moeraki, new zealand:

The next stop of our Kiwi adventure was Moeraki.

After exploring Milford Sound and staying the night in Te Anau, we left early in the morning to make our way across the country to the east coast town of Moeraki. This town isn't usually on the well-trodden tourist trail of the South Island, however there are two drawcards that put this super quaint seaside town on the map.

Firstly, the Moeraki boulders. Situated at the centre of Moeraki beach are large, perfectly round (and rather random) boulders sitting in the sand and along the shoreline. Perfect for exploring, climbing and posing on.

Secondly, Fleur's Place - probably one of the most renowned restaurants in New Zealand - and where we had a beautiful seafood lunch. The restaurant oozes with personality and is full of little quirky details which add to its charm. The food is wonderfully simple and exceptional in quality, with all produce locally sourced.

Moeraki made for a great little stop off before heading south to Dunedin, where we would be staying for the remainder of our trip. And although small, it certainly packed in its fair share of character. If you are ever in the area or staying in Dunedin (it's about an hour's drive north), I'd highly recommend a meal at Fleur's and a little explore around Moeraki.

Next: on the farm, in southern Dunedin.

spotted on the way to moeraki

approaching fleur's

details inside fleur's

fish of the day

my man

posing up a storm at the moeraki boulders

milford sound, new zealand:

milford sound

Visiting Milford Sound has always been high on my list of places to visit, however, we've just never seemed to have had the chance to get there on any of our previous visits. With my sister Sarah also joining us on holidays, it was made priority that we get to the west coast and check it out.

We left Wanaka early and made the four hour drive to Te Anau, the closest town to Milford, before driving another two hours through the stunning Fiordland National Park,  arriving at the sound for our boat trip. 
I'll quickly mention that Fiordland National Park and Milford are infamous for the amount of rainfall received each year (something like 200+ days), so we scored big time with blue sky and perfect conditions!

The drive through the national park is breathtaking, with lush rainforest, lakes and so many mighty mountains appearing at every turn.  I would highly recommend allowing up to an extra hour to make stops and enjoy the scenery, as it is truly epic. In fact, I would even rate the drive as good as the boat trip - so beautiful.
Once out on the water, we made our way to the sound's entrance, out in the wild Tasman Sea, passing iconic Mitre Peak, and other massive cliffs that soared into mountains and then dove straight down into the water. Amazing, and so worth the wait.

Next: the east coast town of Moeraki

lake te anau

driving through fiordland national park

mirror lake

a tui

 

arriving at milford sound - it was such a buzz seeing mitre peak!

exploring the sound

clouds rolling in

part of the coastline seen from the tasman sea

out in the tasman sea, looking towards australia

looking back into milford sound from the tasman sea

seals!

stirling falls

driving back to te anau