Top of the South Island
January 2023
The “Top of the South Island” was the only part of the South Island that we hadn’t explored. So when we had some family (Danielle’s mom, stepdad, and aunt) visiting us in New Zealand we thought it’d be a great place for a holiday (aka vacation ;))
Our family was flying into Christchurch and we had 10 days to adventure. So we decided to loop counter clockwise from
Christchurch ➤
Kaikoura (1 night) ➤
Blenheim (3 nights) ➤
Nelson (4 nights) ➤
Hanmer Springs (1 night) ➤
Christchurch (1 night).
Danielle and the kids flew from Invercargill to Christchurch and Donnie drove our SUV so that we’d have our bikes and beach toys (he also likes driving and Danielle hates it ;p). We also rented a Sprinter van from Samuels so that we could all ride together as we went out on excursions, restaurants, etc.
Christchurch (start of loop)
With a huge itinerary, we didn’t have much time to explore Christchurch. As soon as everyone arrived at the airport we piled up in the two vehicles and headed for Kaikōura.
Kaikōura
When we arrived at Kaikōura we first stopped for something for dinner before heading to our 1 night stay which was just 10 minutes north of town. We browsed the main street and settled on fish and chips at Coopers Catch. Right across the street there’s a play area with picnic tables which were perfect to relax after a busy travel day.
We had our fill then headed to our accommodation for the night at Hapuku Retreat! This was a beautiful home with amazing gardens and views. We wanted to stay for several nights but again our fast-paced itinerary wouldn’t allow it!
Kaikōura Kayaks
We only had one day in Kaikōura and we made the most of it! We were up early for sea kayaking with Kaikōura Kayaks!
We were a little worried how the boats would work with our large group and our 2 boys that were 6 and 4. But they had the perfect setup for us. The kayaks were two-seaters but had space for a small child in the middle - this is where the boys sat. The boys were a bit bored (thank goodness for snacks!) at first but when we came upon some seals they were delighted.
We had such a fun trip on the water. We had a couple of guides that were great - knowledgeable about the area and the seals we encountered. We highly recommend Kaikōura Kayaks if you’re in the area!
After kayaking we stopped for lunch at The Black Rabbit for pizza. They were short-staffed and a little slow that day, but the pizza was delicious! Once we were stuffed we loaded back up and headed towards Blenheim to spend a few days in wine country!
Blenheim
We stayed at the Fairhall Lodge near Blenheim - located right next to a vineyard. The home has an incredible space outside and plenty of rooms inside (each with their own bathroom)! The kids enjoyed playing in the yard and checking for eggs from the chickens.
Because the space was so nice and we had a few nights’ stay, we decided to fire up the grill most nights and enjoyed some whisky and local wine 🙂
Forrest Wines
The first day in town we wanted to do a “wine and bike tour”. What this meant for us 5 adults with 4 kids was we stopped at one winery and then went biking for a couple of hours 😛
We had a late start to the day so most wineries were closing soon but we found Forrest Wines that would be open a little later in the afternoon. The wine was great and the setting was good for the kids - bean bags outside were perfect for us! We had our wine, cheese, and crackers and set out to find a good area for biking.
Biking along the Taylor River
First we stopped by the Wither Hills Mountain Bike Park but quickly learned that it was too much for the kids (and us adults, to be honest) so instead we stayed on our bikes and headed just 100 meters north to a trail that rides north and south along the Taylor River.
This was a fun ride that was relatively easy, especially on the east side of the river. Coming back south on the west side was much more bumpy, but still not too bad for all of us. Afterwards we headed back home for dinner and rest before our river trip the next day.
Pelorus Kayaks
We were excited to try out the kayak / river rafting down the Pelorus (rhymes with Dolores) River with Pelorus Eco Adventures. This river was where some footage of The Hobbit was taken, and the tour guides did an excellent job pointing out the filming locations.
For dinner we were too tired to cook so we headed into town and found Raupo located right on the Taylor River. The food was great and afterwards we headed down to the river to let the kids play a bit.
Pelorus River
The next morning it was time to head to our next destination in Nelson and after spending a couple of hours on the river in rafts we decided we needed to come back just for a swim and to eat at the Pelorus Bridge Cafe. Luckily it’s on the way to Nelson!
First we went for a quick walk along the Totara trail. This was just long enough that the kids didn’t do any complaining. Then we had lunch at the Pelorus Bridge Cafe. Lunch was great - our family had their first savoury pies and everyone enjoyed them. Once everyone was full we headed out for a swim in the river.
The river was a bit cold for us Texans (we’re slowly acclimating though!). And the sandflies were HORRIBLE. In retrospect we should have applied more bug spray, but Donnie had about 20 bites on each leg! Once we had had enough swimming (and bites) we gathered our things and headed for Nelson.
Nelson
Our accommodation in Nelson was AMAZING! It was a bit tight on space for the 9 of us, but the views were incredible. The outdoor dining area felt like our own little restaurant; we ate at home every night in Nelson!
Tahunanui Beach
Our first day in Nelson we explored Tahunanui Beach. It was just a short 5 minute drive from the house. The car park is right by the beach so we didn’t have to carry our beach stuff too far. We had a great day swimming (the kids, anyway) and throwing the frisbee around the beach. We had never seen a beach with such a large range from low tide to high tide. It seemed like all the beaches around Nelson were very different at high tide vs low tide!
After several hours at the beach we headed home for the evening to get some rest before our all-day tour on the Tasman Bay.
Abel Tasman Eco Tours
We had expectations that our trip with Abel Tasman Eco Tours would be the highlight of the trip and we were right! Early in the morning we drove up to Mārahau to meet our boat captain and guide. As we arrived we saw large tractors pulling boats all over town and were curious what this was all about. It turns out that because of the huge range in tides, at low tide tractor’s big wheels are necessary to pull the boat and trailer up several hundred meters up the beach. We left at high tide, so the tractor wasn’t necessary, but when we returned from our day out (at low tide) we fully understood why the tractors were needed!
Our group was so large we ended up having a private tour which was very nice - we filled the boat! First we stopped by Split Apple Rock which was neat to see up close. The kids enjoyed learning about the legend and science of how the rock split.
Next up we set out further in the bay to try to spot the smallest penguin in the world. I’m still not sure how our captain was able to find one out in the vast ocean, but she did! We were all so excited to see the cute guy swimming out in the deep blue.
From there we explored Torrent Bay, a village/neighborhood with lots of homes that is only accessible by boat! Technically it is accessible by land but only by foot along the Abel Tasman Coast Track. This bay (again, like many due to the tidal range) is all sand at low tide and beautiful blue water at high tide. You have to be careful though not to stay and play too long or your boat will be beached with no way out until high tide returns.
Just north of Torrent Bay is Frenchman Bay which was our first stop off of the boat. There’s a single house here and apparently its private land but we’re allowed on the beach. This area was just magical and so beautiful. We could only stay an hour or so before the tide was running too low so we hopped back in the boat for our next stop.
We went a little further north to Onetahuti Beach for lunch and a bit of play. While we were eating Danielle spotted a stingray in the water which got everyone excited. There was a small “cave” the kids enjoyed exploring. After lunch we boarded the boat and headed to Tonga Island and spotted a momma seal and a couple pups as well! We were thrilled!
We started back south to head home but stopped by the stunning Tonga Arches (located here). Apparently at the right tidal height you can kayak right through them - future bucket list item for sure!
When we arrived back it was near low tide and our faithful tractor pulled us back to road so we didn’t have to walk - so nice 🙂
Overall this trip was just amazing and we highly recommend them to anyone visiting Nelson or the Abel Tasman area.
Last Day in Nelson
After a day filled with exploring and adventure we spent the next day relaxing. We checked out the McCashins Brewery for some beer and lunch. There was live music and we all enjoyed our time out in the warm sun with good company and food.
We then decided we’d like to relax at Tahunanui Beach again. First we stopped first at the Natureland Wildlife Trust. We loved that we got to see so many animals up close! Meerkats, porcupines, capuchins, tamarins, and marmosets! There’s also some goats that love a good petting.
We spent the late afternoon on the beach just in the sand (hadn’t brought swimsuits) before heading home for dinner and our last night in Nelson.
Buller Gorge
Our next destination was Hanmer Springs for one night. This is quite a long drive from Nelson so we split it up with a stop at Buller Gorge. We had lunch at Rivers Cafe in Murchison and killed a bit of time in town shopping while waiting for our scheduled jet boat ride along the Buller River.
Buller Canyon Jet
None of our family from the U.S. had experienced a jetboat ride so we thought we better get one in for them on this trip! At the Buller Gorge Swing Bridge (NZ’s longest swing bridge) you can cross the bridge for access to a zipline as well as walking tracks. And jetboating! We’ve done quite a few jetboats now and this one was just as amazing as the others. The Buller River is beautiful and the driver takes advantage of its tight bends to give a thrilling ride.
After the boat ride we checked out some of the trails and learned about the flooding that is prevalent in recent years along the river. In July 2021 there was a devastating flood that was the worst in nearly 100 years.
Hanmer Springs
We arrived at Hanmer Springs late just before dark and were surprised to find how cold it was! The town certainly has a mountain village feel and the cold weather (in peak summer) was unexpected! We were very happy to find the house we were staying in was walking distance to town. We all put on our jackets and walked to Saints Cafe for dinner and drinks for the night.
We wished we had more time in Hanmer after seeing how lovely the town is, but we only had time for a stop at the Thermal Pools the next day before making our way to Christchurch to complete our loop and end our holiday.
It was a chilly overcast day which made it a little too cold for us adults. We would have preferred to stay in the extra warm spas but the kids (of course) were more interested in the water park and slides which weren’t quite as warm. The entire park was amazing though with good coffee and food to keep us fueled up. We spent about 3 hours at the park and then headed to Christchurch.
Christchurch (end of loop)
As we ended our loop around the top of the South island we stayed at the Novotel airport hotel which happened to be where we stayed for MIQ in November 2021 as we moved to New Zealand during the COVID pandemic.
We only had the evening to spend out but we decided to stop at The Margaret Mahy Family Playground for half an hour before dinner. We had visited this on our South Island trip in 2018 and thought it was the best playground we’ve ever been to. Upon visiting again we affirmed our opinion - there’s no better playground than this one. Though, the mountaintop playgrounds in Switzerland are close to the top (no pun intended).
For dinner we headed out for teppanyaki before going to bed early for the early flights out of the airport the following morning.