1 Year of New Zealand Selfies: January & February

Happy 2024 from New Zealand!

For the beginning of the year, I visited volcanoes, dropped back down to the South Island, and went on two epic adventures!

Then, my parents and my aunt and uncle arrived for almost three weeks of fun!

*Note: For full stories about many of the regions, hikes, and activities featured in these selfies, you can click this link to view the complete list of Oceania Travel Entries.

**Final note: I decided it was too much scrolling to post 365 selfies on a single page, so you can access other months at the links below:

July & August

September & October

November & December

January 1

Whiritoa: started the new year with a swim

January 2

Whiritoa: relaxed, played cards, and (vaguely) planned the next month

January 3

Hobbiton: visited the Hobbiton Movie Set!

January 4

Tongariro National Park: did a short hike to Tawhai Falls at the base of Mount Raupehu

January 5

Tongariro National Park: hiked the Tama Lakes Track but the clouds never lifted

January 6

Tongariro National Park: hiked Silica Rapids for volcanic landscape and views of Mount Ngarahoe

January 7

Tongariro National Park: got up early to hike Tama Lakes again–this time it was clear!

January 8

New Plymouth: strolled the Coastal Walkway to check out New Plymouth

January 9

Mount Taranaki: did the Pouakai Tarns hike but the clouds never cleared to see the volcano

January 10

New Plymouth: checked out a series of gardens and parks in New Plymouth: Pukeiti, Tupare, and Pukekura Park

January 11

Wai Iti Beach: went to a bach for the day and caught snapper and kahawai

January 12

Mount Taranaki National Park: hiked to Wilkies Pool and Dawson Falls

January 13

Whanganui: checked out Whanganui town and drove the scenic route through Whanganui National Park

January 14

Tongariro National Park: hiked the Waitonga Falls track at the south entrance of Tongariro National Park

January 15

Ohakune: spent a rainy day at the Ohakune library making some plans

January 16

Travel Day: drove from Ohakune to Wellington (4 hours) and took the ferry to Picton (4 hours)

January 17

Travel Day: drove from Picton to Methven (5 hours)

January 18

Travel Day: drove from Methven to Alexandra (5 hours)

January 19

Alexandra: WWOOFed in Alexandra moving, splitting, and stacking firewood

January 20

Flat Top Conservation Area: hiked the Basin View Trail near Alexandra

January 21

Alexandra: hiked Conroy’s Gully to see old miner’s huts

January 22

Alexandra: kayaked around Butcher’s Dam (and tried to fix my horrible tan lines, alas…)

January 23

Twizel: drove up to Twizel to prep for my next adventure (which, last minute, got moved up a day, so that was stressful)

January 24

Huxley Valley: hiked up the riverbed from Monument Hut to Broderick Hut with a group of Kiwis and a guide

January 25

Broderick Pass: hiked up and over Broderick Pass (i.e. the east/west divide) to descend into Creswicke Flat and the Landsborough River Valley

January 26

Landsborough River: rafted through the gorge on the Landsborough River and made camp at Harper Bluff

January 27

Landsborough River: rafted out to the pickup with the crew

January 28

Kingston: recovered from my previous adventure and prepped for my next one

January 29

Milford Track: hiked day 1 of the Milford Track to Clinton Hut

January 30

Milford Track: hiked day 2 of the Milford Track from Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut, plus up to the Mckinnon Memorial

January 31

Milford Track: hiked day 3 over Mckinnon Pass from Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut, plus a side trip to Sutherland Falls

February 1

Milford Track: finished the Milford Track hiking from Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point

February 2

Fairlie: drove from Te Anau to Fairlie and arrived in time for wine and dinner with my WWOOF hosts

February 3

Fairlie: weeded flower beds, spread hay, and pruned trees (working hard or hardly working?)

February 4

Fairlie: enjoyed after dinner snacks and movies with my WWOOF hosts

February 5

Fairlie: trimmed roses, helped transfer bee boxes, and sprayed weeds for my WWOOF hosts

February 6

Hakataramea Pass: went for lunch and a scenic drive with my WWOOF hosts for the public holiday – Waitangi Day

February 7

Fairlie: worked in the yard, then worked on my blog with some interruptions

February 8

Lake Tekapo: picked up the crew from the Christchurch Airport and drove to Lake Tekapo

February 9

Lake Tekapo: walked the lake, hiked Mount John, and drove to Te Anau with many stops

February 10

Te Anau: spent a rainy day exploring Te Anau and playing on the zip lines at the playground

February 11

Milford Sound: got wet beneath Stirling Falls on a Milford Sound Boat Cruise, then hiked Gertrude Saddle

February 12

Queenstown: enjoyed happy hour at our Queenstown AirBnB after hiking Lake Alta

February 13

Walter Peak Station: mountain biked, then took the steamship across the lake for a BBQ dinner and farm show

February 14

Mount Crichton Loop Track: hiked a fun trail, saw Glenorchy, and hit a brewery before Mom’s birthday dinner in Wanaka

February 15

Wanaka: spent a day shopping, eating, and exploring Wanaka with my mom

February 16

Wanaka: breakfast in Wanaka before heading to the West Coast with waterfall stops along the way

February 17

Robert’s Point Track: hiked half of Robert’s Point Track so we could get to this cool swing bridge

February 18

Mapua: left the West Coast and made it to Mapua in time for some sun and reading

February 19

Mapua: ebiked on the Tasman Great Taste Trail and stopped for wine tasting and lunch

February 20

Abel Tasman National Park: hiked from Tonga Quarry to Awaroa Bay

February 21

Abel Tasman National Park: explored around Awaroa Bay and played cards at the lodge

February 22

Abel Tasman National Park: hiked from Awaroa Bay to Totaranui Beach, taxied to Onetahuti Beach and kayaked to Torrent Bay

February 23

Abel Tasman National Park: hiked to Falls River and then over to Cleopatra’s Pool

February 24

Abel Tasman National Park: kayaked from Torrent Bay to Motueka to end our Abel Tasman trip

February 25

Kaikoura: I forgot to take a selfie on the day we drove from Nelson to Kaikoura (!), so this is one from Feb 26 on the fishing boat

February 26

Kaikoura: went fishing with my friends Jacky and Bruce (from Whiritoa) and caught perch and blue cod, plus got a few lobster (called crayfish in NZ) and then ate it!

February 27

Christchurch Airport: dropped the crew off to go home (and smiled through the tears)

February 28

Hanmer Springs: spent a rainy day reading, writing, and strolling through town

February 29

Lewis Pass: hiked the Lewis Tops Track for stunning views over Lewis Pass and the surrounding mountains