlborough sounds

farewell spit

climbing at Frogatt Edge, wharepapa

climbing & lunch at Wye Creek, Queenstown

harwood’s hole lookout, golden bay

abseiling,wye creek, queenstown

nelson lakes

sunset, punakaiki

robs roy walk, wanaka

the guys teasing me

milford sounds

queenstown

queenstown

sunset, hector, west coast

catlins

birthday in Kaikoura

Moeraki

Moeraki

lake pukaki

après ski, christchurch

making a fire in a hut – ice cold

climbing, queenstown

mountainbiking, hakatere conservation area

our little hut, hakatere conservation area

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My travel companions and I spent 9 days in the Tasman and Golden Bay area. Only because it was so beautiful, relaxed, sunny and there was heaps to do. Our base camp was first Nelson and then Motueka, a little charming town of 10.000 inhabitants. Perfect to plan your trips in the area.

Queen Charlotte Track

The big tourist attraction is Abel Tasman National Park, and you’ll understand why if you’ve seen it. Beautiful park along the coast, with great walks and possibilities to swim, kayak and sail. We did a part of the coastal track, along some dreamy beaches.

Up north you find Golden Bay, with highlight Farewell Spit and Wharariki Beach. The dunes of Wharariki are really cool. You can run down from them and do some jumps. As you can imagine we felt like kids again.

North of Motueka you also find Harwood Hole. It’s a cave system, and you can have a look down in a big dark hole from the top. Small nice hike over some rocks. And there’s a great lookout really close! Careful for the sharp rocks though!

On your way to the West Coast, make a stop at Nelson Lakes National Park. The lakes are really nice. It breathes a real New Zealand feeling. It is so widespread, clear blue with the beautiful mountains around. And unfortunately the sandflies. They’re a pest. Tiny – almost cute – black flies, that bite like hell. Protect your feet and ankles, ’cause they will get attacked. And the bites keep on itching for days. Because of my
intolerance for the itching, my feet are a graveyard of scars.

And then there is the West Coast… The road along the West Coast is the most beautiful I’ve done so far in New Zealand. You drive right along the water, with a non-stop golden view on the rough sea.

People told me it rains a lot at the West Coast, so I was prepared. But my friends and I got beautiful weather. While visiting the Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki it was incredible warm. Very nice, but also way too sweaty. That’s actually my own fault, because I was wearing long pants and shirt against the sand flies. Punakaiki is a lovely place by the way. It is three streets big, right next to the ocean, there is one bar and no supermarket or ATM. I told my friends I could work here – I actually said that in about every place we went. In the evening Alex, Patricia, Folkert and I enjoyed a lovely sunset. The sunsets in the water are every time so beautiful here in New Zealand.

The bad weather hit us when we arrived in Franz Josef, known for its 12 kilometer long glacier. We decided to have a big resting day. Seriously doing nothing else than walking around in our pyjamas, watching films and eating.

Good weather is quite important in the little towns of Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. If it’s cloudy and rainy you don’t really have nice view on the glaciers. Anyways, day 2 we did a little walk and it was actually quite nice to be between those huge mountains and have a (small) view of the glacier.

Afterwards we went down south, to Te Anau in Fiordland. Stayed in the amazing hostel The Barnyard, on top of a hill, with a great view on the mountains. It is actually a deer farm, ran by a Dutch lady (that fell in love with a Kiwi ages ago). Nice wooden interior, great little houses as dorms, I felt a bit like hobbit. We even had a piano in our room! If you have the chance, check it out!

Te Anau is a good base to go to the famous Milford Sound. It is the best known of all of the fiords in Fiordland. We booked one of the many cruises that are available there. They took us two hours in between the fiords. You see high peeks, impressive waterfalls and wildlife! On our trip there was a lot of fog, that gave everything a big dramatic result.

I’m not a big hero in tiny places, but when Alex, Folkert and I went caving in Clifden (South of Te Anau) I couldn’t hold my excitement. The limestone caves are great. They’re free and you just follow some reflecting signs for more or less an hour. We had to go through tiny holes, through water and saw a lot of glowworms. Super experience!

Next stop was Wanaka. Again a beautiful lake, and a village of more than 3 streets big. Quite nice place actually. I loved the Rob Roy walk. You walk some 2 or three hours uphill and you come really close to a glacier.

Close to Wanaka is the adventure capital Queenstown. A lot of tourists, a lot of bars, a lot of food and a lot of adventure. Folkert went for a bungee jump, Alex and I did the Nevis Swing together.

On our way to Dunedin and Christchurch we made a little detour to the Catlins, an area that’s high on my favorites list. We stayed – again – in a lovely hostel, next to the water and… the sea lions.

I wasn’t a big fan of Dunedin. I don’t know why, maybe I’m not used to the ‘real cities’ anymore or maybe it was because I wasn’t in a party mood. Dunedin is THE student city in New Zealand, with a lot of bars and apparently a good place to have a party. The most exciting for me there, was the steepest street in the world. The Otago Peninsula next to it is a must though!

And then we worked our way up to Christchurch. The end of a way too cool road trip. I’d never thought I would spend more than a month with some people I met randomly in a hostel. I’m happy I did though. I’m thankful I had some good company when I fell in love with this amazing country.

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Me and my peers were ready for another boring class when Mr. Claes suddenly starts showing pictures and telling about his holiday. I saw a lot of green, a lot of mountains, incredible coastlines and so on. As a little girl of 12 I was astonished by the pictures and my teacher’s rich words. From that moment on I knew that one day I would go discover that country.

And here I am in New Zealand, 14 years later.

My departure didn’t go very smooth though. I was supposed to be flying in yesterday. Fully packed I arrived – early as a good traveller – at Sydney Airport. At the check in it appeared that I’m wasn’t on the list.. Apparently my online booking company had made a mistake, and because of the time difference I couldn’t get a hold of them.

So, I had two options: buy a new ticket on the spot or stay an extra night in Sydney and try to get in touch with the company so they can fix it. After 1000 thoughts and a welcoming phone call with a friend I decided to stay an extra night in Sydney. In the end a good decision, because a new flight was 398 dollars, and the online company found a solution that night.

You can imagine how happy I am to in Auckland now, right? I am so ready for my New Zealand trip. These next two days I am meeting people to go on a road trip! I can’t wait to travel for two months and explore New Zealand to the fullest!

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