Visiting New Zealand Pt 1:
When we decided to come to New Zealand, we knew that we wanted to take a road trip in the South Island - the beauty and size of nature over here is something else so with that in mind Molly and I took a trip from Christchurch to Wanaka.
Honestly I thought the trip would be a lot shorter, but just like everything in New Zealand, the vastness and space of the country is so exciting and beautiful that it’s 100% worth it. Once you get out of the city the countryside turns to poplar trees and then just as suddenly you're weaving in and out of space, happening upon tiny little towns of perhaps 5 houses. I made the decision to make our first stop at Fairlie purely for a visit to Fairlie Bakehouse. Oh boy oh boy was it worth it. And to boot there’s a playground 100m away which means that while you eat one of the most delicious pies you can eat, the little ones can play and keep themselves amused. There’s also a really great toilet right next to it that was spotless the several times we visited.
The reason I love Fairlie Bakehouse so much is that the pastry is so buttery and soft and crisp all at the same time. The filling is full of flavour and taste without being over the top. I always try a mince pie because I feel like if you get the classic right, the more unusual flavours will be so delicious. Definitely try the mince!
We then made quite a long stretch of it but with the weather so lovely, we stopped at Lake Tekapo. It was the most stunning day - clear skies for miles, beautiful beautiful fauna and nature. As you drive down to Wanaka, the Southern Alps is just so stunning and beautiful and although they are a pest and taking over, the lupins simply take your breath away. They’re one of my favourite flowers but I’m also really conscious that they’re an invasive species in New Zealand. There are plenty of places to stop and take shots around Tekapo. We found a great little path down to the water in Tekapo to take a break and wade in the water. Honestly we’ve never seen water so clear!
After taking an hour or two in Lake Tekapo we went on to Wanaka- roughly another 2hours and a bit. All in all a great journey but long! Definitely glad we went though - On the way make sure to take lots of stops as there are some great view points with toilets if needed!
Keep tuned for our stay in Wanaka!