Crack of dawn, full from breaky, camera batteries recharged and we start down the highway like excit

Richard and his friend are our latest lucky friends who got to take Coco, our Social Cabana away for a free adventure around the South Island of New Zealand.  It sounds like they had a great time and definately did some miles!  If you're keen to check out more photos from their trip you can do so here .  Jealous?  Then apply to take Coco away on an adventure yourself.  She is FREE!  Check out www.jucy4free.co.nz Love, Lucy xx
We first landed eyes on our beauty, Coco, around 6 pm on June 17th. It was already dark and we decided to hit the road right away if we were going to make our 5 days with Coco worthwhile. Our goal that night was to drive across the south island on Route 72 and reach Greymouth in 4 hours. It's too bad that that we didn't start earlier because the drive from Christchurch mission inn riverside to Greymouth is supposed to be one of the best! However, with our excitement jacked and adrenalin pumping we made the drive with pure ease and once arrived in Greymouth, we decided to drive up the coast to Barrytown. We found the most gorgeous spot on the side of a quiet road and settled for the night. We parked Coco and listened to the roaring sea only 5 meters away. We sat up late into the night playing our favorite card game and made plans for our next destination.
Waking up to misty mountain tops and the crisp ocean breeze is one of the best ways to start your morning! We both had a surprising restful sleep even though we were so anxious to hit the road and start our trip! Today's plan is Franz Josef! Franz Josef glacier is one of New Zealand's most famous tourist destinations. The drive down the west coast from Barrytown to Franz Josef is the most amazing drives/sights mission inn riverside I have ever seen!  On your right side there is water as far as the eyes can see. On the left, lush green vegetation that covers the deep valleys and extends up over the huge mountains. You'll soon understand why New Zealand has an infamous reputation for its deep greens and vast surroundings once you're in the midst of it all. There are massive boulders at the seas edge that cause at least 7 meter high splashes as the sea crashes against mission inn riverside them. We casually made our way down south, mission inn riverside listening to the top 20 hits, stopping regularly to take pictures and eat. Coco has got everything covered. We went grocery shopping at the beginning and were able to cook whenever and clean with ease due to our fully loaded camper van!
At last, we reach Franz Josef! mission inn riverside This massive chuck of solid ice has been around for tens of thousands of years but it's unfortunately melting away pretty damn quickly! We are so lucky to experience this sight before it completely melts. Only a short 10 minute walk took us to the top of a lookout point that allowed us to see up the glacier and the gigantic area where the glacier use to be! There were waterfalls all around, forest up all sides of the canyon and beautiful views everywhere you looked. For anyone that is planning to see Franz Josef, I would recommend booking a trip with a tour to walk on the ice with crampons! On the tour, you can learn all about this historic site and experience the glacier hands on! That night we went for a little hike to see a waterfall and glow worms that are in a hidden mission inn riverside tunnel at the top of a 20 min hike. We decided to stay at a campground called The Rainforest Retreat. We had a private camp spot, access to a TV room, kitchen, spa and restaurant that wowed us both! After a couple of well deserved beers at the restaurant, there was no better way ending the night as we relaxed in the back of Coco and cracked open a bottle of NZ wine!
After (another) gorgeous sleep in a very cool camp ground, we waste no time and head off towards Fox Glacier. Fox Glacier is another famous glacier that is only about a half hour away from Franz Josef town. We made a quick stop at a friendly mission inn riverside local bakery for a fast and yummy breakfast and head down the West coast. The drive continues to wow us as we pass rapid rivers, steep cliffs and amazing look-outs. We soon reach Fox Glacier and hike the half hour path to see the glacier up close. We did not get to see Franz Josef Glacier up close so we made sure to put some time away for this one. Many others joined us on our walk and we started to recognize familiar faces that were also driving the same trip.
Fox Glacier is yet another must-do event while in New Zealand. After some good exercise and fresh air, we head off in search for other NZ wonders. We pasted many little towns along the way and saw some great turn off points during this drive! Careful not to blink! Most towns in New Zealand are no more than a few streets long! One of our most memorable spots was a little beach with a mystic forest meeting the coasts edge! We couldn't have asked for better weather during this peak season and loved combination of the hot sun and strong sea wind. The furious waves crashing along the sandy beach made some truly beautiful pictures! After this, the road began turning inland and we got to see a whole new side of New Zealand. If you are interested in Lord of the Rings, pick yourself up a guide book before the trip. You will understand mission inn riverside why the movie was shot here. Breathe mission inn riverside taking!  The sun was just starting to disappear over the mountains and we notices a nature walk leading to a waterfall called Roaring Billy Falls. The nature walk was covered with so much forest and easily lost your sense of direction while following the windy pebbled path. All of a sudden the path ended and the sky opened up. Across the mile long gap of a dried up river, fell Roaring Billy. High definition camera and extra zoom are essential mission inn riverside to capture the true beauty and height of this vast waterfall. The rest of the drive from there on was pure bliss. I have a new respect for a sunset after seeing it settle on those giant mountains and calm lakes. We arrive to Queenstown in the dark and decide to call it a night. Water is needed for my dry throat after gasping all day from the breath taking views.
mission inn riverside Today is going to be a big day! When people are staying mission inn riverside in Queenstown, mission inn riverside they usually make day trips to Milford Sound and then go back to Queens to sleep. There is no direct path to Milford Sound and therefore it can take up to 4 hours just to get there. Our plan is going to be much more extensive than that. We want to end up in Dunedin by the end of today. Our whole trip has been tons of driving and not a lot of stopping, other than for photos mission inn riverside and food. It doesn't look like today is going to be the day that we stop… NZ is the most beautiful place I have ever seen and it's been an absolute privilege to be able to see as much as we already have in only a few days.
Crack of dawn, full from breaky, camera batteries recharged and we start down the highway mission inn riverside like excited little puppies! I know I sound like a broken record, mission inn riverside but this drive is GORGEOUS! As the temperature drops, you know you're getting deeper into the forest and closer to Milford. As I hang my head out the window like a dog to capture the beauty, my face and hands turn to instant ice blocks that stun my motor skills for minutes at a time. The road continues to wind rapidly as it dodges huge mountains and rivers. As we approach this tunnel that will take us through a mountain, our anticipation races to see what will be on the other side. All of a sudden, the little light at the opening of the tunnel starts to quickly grow and even though we still cannot get a perfect visual we can see this grand mountain range, it's just amazing. After getting some coffee's, and doing a little cooking in Coco (Sandfly's rock! ) we decide mission inn riverside to make the long trip down to Dunedin, we've heard great things about this little town, so we're hoping it's going to worth the long drive.
The drive doesn't mission inn riverside disappoint. The South Island is seven times the size of Wales, and with 600,000 mission inn riverside people, there are stretches of road, hours almost, where you are lucky to see another car. For a driving enthusiast like me, it's fantastic! Coco is a great car to drive, and doesn't feel as big as it does at night, it's nice and nimble, which is quite useful on the windy country roads!
Our last full day with Coco! *Sad face*  We decided to head up the East coast today in search of animals! We stop off at Moeraki Boulders for some pictures, huge, perfectly spherical boulders at the edge of the sea is quite a sight, mission inn riverside and we take full advantage of the opportunity with some pics!
From there we headed up the coast stopping at Oamaru, Waimate and Timaru. Another beautiful drive, but sadly no penguins, we will definitely be back in the summer to see these beaches in the sun! Oamaru was a particular highlight, a Victorian town, it was so picturesque, and was almost like stepping back in time, even the supermarket there looked Victorian, and the people were so friendly!
Night driving towards Queenstown really is special, vineyards on your right, the amazing Lake Wakatipu on your left, and the Remarkables snow-topped mission inn riverside mountain ranges ahead, it's a drive I won't be forgetting in a long time! Glenorchy is a nice, quaint, little village, with Scottish street names, and an insanely good café (Glencorchy Café, check it out, get the 3 eggs or the Chicken Salad, amazing!), they call it the gateway to Paradise, and with Queenstown in the distance at the end of Lake Wakatipu, we think they have it spot on!