While in Montenegro in 2017, I was lucky to meet a lovely gal from England at a hostel. We hit it off and stayed friends throughout the years, and fortunately we discovered we would both be in Asia at the same time! We decided to meet up in Singapore before heading to to Borneo together.
CITY: Singapore
HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
My friend Louisa and I booked a 3 night stay at the Bohemian Chic hostel, but when we arrived, then said they had a better room at their sister hostel, Chic Capsules. From my research I didn’t find that the options for hostels in Singapore were all that great. None seemed all the social, but luckily because I was with Louisa, I didn’t have to stress too much about finding a hostel that I could easily make friends. The hostel had free breakfast and a capsule bed setup, which was quite a treat. The room was completely dark, but each bed had a personal light and curtains. It meant anyone could sleep whenever they wanted, which was great for me because I ended up being quite sick while in Singapore. I think at one point I slept 16 hours in a 24 hour period. The two sister hostels are a 2 min walk from each other and are located in the Chinatown area of Singapore.
WHERE TO EAT:
OK honestly, given that I was so sick the whole time in Singapore, I barely ate anything besides some plain crackers. However, I was craving an Impossible burger the whole time I was abroad, and Singapore is one of the few places outside the US can get it, so we headed to The Marmalade Pantry, which is adorable. Great for a girls lunch!
Found the Impossible Burger in Singapore!
We also went to Privé in Clarke Quay. It was very cute and also had a great truffle Impossible Burger. All I could handle was a chamomile tea though 😦
Lastly, we joined a family friend of Louisa’s at nice Italian restaurant called Original Sin. I had some delicious bread and cheese, a rare treat in South East Asia.
WHAT TO DO:
Louisa and I explored the Botanical Gardens (slowly) one afternoon, which is quite beautiful.
The highlight in Singapore was having a drink at the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel (like in Crazy Rich Asians) at Cé La Vi. Such cool views. After our drink we walked around the Supertree Grove nearby.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
I wasn’t able to explore much or eat much because I was so sick, but Singapore was still quite delightful. I can see why people are enchanted by this sprawling metropolitan city in the middle of Southeast Asia.
Time for the classic East Coast of Australia backpacking trip. You can rent a camper van or you can get a Greyhound pass, which is what I did. I bought a Whimmit pass, which allowed me unlimited travel for 30 days for $399 AUD. I spent 6 weeks heading up the coast, starting in Melbourne and finishing in Cairns.
CITY: Melbourne
HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
United Backpackers– I preferred this hostel but it was the more expensive. It had free pancakes for breakfast with maple syrup. The bathrooms were really nice and updated. The rooms were a bit dark and smelly but that’s common for 10 bed dorms in the middle of a heat wave. The WiFi was excellent and there was a nice, small, comfy bar downstairs. Kitchen was large and easy to cook in. Location was great as there are lots of great bars and restaurants nearby. Also, it’s very close to some parks and I enjoyed going for a run right from the hostel. If you have the money, this is a great spot.
Nomads All Nations – I switched hostels my last night so that I was closer to the greyhound station. This hostel was much cheaper but it showed. The kitchen wasn’t as nice and the bedroom, while bigger, was fairly run down. Also the location (other than being close to the bus station) wasn’t nearly as convenient.
Where to Eat:
Famish’d– This is a great build your own salad place for a healthy meal.
Captain Melville– We went here after the walking tour and tried Chicken Parma for the first time. It was delicious! It also had a nice open air seating area in the back.
Section 8 – This is a fun outdoor bar in Melbourne, down a graffiti filled alley.
Weirdoughs – Ready to try some plant-based cookie dough? Here’s your chance! This was a delicious, fun treat.
Metro burgers– This is on the cutest little walking street, full of restaurants! Got a delicious burger here.
Doughnut Time– Never can go wrong with cute doughnuts.
What to do:
I arrived in Melbourne fairly exhausted from Queenstown and was little burnt out from all the activities, so I spent my time in Melbourne quite leisurely. I would sleep in, go for a run, then take a book to one of the many parks and read. This is my kinda day. Because I was burnt out from busses and day trips, I didn’t go the Great Ocean Road, but this is one of the top things to do in Melbourne!
I did do a free walking tour which I would definitely recommend doing. Just ask your hostel for details.
My favorite thing I did was head to St. Kilda and see all the penguins at dusk. The sunset was beautiful and then we headed to the end of the pier to see the penguins start to come out. Don’t skip this while in Melbourne.
Overall Thoughts:
Melbourne was definitely a cool city with a European vibe to it. There was a great food and bar scene. If I were to pick a city in Australia to live this would definitely be it!
Hanging in a park
One of the many alleys
CITY: Sydney
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at Mad Monkey on Broadway in Sydney. It’s a smaller hostel but it meant you got to know people fairly easily. WiFi worked great. The kitchen was painfully small which made it difficult to want to cook (I didn’t cook at all here) but there was a GREAT free breakfast! Know having stayed at wake up in Byron Bay, I would stay at Wake Up in Sydney if I ever went again.
The Rocks Cafe– This was a yummy restaurant with a pub vibe near the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.
Harry’s– This restaurant is a must while Bondi! Delicious brunch food.
What to do:
Unfortunately while I was in Sydney the smoke was pretty bad from the many fires in the region. This limited what I could do as often the smoke was too bad to be outside. I wasn’t able to go to the Blue Mountains, which is supposed to be incredible. However, the two days that I was able to get outside I managed to see the Harbor Bridge, Opera House, Royal Botanical Gardens, and I walked the Coogee to Bondi trail, which was the highlight of my time in Sydney! Highly recommend doing this in the morning and getting brunch/lunch in Bondi after you finish (maybe at Harry’s)!
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens
Coogee to Bondi Walk
Opera House
Harbor Bridge
Overall Thoughts:
I don’t feel like I got the best impression of Sydney given the smoke, but it was a nice, big city (similar to a major city in the US). Definitely no culture shock here 🙂 That being said if you are visiting Australia, Sydney is a must.
CITY: Yamba
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at the YHA in Yamba and it was pretty great. There aren’t too many options here so for sure stay here. Location is in the middle of town and about a 1 min walk from the greyhound bus stop which is very convenient. Kitchen is slightly small, but does the job. WiFi was only available at the bottom floor where the reception and restaurant are located so no WiFi in the common areas or the dorm rooms. There was a great rooftop areas to eat and hangout as well as a great tv/Netflix area. Would definitely stay here again.
Where to Eat:
Drift is the only restaurant I ate as in Yamba and they were great! They were friendly and kindly teased me about my build my own pizza (my pizza’s involve no tomato sauce and pear when I can). Worth a stop if you are ever here.
What to do:
Yamba is not your most popular stop along the East Coast backpacker route, but it should be. It’s a small, more local town with three beautiful beaches with great surfing! It’s a place to stop and chill for a couple of days in between Sydney and Byron, more high energy stops.
The pathway out into the ocean
Overall Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Yamba! I wish I could have stayed one more night here. It was very relaxing and low-key, which is needed periodically.
CITY: Byron Bay
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at Wake Up in Byron Bay and it was fabulous. The rooms had air conditioning which is key during the summer months. The kitchen is spacious with plenty of burners. They have free towels, bikes and surf boards you can use. My favorite part was the free yoga and boot camps at 9am. Such a treat after being on the road with minimal exercise for a few months. It’s right next to the beach, but it’s about a 20 min walk along the beach to town. They also have a shuttle that runs about every 30 min into town and vice versa. They also have a great courtyard to hang out in the shade. Sometimes they have activities in the evenings here (such as free wine and cheese night). Overall cannot recommend this place enough!
Where to Eat:
The Corner Store– The açai bowl here was not great, but it’s a great spot in the middle of town for a cup of coffee or a pastry.
The General Store– This is my favorite spot in Australia! I love, love, love their smoothie bowls. Also, the cafe just has such a cool vibe. You know when I take a photo of the water station, they are doing something right.
THE WATER STATION!
Betty’s– This is a cute, small burger chain in Australia that is decorated in a way that Instagram influencers can only dream up. The burgers are delicious and cheap. The fries do their thing and the desserts are such a treat! I actually went to Betty’s in Melbourne, Byron Bay, and Noosa (basically whenever I came across it).
Delicious, kinda like In-N-Out
In the Pink– Yummy gelato on a hot day. Get a cup instead of a cone as otherwise it will dripping down your arm immediately.
What to do:
Byron Bay is known for it’s surfing so take a lesson while here.
Sunrise at the lighthouse is another popular thing to do! It’s the most eastern part of Australia so you see the first sunrise of the continent 🙂
My favorite thing to do was lie on the grass in front of the main beach and enjoy the often live music being played all around. The people watching and tanning is prime (just be careful of the crazy, Australian sun so put on plenty of sunscreen.
Overall Thoughts:
This was my favorite stop along the East Coast. I know people think it’s touristy, but hello, we are tourists and there is a reason so many people come here. The sun shined every day I was here and I loved the restaurant scene. The hostel also made this stop so great for me as I made some really good friends here (who I would end up traveling much of the east coast with ) and I LOVED the free yoga and bootcamp every morning.
CITY: Brisbane
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at the YHA in Brisbane. Kitchen was fabulous. Rooms were small and dark. Lockers were available to store belongings in the room. I wouldn’t stay here again as I found it difficult to meet people as a solo traveler. There was a rooftop bar and a tv room, but both were hard to meet people at.
Where to Eat:
Corbett and Claude is an upscale pizzeria with a few locations in Brisbane. It was a classy spot with great pizza and selection of alcoholic drinks. This was a fun stop!
What to do:
I spent my time wandering around the city, doing some shopping and eating ice cream 🙂 I highly recommend walking through the South Bank where the lagoon is.
While I didn’t get to the Australia Zoo, this is a great day trip from Brisbane if you have time!
Overall Thoughts:
I liked Brisbane way more than I thought I would. Many people had told me that Brisbane wasn’t worth a stop, but I actually wish I’d had one more day so I could have gone to the zoo!
CITY: Noosa
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at the Flashbackers hostel and it was great! My ten person room had plenty of room and had two en-suite bathrooms and showers. Also, AC worked great. It’s a smaller hostel so it’s fairly easy to meet people. The staff at the front desk were very helpful in planning my time in Noosa. The kitchen was well stocked and easy to cook in. WiFi was good, but not great. It’s a bit of a walk into town but there is a shuttle run by the hostel and a public bus that’s easy to use to get around. Would definitely stay here again.
Where to Eat:
10 Hastings was a great spot for breakfast. Yummy drinks and brunchy food!
There’s a Betty’s Burger here so you know I stopped there for dinner 🙂
Concrete from Betty’s
What to do:
I spent my time in Noosa hiking all over to different beaches. The other highlight is the Fairy Pools. Enjoy the ocean, sand, and sun of Noosa.
Overall Thoughts:
Noosa is pretty laid back and an enjoyable stop along the East Coast. Spend at least 2 days here and you can easily spend longer.
CITY: Rainbow Beach
HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
Pippies was a cute little hostel that was perfect for before and after your Fraser Island trip. They also store your bags while you are away. No lockers in the room, but no one is going to steal your stuff. Kitchen was pretty tough to use so don’t plan to really cook here. Free, small breakfast available in the morning. WiFi was not bad but only really available in the main area. Small pool, but I never saw anyone in it. Cute hammocks and location can’t be beat in this small town. I would stay here again.
Where to Eat:
Arcobaleno on the Beach– This is a nicer Italian restaurant (not a typical backpacker spot). Delicious food and the service was great!
Rainbow Beach Hotel has a great bar/restaurant that seems to be hopping most nights. We had our “afterparty” from Fraser here and it was a great spot for it.
Café Jilarty at Rainbow– This place had a backpacker menu with some great deals so we obviously ate here about 3 times. Delicious chicken parma. It’s a laid-back spot with some reasonably priced meals so no complaints here.
There is not much to do in Rainbow Beach other than it’s a launching spot for a Fraser Island trip. The only place people tend to check out is the Rainbow Steps.
Overall Thoughts:
Rainbow Beach is a sweet, sleepy town that is cute for a night or two before and after your Fraser Island trip, but not much else.
Fraser Island Trip with Pippies
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
Fraser Island is one of the best adventures to have along the classic Australia East Coast trip. It combines new friends, the largest sand island in the world, crystal clear lakes, champagne pools, driving 4×4’s, camping, and drinking. It is a BLAST. I ended up doing it over Christmas because if you can’t be home for it, might as well be on a island with no service and bunch of new friends. Fortunately for me, one of my best friends from home met me for this part of the trip so I had one familiar face. Also, I had met some people at other parts of the trip who luckily were also doing the same Fraser trip so I had some other friends going into the 3day/2night adventure. From start to finish, this was one of my favorite parts of my time in Australia.
CITY: Airlie Beach
HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at Base/Nomads. It’s a huge property with room to house over 600 people!! There’s a bar located within the property, 2 pools and 2 receptions. The rooms had a bathroom and shower, which was a treat. The AC worked great. The WiFi was horrendous. The kitchen had the necessities. There weren’t any lockers in the rooms to store valuables so make sure you can lock your bag itself. It was hard to sleep some nights due to the bar playing music so loud. I might look at staying elsewhere if I can back to Airlie Beach.
The hostel
Where to Eat:
Village Cafe Restaurant and Bar– Went to breakfast here and it was a nice airy spot. Breakfast was pretty tasty and wifi worked well (sometimes hard to find).
Little Vegas– Delicious burgers and starters. If you are craving a large, tasty burger, look no further.
The Pub– I spent New Years Eve here getting some drinks with a friend. It had a great atmosphere and is a beautiful spot to hang.
The Deck– This is my favorite restaurant in Airlie Beach. I came for breakfast twice and it was great! Also, came for dinner on NYE and had the best sweet potato fries! Don’t miss this restaurant while in Airlie Beach.
What to do:
Airlie Beach, like Rainbow Beach, is a launching off spot for a Whitsunday trip. However, Airlie Beach is much bigger so there are far more restaurants and bars to check out. Also, there is a big lagoon that’s free to use (there isn’t actually a nice beach in town). There are a few hikes nearby, but I didn’t have a car so I couldn’t get to them.
Overall Thoughts:
I liked Airlie Beach, but the Whitsundays is the real star of this area of the East Coast.
Whitsunday Trip on Apollo
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
Overall Thoughts:
I really enjoyed the sailing trip on the Apollo boat. The food was delicious and while sleeping on a sail boat with 20 other strangers is never going to be the best night sleep you have, it was a good as it could’ve been. The highlights for me were scuba diving for the first time, seeing the sunset from the middle of ocean, and seeing the sandy beaches with the clear water. It was also a blast to meet so many new, fun people and hang for 3 days. Highly recommend taking a sailing trip around the Whitsundays while traveling along the East Coast.
CITY: Magnetic Island
HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
There are two main options for hostels on Magnetic Island: Base and YHA. I stayed at Base because they had a package deal that included the ferry ticket, one breakfast and one dinner. It’s definitely more of a party hostel but if you want to sneak away to bed early, the noise is far enough away to be able to sleep soundly. The pool has chaise lounges, there’s a kitchen and the huts are pretty cute. However, the WiFi was not great and the hostel is a bus ride away from everything. Luckily the bus gets you where you need to go and it’s common to rent a 4×4 at least one day while you’re here. I would probably stay at YHA next time I was here as it houses the koala sanctuary and it’s closer to a town with cute restaurants and beaches.
Where to Eat:
Early Bird– Breakfast is so good here I came twice in two days! Located in Horseshoe Bay, this is a can’t miss on Magnetic.
So much deliciousness!
Mamma Roma– This is a cute Italian restaurant on the other side of the island in Picnic Bay. The pasta was deliocoso!
Dessert with my cute Danish dates 🙂
Scallywags– Great spot for a great breakfast with a great atmosphere.
What to do:
Renting a Barbie Car- Don’t miss out on renting the cute 4 seater pink Barbie cars. This is a great way to independently get around the island. Otherwise you can use the bus, but it doesn’t come as often as you would like.
Forts Walk- This is best place to see Koalas in the wild. We expected to see one or two, but we say about 8 koalas while walking through the 90 min long loop. SO fun!
Wallabies- You can see wallabies in the wild at the rocks at Geoffrey Bay. We saw a few while stopped here at dusk.
Bungalow Bay Koala Village- Located at the YHA, there is a sanctuary where you can see some animals ranging from crocodiles, koalas, and lizards, to snakes and echidnas. Also, as 4:15pm they do a feeding for wild rainbow lorikeets.
Overall Thoughts:
Magnetic Island ended up being a highlight for me. It was so fun driving for the first time in months and having some independence over my schedule for the day. My favorite part was seeing the cute koalas in the wild. I loved my 3 days on this small island.
CITY: Cairns
HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
Global Backpackers is a great place to base yourself while in Cairns. The location is right on the esplanade where the lagoon and water front is. The wifi the best I’ve had anywhere in New Zealand and Australia!!! The hostel is on the newer side and is kept very clean. The air-conditioning works like a charm and the 4th floor has a great kitchen, walk-in freezer with plenty of space for your groceries, and a large tv (set up with Netflix!) with comfy couches. I would highly recommend staying here.
Where to Eat:
Jimmy’s– Delicious burgers and milkshakes! Need I say more….
The Cotton Club– This was a good cheap meal and I had a delicious salad! Always fun finding a good salad while traveling.
The two main activities to do here are exploring the Daintree Rainforest and exploring the Great Barrier Reef.
I chose to do a Cape Tribulation day trip with Uncle Brian’s and it was great! We swam in a local watering hole, walked through the Daintree Rainforest (oldest rainforest in the world), saw spiders, crocodiles, and snakes, and walked around Port Douglas. It was a blast and the tour guides were great!
To explore the Great Barrier Reef, obviously I had to go underwater. I chose to do an introductory scuba dive because I didn’t want to miss out on seeing the Great Barrier Reef before it dies and because I wanted to see if I liked scuba diving enough to get my open water certification. Turns out I’m hooked. Can’t wait to get my license while in Bali 🙂
My other favorite thing to do was go for morning runs along the beach front path. Such a beautiful view while jogging along.
Overall Thoughts:
Cairns is a nice spot to chill as it’s fairly cheap compared to other parts of the East Coast. I loved all the different animals I saw both on land and sea. I also happened to stay in one of my favorite hostels of the trip so far so Cairns definitely has a place in my heart.
I stayed at the Piwaka Lodge and Backpackers. At first, I was a little underwhelmed by the facilities, but I ended up loving this little spot because of the hospitality by it’s owner, Nicci. When I was cold at night, she provided extra blankets and a hot water bottle (this my favorite invention btw- not sure why we don’t have these in California). She also provided breakfast and dinner each night (FOR FREE). It was also one of the more deluxe free hostel breakfasts I have had, complete with toast, cereal, and a delicious homemade porridge with fruit in it. Delicious! Nicci was also very helpful in planning my time in Picton. At her recommendation I did a day trip to an island sanctuary and did a hike through part of the Queen Charlotte track. Overall, I would highly recommend staying her.
Where to Eat:
Given Nicci provided breakfast and dinner, and I packed a lunch for my hike, no recommendations for where to eat here.
What to Do:
Like a lot of New Zealand, the best things to do here involve hiking or boats. The afternoon I arrived I did a 2 hour hike to the Snout. It was a great way to stretch my legs after the 4 hour ferry from Wellington.
The best thing to do here is the Queen Charlotte Trail through the Marlborough Sounds. Given I did not have my backpacking gear or 5 days to spare, I obviously couldn’t complete the whole track. However, Nicci recommended a day trip that allowed me to do about 15km of the trek, which was perfect! This was definitely one of the highlights of my time in New Zealand. The views were unbelievable and there weren’t too many people around. It was peaceful to meander through the Marlborough Sounds and I met three Irish women who I became friends with (and met up with twice more in the South Island).
New Irish friends!
Overall Thoughts:
Picton was such a fun stop for me! I ran into a girl I met at the hostel I stayed at in Auckland and we grabbed a drink. I met the three Irish ladies who I couldn’t wait to hang out with again. The day hike was magical. I loved my hostel and the cute town of Picton. Also, because the Kiwi Experience doesn’t stop here for a night it provided a break from the experience which was nice. Definitely recommend a stop here to spend time in the Marlborough Sounds!
CITY: Kaiteriteri (Abel Tasman)
HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed at the Kaiteri Lodge and it was not the worst, but not the best. You have to pay for wifi and you have to put a deposit down for silverware (which you get back when you check out). It just didn’t give the place warm, fuzzy vibes. However, there was a restaurant/bar and a smoothie food truck in the same lot so access to food was great. Kaiteriteri is small so there aren’t too many options for accommodation. As such, this isn’t a bad choice.
Where to Eat:
My favorite meal here was my smoothie bowl from The Mermaid’s Beach House (next to the hostel). So yummy and nice to have something healthy!
I also got a burger from Gone Burgers, which was pretty delicious and fairly reasonably priced.
What to do:
The two great things to do here is hike through Abel Tasman National Park and kayak around the outskirt of the national park.
The kayaking brought us to two different islands where we saw waterfalls, sea lions, black sand beaches, and had a picnic lunch (which you need to bring, unless you pre-pay for a lunch with them). It was beautiful to get a taste of the national park.
Abel Tasman National Park
Overall Thoughts:
This was a cool, low-key stop along the Kiwi Experience route. Very small town with a few restaurants, but I enjoyed this lazy spot. The kayaking was stunning and definitely a highlight. This is also where I met a whole new group of people on my bus, which I would become good friends with and travel the rest of New Zealand with 🙂
CITY: Westport
HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed at Bazil’s hostel, which was a quirky, homey hostel. We only stayed one night so we didn’t get too acquainted with the hostel, but the kitchen was well equipped and they had a nice common room with a large tv that some people used for a movie night. If for some reason you end up in Westport, don’t hesitate to book here.
Where to eat:
We were literally here for less than 18 hours so we only cooked in the hostel and did not eat out.
What to do:
Westport seemed like a bit of a random stop along the west coast so there is not necessarily a reason to stop here, other than potentially to break up the drive along the west coast (?). The one activity offered to us on the Kiwi Experience was a surf lesson. I opted out as I wanted to save surf lessons for an area with warm water (Australia, Bali, etc).
CITY: Lake Mahinapua
HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT
ACCOMMODATION:
As legend has it, the Kiwi Experience bus broke down and got stranded about 20 years ago near the Lake Mahinapua Hotel. The hotel was nice enough to take them in and now the bus stops here on every route. Once again, I think this is just another spot to break up the time down the west coast to Franz Josef glacier, but it’s a nice spot. The beach is about a 5 min walk and there is a pretty lake about a 10 min walk away. There is no wifi, but there are hot tubs! It’s a flat $55, but that included dinner, breakfast, and your room as there is no kitchen.
Where to eat:
You are treated to a yummy dinner and a lovely breakfast buffet in the morning at the hotel.
What to do:
The main activity is a fancy dress/costume party the night we stay here. The theme when I went was dressing up as something that started with the first letter of your name. As such, I went as a marathon runner (aka wore what I wear everyday while traveling haha). It was a fun night, but I would have loved for there to be more drinking games so it was more social and you got to know everyone. Instead it was just very loud music so all you could do was dance.
The morning after I did go for a lovely run near the lake through some trails so that was great!
Also, I did not participate in this, but you could carve your own piece of jade jewelry here.
Overall thoughts:
There is no reason to stop here unless you are on Kiwi Experience, and this definitely wasn’t my favorite stop, but I did enjoy the hot tub and walking to the lake.
CITY: Franz Josef
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTs
Accommodation:
Rainforest Retreat was one of my favorite places we stayed in New Zealand. The whole place felt like a rustic lodge. There’s a hot tub and sauna. The restaurant had fireplaces and it felt like the perfect place to cozy up for some hot chocolate or ciders. The kitchen was very functional and the wifi worked fairly well (for NZ standards). While we stayed in dorm-style rooms, they also have private rooms and bungalows as well as camping spots. If you plan on stopping in Franz Josef to see the glacier, then definitely stay here.
The restaurant where we had all you can eat pizzas
Where to eat:
We ate at the restaurant at the retreat as they offered an all you can eat pizza night and who can turn that down? There were some cool looking restaurants around town so have a wander and see what tickles your fancy!
What to do:
Almost everything around this town centers on the glacier. You can walk on it, take a helicopter over it, ride snowmobiles, climb it. In the interest of budgeting my money, I chose to just do a hike to the foot of the glacier for a small peek of it. I wish I had the money to do the heli tour, but alas we can’t get everything we want 🙂 Side note: It’s pretty devastating to see how much the glacier has melted in the past 100 years #climatechangeisreal
Overall thoughts:
I could have stayed here one more day. I enjoyed the hike and the lodge and the pretty valley it was located in.
CITY: Wanaka
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTs
Accommodation:
We stayed at Base and unless you are on Kiwi Experience, I would recommend staying elsewhere. The wifi was bad, the kitchen was gross, and there are definitely better places to stay. It’s also a dry hostel. The location was close to the water though so that’s a plus.
Where to eat:
My favorite place to eat was the crepe shack, Charlie Brown Crepes, right next to the Base hostel. I went twice I liked it so much. I also had a delicious hot chocolate from them.
Ice cream!
I had a decadent ice cream from Patagonia chocolate after hiking all morning.
What to do:
One of the most famous spots in Wanaka is the Wanaka Tree, which is a tree that is growing out of the lake. It’s about a 15 min walk from town around the lake. The lake was a bit flooded while we were there so my friends and I agreed it didn’t look particularly cool, but normally it’s beautiful.
The Wanaka Tree
The highlight in Wanaka for me was the hike to Roy’s Peak. While some of my friends did it for sunrise, I am not a morning person, but they said it was amazing. I left with some other friends at around 8am to beat the afternoon sun. It took us about 2.75 hours to get to the top and about 2.25 hours to get down, including some breaks for water, rest and food. There aren’t restrooms once you leave the bottom so keep that in mind. Don’t forget snacks, water and sunscreen! This was definitely a hard hike as it’s mostly straight up to the peak and the obviously straight down to the bottom.
Made it to the top!
Another fun thing to do here is go for a ride on a boat on Lake Wanaka. I chose not to go for budget reasons, but my friends who went really enjoyed it!
Hanging at Lake Wanaka
Overall thoughts:
This is a beautiful, sleepy, relaxing spot in New Zealand. I love a cute town on a lake! I easily could have stayed here longer.
CITY: Queenstown
HOW LONG: 12 NIGHTs
Accommodation:
We stayed at Nomads in Queenstown. It is in a great location, right in the middle of town so close to all the bars and next to the lake. You can’t beat the location. The kitchen was most everything you needed, but it could get crowded at peak cooking times. The “free breakfast” consisted of toast and jam so I wouldn’t rely on that. The wifi is quite unreliable and kicks you off constantly. Plenty of showers and bathrooms, which is good as it’s a decently sized hostel, but it wasn’t always super clean. Rooms didn’t have lockers so make sure to have a lock for your bag itself. I would recommend staying at one of the other cool hostels in town (and there are many), however, if you are on a tight budget, this hostel will do the trick.
Where to eat:
Queenstown has so many fun spots to try. A few highlights were:
Fergberger– If you are traveling in New Zealand and haven’t heard of Fergberger then you must not have spoken to one other traveler. There is always a line out the door and once you have a burger, you understand why. My advice: don’t be afraid to go a couple of times, whether you take it to go and sit by the water at sunset or if you go late at night after a night out and try a few different burgers (they are all good). I didn’t love the fries, but that might just be personal preference as I like shoestring fries.
Ferbakery– This is right next to the famed Fergburger and has delicious sandwiches and ice cream!
Cookietime– What a dream for me: mixing cookie dough and ice cream! I went a few times to try different menu items and ultimately tried the cookie dough milkshake, chocolate chip cookies and the double chocolate vanilla milkshake. My favorite was definitely the cookie dough milkshake but they were all delicious!
Cannot have too many cookie dough milkshakes 🙂
World Bar– This is a great bar for bar hopping in the evening, but I also really, really liked the burger and fries I got here!
The Boat Shed– While biking around the lake we stopped here for a quick snack. It’s a really quaint spot and cutely decorated.
Vudu Cafe & Larder– This is the cutest spot for some delicious, healthy, inventive meals. I went twice!
Devil Burger– Another great burger stop and as a bonus the line is shorter than at Fergburger.
The Bathhouse– This is a cute little spot for some pastries and a coffee in the morning. Grab a spot outside and just enjoy the view of the lake. I had a great banana bread and hot chocolate here.
Little Blackwood– This is a slightly nicer bar right on the water. A bit on the smaller size, but it had delicious drinks.
What to do:
MM OH MY there is a lot to do in Queenstown so it really comes down to the time you have, the $$$ you can blow, and what you enjoy doing.
For the hikers, there is Queenstown hill and Ben Lomond. There are plenty of other hikes if you have a car and get yourself out of Queenstown itself.
You can take a day trip to Milford Sound.
Milford Sound
For the adrenalie junkies, there are no shortage of options for bungy jumping, catapolts, swings, and skydiving. You can also canyon down a river and speed along a river in a speedboat. You can mountain bike and race around the lake in a tiny shark-like contraption.
Caitlyn, Ed and I survived
So much fun, so little time launching ourselves off ledges
Jet boating!
You can enjoy a leaisurely walk through the gardens or the path around the lake. You can take a cruise through the lake or enjoy a glass of wine at one the many bars right on the water.
For the partiers, you better believe every night feels like a Saturday night here and the bars are happening. Every 20 feet there is a cool bar to check out that probably has a happy hour going on, including an ice bar.
If you are here during the winter, then ski at one of the 5 ski resorts nearby.
It is very easy to fill your time with activities and empty your pcokets while in Queenstown. ENJOY!
Overall thoughts:
Queenstown was by far my favorite place in New Zealand. I could spend a month here; in fact, I could spend a year here working on a working holiday visa.
Please allot appropriate time here in Queenstown on your trip to the South Island. It is such a fun spot to hang for a few days.
The Pursuit Of Travel