Honeymoon in New Zealand

More and more people are seeing that collecting ‘things’ is not nearly as important as collecting experiences. Who needs all of that china that you’ll only use a handful of times in your entire lifetime. Looking for an alternative wedding registry to help make new and memorable experiences to celebrate your nuptials in style? This is it! Why not a honeymoon in New Zealand. The current trend is to live a minimal lifestyle. Why not create an online registry that will help you with the funds to organize the vacation of your dreams. It’s the perfect way to start your marriage with memories that will last a lifetime.

New Zealand is a location that comes up a lot when we discuss bucket list trips. It’s a sought after destination for good reason. We started our journey in Queenstown. Our primary destination was the Milford Track. Although, we had a few days to kill before the guided tour began. There was no shortage of fun things to fill in the time gap.

We visited the South Island of New Zealand and fell in love with all of it. At every turn it was hands down one of the most magical places to visit. Queenstown is such a lovely city with so much to do. We ventured just a little further to gorgeous Glenorchy for two days and were not disappointed. The summer months are our winter months so keep that in mind when planning your trip there.

Eco-Friendly Adventures

We’d planned on doing a horseback ride but since we’d just done two days of riding on the north island of New Zealand. We decided to try something new so we headed up the Dart River to Delta Discovery near Glenorchy and met Andy the owner who walked us through his high tech electric off-road vehicles. 

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The eco-friendly ATV ride is not guided other than the navigation on board. It was so much fun to explore and take in all the gorgeous views. Highly recommend this. It’s a great way to experience the views of areas you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. 

The only company was the people we met along the way riding horses and a few jet boats that zoomed by. We didn’t go on the Jet boats and kicked ourselves for not getting a spot with Dark River Jet Safaries. Everyone looked like they were having a blast.

Milford Track with Ultimate Hikes

Included in this guided hike/ walk:

• Transportation from Queenstown, NZ to Te Anau
• 3 night stay along the track in pristine cabins
• All meals and snacks
• Backpacks are available if you don’t already have one. What I wished I had done differently is take a little time getting used to my pack. It wasn’t quite the right size and since you’re carrying your gear it can get pretty heavy. Make sure it sits on your hips properly and that your shoulders are not carrying the brunt of the weight.
• You can also pack a bag that will be delivered to your final destination
• Scenic cruise on the majestic Milford Sound

Each stop has an area to wash your gear for the day. It’s nice not having to pack as much with this being available.

The entire Milford Track with Ultimate Hikes was an experience we’ll never forget. If you’re an outdoor lover like us. This is as good as it gets and the accommodations were amazing. It’s absolutely the perfect place for a honeymoon or anniversary trip. Time in nature is sure to bring on memorable bonding opportunities. When we were first married we were straight out of college, living in Hawaii and had a lack of funds to take a real honeymoon, so we decided this was our slightly late honeymoon. It was so worth the wait.

Before we booked the hike, I wondered what the room situation was going to be like. I did not envision this! I’ve stayed in some hiking cabins and none were as well kept and clean as this. To save a few dollars you can bunk with other hikers or get your own suite like we did. You’ll even get your own bathroom. Another shocker. Privacy for your honeymoon, anniversary or couples getaway. That’s a must-have in my book.

I’ve broken down details of each day if you’d like to read further about the hike.

• Day 1 included bus and boat ride to the first segment of our trail.
• Day 2 Clinton hut, Mintaro Hut to our final desination for the night the Pompanlo.
• Day 3 MacKinnon Pass Part I
• Day 3 Quinton Lodge
• Day 4 Quinton Lodge to Mitre Peak Lodge

The images below were from our very last day which included a boat ride through the Milford Sound.

I’m not big on boats but to wrap this guided tour up it was pretty incredible. You just can’t seem to capture the sheer beauty in a photo. The sky is the bluest I’ve ever seen. The boat tour was all part of the Ultimate Hikes package so while we wouldn’t have booked it ourselves, I wasn’t going to pass up the ride. 

What You Will Need

They say that even in the summer months you should plan for all kinds of weather, so be prepared. We were so fortunate and only had one slightly rainy day. But according to the guides, it was unusual not to encounter a little more variety in weather.

• Sturdy hiking boots or shoes
• Good shoes are important but so are good socks. Wool is ideal.
• base layer
• Merino wool and long sleeves
• Short sleeve (it does get hot at times)
• Fast drying pants
• Sunscreen
• SANDFLY repellent
• Water bottle – they say their rivers and streams are so clean and free of leptospirosis but I’m not sure. Bring your own water just in case.
• Hat and/or beanie and gloves (in case it gets chilly).

What to Watch Out For

Taking the good with the bad. There is always that one thing to watch out for when traveling anywhere. Even in New Zealand. Luckily there are no land predators in New Zealand. That’s the beauty of the endless outdoor exploration. But, let’s just stop here and take a moment to discuss the New Zealand sandfly. Because I would consider these guys a land predator. They warned us but we had no idea until we were actually bit by these buggers. All the guides will tell you to be sure to have sandfly spray on you. This is no joke; get the spray. At first, we thought how bad could they possibly be. Worse than a pesky mosquito, I’ll tell you that. Luckily throughout this entire hike we only experiences their presence a few times.

Captain James Cook summarized them well:

The most mischievous animal here is the small black sandfly which are exceeding numerous …wherever they light they cause a swelling and such intolerable itching that it is not possible to refrain from scratching and at last ends in ulcers like the small Pox.

-Captain James Cook

Consider New Zealand as your Honeymoon travel destination. There is so much to do and see. The views are spectacular and well worth the investment for your first marriage memories.

Disclosure: This blog post is in collaboration with Nokturnal. All thoughts and opinions are always our own.