Early Retirement Month Seven: A Bucket-List Trip to Australia and New Zealand (Part 1)

Thirty plus years ago, a woman in England left her hometown to travel the world. On the bus going to the Milford Track, in New Zealand, a young man sat next to her. Originally from Long Island, his job laid him off and gave him a pretty decent severance package, so he was also going to travel the world. She wrote about the meeting:

“Hi! I am Raabie!” He said rather too exuberantly in an American drawl. He had those ugly zip off hiking trousers that seemed to be a favourite of those of the North American continent. It was not love at first sight.

Luckily it was love eventually. Then I came to be born. Then my sister. We inherited his American drawl and her affinity for tea. It seemed right that we visit the land where that first meeting happened.

I left off the early retirement month series in Japan, where I had the most marvelous time eating tempura and skiing in Hokkaido, and then I said goodbye to my friends and boarded a plane to go to Sydney, Australia. The plan was to meet my sister there, who would also be flying internationally. We would spend a couple of days in Sydney, then fly to Queenstown to start the adventure we had always dreamed about: New Zealand.

Sydney World Pride and Unexpected Reunions

Our hostel was a bit of a trek from the airport, up North near Manly beach. Luckily, the journey took us on the ferry past the Sydney Opera House. Then we were right next to the beach for sandy walks, people watching (are mullets in?) and enjoying the Australian accents around us.

It also happened to be the weekend of WORLD PRIDE 2023, so rainbows decorated the city. I posted a photo on my instagram, and a friend reached out. We met ten years ago while studying abroad in Madrid, and now he lives in Sydney! I love when worlds collide like that, so we met up for dinner and went to the parade.

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With only a couple days to explore Sydney, we walked around the city the next day. We visited the Royal Botanic Garden, got a drink at the Opera Bar, and made our way to The Rocks district. From there, we ventured to the Darling Harbor and circled back around. I purchased an eSIM through Airolo so I could navigate us around. This would be the only ‘aimless’ day, because my sister had big plans for the week.

“I know you’re retired early and all into ‘slow travel’, but I only have two weeks of PTO and I’m going to make it count!” she said. I was in charge of accommodation, she was in charge of planning our route and activities. “Here are our tickets to Queensland!”

My heart nearly stopped. “You mean Queenstown right?”

“Oh, yes. Queenstown! We’re going to Queens!”

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Queenstown, New Zealand Thrills

Queenstown is a gorgeous town on the Southern Island of New Zealand. It’s a tourist destination nestled next to a huge lake and set beneath The Remarkables, which are aptly named in my opinion. We got a (private! what luxury) room that boasted a great view of the town beneath.

Queenstown is known for their offering of extreme sports, from bungee jumping to skydiving to canyoneering. We opted to do the bungee jump first, then work our way to jumping out of a plane.

Bungee Jumping

I bungee jumped years ago in Uganda when I was 15 years old, and to be honest that was quite enough for me. I remember climbing the stairs and sweating off the sharpie on my hand where they had written my weight in kilograms. I prayed I remembered the number correctly as they adjusted the tension. They wrapped my ankles in a towel and their velcro system, and I shuffled to the edge. It seems like the tech has upgraded a lot since I went! This time I was content to cheer my sister on as a spectator.

I paid the fee to join my sister and watch her make the jump. The best part was being able to tease her for the big scream as she went over the ledge. It’s hard to blame her though; the AJ Hackett Nevis is the third highest bungee jumping platform in the world at a height of 134 meters.

Itching for more adrenaline adventures, we impulsively signed up for a skydiving adventure next.

Contrasts in My Second Skydive: Caps, Crowded Planes, and Taking Control

The last time I went skydiving was in 2011, over the fields of a random town in Oregon. I found it much easier to jump out of a plane than off of a very high platform, and I was ready to do it again.

Skydiving was our most expensive endeavor by far, but also one of the most memorable. It was $409 USD each to jump, which included pictures. I appreciated that sky diving also includes a plane ride to see the gorgeous expanse of the New Zealand landscape.

Some things were a bit different from the first time I jumped. For one, I looked way dorkier the second time because we had to wear caps (fair enough, I’m sure the tandem folks get tired of hair whipping their faces). Also, the first time I went, it was just me, the instructor, the videographer, and the pilot in the plane. This time at least a dozen people crammed into two lines. Each time a pair jumped, the plane bopped as if uncomfortable with its shifting insides. Last time, I remember the instructor steering us the entire way down, but this time my guide offered me the controls to the parachute. I enthusiastically grabbed them and pulled when he told me, spinning us in deep wide circles. He laughed as I yelled in delight, my stomach dropping as if we were on a rollercoaster. That might have been the best part of the whole thing!

My sister preferred the bungee, partly because she didn’t unblock her ears as the altitude changed on the plane and on the way down. Ouch. It did feel a bit more factory-like to get the most people possible jumping per day, but the company, NZone, definitely had it dialed in. I would recommend it to any adrenaline-junkies in New Zealand, just remember to yawn frequently. It will help unblock your ears and also make you look like a badass.

South Island Roadtrip Adventure

After a couple nights in Queenstown and our jumping-from-high-things desires sated, we rented a car to begin a little road trip. Driving on the left side of the road on tight mountain roads was its own adrenaline rush.

The plan: Queenstown to the tranquil Lake Wānaka, a celestial experience at Lake Tekapo, and into the rugged alpine landscapes of Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, then back to Queenstown to check out the Milford Sound. (The Milford Track, a multi-day trek where my parents met, was all booked out and required more advanced planning. Perhaps when we return?)

Lake Wānaka

Lake Wānaka is a stunning glacial lake located on New Zealand’s South Island, known for its calm, clear waters and mountain backdrop. One of its iconic attractions is a lone willow tree in the lake’s shallows, a symbol of resilience.

Lake Tekapō

The lake is also surrounded by the Southern Alps, providing a stunning backdrop for stargazing and making it one of the country’s prime locations for observing the night sky. Unfortunately the observatory was closed when we were there, but there was still an older man who told stories under the starry sky. We shivered under the blankets around a fire as he regaled us with tales of the constellations above our heads, feeling new to us simply by virtue of being ‘upside down’. Everything looks a bit different from that angle. Coffee pots, butterflies, and new legends traced the stars.

During the day, we visited the Church of the Good Shepherd in all its stone-bathed-in-sunlight glory. We weren’t sure at first what made this little church so special, but we appreciated the golden fields and backdrop of mountains behind it.

The space around the church seemed reverent, quiet, but for the swarms of people trying to get a good photo. But even the swarm seemed calmer, as if the church was the center of a meditative labyrinth.

After soaking in the stars, I convinced my sister to take a break from cooking in the hostel and get some Thai food instead. Reinvigorated, the next morning we drove off to one of our favorite destinations, Aoraki National Park.

Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park

Home to Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, the country’s highest peak nests in its own National Park. Rugged alpine landscapes, glaciers, and pristine lakes make it a haven for hikers and nature enthusiasts. We were lucky to find a spot at the only hostel in the area, YHA hostel, which had only recently re-opened after renovations. From here, we planned two hikes: the famous Hooker Valley Track and Mueller’s Hut.

Hooker Valley Track

The Hooker Valley Track is one of the most popular hiking trails in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand. This scenic track takes you on a 7 mile journey through the Hooker Valley. It is mostly flat, with gorgeous bridges along the way. The highlight of the hike is the picturesque Hooker Lake, a glacial lake with Aoraki as a majestic backdrop.

Mueller Hut

The next day we decided to do a more challenging hike. This hike leads to the Mueller Hut, a mountaineer’s shelter perched high on the Sealy Range. The trail is basically a conglomeration of never ending stairs. You can stop about halfway at The Sealy Tarns, which was the hike we thought we were originally doing. However, clouds obscured our view so we decided to keep going.

At the hut, spectacular panoramic views reward hikers who make it all that way. We witnessed avalanches in the distance, crashing mightily and narrated by a three-year-old who had made it up on the back of his guardian.

Our roadtrip circled back to Queenstown, where we found a dinky motel to crash for the night before waking up early to catch a bus to Milford Sound.

Milford Sound

We woke up early, made our way to the pick-up spot, and then… our ride didn’t show. We asked at a hotel if we could give the company a call, during which we found out our reservation was actually for the day before and we missed it. Thankfully, the company said we could go the next day, at no extra charge. This really cemented our experience of the customer service in New Zealand: super chill. Relieved, we woke up extra early the next morning, ordered a flat white, and embarked on the tour.

I highly recommend the tour option, because otherwise it’s a 5-6 hour drive (one way!). The bus made two pitstops to look at the scenery on the way, and the rest of the time we could look out the window and nap. More importantly, the tour handles the ferry tickets for the main attraction: Milford Sound Cruise. The boat ventures through the fjord, famous for its towering waterfalls, steep cliffs, and pristine waters. The cruise provides an up-close look at the dramatic natural features of the area, including Stirling Falls, Mitre Peak, and the numerous wildlife species that call the sound home. We saw lots of seals!

We witnessed some folks who did the drive themselves, but didn’t reserved tickets for the ferry in advance, and it was fully booked. What a bummer!

We were told if it rains beforehand, the views are even more spectacular, but we were cursed with gorgeous weather before our trip.

Back To Queenstown

After Milford Sound, we made our way back to Queenstown. We fueled up on Fergburger, an internationally famous spot where crowds wait in a long queue for a mouth-watering burger. You can take it to the lake nearby to eat while avoiding eager-looking ducks. We loved the tofu burger: with tempura tofu, spicy satay, coconut & coriander sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, snowpea shoots & aioli. Yum!

Paragliders swoop in the distance as people picnic on the lakeshore, licking ice creams and watching street performers. We ran into a couple who were at the bungee, and they gushed about their canyoneering experience. There is definitely something for everyone.

Next stop: Auckland

With that, we wrapped up our Southern Island adventure and prepped to go North to Auckland.

Our journey through New Zealand, a land of breathtaking beauty, was much more than just a vacation; it was a pilgrimage. As we retraced the steps of that fateful meeting between our parents, we embraced the spirit of exploration that brought them together. From the dramatic fjords of Milford Sound to the adrenaline-pumping thrills of Queenstown, the south island made quite the impression on us. We had no idea whether the North Island would live up to the stunning beauty of the South, but we were excited for the next week of our bucket-list adventure.

Stay tuned for Part 2!