If you didn’t see part 1 of my New Zealand + Australia trip, you might want to head HERE + read that before continuing reading!! 🙂 But, if you did, welcome back!!! I’m so glad you’re here to see part 2!!!

Queenstown was easily my FAVORITE destination on our entire adventure. When I pictured New Zealand, before I ever went, I pictured somewhere that looked just like Queenstown. Mountain views, blue water, adorable shopping, delicious restaurants, tons of adventure + landscapes that looked like postcards. It was INCREDIBLE. So, by default, I think this blog post will be my favorite recap of the entire series 🙂 BUT, before we flew from Auckland to Queenstown, we spent one last day road-tripping to Coromandel! I’m going to pick up where I left off during the last post!!! 🙂

Day 6: Coromandel!! AH! After 5 full days of traveling and exploring, our entire group was ready for some relaxation. It was JUST in time for a beach day at the Coromandel coast!! We spent a few hours in the car before arriving at an adorable downtown-y area for lunch + then heading on our hike down to the coast. Let me be really real…I expected the hike to be a piece of cake. But, I also decided to fill my backpack with my camera equipment, towels, water bottles, food, books + sunscreen for the beach. So, I hiked for 40 minutes with 30 pounds on my back…I was pretty sure I was going to die. This girl needs to hit the gym a little more often!! But, once we arrived at the beach, it was SO worth it!!! We spent an entire day soaking up the sun + swimming in the crystal clear water. It was a dream!!

Day 7: Trip to Queenstown!!! We all packed our suitcases back up (which was NO easy feat), left our adorable Airbnb at 6am and headed to the airport! We had a two hour flight to Queenstown (which, for me, consisted of lots of Adele + Justin Bieber) before landing in my new favorite place on the planet. We unpacked in our new Airbnb (which was nestled in the mountains right outside of town) before heading out on a HUGE adventure!!! I expected to spend this afternoon catching up on some work, napping + relaxing…but boy, was I wrong! Instead, I ended up taking a HELICOPTER ride over Queenstown onto a GLACIER!!! WHAT!? It was a DREAM + something I never thought I would be able to do!! The entire ride was too stunning for words…just wait until you see the images from my camera at the end of this post!!! But, for now, here’s some behind-the-scenes iPhone shots from that day!!

Day 8: TATTOO DAY!?!?! Say what!? Day 8 was another free day in Queenstown when we were able to do whatever we wanted. Explore, take a jet boat, go bungee jumping, horse back riding or skydiving…but, Natalie, Kat and I chose to get TATTOOS! I have wanted a tattoo for my entire life, but I am TERRIFIED of needles (we’re talking about crying when blood gets drawn). So, I had just accepted defeat and knew that I would probably never be able to get it. But, on Day 8 of my adventure on the other side of the world, alongside two of my favorite friends, it finally happened. I finally worked up the courage to get the tattoo I have always wanted. It is a permanent reminder of my love for exploring, the memories I made on this adventure + to “always let myself be silently drawn by the pull of what I really love”. This day ended with a sunset cruise through the mountains-it was the BEST!

Day 9: Milford Sound day trip!!! 4 hours in the car each way with views that made my heart stop…this road trip was SO much fun. We jammed to some of our favorite throwback songs (and, of course, some Adele) while we took it all in. We took a wildlife cruise across Milford Sound + saw SEALS (!!!) + waterfalls that towered over the mountains. We grabbed a delicious dinner on the way back (bacon + cheese wedges, anyone!?) and then crashed at home for a REALLY good night’s sleep 🙂

Day 10: Our LAST full day in New Zealand…so bittersweet! We woke up bright and early for a sunrise shoot on the beach (SWOON!) and then spent the day exploring before finishing up with headshots on the water. During the afternoon, I went with Natalie + Kat to provide emotional support as they BUNGEE JUMPED off of the top of a mountain…CRAZY!! I wish I had that kind of courage…these women are amazing! I finished off my day eating my VERY FIRST burger…yes, I’m serious. It was at the famous Fergburger in downtown Queenstown…SO. GOOD!

Just like last time…here are all of my favorite professional images from this chunk of the trip!!! 🙂

 

Travelers come to the beach and stack the rocks like on the right, and then the next traveler adds a new one until they get too tall…SO cool!!!

Helicopter Day!!!

SEALS!!!!

And two quick favorites from the sunrise shoot in Queenstown!!! This gorgeous bouquet was foraged from the backyard of our Airbnb by the incredible Dear Sweetheart Events!!!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also love:

Piha Beach Styled Shoot

New Zealand + AUS | Part 1

The Great Photo Escape