NEW ZEALAND
November 2025
November 2025
After a long flight to Auckland, we met up with Jenna and Nick and continued on to Queenstown. We spent our first afternoon wandering through town, tasting wines in the nearby Gibbston Valley, and enjoying the sunset from our Airbnb. The following day began with an incredible kayak tour on Lake Wakatipu, followed by a scenic drive north to Glenorchy, where we explored several filming locations from The Lord of the Rings films.
Te Anau was our next stop, and along the way we visited a few more Lord of the Rings filming locations and hiked a section of the Kepler Track toward Lake Manapouri. The next morning, we set out early for Milford Sound, where we took a boat tour through dramatic fjord scenery. By coincidence, Kyle and Doug had booked the same cruise and joined us afterward for hiking in the Fiordland National Park area.
Next, we began the long drive back through Queenstown and north toward Mt. Cook. Along the way, we stopped at Lake Pukaki for views of the striking blue water and then checked into our hotel. With overnight storms in the forecast, we opted for a short hike along the Hooker Valley Track to the Lake Müller viewpoint. That evening, we enjoyed the tasting menu at the Panorama Room and woke the next morning to sideways rain. We made the return drive to Queenstown with stops at the Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Shop and Lake Wanaka.
We flew back to Auckland and drove south for a guided tour of the Hobbiton set. We stayed one more night in Auckland and then headed to the airport for the long flight home.
© 2025 Will Krieger