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 p.1 #9 · New Zealand family trip - sanity check on lens selection | |
My wife and I spent a little over two weeks on the south island in March 2024, and in hindsight, could have easily spent another two weeks. For background, we are in our late 50’s, and primarily selected locations based on their scenic appeal and natural beauty, spending little time in any major city, other than flying in and out of Christchurch, and passing through Queenstown.
As you probably realize, NZ will be deep into autumn when you visit, with shorter daylight hours, highs in the 60’s, and lows around 40 F. Beaches will likely be just for visual/photographic appeal. A good bit out of the way, but if you are in the Abel Tasman area, Wharariki Beach was stunning. Try to go at low tide. The drive over towards Abel Tasman from Motueka will be an adventure to anyone prone to motion sickness. In fact, much of the driving on the south island was like that, mostly 2-lane roads, often with few straight patches over 500 meters.
As you also may know, the south island is split east and west by the southern Alps. What I didn't quite grasp until I was there, was the west side is often overcast, moody and wet, while the east side is often sunny, clear and dry.
Going to suggest you spend a good bit of time in your favorite mapping program, with the terrain feature turned on, and check point-to-point travel times. Honestly, figure on an average of 35mph tops. Far less if in tourist/photographer mode, as there are an extraordinary number of breathtaking views.
If you enjoy wine, even a little bit, know the south island produces many outstanding wines, and there are many wineries, quite small to grand, that you can visit for tasting and purchase. The Marlborough region is known for sauvignon blanc and the Central Otago region for Pinot Noir, although there are great wines produced all over the island. We scheduled some, and randomly fell into others, often based on a referral from another winery. I can provide some names, if interested.
If you are in the Marlborough area, the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim is well worth the stop. Peter Jackson, of LotRings fame, got bitten hard by the WWI aviation bug, collected an incredible suite of memorabilia and aircraft, then made a museum to share his finds with the public. I grew up in the world of general aviation, and understandably, this was right up my alley. That said, even my wife, who is not an aviation devotee, quite enjoyed the stop. The displays are very cinematic.
At the opposite end of the island, we enjoyed an overnight on Doubtful Sound. A bit on the expensive side, but it was the highlight of our trip. Just a bit further north is Milford Sound, which is much easier to get to via car, where you can take a similarly incredible day trip.
In the middle, Aoraki Mount Cook NP was our favorite stop. Will likely be hovering around freezing when you visit, although some of the more popular trails, like the Hooker Track will be far less populated, although possibly icy or snowing in places. The freshwater icebergs in Hooker Lake took me by surprise. My wife was not a fan of the long suspension bridges.
FWIW, we started and ended with a few days in a rental car, and had 10 days in a camper van in the middle. Would have rented the camper van for longer, if it had been available. As long as your camper qualifies as ‘self contained’ (has a functional toilet) you are free to park up in any number of free, or low cost, sites. Note, these are without running water or hard facilities. Many small towns offer free camper water fil, and disposal.
Spend some time digging into NZ travel videos on YouTube, and ordering up a couple travel books through your library. Due to travel times, you will not likely be able to see even 50% of what sounds appealing. IMO, it is better to spend more time at fewer locations, but realize your view may be different.
Not going to suggest what camera gear to take. Too subjective. My favorite images were from my IR converted Fuji, but monochrome is my jam. If you have never tried before, consider taking multi-shot panoramas, either hand held or tripod mounted. Go for at least 50% overlap, and pick a lens and aperature with low vignetting. I like something moderately wide (23mm f/2 on my Fuji's), and typically shoot with the camera in portrait mode.
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