New Zealand Travel Vlog 🏔️🦌 | Queenstown → Lake Tekapo → Mt Cook | the most beautiful dream 🌾

0:34 We're heading to Queenstown Airport!

0:43 Even before landing,

0:45 we're greeted by beautiful mountain views🏔️ Someone's extra excited

0:56 to see snowy mountains for the first time (Well,

1:01 at least as far as she remembers😆) It's actually our second time here

1:12 with Koko We loved QT so much that we had to come again!

1:20 The airport itself is absolutely stunning🥹 We rented a car and we're

1:45 headed to our first stop A mall with a mountain backdrop!!

1:59 The supermarket is just a 6 minutes drive

2:03 from the airport We'll be staying in a BnB, so we decided to pick some things

2:13 for our stay The chocolate selection here is incredible,

2:20 it’s so hard to resist🫠 I decided to get this one with honeycomb

2:27 toffee pieces🍯✨ And a healthier one for Koko I really recommend this yoghurt!

2:39 It's really delicious and creamy~ I spent so much time searching for eggs,

2:47 only to realize they’re stored at room temperature here😳

2:52 The sweet aroma of the strawberries was too tempting,

2:55 so I had to grab a pack Byebye pretty Woolies🥹👋 The first BnB we'll be

3:08 staying at is a 20-minute drive

3:10 from the airport We've just arrived at the carpark,

3:15 and the views have left us speechless To get to the suites,

3:21 you need to descend 50 steps Thankfully, we packed light,

3:26 and Koko can walk on her own now The BnB

3:32 has scenic spa pools that are free to use for guests!

3:36 We're already so excited😆 A lovely message and some chocolate!

3:50 (It was absolutely divine after chilling in the fridge!)

3:56 The BnB has gorgeous views of Lake Whakatipu

3:59 and the Remarkables mountain range Koko has also found

4:10 a perfect chilling spot There's also a full kitchen and dining,

4:15 but we'll have to come back to them later We're starving,

4:18 so we're on the way to the Town Centre (5 minutes away) to grab some

4:23 dinner The sky is still so bright that it’s hard to believe it’s already 8 PM!

4:41 We walked past this place last time and thought,

4:44 'Shabu shabu would be perfect on a cold day!' They have a min order of 200g

4:50 of meat and we ordered 300g of New

4:52 Zealand Wagyu We also ordered seasonal vegetables and udon!!

5:04 While waiting for the soup to boil (which felt like forever),

5:08 we got some tempura Koko loves tempura and this one was very good👍 Finally,

5:24 time to start cooking🥹 Not sure if the food

5:33 was amazing or if I was just starving,

5:35 but I ate so well haha It’s about 8°C, not super cold,

5:44 but coming from the Australian summer, QT’s summer feels chilly!

5:47 So the warm food feels extra comforting☺️🍲 Udon is also a must!

6:05 By the time we finished eating it was already 9:30pm This felt so magical,

6:15 almost like the day would never end~ The reality, though,

6:24 was that we were completely exhausted haha After a bedtime story with Koko,

6:32 we fell asleep instantly I woke up early to watch the sunrise I’m so glad I did!

6:56 The serenity was absolutely beautiful and so healing🏞️ When I checked my phone,

7:13 I saw a message from Turtle asking me to wake him too For once,

7:20 it wasn’t actually too hard to get him up!

7:27 I thought it’d be nice to enjoy some yogurt while

7:31 watching the sunrise The yogurt was so indulgent and luxuriously creamy

7:45 *someone's really cold😅 It’s been years since we’ve watched a sunrise

8:00 together But this one was certainly the most beautiful we've seen!

8:12 The sun slowly emerging from behind the mountains,

8:16 surrounded by complete peace and quiet It felt like time stood still

8:22 and it was truly magical🌄 There’s nothing quite like the stillness of dawn,

8:41 the world bathed in golden light It’s

8:49 a memory we’ll hold onto for a lifetime☺️🧡 I

8:59 got changed and it's time to make some

9:02 breakfast before Koko wakes These bananas are so big!

9:17 I plan to make simple banana-oat pancakes I miss my potato masher

9:29 back home🥹 I must have left my cooking skills behind with it too!

9:47 I added way too many oats🫣 Didn't forget to bring my sturdy trusty pan though

10:05 The batter was so thick that the pancakes

10:08 turned out more like cookies haha Luckily,

10:13 I have a daughter who’ll happily eat anything oat

10:17 and banana-flavored Speaking of her, she just woke up...

10:21 time to put my multitasking skills to the test!

10:29 Some morning cuddles with Koko❤️ Making

10:42 the 'pancakes' bear-shaped definitely adds a few

10:45 extra 'likely to be eaten' points What’s inside my Mary Poppins bag?

10:56 Chopsticks and cutlery for Koko,

10:58 of course😆 Decorating with some sweet strawberries~ Not

11:14 bad for my first BnB meal🫣 I was

11:19 very curious about this moka pot So Turtle made some coffee for the two of us

11:34 The scenic views through the windows and homey

11:37 interiors make the meal feel extra special☺️

11:44 The strawberries tasted just as sweet as they

11:48 smelled☺️ We booked a Steamship Cruise trip for today,

12:16 so we're headed to town now Since there's some time before the ship arrives,

12:26 we decided to walk along the lake The scenery is so mesmerizing,

12:35 I wouldn’t mind spending the entire day

12:39 just strolling around Ever since I got pregnant,

12:48 Koko has been incredibly helpful🥹 Ducks gracefully gliding across

12:58 the shimmering waters of Lake Wakatipu🦆 The ship is finally here!

13:28 It's the last remaining coal-fired passenger steamer

13:33 in the Southern Hemisphere The ship will take

13:41 us across the lake to Walter Peak High Country Farm As soon as you enter,

13:52 you can see the engine room They also serve

13:58 drinks and snacks on board There are plenty of seats,

14:05 but if you want one with a table,

14:07 it’s best to line up early We didn’t plan on ordering any food,

14:18 so we ended up sitting at the back of the ship Onboard,

14:26 you can wander through its decks and even visit

14:29 the engine room It's truly fascinating to seethe heart

14:38 of this working steamship in action There's also a beautiful

14:53 display illustrating the story of the steamship After about 30 minutes,

15:03 we reached the Walter Peak High Country Farm Here you

15:09 can spend a lovely afternoon having a picnic or strolling

15:12 in the farmland~ Or you can pre-book a range

15:17 of activities We opted for the BBQ buffet and farm experience,

15:22 so we headed to the restaurant right away The views were so lovely outside,

15:30 but I was feeling really fatigued so we sat inside Since I was really tired,

15:36 turtle was in charge of getting food...

15:40 I guess he thought I needed more protein for energy😆 And he was probably right,

15:48 since I felt much better after eating I went to check out the dessert options

15:56 and decided to explore the rest

15:57 of the food selection as well The restaurant showcases

16:01 a variety of dishes made with their homegrown

16:04 produce There's a wide selection of seasonal

16:08 menus featuring fresh salads and vegetables The highlight

16:12 of the buffet is their wood-fired meats,

16:14 cooked right in front of you The dessert

16:20 options were equally impressive☺️ If you ever visit,

16:25 I highly recommend trying the boysenberry sorbet and yoghurt cheesecake!

16:39 Soon after we finished eating,

16:41 it was time for the farm show The show was so entertaining,

16:49 especially for the kids Koko loved it so much

16:59 that she wanted to go back again the next day!

17:18 I wish there was more free time to explore the beautiful farm,

17:23 but the return boat departed almost immediately

17:26 after the show On the steamboat ride back,

17:30 I slipped down some stairs and hurt my tailbone!

17:35 Thankfully, it wasn’t anything serious,

17:37 but the pain lingered for the next few days...

17:40 (weeks) For the rest of the evening,

17:47 we took it easy We enjoyed some food by the lake

17:55 and visited The Bathhouse Playground The playground was absolutely stunning,

18:03 with incredible views overlooking the beautiful Lake Wakatipu

18:18 We didn't have much planned for the day initially,

18:20 but this ended up being one of our longest days😆

18:24 🐨:"choo choo!🚢" We’ve walked past this restaurant so many times,

18:39 and it’s always packed But not today!

18:43 So, of course, we had to give it a try The interior is charming and cozy,

18:52 perfectly capturing the warm,

18:53 inviting vibe of a traditional trattoria The menu changes daily,

18:59 and both the pasta and pizza are freshly made every

19:03 day We began our meal with the garlic pizza bread

19:14 as a starter We were surprised to find it was

19:21 the same size as a regular pizza😆 It was absolutely delicious,

19:29 and you could really taste the freshness of the dough Like her mamma,

19:48 Koko loved the crust the most Picking just the crust😆 For our main dishes,

20:04 we ordered a pizza Margherita and a spaghetti aglio e olio

20:13 It was absolutely delicious and incredibly satisfying☺️ Fighting with the cheese

20:25 that doesn't want to break😆 The aglio e olio was quite different

20:34 from what I’m used to It had a much warmer, comforting flavor,

20:40 which I think is perfect for a colder climate The thick,

20:49 chewy spaghetti was a joy to eat We wanted to get dessert too,

20:58 but we were so full by the end of the meal The weather was so beautiful,

21:08 we decided to go walk along the beach

21:19 Doesn't this look like the most perfect postcard?

21:41 The beach was packed with swimmers, even though the water was freezing!

21:50 Koko didn’t seem to notice the cold too...

21:53 at least not right away🥶 Hi little seagull😳 The lake was absolutely stunning,

22:15 so Turtle decided to rent a kayak and paddle My tailbone was still pretty sore,

22:23 so I figured I’d sit this one out and relax Though honestly,

22:28 it was more like standing because there were no

22:31 soft benches to sit on😆 Imagine my surprise when

22:37 they came back just 15 minutes later Turtle said

22:44 it was amazing (and the water was relatively calm),

22:47 so I had to give it a go It was such a peaceful

22:53 and beautiful experience(+ the seat was soft and cushioned!) One thing though,

23:02 remember to wear sunscreen🙂 Since I wasn’t planning on kayaking,

23:09 I ended up getting a pretty bad sunburn...

23:12 After paddling, we went back to the Bathhouse Playground

23:14 as per Koko's request~ We were really craving a Fergburger,

23:22 but the line was so long,

23:24 so we decided to try the bakery instead I asked for recommendations and ended

23:32 up with a Boston cream doughnut

23:34 and an almond croissant Turtle got a vanilla gelato,

23:40 which was perfect for the weather Koko must have been really

23:46 tired because she never naps at home The doughnut was ok,

23:54 but the cream was really good!

24:00 Koko had the almond croissant when she woke up,

24:04 and she loved it too Next, we headed to the deer farm.

24:10 I’d recommend booking in advance during peak season,

24:13 as it’s always fully booked As we arrived,

24:24 we were greeted by a flock of sheep😆 The views were absolutely stunning,

24:33 making it an ideal spot to spend a relaxing afternoon Many

24:38 reviews mentioned that the scenery here surpasses the views from the gondola,

24:43 and I couldn’t agree more!

24:54 Unfortunately, it was an extremely windy day, with dust blowing everywhere,

24:57 so we decided to stay in the car If you visit on a calm day,

25:10 you could get off the car to feed the animals!

25:12 (Just watch out for the ones with hard antlers) The animals were

25:18 all very friendly and definitely very used to having guests😆 Koko sending

25:28 finger hearts to the deers❤️ There are also several picnic spots scattered

25:47 across the hill They'd be perfect

25:52 for enjoying the breathtaking surroundings Once again,

26:01 I find myself absolutely speechless

26:03 at the sheer beauty of the landscape🥹 There’s

26:09 a flying fox that glides over the breathtaking

26:13 scenery There’s also a massive tunnel slide!

26:24 Koko must have gone down it at least 10 times😆 I hhighly recommend this place,

26:31 whether you’re visiting with kids or just a big

26:34 kid at heart yourself🍃 We made a quick

26:42 stop at Queenstown Central Shopping Centre on our way

26:45 back to grab dinner The service was excellent,

26:49 and if you go, I highly recommend sticking to the noodles—just the noodles!

27:02 I put Koko to bed while Turtle went out

27:05 to grab a Fergburger So here we are at midnight,

27:09 finally indulging in the burger we’ve been craving all day🫣 (I microwaved

27:12 mine to make it pregnancy safe haha) I made a quick breakfast,

27:26 and now we're on our way to Lake Tekapo!

27:31 Koko’s still in her PJs because she refused to wake up

27:34 until the very last minute😆 My sunburn is starting to sting...

27:46 The drive was 3.5 hours,

27:49 but it honestly flew by The breathtaking scenery made every moment

27:58 feel like a beautiful adventure We ordered some knot rolls, ciabatta,

28:16 and drinks By the time we got here,

28:22 it was almost 3pm and the kitchen was closed To our surprise,

28:28 the ready made breads were incredibly fresh and delicious!!

28:37 After eating we headed straight to our second BnB We were told to close

28:45 the gates as sheeps may come in otherwise😆 As soon as we arrived,

29:02 the landscape took my breath away The architectural elegance of the place

29:09 was also just as stunning The interiors are so thoughtfully decorated,

29:16 creating a warm and inviting atmosphere More chocolate❤️ Every corner seems

29:28 to be framed by art from the picturesque windows🏞️ The whole place

29:39 seems to be straight out of a dream And it made me

29:46 wonder what life would be like in a place like this Actually,

29:53 Turtle’s always dreamed of living in a cottage in the mountains,

29:59 away from the hustle of the city While I couldn't picture it a few years back,

30:12 I’m starting to think it might just be right for us

30:19 Or is this simply the magic of Southern New Zealand’s beauty?

30:38 We returned to the lake to fully take in its

30:43 breathtaking beauty The water is such a striking shade of blue,

30:58 it almost feels unreal By the lake,

31:11 there’s also a gorgeous playground with the most stunning flying fox!

31:17 We’re off to continue Koko’s new

31:22 favorite hobby Rock collecting and throwing😆 (Turtle

31:50 trying to kill my camera again🫠) I actually spotted this bench as soon

31:58 as I got here It’s the perfect place to soak in the tranquility

32:05 and admire the breathtaking views of the lake

32:17 There aren’t many restaurants near the lake,

32:20 so this diner was the most convenient option The food was...

32:27 honestly not the best But it’s still a lovely spot to take in the views and grab

32:37 a quick bite We went back to the BnB and slept right away We woke up naturally,

32:59 10 hours later😆 It was cloudy yesterday,

33:05 so I didn't notice the snow-capped mountains🥹 Since I woke up first,

33:12 I thought I'd give the underground tunnel bed a try It's so

33:18 peaceful and completely quiet once the doors are closed Koko (and thus turtle),

33:35 woke up soon after They're also noticing the snow-capped mountains

33:43 for the first time😆 It's good we got lots of rest,

33:50 because we have a long day ahead💪🏻 We started our day by heading back

33:59 to The Greedy Cow to eat breakfast and grab

34:01 lunch for takeaway I initially thought I'd cook,

34:05 but the food was so good here that we had to return For drinks,

34:13 we ordered a "fluffy" and an almond latte For food,

34:19 we ordered a big breakfast, French toast,

34:22 and a kid's Mac& Cheese Koko decided she's going

34:29 to have Turtle's one while he's away finding a carpark😆 You

34:37 can choose to have your French toast with either berries

34:41 or bacon I was in the mood for something sweet,

34:47 so I opted for the berry option It was so delicious!

34:53 And Koko loved it too~ The French Toast

35:09 itself had such a wonderfully fragrant, citrusy aroma!

35:17 I finished the whole thing clean😆 We have a 10km hike planned for the day,

35:23 so I need lots of energy We're heading to Mount Cook now!

35:33 It’s a 1.5hr drive from Lake Tekapo,

35:35 but the stunning scenery along the way made it feel so

35:37 much shorter😍 We’re making a quick stop at a scenic lookout before

35:50 heading to the start of the trails This spot is apparently

35:55 a favorite for photographing Mount Cook Just look at how perfectly the road,

36:06 lake, and mountain are framed🥹 We wanted Koko to look at Mount Cook,

36:13 but she's more interested in a different mountain😆 We’ve

36:23 finally made it to the start of the track!

36:29 Turtle’s in charge of Koko, and I’m on supply duty💪🏻 We’ll need to cross 3

36:45 of these bridges to reach the end of the track,

36:47 and then cross them again on the way

36:48 back The wind makes the bridge wobble a bit,

36:52 and the first one is always the scariest But the views make it totally worth it!

37:03 With Koko, pregnancy, and now a bruised tailbone,

37:05 we weren't sure we'd be able to complete this We decided to take

37:09 it at our own pace and go as far as we felt comfortable.

37:15 It's a 10km track and generally takes 3-4

37:19 hours to complete The path is mostly gravel,

37:23 but watch out for the larger stones!

37:27 I definitely kicked a few big rocks along the way,

37:29 and Turtle almost tripped once too!

37:32 We reached the second bridge with ease~ And it wasn't as scary

37:41 as the first one Even the toilet looks beautiful🥹 We came

37:55 across a picnic table and decided to stop here for our lunch

37:58 break While there are picnic tables at the end of the track,

38:02 I imagined they might be crowded,

38:03 so this spot was perfect There’s something about enjoying

38:13 a meal with a view—it just tastes better, don’t you think?

38:26 After our break, we were ready to continue I was so

38:32 happy to finally be walking on a wooden path Soon enough,

38:45 we reached the final bridge!

38:55 And we made it to the end of the trail!

39:01 We decided to head down to Hooker Lake We couldn’t believe we actually made it,

39:09 and we still had plenty of energy left As for rock throwing… well,

39:14 let’s just say I’m still not great at it Even Koko is teaching me now We

39:37 thought the way back might feel less exciting

39:42 But with the sunset lighting up the landscape,

39:44 the scenery completely changed We even stopped at the scenic

39:51 lookout we’d missed earlier It was hard to say

39:56 goodbye to such a stunning place This was definitely

40:00 our longest hike with Koko After all that effort,

40:05 there’s nothing better than some chocolate Koko had her own

40:10 dark chocolate too We had planned to eat dinner here,

40:15 but by the time we finished,

40:16 it was already 8:30 PM We didn’t want to risk driving

40:20 in the dark on the way back to Lake Tekapo The landscape bathed

40:26 in golden sunset light on the way back was truly out of this world

40:51 We were so relieved to find an open restaurant at 10:15 PM!

40:54 (The only one...) To our surprise, the food was really good!

41:02 If we didn't make it, we were ready to have more oats and chocolate

41:05 at the BnB😆 After putting Koko down to sleep,

41:17 we decided to stargaze The BnB is situated near the Mt.

41:28 John Observatory, offering stunning views of the stars Unfortunately,

41:36 my camera couldn't quite capture the full splendor

41:40 of the scene🫠 Even with the bright moon,

41:49 the stars were abundant and splendid✨ Of course, despite the stunning scenery,

41:58 my mind couldn't help but wander I thought

42:04 this would be the perfect backdrop for a horror movie...

42:13 It was so cold, but we really wanted to soak

42:16 in all of it🥶 It's our last morning and I

42:34 woke up early to watch the sunrise It's quite cold

42:42 in the morning I'm going to make a coffee first

42:50 partially to warm myself up And partially because it would

42:59 be a waste to not use this beautiful kitchen at all

43:10 There's nothing quite as comforting as the aroma of coffee

43:14 early in the morning☺️ Our flight is later this evening,

43:23 but I plan on fully enjoying the rest of the day

43:30 The morning light spilling through the cottage windows is truly enchanting

43:40 I never imagined that the sound of mooing and baaing could

43:45 be so unexpectedly comforting Every time I come to New Zealand,

43:54 I feel it The world slows down, as if time itself has paused And I'm fully able

44:09 to soak in the serenity and beauty of my surroundings

44:20 New Zealand will always be my ultimate favorite travel

44:24 destination❤️ It's as if I've stepped into a dream,

44:36 and the only thing that matters is

44:38 the peace that settles deep within🍃 The sunrise was

44:51 actually behind the building😆 But it was beautiful

44:56 all the same🌞 With a touch of sadness,

45:02 I now bid farewell to this serene dream🍃 I hope you

45:09 enjoyed watching this video as much as I enjoyed making it