Bucket List Retirement Trip: The (Other) Land Down Under

March 27, 2026 — People have many different reasons for choosing where they go on their retirement bucket list trips. But if outdoor adventures and amazing scenery make it to the top on your list, start planning your trip to New Zealand!

Topretirements just completed our long anticipated trip to the land of kiwis …and it was great!

New Zealand, Aotearoa in Maori, consists of three islands. The North and South Islands are by far the largest, with the much smaller Stewart Island to their south. New Zealand is very young when it comes to human habitation. It is considered to be the last land mass on earth to be discovered. Polynesians ventured west to settle here in the 1200 or 1300s. Europeans followed after Captain Cook’s “discovery” of the islands in 1769.

The country has tons of fun places to visit, with the the south having the more amazing scenic wonders. We started our trip in the North, landing in Auckland after a 15 hour flight from Dallas. Yes, it’s a long way to get there, but it’s worth it.

Auckland is the country’s largest city. Like most of New Zealand’s coastal cities, it takes full advantage of its beautiful harbor filled with sightseeing boats and ferries. Along the harbor there is a great Maritime Museum along with many eateries and shops. We took a ferry to Tiritiri Matangi, a nearby island that is the country’s most impressive nature preserve. Once devastated by overgrazing and invasive rats, possums, and stoats, we saw that the heroic volunteer efforts to restore its bird and plant life to what the island looked like before westerners arrived with their pests are working.

From there we flew to beautful Christchurch on the South Island. In 2011 a very powerful earthquake struck the exact center of the city, leveling most buildings and killing hundreds of people. In just a few years it has largely been rebuilt, and for the better. There is a huge pedestrian-only area with cool restaurants and shops that extends for blocks along the graceful Avon river. What they have done in such a short time is very impressive.

From Christchurch we journeyed on to Lake Tekapo, a postcard perfect turquoise lake that extends into the distant mountains beyond. One night we went to the international Dark Sky Preserve for stargazing. The area’s lack of light pollution gives it some of the darkest skies on the globe. The concept at the preserve is brilliant; you lie back on a raft in a warm pool while the guide points out the stars and constellations. We were happy to see the Southern Cross, only visible in the southern hemisphere.

The scenery only got more inspiring from this point. At Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park we hiked a trail to a lake dotted with glacier deposited icebergs. We were also rewarded with clear views of Mount Cook and its glaciers, the country’s tallest mountain at over 12,000′.

On the way south towards Queenstown we stopped for a fantastic lunch at the Kinross vineyards. The meal was terrific, and the wine tasting was the best one we have ever had. Kinross’s tasting room is a cooperative effort of four vineyards in the area, and we got to taste samples from all of them. New Zealand is best known for white wines like Sauvignon Blanc. Their best red wines are delicious Pinot Noirs.

Queenstown, which justly claims to be New Zealand’s adventure capital, is another town with a beautiful harbor and pedestrian promenades along the shore. There are food trucks, restaurants, and street performers along with a beautiful botanical park and its a wonderful collection of exotic trees like giant Sequoias. A gondola rises to the mountain towering over the town, providing an even better view of the lake and distant mountains.

Next we moved down to Te Anau, one of New Zealand’s largest lakes. The area is a good representation of what this country offers for exciting adventures. As an example, we took a jet boat which provided thrilling views as we sped along the rapids.

Te Anau was our base to explore the top of Fjords National Park. We drove the twisty road over the mountains to Milford Sound. The road has been named one of the 10 most beautiful roads in the world (and for our money, it is). From the harbor at the end of the road we took an excursion boat along the fjord to the country’s southern coast – the next land would be Antarctica. The waterfalls and towering mountains seem to go straight up from the fjord. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the world for sure.

New Zealand is also famous for his walking treks. Some of these are very long and can take days to complete, either camping or staying in huts. We walked with a guide part of the Milford Track, which many people believe is the most beautiful trail in the entire country. The following day we followed up with a hike to the top of a mountain using the Routeburn Track, another of the countries “Great Walks.” The hiking and the views were tremendous.

During our visit to the country of New Zealand we met fellow travelers of every kind of person, age and nationality. Many of the younger folk were renting RVs and traveling around the country to explore, hike, climb mountains, kayak, and partake of every kind of adventurous sport. There were many retirees as well, many of them hikers.

If you go

If you go we recommend spending at least a few weeks there so you have time to explore this beautiful country and its many areas. In our two weeks we could only explorer a tiny fragment of what the country has to offer.

Come on down!