New Zealand Guide | South Island Maps | Working Holiday

A couple of my close friends are heading to the Land of the Long White Cloud. They are slurping up as much information as they can from – who else but – me who have travelled for two years in New Zealand.

I have written a few dozen posts about my New Zealand Working Holiday adventure these past two years. The blog was born out of this unusual experience to capture what I have learnt and share it with anyone interested in pursuing the same dream.

Most of my working holiday posts detailed my jobs or certain mountains I climbed. Some readers like those posts, but my friends had another request – could you go macro and tell us exactly where you went and what you did in one shot?

If you have not read my guide to the Working Holiday Experience/ Singapore Work Exchange Programme, here it is. I have listed everything from application for visa, bank, IRD, stuff to bring, finding accoms, searching for jobs, buying insurance, getting a car - basically everything I could think of for a worry-less experience.

Aye, ma’ams, for this post, we are going macro – specifically, the places I have been and think you should too.

Let’s start with the South because that’s where I enjoyed most of my WHV. Read the post for North Island here!

Make sure you save this page, or my maps, as references. The pins locate places I visited throughout my two years in New Zealand – best supermarkets, affordable noms, and beautiful hiking spots. 

Think of my maps as the distilled essence of my two-year-long adventure – they will ease your travels across the country.

Tasman Nelson

I spent, on and off, more than six months in the Tasman Nelson states, witnessed the transformation of Motueka through the pandemic, visited tourist sites devoid of the usual crowds, and found random spots for the best bargains and noms.

Work I did (they are all seasonal):

1. Mussel Shucking (Summer, Feb 2020)
2. Pear Packing (Autumn, Mar 2020)
3. Apple Packing (Autumn – Winter, Mar – Jun 2020)
4. Hops Training (Spring, Oct-Dec 2020 and 2021)
5. Apple Trimming (Summer, Dec 2021)

Top 5 activities I’d recommend:

1. Do the Abel Tasman Coastal Walk. The easiest Great Walk in New Zealand with spectacular coastal views.
2. Visit Rawhiti and Ngarua Caves. Rawhiti is free, but Ngarua is not. Both experiences are worth the walk/ price.
3. Eat the meat platter at The Smoking Barrel. I had it twice.
4. Weekend marketing at Richmond & Nelson. Time it for Saturday’s Farmer’s Market. Grab some delectable burgers along the way. Shop for Asian fare and end it with a Pak n Save or Raeward for fresh cuts of meat.
5. Hike to Angelus Hut of Nelson Lakes. The unconventional track, the lonely hut by the lake, camping under the stars – what more can you ask?
6. Bonus: Capture the Windows desktop/ screensaver image at Wharariki Beach. It is, after all, a long ride from Takaka, which puts it as a bonus mention.

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Christchurch & Vicinity (including Akaroa & Arthur’s Pass)

You can find the best and cheapest food in Christchurch.

Christchurch is the city where I found my first job, stayed in my first sharehouse, and made friends who directed me to Tasman Nelson.

While I set base in Christchurch, I travelled with various groups of people to the outskirts – visiting mountains like Avalanche Peak and enjoying a different landscape at Akaroa.

Work I did (they are available throughout the year):

1. Plastic Packer (Jan – Feb 2020)
2. Flower Packer (Jan – Feb 2021)
3. Tomato Picker (Dec 2021)
4. Parcel Sorter (Dec – Jan 2021)

Top 5 activities I’d recommend:

1. Walk around the city centre. Devote a day to visit the most important sites.
2. Visit the Botanical Gardens and adjacent museum. Another great idea to whirl away a weekend. Best to go when flowers are in bloom.
3. Have some ice cream while strolling down Akaroa. A quaint little town on an ancient volcano overlooking the big and beautiful blue sea. Fingers crossed for spotting the dolphins.
4. Hike the Avalanche Peak. A must-do for any moderately fit person! The view atop was remarkable, and we interacted with a couple of Keas – alpine parrots. If not, drop by the Devil’s Punchbowl nearby.
5. Swing by Castle Hills. And climb the oddly shaped boulders.

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Marlborough & Kaikoura

Unless you are working in the vineyards or wineries, or enjoy sampling wine, the only reason to find yourself in this region is to catch the ferry to the other island. Kaikoura was chill, but my near-injurious accident eclipsed my first harvest of abalones.

1. Catch wild abalones at Kaikoura. Ask the locals for the best spot. You have to observe strict fishing rules or risk getting fined!
2. Spot some cute seals at Kaikoura. Their squeals are unbearable!
3. Eat some mussels at Havelock. Watch out for the pesky gulls.
4. Enjoy the ride from Picton to Wellington. We saw a pod of dolphins as we returned to the South Island.
5. Do the Queen Charlotte’s Track. I have not done this, but a friend of mine highly recommended it.

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In Between – From Aoraki to Oamaru to Roxburgh

I have no idea how to classify these places that are too small to be a city but pack enough activities to eat into a week or more. 

The ‘in-betweens’ are on the tourist belt and where the most beautiful parts of outdoor New Zealand are.

Work I did (seasonal):

1. Calf Rearing (Hinds, Spring, Aug – Sep 2020)
2. Cherry Picking (Clyde, Summer, Dec – Jan 2020/21)

Top 5 activities I’d recommend:

1. Star-gazing at Church of the Good Shepherd. You must at least gaze at the sky in the dead of night when in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Time it for a moonless night – that’s the best time for a perfect milky way. Even better: bring your pro cameras or make do with GoPro 8 or Huawei Pro P3 like what I did back in Winter 2020.
2. Hike up Mueller Hut. In Winter. Because that is when the white (snow) contrasts with the red (hut). Have your crampons ready.
3. Catch the blue penguins at Oamaru. These cheeky penguins, the smallest in the world, like to hang out around Friendly Bay after dusk.
4. Go on an eating spree. Sample some cheese at Whitestone Cheese, enjoy delicious pies at Fairlie Bakehouse, indulge in salmon sashimi at High Country Salmon, and devour some real-fruit ice cream in Cromwell.
5. Snap photos at the Clay Cliffs. See if you could spot the ridiculous phoenix from Mulan.

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West Coast

One word to summarise the West Coast: rainy. But on rare days of fair weather, the West Coast makes for memorable treks and adventures.

Beware the sandflies!

Top 5 activities I’d recommend:

1. Trek the beautiful Copland Track. A relatively easy overnight return trek to a natural hot spring.
2. Heli-hike the glaciers. We went with the Fox Glacier, but there is a Franz Josef Glacier to consider too.
3. Mountain bike the Heaphy Great Walk. Not for the faint-hearted or noobs like me.
4. Marvel the milky blue waters of Hokitika Gorge. Dreamy landscape nestled within the forest. It makes for a great half-day trip from Hokitika.
5. Hike to the Brewster Glacier. Disclaimer: I did not do this trek, but my partner did, and his photos were stunning.

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Queenstown + Wanaka

Queenstown is my touchdown and where I spent my first three weeks in New Zealand sorting out administrative stuff. Wanaka is this chill little town that looks best in Winter when snow envelops the mountains.

I stayed in several hostels while at Queenstown and have written a review here.

Top 5 activities I’d recommend:

1. Trek Ben Lomond. The views atop more than make the effort. Plus, the trek is accessible from the city centre. Expect keas at the top.
2. Horse riding at Glenorchy. We trod into rivers and forests and the scenes of LOTR.
3. Visit Arrowtown. You get shades of orange in autumn or bursts of colour in spring.
4. Get an adrenaline kick at the birthplace of the bungy jump. Remember to leap out – and not jump down – for the best footage.
5. Snowboard at Cardrona. Or skiing. Either which, book a class and have some fun in the snow!

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Dunedin + Clutha

Dunedin, the second largest city on South Island, rests on hilly terrain. It is the home to the University of Otago, which explains the youthful uni-life vibe. The town bustles with activities at night.

Beyond Dunedin lies a series of waterfalls, forests and caves suitable for an activity-packed weekend.

Top 5 activities I’d recommend:

1. Feel the gale and enjoy the rocky coastline at Tunnel Beach. Don’t get blown away!
2. Catch some yellow-eyed penguins at The Nugget Point Lighthouse. If not, the view of the stone nuggets from the lighthouse makes up for it.
3. Walk into a large chamber at The Cathedral Caves. Check the tides!
4. Spot some fossilised wood at The Curio Bay.
5. Take a photo with the Southernmost Point of New Zealand sign. The road to the sign can be muddy!

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Southland

The Southland is the coldest part of New Zealand but has the most beautiful tracks. Four Great Walks nestle within the region, and it is home to the famous Milford Sound and lesser-known but equally gorgeous Doubtful Sound.

Top 5 activities I’d recommend:

1. Trek all four Great Walks in the South Island! Kepler Track, Routeburn Track, and the ‘finest walk in the world’ Milford Track. Not forgetting the walk on another island – Rakiura Track.
2. Cruise the Sounds. We took a one-day Milford Cruise from Wanaka by flight and an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound.
3. Visit the island off Bluff. Stewart Island houses several multi-day tracks and lots of kiwi birds.
4. Eat some oysters at Bluff. That was what we did after our Rakiura Track. Also saw a group of girls snapping a thousand photos of their platter of oysters.
5. Sip some coffee, and eat some fried chicken or fries at the southernmost Starbucks/ KFC/ Macs. Just for fun.

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Ending

And that is all from me for the South Island.

I hope I have been thorough. Write to me – IG/ FB – if I’ve missed out on anything. I will add the North Island part in a separate post soon – stay tuned! It’s here!

For now, have fun planning and enjoy your working holiday adventure!