The sun shines down as we drive along the road with not another car in sight, windows down and the fresh air on our faces. We pass by wide green grassy plains dotted with sheep, in the cool shadows of snow-capped mountains, over noisy, rushing rivers and around calm, peaceful lakes so intensely blue they don’t look real…
It’s been almost two and a half years since I returned to the UK, but often I find myself reminiscing about living in New Zealand where I met Michael, and the many road trips we went on together all over the country. Most weekends began with us heading off from home in Christchurch on a new adventure as soon as work finished on a Friday. We’d put some songs on in the car and I loved that feeling of peace, and freedom, as we sped along the empty highways. The fun didn’t begin when we reached our destination, the journey to the destination was just as good – if not better.
New Zealand has a well-connected, well-paved road network and little traffic on the roads. It has to be one of the best countries in the world for a road trip and driving is extremely enjoyable (on the left-side, as in in the UK). Once on the road it is possible to travel for miles without seeing another car. And the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, with giant glaciers, gushing waterfalls, majestic mountains, dramatic fjords and miles upon miles of rugged coastline and deserted beaches.
Luckily for me on these road trips I often got to be the passenger, and having the freedom to take my eyes off the road I’d be endlessly transfixed by the incredible unspoilt views that stretched out around us. Unluckily for Michael, it meant he had to keep stopping the car every 20 minutes so I could take more photos!
The journeys we looked forward to the most were the ones over several hours, or longer once we added on time for numerous photo stops and allowed for the many different driving conditions – so in the end driving times were often greater than they appeared on maps. It wasn’t uncommon on a trip to experience four seasons in one day, perhaps starting with blue sky and bright sunshine and arriving to thick grey cloud and snow! The roads had varying conditions and would pass through various terrain such as deep river valleys or twist up and over steep mountains, so driving required a lot of concentration.
The drive from Christchurch to Queenstown was always one of our favourites and would take most of the day. Heading west towards the Southern Alps we’d stop to take in the beauty of Rakaia Gorge and the turquoise blue Rakaia River that rushes through it before passing by snowy Mount Hutt, where we loved to snowboard in winter.
As we approached Tekapo on the state highway the road would bend to the left before straightening out and gently descending towards the magnificent turquoise-blue Lake Tekapo which would come into view beyond the trees. This first glimpse was always a highlight for me as I excitedly waited to reach the bottom of the slope where the lake would be revealed in all its glory, framed by the rugged Southern Alps. We often stopped in Tekapo for dinner on our way home from Queenstown too. The town is situated in an International Dark Sky Reserve, meaning that it’s one of the best places on earth to stargaze!
Driving on we’d pass icy blue Lake Pukaki, another peaceful alpine lake, with views beyond of snowy Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, which Sir Edmund Hillary climbed before becoming the first (along with his climbing partner) to officially reach the summit of Mount Everest. Then, after winding through the dramatic landscape of the Lindis Pass, we’d sometimes divert to Wanaka or stop at Arrowtown, before finally reaching Queenstown, from where our adventure would continue on.
So if you love road trips – and long to see surreal landscapes that will truly take your breath away, consider putting a visit to the land of the long white cloud on your bucket list. In my view it’s an incredible country – and exploring it by road can be the experience of a lifetime.
