South Island

New Zealand has been on my mum’s bucket list for years, so for her 50th birthday we rallied up our family of seven, hired a six-berth campervan and took to the road for an epic 10-day adventure.

We’re a family of animal-lovers, so our first stop in Kaikoura to go whale-watching and visit the seal colonies set the bar high. From there, we made our way down to Akaroa for a touch of French colonial history, parking our home at the Little River Campground – a gorgeous site full of fun activities for kids.

Bright and early the next morning, it was back on the road to check out the famed spots of the South Island, from Lake Tekapo to Lake Pukaki and the picturesque town of Wanaka. We kept a loose schedule and stopped off whenever we spotted something of interest, be it a vineyard, picnic spot or a Manuka honey farm. After a day of hiking and marvelling at the glaciers of Mount Cook, we gave our weary legs a luxurious treat and abandoned our campervan for a night to check-in at Dusky Ridges in Te Anau. Owned by a charming Kiwi couple, our night in this beautiful farmstay was made unforgettable with delicious homegrown produce and a chance to meet all their adorable farm animals.

Our final stop in our trusty campervan was Milford Sound to gawk at the towering fjords before meandering down the winding road of Devil’s Staircase to hit Queenstown. Here, we bid our mobile home goodbye and checked into an AirBnb property overlooking the town. There’s so much to do here – from bungee jumping to luging! Just make sure you make time to stop in at the famous Fergburger – hands down, the best burger I’ve had!