From Te Anau to Queenstown :  New Zealand Episode 12

If you haven’t read the previous episode yet, click here first.

As happy as we are now,

our honeymoon was slowly coming to an end.

At the time, it felt incredibly long.

But looking back now?

It feels like it passed in the blink of an eye.

A truly unforgettable trip was gradually reaching its final chapter. ❤️

Anyway, enough being sentimental 😂

Today, we left Te Anau and headed for Queenstown.

Compared to some of the drives we’d already done throughout New Zealand,

this journey was relatively short.

So naturally, we felt pretty confident.

Unfortunately, accumulated fatigue had other plans.

(We’re usually the type of couple who loves sleeping in, but New Zealand rewards early risers.)

1. The Scenic Drive from Te Anau to Queenstown

Our itinerary was becoming simpler and simpler as the trip went on.

Gone were the detailed schedules and strict timelines.

At this point, we were mostly enjoying conversations with each other and soaking in the scenery.

And honestly?

That might have been the best part.

For most of the drive, we were treated to incredible views of Lake Wakatipu.

One of New Zealand’s greatest strengths is that the scenery constantly distracts you from being tired.

That, and having my wife sitting next to me ❤️

(I’ve heard a lot of couples argue during their honeymoon trips… thankfully, that wasn’t us 😂)

2. Finally Trying the Famous Queenstown’s Fergburger

After about two hours on the road,

we finally arrived at the place I’d been waiting for this entire trip.

📍 Fergburger

This was the moment.

The line was surprisingly long,

but it moved quickly.

We ordered:

🍔 Fergburger

🍔 Ferg Deluxe

One of each.

Now, we could’ve just eaten them on the street like everyone else.

But we came all the way to New Zealand.

We needed a better backdrop.

So we drove over to Sunshine Bay.

Apparently, if you’re lucky, you can even see the Aurora Australis from there.

The nearby parking was free and unlimited too, which was a huge bonus.

3. Lunch with a View at Sunshine Bay

I wasn’t trying to create a burger photoshoot…

But somehow the burger looked better in photos than I ever could 😂

Then again, when you’re surrounded by scenery like this,

even average food would probably taste amazing.

Thankfully, the burger wasn’t average.

It was fantastic.

Juicy.

Messy.

Everything you want from a proper burger.

One thing I learned though:

The original Fergburger is better than the Deluxe.

No question.

Before visiting Queenstown, I had even stopped by McDonald’s specifically so I could compare them.

And honestly?

They aren’t as far apart as people might think.

Fergburger is definitely better,

but McDonald’s held its own surprisingly well.

4. Stopping at Seven Mile Point Track

After eating way too much burger,

we needed a walk.

Our next stop was:

📍 Seven Mile Point Track

It’s the perfect place to stretch your legs after a heavy meal.

Walk down a little,

and you’re rewarded with yet another stunning view of Lake Wakatipu.

Honestly, no matter how many times we saw it,

it never got old.

Although…

the slope is definitely steeper than it looks 😂

The drive toward Glenorchy is packed with beautiful viewpoints.

At one point my wife mentioned she was getting cold,

so I changed into warmer pants.

Priorities.

5. Bannockburn? No. Bannetts Bluff Viewpoint!

Our next stop was:

📍 Bannetts Bluff Viewpoint

There is a small parking area there,

but I completely missed the entrance the first time.

Which meant…

I had to find a place to turn around and come back.

Lesson learned:

Don’t speed.

Especially when you’re surrounded by scenery that constantly distracts you.

6. Arriving in Glenorchy

After passing countless viewpoints,

we finally arrived in Glenorchy.

There was actually a wildlife park on the way,

but unfortunately it was closed that day.

A little disappointing.

Still, the scenery more than made up for it.

At one point, we even spotted a heart-shaped cloud floating above the mountains.

Seriously.

New Zealand somehow manages to make even the clouds look beautiful ❤️

We parked in the open area near Glenorchy and spent some time simply taking everything in.

Every mountain.

Every tree.

Every reflection.

Looking back at the photos now still makes me happy.

So I think we definitely made the right choice coming here.

We even saw a couple doing wedding photos nearby.

Everyone looked happy.

It was one of those places.

7. Coffee Break at The General Store

To restore my wife’s coffee levels ☕😂

we headed to:

📍 The General Store

It took about 10–15 minutes to walk there from the parking area.

By this point in the trip,

we were spending a lot of time moving between driving and walking.

A little tiring.

But also strangely satisfying.

Inside, they sold all kinds of souvenirs, coffee, and desserts.

Since we’d already had burgers earlier,

dessert sounded like the right move.

We ordered a Full Monty dessert along with an iced Americano.

After browsing the shop and enjoying our snacks,

that dangerous feeling started creeping in.

You know the one.

The “I could fall asleep right here” feeling.

Time to keep moving 😂

8. Searching for Middle-earth in Paradise

My wife was carefully checking maps and directions,

while I was focused on one thing.

📍 Paradise

As a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings,

I wanted to visit one of the filming locations.

At least… I think it was a filming location 😂

The truth is,

I still have no idea exactly which mountain or valley appeared in the movies.

At some point I basically gave up and decided:

“Everything here looks like Middle-earth anyway.”

So I just treated the entire area as a filming location.

Problem solved.

9. Grocery Shopping and Checking into Our Queenstown Accommodation

On the way back,

we stopped for groceries.

The total came to around 70,000–80,000 KRW,

which was enough food to survive the remaining three days of the trip.

Finally,

after another full day of exploring,

we arrived at our accommodation.

The time?

8:30 PM.

And somehow it still looked like broad daylight 😂

The room had two separate sleeping options:

🛏️ A standard bed

🛏️ A loft-style bunk bed that reminded me of childhood

We tried both on different nights.

Both were great.

To finish the day,

we used the groceries we’d bought along with some instant noodles and seasoning packets we’d brought from Korea.

Within minutes,

we had homemade steak and fried rice on the table.

Simple.

Delicious.

Perfect.

And just like that,

our Queenstown adventure was finally about to begin ✨🏔️❤️.