Just finished a road trip through New Zealand. Two Spanish, one American, one gypsy car and tent, 18 days, at least three near-death experiences. We started in Auckland and finished in Queenstown, driving more than 4,000 km in between. It was an unforgettable trip with too many beautiful places and cool people. Here are some highlights:

Water, Water Everywhere
Every day we encountered beautiful bodies of water. This must be why NZ is so green. We swam in lakes, rivers, streams, thermal pools, and oceans, sometimes with snow-capped mountains in the background. These swims often also doubled as baths since we mostly camped in places without showers.

Skydiving in Taupo
Finally realized my dream of jumping out of a plane! Unbelievable experience and not at all scary as I had anticipated. Floating 12,000 feet above the ground with the wind against your face and a beautiful view of Lake Taupo, you stop thinking about everything. Just the rush of the moment. Afterwards, we relaxed in a natural thermal pool near our campsite. Sitting in the hot water under the stars with a bottle of wine… Amazing day!

Mordor
AKA Tongariro. We did the 7-hour Alpine Crossing, which has great views of Mt Ngauruhoe (AKA Mt Doom) and volcanic craters. It really felt like we were descending into the depths of Mordor. Even crazier, part of the track had been closed due to volcanic rumbles. When we came down from the mountain that night, we saw the volcano starting to smoke behind us!

The West Coast
We drove down the west coast of the South Island and were blessed with beautiful sunny weather the whole time. Encountered some hippies in Golden Bay. Saw cool “pancake rocks” at Punakaiki. Visited a famous Maori jade carver in Hokitika (he’s made pieces for Obama and Kate Middleton). And of course, met other great travelers along the way. NZ is so small, you often bump into the same people in multiple places.

Glaciers
There are two glaciers on the South Island: Franz Josef and Fox. Both are unique and worth seeing. Fox Glacier was particularly special because of Lake Matheson, which offers the most breathtaking view and reflection of the Southern Alps and the glacier. We got up early and went to the lake for sunrise. We sat in front of the lake for a good two hours in complete silence, just taking in the beauty around us. Probably ranks as one of my favorite places in NZ.

Fiordland
Such a majestic place! We did a day hike up the Routeburn Track, which is one of NZ’s Great Walks. The view at the summit was incredible. It’s not the highest peak, but you still feel like you’re on top of the world. This was another spot where we sat in silence for a long time. Being in the mountains is a very humbling experience.

The Catlins
We veered off to the east coast for a couple days to go to the Catlins and it was well worth it. The landscape in this area is very different. Majestic mountains are replaced with amazing beaches full of wildlife. Off the coast we spotted many birds, falcons, seals, and dolphins. The best, though, was the yellow-eyed penguin. These rare penguins can only be found in New Zealand, and we were lucky enough to meet some just 10 feet away by the side of the road.

After so long camping and living in the outdoors, arriving in Queenstown was quite a shock. So many people and noises and lights everywhere! Sleeping on a mattress with a proper roof, hot showers, electricity, and Internet feels like a foreign luxury now. I can’t imagine anyone comes to NZ to see the cities. Looking forward to getting back to nature.