As close as you can get to pure utopia (New Zealand)
- Anya Bhargava
- 24 hours ago
- 11 min read
New Zealand isn't just a destination; it’s a lesson in how the rest of the world could be living. From pristine, litter-free streets to a deep-seated respect for indigenous roots, here are 6 things that caught me completely off guard:
1) A lot of people walk around barefoot in public places.
2) The indigenous Māori culture is highly respected and celebrated, unlike Native American culture in the US.
3) The quality of accommodations is wonderful across the board no matter if it’s an airbnb, hotel, or even motel (they’re actually comfortable and safe).
4) I didn’t see a single plastic bag, wrapper, or any sort of litter in the south island and still, very little plastic in Christchurch and Auckland.
5) The weather is extremely unpredictable (it will be bright and sunny in the morning and then quickly switch over to pouring rain all within the same day).
6) Driving is extremely strict and locals will call you out if you’re not driving properly! New Zealanders also drive on the left side of the road and lots of tourists are from areas that drive on the right ride of the road.
There was quite a bit of planning required to make this trip happen and the Facebook group NZTT was incredibly helpful in providing itinerary recommendations, answering questions, and even offering discounts for popular activities. It's must if you're planning to visit! https://nztraveltips.com/join-the-nztt-facebook-group/
Doubtful Sound Cruise (Dec 16th -17th)
We boarded an overnight cruise to explore Doubtful Sound, a picturesque Fjord named as so because the captain was unsure (doubtful) if he could get his ship back out due to the strong wind. While onboard, the staff had us take a 2 minute moment of silence so that we could all just appreciate the sound of the waterfalls without human voices. It was something I hadn't experienced before and it was nice to be able to just appreciate the sounds of nature without outside noise. As incredible as the cruise was, it was the people that made it so. We met a couple who had just gotten married 2 weeks prior and were on their honeymoon. They shared some recommendations with us as they were on the verge of wrapping up their trip and we shared other destination recommendations with them, with me eventually sharing the link to my website. To me, traveling is just as much about the people you meet as it is about the destinations you visit and this trip certainly reinforced that belief.
Glowworm Caves (Dec 17th)
After getting off the Doubtful Sound cruise, we headed to Te Anau, a picturesque UNESCO World Heritage site. After settling in to our hotel, we grabbed some dinner and headed off to the Glowworm Cave Tour, one of the top attractions. We didn’t really know what to expect other than that we would be going into a dark cave where the worms would light up against the backdrop of the ceiling. We took a boat to a landing center and then walked into the cave where we were surrounded by gushing waterfalls and the glowworms, which looked like tiny green dots. After walking amongst the waterfalls, we finally made it to our second, smaller boat where we would get submerged into the darkness and see the glowworms glittering the ceiling. To minimize disturbances, we didn’t take any photos and stayed completely silent the entire boat ride, making it as peaceful as possible. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and hilarious, keeping everyone engaged. An overall great experience, although pricey for a fairly short activity.
Te Anau To Milford Sound (Dec 18th)
The Milford Sound day cruise was a smaller boat compared to the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise and so, allowed us to get much closer to the waterfalls. We even got to sail underneath a waterfall, which was an amazing experience.
Queenstown (Dec 19th)
Our airbnb in Queenstown had the most stunning view! We could see the entire city and it looked absolutely magical. Our host, Karen, was beyond friendly and helpful and made our stay that much better. She gave us countless restaurant and activity recommendations as well as tips on how to navigate the steep mountain we were situated on.
We then made our way to the TSS Earnslaw, a steam engine coal fired ship (like back in the 1800s). We could even see someone physically shoveling the coal into the furnace as well as how the engines functioned. The ship had a museum inside it explaining the role that ships like this played in daily life which made it more than just a form of transportation; it was such a cool experience. Once we got off the ship, we ate lunch at a picturesque farmhouse called Homestead Restaurant at Walter Peak Country Farm followed by a farm show where one of the farm’s beloved border collies showed us how he’s able to follow the farm worker’s commands and summon the sheep from a far distance. It was pretty impressive!
Skippers Canyon + Glenorchy (Dec 20th)
We woke up bright and early and set off for Skippers Canyon, enjoying a beautiful drive through rolling hills while learning about the area’s gold-mining history. When we reached the canyon, we hopped into a small boat and immediately took off. I expected a slow, scenic ride, but instead it was adrenaline pumping and truly unforgettable. It felt like a more scenic version of the popular Shotover Jet, set within a stunning, dramatic landscape. It was cold and windy, but the excitement of the ride and the sheer beauty of the canyon made us forget about the chill entirely. After making a quick pitstop at the first bungee jumping location in NZ (with NZ now being one of the top destinations in the world to go bunjee jumping), we made it back to Queenstown. We were starving and decided to try the famous Fergburger.
Our airbnb host said that she thought it was overrated, but we thought it was pretty good and the line moved fast. I got the Holier Than Thou (Tofu) burger, mom got the ferg-lafel (falafel) burger, and dad got the Bombay Chicken burger. Once we were full, we headed to a cute little town called Glenorchy! We popped into a well known coffee shop called Mrs Woolly's General Store and had one of the best ice creams i've had yet (huge complement, ice cream is my fav food) and then ended the night at The Cow, a charming and historic pizza place.
Arrowtown to Wanaka (Dec 21st)
This was our first truly perfect, warm sunny day in NZ and we certainly made the most of it! We stumbled upon the cutest market and bought everything from authentic Manuka honey to a wood charcuterie board to rose face lotion and more. Everyone was so friendly and it was just lovely walking around the town. After lunch, we headed to the famous lavender farm in Wanaka. There, we got to try Lavender infused ice cream that honestly didn’t taste much like lavender itself but I still liked mine.
We then walked through the lavender fields, took lots of photos, and sampled same lavender infused beauty products. We ended the night by walking to see “That Wanaka Tree”, a willow that exploded in popularity after a 2014 photo won a national award. We didn’t really understand what all the hype was about really (there was a huge crowd taking photos in front of it), but thought might as well see it if we’re here anyway.
Wanaka --> Lake Tekapo --> Mt. Cook (Dec 22nd)
It’s been a huge dream of mine to go skydiving for as long as I can remember.
I tried to go in Namibia earlier this year, but it was just too windy. I hoped that second time was the charm and thankfully it was! I got up bright and early and headed to Skydive Wanaka. We were a group of 10 ish and were all going to do a tandem skydive from 12,000 ft, meaning that I would be strapped to a professional instructor as we tumbled out of the sky. I figured might as well buy the complete package and get photos and videos as well since this was a once in a lifetime experience. What surprised me, though, was that in order to get those shots, another person had to skydive as well. It makes sense, honestly. How else could you get the right angles? I expected to get that “drop” feeling that you typically do on roller coasters, but that didn’t happen because the wind actually pushes you forward rather than straight down. We fell for a good 60 seconds and then slowly floated down as I took in the beautiful scenery! It was such an amazing, exhilarating experience and something that has been a dream of mine for ages.
After skydiving, we hit the road to make our way to Lake Tekapo. We had heard about a famous cafe called Tarras Country Cafe that supposedly had incredible food and service. There couldn’t be truer words said. The moment we walked in, the owner started joking around with us and truly made the place feel beyond cozy. Top tier hospitality and food :)
We made a quick stop at Omarama to see the unique rock formations and then headed to Lake Tekapo, where we could see the reflection of the mountains in the water itself. It was incredible!
We eventually made it to our hotel in Mt. Cook. The view was absolutely stunning and we spent most of the rest of the evening sitting out on the balcony admiring the scenery.
Mt. Cook (Dec 23rd)
We began the morning with a helicopter flight onto Mt. Cook. I happened to be sitting in front next to the pilot and had a great time chatting with him, hearing stories of how he had flown people as famous as Oprah before. The flight up to the mountain was incredible. We flew over crystal clear lakes and snow capped mountains that looked unreal. After about 20 minutes in the air, we landed on the snow capped peak of Mt. Cook, took some photos, and just got to take in the beauty of the mountains around us.
Later at night, we went stargazing. This wasn’t just any stargazing, though. We hopped on a bus at 12:30 AM (yes, that late) to head to a more remote site 15 minutes away without any light pollution. Our guides were incredibly passionate, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic; it was impossible not to have an incredible experience. They told us stories about certain constellations, pointed out the milky way and the brightest stars, and had us look through the telescope to attempt to get a closer look. We even got to see pinkish hues indicating southern lights (northern lights but southern hemisphere).
Drive to Methven (Dec 24th)
On our drive to Methven, we drove by Lake Pukaki and just wow! The water was so blue it looked unreal. Photos couldn’t capture how stunning it really was, but we were in awe.
After taking some photos, we stopped by Farlie Bakehouse, famous for its pies. NZ in general is famous for it's pies and as someone who had never had a savory pie, I was pretty impressed with the vegetarian option! The pie was delicious, with a flaky crust and creamy, flavourful filling.
Flight to Rotorua (Dec 25th - Christmas day!)
We woke up to the most beautiful double rainbow on Christmas morning! It was the perfect way to start off our travel day taking us from Christchurch in the south island to Rotorua in the north island. This wasn't an ordinary travel day, though. When we asked where security was, the lady near baggage claim simply said that our flight did not have any security! I thought I misheard her. How could there be no security?? Now, I knew we were in one of the safest countries in the world, but even Denmark and Sweden have domestic security for all flights. She was right. There was no security for our flight. We grabbed a bite to eat and then headed straight for the gate. We were amazed! The flight went smoothly, but something started to smell absolutely awful as we were landing in Rotorua. Soon enough I realized that it was the city itself not anything (or anyone) on the plane lol.
Once we landed, picked up our new rental car, and grabbed a bite to eat, we headed to the Skyline Luge. The luge essentially consists of 5 different race tracks where you take a cable car up to the top of the mountain and then toboggan down the trails.
It was lots of fun driving down the tracks and even trying to race each other. Unfortunately, dad took it a little too literally and injured himself on one of the tracks, but still, it was a blast and another fun adventure activity available in NZ!
Rotorua continued (Dec 26th)
Rotorua is well known for its sulfur springs (hence the bad smell on the plane) and so we began our morning with a walking tour. There, we met the sweetest French man who was doing a month long backpacking trip around New Zealand. He had spent most of his time so amazed by the north island that he didn’t think he was even going to make it to the south island (the more touristy island). We ended up exchanging contact details with a plan to meet again. Another reminder that the best part of traveling is always the people you meet along the way and this encounter was no different.
In the afternoon, we got to experience a Māori cultural tour, had dinner, and then saw a performance.
I found it amazing how much respect and appreciation there is for Māori culture in NZ, very different from the little acknowledgment and respect given to Native American culture in the US. I’m glad we were able to help support their community so that they can continue sharing their culture with future generations to come.
Rotorua to Auckland (Dec 27th)
We began the morning by heading to a famous geyser called Lady Knox Geyser at Wai-o-Tapu. We got there an hour early in order to get a good seat, but it ended up being an underwhelming experience that was not worthwhile at all. It was advertised as a powerful geyser that erupts naturally and automatically, but instead, one of the employees put some sort of soap in the geyser that would induce the geyser to erupt. Once it did happen, it did look cool, but overhyped for sure and certainly not worth an hour long wait with crowds of people.
We then began our journey to Auckland, stopping at a McDonalds on our way. I usually like to try the McDonalds in every country I visit because it's an interesting reflection of the local culture. With NZ considered a country focused on sustainability, i assumed that their McDonalds would have a vegetarian burger, just like Denmark did. Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed to find out that the only option they had was a salad burger, basically lettuce, tomato, and onions inside burger buns. The dumbest item on a menu if I had ever seen one (who would pay money for that??)! Their Honeycomb Mcflurry redeemed them, though. Probably one of the best ice creams i’ve had in NZ.
Once we got close to Auckland, we stopped by the Gannett Bird Sanctuary at Muriwai beach and wow was it spectacular! There were hundreds of beautiful white birds perched on the cliffs surrounded by crystal clear water.
We ended the evening by walking around Auckland city centre for a bit, having our last dinner in NZ, and having some delicious ice cream before catching our flight back to the states the following morning!
New Zealand truly is one of the most picturesque countries in the world, with diverse landscapes, such friendly people, and places that genuinely look unreal. It’s been a dream of mine to visit forever and i’m so glad it lived up to every expectation!