27 December 2025 Steps: 9,767 Mount Victoria For our first full day in Wellington , we started by driving up to the top of Mount Victoria . You can walk up, but with an afternoon planned at Wellington Zoo, we wanted to save the kids’ legs. The v iews from the top are fantastic, with panoramas in every direction . Looking down over the harbour is especially iconic, and you can clearly spot the huge Te Papa museum . We’ll be visiting later in the week for a tour led by a Māori

26 December 2025 Steps: 7,436 This morning we said goodbye to Paradise Bay in the Pelorus Sound and caught the ferry from Picton over to Wellington, where Susie’s brother lives. We’ll be staying here for the next five nights, so it will be nice to have a home base for a while. Leaving the Pelorus Sound and the Drive to Picton Boxing Day looked a little different for us this year, as we caught a water taxi directly the off grid house we were staying in (which can only be acces

25 December 2025 Steps: 2,103 (hey, it’s Christmas)! Christmas in the Pelorus Sound Christmas morning felt very different this year. Instead of waking up to sub zero temperatures and snow, we opened our eyes to bright sunshine, and beautiful blue ocean in the Pelorus Sounds! The girls spent the morning opening a few presents we had picked up along the trip, including a stuffed toy magnet from our visit to the Hero Rats in Cambodia and a build your own telescope from Lake Tek

24 December 2025 Steps: 7,734 Today we set off on our way to Paradise Bay in the Pelorus Sounds, where we are staying at an off grid house for two nights over Christmas. As we arrived at the port in Havelock to catch our water taxi , the sun was out and the water was calm, which instantly lifted everyone’s mood as there had been a mixed forecast. It felt like the perfect start to our stay, and we were all excited to reach our off grid accommodation. We used Kenepuru water tax

23 December 2025 Steps: 30,147 This morning we woke up to wonderful sunshine , which was a little unexpected after several days of rain showing on the weather apps. Of all the days in New Zealand, this was the one we were really hoping for good weather , so we felt very lucky. Abel Tasman National Park We jumped onto the boat at the pickup point, which was attached to a tractor . The tractor drove us down to the jetty, and before long we were out on the water heading toward o

22 December 2025 Steps: 8,471 The Pancake Rocks This morning we started the day with a visit to the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, which is one of the West Coast’s most famous natural attractions. There’s a 20-minute loop walk that takes you right along the cliffs, giving stunning views of the layered limestone formations that look just like stacks of giant pancakes. The Pancake Rocks were formed over millions of years as layers of limestone and mudstone were compressed, uplif

21 December 2025 Steps: 16,532 Driving Arthur’s Pass Arthur’s Pass is one of the main alpine routes crossing New Zealand’s South Island , linking the Canterbury Plains on the east coast with the wild West Coast. The drive winds through mountain valleys, river gorges, and native forest, with plenty of short walks and scenic stops along the way. The stretch through Arthur’s Pass National Park is only around 45 kilometres long , but it is slow going in the best way, with so many

20 December 2025 Steps: 8,327 Today we spent the morning in Lake Tekapo , learning about the astrology, before driving to our accommodation in Arthur’s Pass , via lunch at a lovely town called Geraldine. The Lake Tekapo Dark Sky Experience The Lake Tekapo Dark Sky Experience is an indoor astronomy experience set right by the banks of the lake. The girls were especially excited to do the tour after our disappointment the previous day when our stargazing tour was cancelled due

19 December 2025 Steps: 12,705 We woke up to torrential rain this morning, which meant that we didn’t take many stops along the way to Lake Tekapo . Despite the weather, the drive itself was still stunning, with a varied and ever-changing landscape along the way. We passed through the Otago Region and over Lindis Pass, which is a picturesque mountain pass known for its tussock-covered hills and scattered gold rush ruins. Like much of the South Island we have seen so far, lon

18 December 2025 Steps: 12,233 Today was Granny’s first day with us in New Zealand, and we visited Lake Wanaka , although Susie stayed home as she still isn’t feeling great. She’s trying desperately to get better before we leave Queenstown for the rest of our NZ road trip. The route passes over a stunning mountain range, along a windy switch back road. There are some great viewpoints over the valley and Queenstown in the distance. The Cardrona Hotel As we dropped down into t