14-Day South Island NZ Free & Easy Travel Guide｜~NZ $2.2W per person

✈️ Day 1–2: Arrival in NZ Chengdu → Haikou → Auckland ✈️ Day 3: Auckland → Christchurch Christchurch Botanic Gardens / Riverside Market 🚣 Day 4: Christchurch Punting on Avon River / Historic Tram / Cardboard Cathedral 🚗 Day 5: Christchurch → Tekapo Church of the Good Shepherd / Astro Café at Mt John Observatory 🚗 Day 6: Tekapo → Mt Cook → Twizel Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Shop / Lake Pukaki Lookout / Tasman Glacier Walk (Weather unfortunately canceled our Mt Cook hike 😔) 🚗 Day 7: Twizel → Wanaka Lake Wanaka (That Wanaka Tree 🌳) 🍽️ Food recs: Federal Diner (casual Western) & Bombay Palace Wanaka (Indian) — both delicious! 🚗 Day 8: Wanaka → Queenstown Fergburger must-eat 🍔 / Stock up at Four Square supermarket 🍜 Dinner pick: Saigon Kingdom Vietnamese Restaurant (Steamer Wharf) 🚁 Day 9: Queenstown Skydive (Go 15,000ft for longer free fall! 😎) Skyline Gondola + Luge at sunset (Timing: ~5pm winter / ~7pm summer) 🚢 Day 10: TSS Earnslaw + Walter Peak Farm Tour Sheepdog demo + sheep shearing show + afternoon tea 🐑☕ Perfect for animal lovers! ✈️ Day 11: Queenstown → Auckland 🦪 Happy Hour at Oyster & Chop (3–5pm) — oysters only $2 each! ⛴️ Day 12: Auckland → Devonport Day Trip Ferry from Downtown Terminal (15min) → walk ~20min up to Mt Victoria Summit for panoramic views. ✈️ Day 13–14: Auckland → Shenzhen → Chengdu 📲 SIM card: Bought Skinny (Spark network) at airport 🚗 Rental car: Booked via Zuzuche — chose full coverage (saved us when a stone cracked the side window!) 🚌 Queenstown transport: Got a Bee Card from Paper Plus near airport → easy bus travel around town. #NZTravel #SouthIslandNZ #NZRoadTrip #NZFood #NewZealand #LupinSeason #NZGuide #TravelDiaries