Discover New Zealand Like a Local

Taking a road trip across the Top of the South is like a New Zealand greatest hits package, driving past rugged mountain ranges, watching the surf crash onto golden sandy beaches and cruising past alpine lakes and lush green forests. This pocket of New Zealand also has some of the country’s finest accommodation and fresh seafood, homegrown produce and top-shelf wines that people travel the Tasman to sample.

This is a region where you don’t rush things; where you should take the time to meet local people, engage with local culture and simply soak up the natural beauty. In Nelson Tasman you can paddle a traditional Māori waka (canoe), you can cook your own freshly caught fish straight out of the waters of Marlborough Sounds and relax in natural thermal pools in Hammer Springs. It’s truly a place to savour.

Get back to nature at Nelson Tasman

This region is where you can truly immerse yourself in nature. Nelson Tasman contains three national parks with verdant forests and pristine beaches and one of the best, and most exciting, ways to see it is via a traditional Māori waka. At Waka Abel Tasman you can paddle along the coast at Split Apple Rock/Toka Ngawhā, enjoying the amazing landscape while experiencing what it was like for the first settlers from Polynesia to take to the sea in these dual-hulled canoes.

See Moby Dick at Kaikōura

Many travellers know the thrill of seeing their first whale in the wild, but in Kaikōura you get the chance to discover the inspiration for Moby Dick, the elusive sperm whale. This Top of the South town is the whale watching capital of New Zealand and you can spot the mighty mammals on a boat trip, a plane ride or even from a helicopter.

Known as “the coast with the most”, Kaikōura is just a two-and-a-half hour drive from Christchurch and in addition to watching whales you can explore the Hut Hike on farmland in manuka and tussock country, get your thrills on a zipline at Kaikōura EcoZip Adventures or learn about the region’s heritage with the vivid stories brought to life at the Kaikōura Museum.

Cruise the Marlborough Sounds

The ocean playground of the Marlborough Sounds has soaring cliffs but it is also home to some of the best seafood in the world. On a Malborough Tour Company Seafood Odyssea Cruise you sail through Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui and sample local salmon and Greenshell mussels. On a Katabatic Charters cruise through the Sounds you can catch fish and cook them for family and friends aboard your vessel. And all the while you have the dramatic backdrop of the Sounds, where the sea has drowned huge swathes of land; the Māori believe the pointed cliffs to be the prows of sunken waka. Pair it all with a glass of sauvignon (it’s also the sauvignon capital of NZ).

Unwind at Hanmer Springs

This small town has a big reputation for relaxation and is the home of New Zealand’s largest geothermal water park. Unwind in one of the 22 pools warmed by Mother Nature where you can pick from an adults-only chill out to the family fun of epic water slides. When you are all funned out, Hamner Springs Village is also home to great food and wine, from the beer and bites of Monteith’s Brewery Bar to the modern NZ cuisine of No. 31 restaurant. You can also explore the local forests and mountains with walking, hiking and mountain biking trails to suit all abilities, or explore the Waiau river with jet boating and rafting experiences.

Enjoy “slow travel” on the TranzAlpine Train

New Zealand’s Southern Alps offers a “slow travel” trip aboard the TranzAlpine Train. Travelling west across the Canterbury Plains, the train languidly climbs stunning gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River. You then travel to the Southern Alps and the alpine village of Arthur’s Pass before entering the dramatic Otira Tunnel to the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, through alpine beech rain forests to Greymouth. Upon arrival on the West Coast, be sure to check out Punakaiki and the iconic pancake rocks and blowholes.

This article was originally featured in the ninth issue of Dream by Luxury Escapes magazine. Get your copy of our next issue here.