10 day road trip through heaven on earth - New Zealand

Now I know why they filmed the Lord of the Rings here. South Island, New Zealand truly is a magical place. Everywhere you look feels like a movie scene. Known for its crystal blue lakes, dramatic mountains, and plentiful waterfalls, you can't help but feel like you're in a fantasy world. Sitting far out in the South Pacific, separated from almost everywhere by thousands of miles of ocean, it's considered one of the most remote corners of the world. And what makes this place feel so special is just how untouched it feels. So it's no wonder why some people even consider this heaven on earth. This looks like something from a video game. Do you think there's any hobbits out here? Yeah. Really? I'm looking at one right here. Hey! We had about 10 days to explore New Zealand's South Island traveling by camper van, which is one of the most popular ways to experience the country. We created a rough itinerary of all the places we wanted to see, but because the weather here can change so quickly, we knew we had to leave some room for the unexpected. Not getting out, that's for sure. I'm so done. Babe! Come on! Waterfalls! No freaking way! I just want the apple juice! Bad news guys, this is not good. I can't believe we're here! And the farther we traveled, the more the journey began to give us something we never planned for. Whoa! Look at these cows. They're getting really close to us. They look super sick. I think they're really curious about us. They seem really nice. This is like the perfect photo opportunity actually. Hold on, they're getting really close. I think this is the perfect distance. A fun fact about New Zealand is there are actually more cows here than there are humans. And I don't know why, but I get the feeling that these cows right here came to greet us and wish us luck on our journey. It's like they know we're photographing them right now. They're literally posing for us. There's something about road trips that gives me such a great sense of freedom while I am traveling. And I think it's because being on the road like this, I can stop anywhere when inspiration strikes. Goodbye cows! Goodbye! We kept making our way down one of the most scenic roads I've ever seen and even spotted a waterfall along the way. This is definitely one of the most scenic drives I've ever been to a hike because we've stopped like four times now. I can imagine Frodo running along these mountains right now and Gandalf chasing behind him. After a one and a half hour drive from Wanaka, we made it to our first hike, Rob Roy Glacier Track. This is a six and a half mile roundtrip hike with a decent amount of elevation gain which usually takes about three to four hours to complete. And I definitely recommend you visit this hike because everywhere you look looks like a fantasy film. But there is one problem with that. We haven't made much distance but we filmed a lot. We filmed a lot! That just goes to show how beautiful this place is because every single thing that we look at is like a view, you know? Every single corner, every angle that we point the camera, it's just a very picturesque shot. So it's really hard to not stop and film everything. Yeah. Especially as like a photographer and cinematographer because I see a lot of shots and there's like a lot of stuff to work with but yeah, good problems. Good problems to have for sure. I feel like this is the most lush hike we've been on so far. Dude, I'm so glad we decided to do this hike last minute. We were actually not supposed to come here today. That's true. We were gonna do the hardest hike possible when we came here. And honestly, this is probably maybe more scenic to be honest. It is. In that moment, I realized how important it is to be open to whatever happens. I mean, you can plan all you want but sometimes mother nature has something else in store for you. So instead of fighting what you can't control, sometimes it's better to just embrace the moment and see where it takes you. Oh my god, you can see the glacier up there. The glacier is huge. You literally see the glacier from above and all the water melting down here. Almost there. The things we do for filmmaking, man. Hike up this and now we gotta hike back at night and we have like a one and a half hour drive out. We got a journey ahead of us, babe. A fat journey. Well, at least we're well equipped. We got a little bit of water. We have like half a bottle of water. Zero food. I got a big chocolate bar. I got the 20 millimeter f1.8. What? The 20 millimeter fpv? It's great for low light. Let me see the photos you got. Okay, let me show you. It kind of looks like I have a head. This is cool. Okay, that one's good. Yeah, see? That one looks cool. I like that one. I think there's one good picture in there. I think you made me look pretty cool. Except the ones where you have a peanut head. But I thought it looked good. Me too. High five. Up until this point, we had already been on the road for about five days passing through Lake Takapu, Mount Cook, and Lake Wanaka. And traveling in a camper van was something I always dreamed of and it gave us the kind of freedom I never really experienced before. This is also my first time driving this big of a car and also my first time driving on the left side of the road. So for those of you who are worried about driving this big of a car and also driving on the left side for your first time, trust me, it's really not that bad. We could pretty much just pull over whenever something caught our attention. We could take our time, make some food, rest, and just stay somewhere a little longer without feeling like we had to rush towards the next destination. And on that morning, on our way to the next destination, we were able to pull over and catch one of the most beautiful sunrises of the entire trip. It made me realize that for once, the journey didn't feel like something we had to simply just get through. It actually became a very memorable experience and it reminded me of a quote I recently came across. After five days on the road, we were ready to slow things down and experience a different side of the South Island. Our next stop was Queenstown. We're gonna go try Ferg Burger. I guess it's like a really famous burger place here in Queenstown. It's interesting because next to it, there's Mrs. Ferg, Ferg's Bar, Ferg Burger, and there's a Ferg Bakery. Who's Ferg? I know. Who's Ferg? I never even realized. Ferg Burger started as a late-night burger shop staying open until 2.30 a.m. every single night to feed the Queenstown's late-night locals, travelers, and backpackers. Nobody really knows who Ferg is. He's more of a legend. If you ask the staff, they'll just say a random person every time. And even after all these years, the person behind the name Ferg still remains a mystery, which only added to the legend. This is definitely one of those places that you need to try once you're in Queenstown. Oh, look at that. My God. I'm hyped. Ready, guys? Aioli on there. Okay, it's really good. Tastes really fresh. Queenstown definitely has a very different vibe and energy to it than all the other little towns that we visited prior. Oh, it's really good. Thank you so much. We're gonna go try the custard croissant now. Give it a taste test. Let you guys know. That's so good. That's fresh. I think it is the best one in town. It's really good. As soon as we bit into it, I was like, damn. The coffee and food was amazing, but there was one thing that we were looking forward to the most. Oh my God. That feels so good. This was definitely a much needed relaxation session after those two brutal hikes. If you're in Queenstown, I definitely recommend you guys book this. This also does come with an hour massage. So we got that package. We have 45 minutes inside the onsen as well as an hour massage. So definitely a very premium experience and a luxury relaxation getaway. And you really can't beat a view like this, especially during an onsen. The next day, we went to a nearby hike about 30 minutes from Queenstown. There's so many different biomes and landscapes out in New Zealand. One moment you're near a turquoise blue lake. The next thing you know, you're by a mountain glacier. And now you find yourself in the jungle. I feel like that's just what makes it so unique. There's so many diverse, different sceneries. This is my first time traveling with the Fujifilm X106. And I absolutely love it. I didn't think the 35 millimeter would be good for landscapes, but the low key is actually kind of goaded. This is like my new favorite camera right now. We're getting some really cool stuff. This is a photographer's paradise right now. It's lit up by all this light. Then there's just so much shadow. So it's creating so much contrast. There's like two different lakes kind of separated by this little sliver of land, which looks really sick. 10 out of 10, I would recommend. It's only a 30 minute drive from Queenstown and you get really solid views. I'm happy that this is the easiest hike we've done. And we can still get a view like this, you know? Yeah. I love how everyone is like so nice. And when you travel, you just meet people from all around the world. It's pretty crazy. Argentina, the Philippines. Did you say something in Filipino? Yeah, I said maganda. What does that mean? It means like beautiful. Ah, maganda. Maganda. I only know Po. Hi, Po. Another thing we learned from speaking with a local was about a tradition amongst some workers in Queenstown. He told us it was his last day at his job. And sometimes when workers leave a job, complete a season or prepare to move on, they celebrate by jumping into a freezing cold lake. It's seen as a symbolic way of closing one chapter and beginning another. Almost like a fresh start before whatever comes next. And I think that's one of the coolest parts about traveling. You meet strangers from all over the world. And even through a short conversation, you learn so many small things about a place, its people, and the traditions that you may have never known existed. The past two days in Queenstown felt like a relaxing change of pace. And we felt well-rested and restored. But our biggest adventure hasn't even started yet. Feeling good? I think we got a long ways ahead. How are you feeling? I'm feeling a little bit nervous. Considering this will be the longest hike I've ever done in my life. Really? Yeah. But I'm feeling hopeful. You know, there's a lot of people here. If they can do it, we can do it too, you know? Out of all the hikes we've done so far, Roy's Peak was the toughest one at about 11 miles round trip, 4,200 feet of elevation gain, and five to seven hours total time to complete round trip. Because we stayed flexible with our schedule, we were able to time it on the perfect day with no rain or clouds. Breezy breezy. The views get nicer and nicer slowly as we get higher and higher. You can see the cars from down here. We came from all the way down there. It's kind of hard to see, but that's where we parked. And there we are now. Enjoying a lovely sandwich on a lovely day in New Zealand. This is my emergency sandwich. We have been revitalized by that sandwich, and I think it's time to make our last trek to the top. Almost there, guys. Almost there. We're gonna make it. It's gonna be good to finally just sit down and take in the view, you know? We're almost there. We're right here. Oh my gosh. What a journey. Oh my god. Not gonna lie. There were many moments I was seriously questioning my decision during this brutal trek. Because, I mean, there are so many other amazing views that you can get to without climbing 4,000 feet up, right? But I think that is exactly what made it feel so special. Because of how challenging it was to get here, photos and videos I was capturing now isn't just about the view or a location anymore. It's also about the story it took to get here. And I think that right there is what will turn a beautiful place into a memory that you actually carry with you for the rest of your life. Today is May 28th, 434. As of right now, we are on Roy's Peak. I think this is the most scenic hike we've been on in quite some time. Let's check this out. Oh my god. Babe, I'm so done. I'm gonna go start walking without you. Babe! Come on, dude. Babe, I told you I didn't want to be the last one. Come on! Dude, it looks so good right now. Babe! Babe, I'm cold and I'm hungry. And I'm thirsty as f**k. Come on, we gotta get the content. Babe, we're not gonna have another liquid and do it out loud. Oh my god. Okay, hold on, let me get a quick photo. I just want the apple juice. Dude, when we get back down, the apple juice is gonna hit so hard. We left 30 minutes ago. We've been 30 minutes close to the apple juice. Like 10 minutes ago, you're like, Oh, you can tell when Eunice is all done. Hey, can I get a picture? We climbed up three hours to this hike. Like, I mean, come on. We gotta make the most of it, you know? I'm thirsty. We got a nice crisp apple juice and some salmon teriyaki waiting for us. I'm gonna get that cup ramen. Oh, and then our campsite is like super close too. So it's like less than 10 minutes. Yeah. So we'll be back before we know it. Yeah, it's 5 12 right now. The goal is to make it down by 5 20. Eight minutes? Three hours later. I'm cold. And I'm hungry. You're like, okay, but I just need one more shot. You gotta think about the gods. Babe, you're in charge. You're in charge of the food and water. And you didn't bring enough water or food. Oh my god. Exhausted and sore, we went to sleep that night. And the next morning, we had a peaceful slow start as we prepare for our final stop in Milford Sound. We heard lots about it and how it's a must-see location when you're visiting the South Island. So after hearing so much about it, we were excited to see what was waiting for us at the end of the road. I'd say this is a pretty good stop for sure. I think this is the most green scenery that we've ever filmed in New Zealand. So gotta get that variety, you know? You guys don't see it, but we'll be driving somewhere and it only takes us an hour, but I'll make like three or five stops to get some photos, to shoot some extra b-roll. But I think that's just what's so fun about road trips, you know? I'm feeling tubby now. Really? Yeah, a lot of pasta and bread. Really? Yeah. You love your food though. But I'm not tubby now. Don't look at me. We've made it to another stop and it's absolutely beautiful. These mountains are absolutely majestic and it's a bunch of keo birds all around here. They were like pecking at a car as soon as we parked. Oh, they're actually chilling on top of it right there. They are. Oh my god. I love the underside of their wings. They're like red and they're really colorful birds actually and they're native to New Zealand. The weather is definitely working with us today. Although Milford Sound is kind of known for being kind of rainy, it's actually very sunny right now. But the good thing is, is I think that tomorrow we'll see what it's like because it should rain tomorrow. Milford Sound is one of the wettest places in the world but strangely enough, the rain is part of what makes it so special. After a storm, hundreds of temporary waterfalls appear across the mountains, pouring down the cliffs and covering the entire landscape in mist. And apparently, some consider this the eighth wonder of the world and one of the best ways to truly experience this place is by taking a boat through the fjord. So tomorrow, we're hoping to get out onto the water and finally see these mountains up closer. Okay, so this is gonna be our camp spot for tonight. Check out the views. Definitely very scenic. This is what's gonna allow us to keep the heater on all night as well as charge all our batteries. So all these sandflies are killing me. We stayed at Milford Sound Lodge which is the only place to stay or camp directly inside of Milford Sound. So I definitely recommend you reserve your spot ahead of time especially if it's the busy seasons. I'm excited to explore the lodge with you. I think tomorrow is gonna be so different with the rain. We're like literally in the forest. After a long day of driving, it was nice getting to the campsite earlier to relax and slow down. We had a dinner reservation at the restaurant in a few hours so we explored the lodge and enjoyed some snacks while we catch up on some work. I finished a really sick grill that we've been meaning to create out here. It looks so good. The first time I watched it, I was like, Yeah, it came out super cool. Check it out on Instagram. You'll find it over there. It was a big difference having a restaurant at our campsite but we went back to sleep and we woke up to something that we could have never expected. Let's go. It's actually dumping so hard. Our pants are not waterproof. No freaking way! Starting off with the morning like this, we were filled with excitement for our boat tour and everything was going according to plan but just as we were leaving, something happened. Okay, bad news guys. On our way out, kind of got jammed over here. Our cruise reservation was only 15 minutes away and with very little cell service and the only nearest home company about an hour away, things weren't looking good and since this was our last day here on the South Island, there won't be another chance to catch this experience. Fortunately, a friend from the workers at the lodge happened to be nearby and offered to help. After multiple attempts, we weren't sure if it was even possible to ever get out. We had a caravan blowing over with the wind. A big gust of wind came out. It was on like 45 degrees on its side with the windows smashed, the stones and everything. And that was like a camper van? Yeah. Oh, just like yours. Wow. Just a big side wind just completely blew over. Wow. That's not good. Yeah, it's looking worse. We could be in the middle of nowhere. Yeah. At this point, we realized we were way past our cruise reservation so we missed that along with our tickets that we had paid $300 for. They eventually brought another vehicle capable of pulling us. So with one last effort, we were able to finally get out. Oh my gosh! We did it, everybody! Well done. Oh my God! You know, one thing I realized is that is a very strong stump. No, good effort. Thanks a lot. Hey, thank you. Thank you for all your help. The alternative is $1,000 for the animal company to come in, right? Really? Thank you so much. The good thing is that we're both safe. We could have been stuck somewhere else or maybe got into a worse accident. So kind of my blessings for sure. Thank you. Oh my God, that was crazy. I'm happy we finally got out. I think maybe we weren't meant to go on the cruise today. Maybe it was a sign. Who knows? But we're still gonna make the most of today. We're gonna go head back into, I believe it's called Monkey Creek. Get a few more shots of these like mini waterfalls around these mountains. This trip through New Zealand started as a chance to explore a new place, capture beautiful landscapes, and experience life on the road. By the end of it, I realized the trip was never really about the places we visited. It was about everything we experienced along the way. By letting go of the plan and learning to enjoy the journey for what it was, even when things didn't go the way that we expected, I started to feel more present in every moment. And in those long drives, the unexpected detours, and exploring places I'd never dreamed of seeing, I found a part of myself I hadn't felt in a long time. The part of me that could stay curious, embrace the unknown, and experience the world with the same sense of wonder I had as a kid. And maybe that's the greatest thing traveling can give us. Not just new places to remember, but a chance to rediscover parts of ourselves we forgot were still there. Finally made it to the land of a thousand waterfalls. Look at that waterfall that's like sideways. This is crazy. I can't believe we're here. It really is a thousand waterfalls.