A Tale of Two Islands | New Zealand Road Trip

Waking up in Fielding, a small town in the north island, the first thing on our agenda for the day was to reach Wellington. We had our eyes on a campsite near the marina which would be perfect for the night prior to our ferry departure. Reading reviews of the free site, we understood that we had to get there early in order to secure a spot. So after a sunny breakfast where we chatted to a man walking his dog nearby, and a jaunt into town for coffee, we were on the road. 

It was a good drive. Before we picked up the van, I was nervous to drive it. I’d never driven anything nearly so big, and I hadn’t driven anything in months! But the camper was an automatic and pretty easy to drive (except up hills…). I even felt confident on the freeway and navigating the city roads we found in Wellington. We reached the campsite when there were a couple of spaces left and chose ours. It was just a large carpark, filled with all sorts of self-contained campers. There were vans like ours, and those much bigger, including an actual bus that a family had transformed into a home on wheels. 

After we parked up, we decided to have a chilled couple of hours before we headed into the city. Van doors wide, we cracked open some ciders and ate a light lunch before playing a few rounds of cards. It was a beautiful day, and we decided to walk into Wellington from the campsite. We didn’t totally realise that that meant walking up and over Mount Victoria which was a steep and sweaty climb. On the descent, though, we came across another LOTR filming location, the area where Samwise Gamgee says aloud that it is the furthest away from home he’s ever been. For my friends, this was true too. 

We carried on and soon enough we left the trees behind for city streets. We found a bar with games and stopped there for a pre-dinner drink. The staff were very friendly and asked us about our travels. We took our drinks to a table and played some games, including some difficult trivia. One of the bartenders we’d been speaking to came back to us with a slip of paper filled with recommendations for our time on the south island. Some we had heard of, but many we hadn’t, and we were so grateful to have been given them personally.

We had a reservation for dinner at Nolita, a fully plant-based Italian restaurant. The food was delicious. We all had the carbonara (mine minus the cashew-based parmesan) and shared a jug of Sangria and a plate of garlic flatbread. We toasted to our last night on the north island and our excitement to continue our adventures.

The next morning, we had a good few hours to enjoy before we had to leave for the ferry, so Esme and I went for a swim at the nearby Hataitai Beach. It was a small inlet of the dock, but with plenty space to swim. We were the furthest south we’d been so far, and the temperature of the water reflected that. It was a beautiful swim, a perfect way to start the day. As we got out, two older ladies took our place in the water. It felt like a kind of mirroring.

Esme drove us to the ferry and we followed the instructions of the staff for boarding. It was a big procedure, getting all the vehicles lined up and in different queues, then bringing them on, allocating spaces, instructing drivers exactly how to steer to put them in the best position. Esme did well to get us tucked into the little space they gave us. Then we grabbed some belongings and snacks and headed upstairs to find somewhere to spend the following four hours. 

Our task for the journey – alongside enjoying a little peace – was to find a campsite for that night, and make some decisions about our route. We had realised that our time was slipping away and we wouldn’t get to do everything on our list. So we needed to prioritise. We made cuts to our agenda and got excited for the places we would get to explore. And we chose somewhere to sleep that night!

Esme and I took a walk on the outside of the boat. We were navigating small chunks of land at the north of the south island. It was beautiful. The water wasn’t still, but it wasn’t too choppy, and the whole world was bright blue and green. Breathtaking. As we reached the front of the boat, we felt the strong pull of the wind and found it was difficult to stand still. It took our breath away in a different sense! 

Off the ferry, we headed to the campsite we’d picked and booked for the night. We were staying at Pelorus Bridge, another notable location for fans of LOTR. The drive there wasn’t too long, and when we arrived and parked up in our spot, we had time to get out the camp chairs and enjoy the greenery with a drink before dinner.

The next morning, before we had to get on the road once more, we explored the area. We followed one of the walking tracks to see some waterfalls and we were not disappointed. The first falls we found was a gorgeous sprinkle of water that poured down mossy rock. The moss varied in colour and shape, some leaves were deep green, others almost fluorescent, some translucent.

The longer part of the walk was to the next falls. We walked along a thin path that fell away on one side, from where we could see the rushing Pelorus River. At one point we thought we must have gone astray, having not seen one of the park’s signs in a long time. But then we heard the sound of water running into a pool, and caught sight of the other waterfall. This one was bigger, and just as beautiful. The deep pool at the bottom was perfect for a quick dip. It was super cold, stinging our skin, but in the stunning natural surroundings it was magical. 

We’d forgotten to bring towels (or underwear), so the walk back was a little less comfortable than the walk there. But it was wholly worth it. Swims always are.