Episode 50: New Zealand’s South Island with Kyle Mulinder

Angie Orth:

You've just spent the day swimming with dolphins and watching sea lions sunbathing. Your legs are that good kind of tired and it's finally time to chill. Better rest up because you've got a bridge to bungee off of tomorrow. Here, there's nothing better than watching the sunset with a glass of that famously crisp Sauvignon Blanc. As you sit, you think to yourself, “Wow, I'm so glad I took Angie's advice and planned this trip to New Zealand.”

Well, my friends, you're welcome in advance, but just to be sure I've sealed the deal, Kyle Mulinder is joining me today. He's the creative mind behind the vlogs and stunning photography of Bare Kiwi. Kyle is here to share the countless wonders of New Zealand's South Island. Dear listeners, you’re about to find out why this island belongs on everyone's bucket list.

I am so excited to introduce you to our guest today. You might know him as Kyle Mulinder or “Bare Kiwi” as he's known all over the internet. Hi Kyle, welcome!

Kyle Mulinder:

Thanks for having me here, Angie. This is exciting, this is great.

Angie:

New Zealand is basically these 2 islands. There are other ones, but there are 2 main islands, right? The North and the South. What do you think are the main differences between the 2 islands?

Kyle:

The topography is very different. The North Island is a lot flatter, the South Island is just big, rugged mountains. I don’t if you saw that 3-part documentary that we had on New Zealand. It's called Lord of the Rings. True story! That pretty much sums it up. We got hobbits living in the North Island and then crazy mountains in the South Island.

Angie:

People are coming to the South Island, where do they land? Christchurch?

Kyle:

The majority of people will land in Christchurch. It's probably our second-largest international airport from Auckland. Alternatively, people will fly into Queenstown as well. There is an international airport there, but I think mainly that's people coming from Australia. Australians, we don't talk about them anyway.

Angie:

That makes sense, and I imagine a lot of people coming from the U.S. go to Auckland first then cruise around the North Island, and then maybe take the ferry over to the South Island because there is a ferry, right?

Kyle:

Yeah, there is a ferry between the 2 islands and I'd say it's probably one of the most scenic, watery pieces of the highway you'll ever go on.

Angie:

Let's talk about road trips. I know you're an expert in this.

Kyle:

A lot of people will fly into Queenstown and pick up a rental car. The whole van life thing is very popular in this country, so there are some incredible companies that you can rent a motor home or a van to travel around the country. For pretty much everything you're going to be okay in a regular vehicle. You don't need any of those big American off-roaders or anything like that. Nothing too crazy. The thing is just go slow. Take your time. We drive on the proper side of the road, which is the left.

Angie:

OK! Allegedly. OK!

Kyle:

Yeah, and it is a big thing. We kind of say it, New Zealand roads are different. I didn't really notice that or think about that until I traveled overseas and went to places like the States and realized, “Wow, roads over there are so nice. They're so wide and big and forgiving,” whereas here, they're very narrow, they're windy, but they are a public highway so there are big trucks on those roads with you, then we hit single-lane bridges every now and then. And the road is so dramatic that it's so easy to get distracted. Whatever time you see on Google Maps, double it because it's so beautiful. I would say the most popular route is just literally to do a circle around the South Island. There are some beautiful mountain passes through the highways like Arthur's Pass and Lewis Pass.

I would go north from a beautiful town called Kaikoura, which is famous for its marine life, whales, dolphins. Then, I would go up around Marlborough Sounds, best sauv blanc in the world, mate.

Then into the Abel Tasman, probably one of the most beautiful places, go for a walk, kayak up around there. Down Glacier Country, down the west coast, and then I would hit like Wanaka, Queenstown, get your adventure fix.

If you've got time, get to Piopiotahi or Milford Sound. Then from there, make your way back around through Aoraki Mount Cook, go see some of our highest peaks there. It's absolutely stunning. Then make your way back to Christchurch and that's a nice little loop. If you do have time, you can go south to places like Dunedin and The Catlins, but I guarantee you're going to run out of time everywhere you go.

Angie:

You mentioned Kaikoura. Can you tell us a little bit about that and what makes it so special?

Kyle:

Kaikoura is hands down, a special, special place. When you get there, you'll feel it. It's one of those places that you want to give at least 2-3 days if you can. Kai in Maori means food and koura means crayfish or lobster, so it's famous for having the best lobster you'll ever eat in your life.

Kaikoura is also famous because straight off the coastline is a 1-kilometer-deep coastal trench. The water is so deep, vibrant, and full of life that there are resident sperm whales that live there. The sperm whales are so unique to view, they sit on the surface and then when they go, their big tail comes up.

Angie:

Have you swam with the dolphins in Kaikoura?

Kyle:

I have always put the dolphin swim in my top 3 things I have ever done in the world, and the one in Kaikoura blows my mind. I went out there the other day, I was swimming with possibly around 600 dolphins. They're very small, they're not very big dolphins, but they're incredibly inquisitive and they want to play with you. You are the entertainment. My advice is—and I know this is going to sound dorky and you're thinking I'm stitching you up—but make noise, sing, laugh, giggle underwater because the more noises you make, the more they come to you. There's no enticement, this company does not entice them. They don't chase the dolphins, they go to an area where they are, park on the side, and you jump in the water. They sound the horn, you jump in the water, and from there, it's up to the dolphins if they want to come over. And it's emotional, mate.

Angie:

Can you see the dolphins any time of year? Or are you more likely to have this experience during a specific season?

Kyle:

I'm going to give you a little insider tip, OK? Easter, get to Kaikoura around Easter time. Around that time of year, the dolphins come close to the shore in masses. There's a kayaking company there called Kaikoura Kayaks and they call that their dolphin season. I've had the most incredible luck with them going out on a daily basis, and you’re kayaking with these pods of 600 dolphins around you, just off the coastline.

After your day's finished, you can then go get a feed of fish and chips, get some crayfish, a beer, a wine, go sit down on the beach, watch the sunset, and the dolphins are still there and you're like, “Oh my God, I was swimming with you. I was kayaking with you and you're still just there off the coastline.” It's a really amazing time.

Angie:

Am I correct in remembering that there are some kind of seals or sea lions on that coast, too?

Kyle:

The coastline is full of them. I think it was 2014 when we had a devastating earthquake hit Kaikoura, like devastating. The highway on either side was completely decimated. When they rebuilt the highway, they learned from the mistake that this was probably one of the most scenic roads, but people didn't have places to pull over. And so, they've rebuilt the highway with you in mind. How can we make it safe for you to drive knowing that you are going to be blown away? But with lots of pullover spots. This is where the road becomes the destination. There are 3 major tribes or iwi all along the coastline. They have told the story of the tribes that lived along that coast that collected the seafood. Go to all these vantage points, there are beautiful statues, beautiful plaques, and you can see the seals and the baby seals.

There's a famous place where they've built the new highway called Ohau that looks over top, and you can see the baby seals down there or you can drive out to Point Kean in Kaikoura and see the seals. But please, please be nice. We are big, scary creatures and everyone wants to walk up to these things. And why would you do that?

Angie:

Yes, thank you. This is our sea lion PSA. People, keep your distance.

Kyle:

You're going to get a better wildlife experience from afar if you sit there and just enjoy it, sit down, relax. You don't need to get right up to them. We’ve got a huge albatross in the area and you can go out and see them on the water. There’s so much to do in that little town. They are on this big project to turn the town into a dark sky reserve. If you get it on the right day, I've seen the southern lights from there. There are lookout points up top. It's one of the only places where you're going to get an incredible sunrise, sunset, wildlife, beauty, action, great food, and then a night sky. Kaikoura has it all.

Angie:

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Angie:

Where should we go next? Glacier Country?

Kyle:

If you jumped right over to the west coast—we're talking the other side of the South Island—you've got Glacier Country. Now, Glacier Country consists of 2 very famous towns, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. Both these towns are named after the glaciers that run into them, and these giant glaciers flow down from the Southern Alps. Fox Glacier is formed off Aoraki Mount Cook, our highest mountain, and that just flows to the ocean. It is insane. We are talking a place where you can see the coast, the mountains beyond a glacier, with rainforest all around you. It's also one of these unique places that makes bad weather look good because you've got this extreme environment of this topography of massive bodies of water with massive mountains and glaciers. Often, you'll get misty, you'll get heavy rain, and it comes and goes just as fast as that. So, don't let the weather put you off.

Angie:

How up close and personal can you get with these glaciers?

Kyle:

They offer heliflights, so you fly in a helicopter up onto the glaciers and then a guide takes you for a hike around. Those tours are forever changing because every day they literally fly in and are like, “What's the glacier done today? Where can we go? What's our route?” They don't know where they're going to go. And you'll sometimes get to go through sea caves, get to go through different areas.

Franz Josef is a slightly bigger town, and I'd say more popular. Fox Glacier is a lot smaller and more quaint.

Angie:

If you stop in this area for a couple of days, where do you recommend staying?

Kyle:

I will often stay in Fox Glacier purely because … this might ruin this for me, and suddenly I'm going to see everyone else doing this. But there's a beautiful lake called Lake Matheson and one of my favorite things to do is go to this lake at sunset. You've got the view of Mount Cook and the lake is so sheltered by all the trees that it's like a mirror. There's this platform that I just sit on, have a beer, and you literally watch this mountain go from blue to white to purple to pink to red as the sun sets off the west coast onto it. It's mind-blowing.

Angie:

Wow! So, Glacier Country is a nature lover’s paradise. What else is there to do and see in this area?

Kyle:

You can go and view kiwi. Kiwi are our native birds. It's often what we're referred to as—Kiwis—not the kiwi fruit. There is a wildlife sanctuary there and kiwi are nocturnal, so it's really hard to see and witness kiwi in the wild. In Franz Josef, there's an educational center that talks about the glacier, the history, and they have a bunch of kiwi that you can see in a nocturnal house.

There's also Lake Mapourika in Franz Josef, and if you can do this at sunrise or first thing in the morning, you can take a kayak out on that lake. There's this crazy blanket of mist, mirror reflection. There's kotuku or white herons, you've got the mountains, you've got glaciers all around you. For those few hours up until late morning, this lake is mind-blowingly peaceful. It's just incredible. It's funny because most people go there for the glaciers, and you wouldn't think about sea kayaking or kayaking on a lake.

Angie:

It just sounds like a fairytale. Easy to see why those Lord of the Rings documentaries were filmed in New Zealand.

Kyle:

There we go. A fun thing about Glacier Country is everyone has a helicopter, or everyone knows someone who has a helicopter. In Glacier Country, helicopters are the way around because it's such a remote, fun area. You want to get up, go explore in a helicopter because they're going to take you to some incredible places around there.

Angie:

You're telling me if I'm just hanging around, getting a coffee, making friends in town …

Kyle:

There'll be a good-looking helicopter pilot somewhere around there. We can make friends. Otherwise, you just book onto a tour, but where's the fun in that, right?

Angie:

Oh, that seems a little easier. I feel like my husband would like that better. The not making friends with handsome helicopter pilots.

Let's go to where you are right now while we're doing this interview, Fiordland National Park.

Kyle:

Fiordland is the bottom west coast of the country. It's our largest national park. We just went on a tour and did the overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound, which has actually been my wife's one big dream to do and we finally got to tick that off. We saw Fiordland crested penguins, which are super rare penguins to see. We saw seals, dolphins, and then you just park into these arms and chill out. They go in, turn all the engines off, turn the generator off, turn everything off on the boat for about 5 minutes or so. Usually, there isn’t a dry eye in the house. People just sit there and it really hits them, you're sitting on this boat with these fjords listening to the native birds. We actually had a kea—which is our native parrot—ruin the silence with its beautiful squawk. And you can hear the bellbirds, you can hear all the birds chirping, it's pretty special.

We should definitely talk about the most famous fjord, Piopiotahi or Milford Sound, which is down the road a little bit. It’s so incredibly dramatic. That road is probably one of the most beautiful roads in the world. The road just comes to an end, there are no shops, there's no little township, or anything. There is a little community and that’s just the guides that live there. Something I want to throw out there is one of the best ways I think to explore it is to get in a sea kayak. It's so hard to grasp how high these mountains are.

Angie:

You've got a lot of really cool stuff in a relatively compact spot.

Kyle:

The Maori way of saying New Zealand is Aotearoa. I always describe Aotearoa to people as a smorgasbord of the world. Just a taster, a little bit of Norway here, a little bit of tropics. When you say Abel Tasman National Park, it's like a little bit of Fiji out north. We’ve got all these little tasters and they're so close to each other. If you don't like the weather, drive an hour, you’ll find a whole new world.

Angie:

We have to talk about Queenstown because that’s the adventure capital, right? That’s where people go to jump off things. Is that right?

Kyle:

A hundred percent. Queenstown is famously the adventure capital of the world. It's where crazy people like AJ Hackett founded bungee jumping. If there's anything nice and peaceful, we found a way to make it extreme there.

Angie:

What is the deal with that? Why are kiwis so adventurous? Bungee jumping, jet boating.

Kyle:

Yeah, jet boating was invented by a sheep farmer. We wanted to get up the narrow rivers. Now, places like the Shotover Jet take people on tours. Incredible. I guess what it comes down to is we don't have theme parks in our country, our theme park is the country. But we've got this, we've got beautiful bridges, we've got amazing whitewater rapids. Queenstown is this incredibly beautiful town that you can go crazy in. There's a narrow gorge on the Shotover River. We've got some great spots to take you bungee jumping in. It's kind of the law, we won't actually let you leave the country until you've bungee jumped.

Angie:

I love what you said about you guys don't have theme parks, so you’ve got to make your own adrenaline. You make your own rides. Queenstown is the Disney World of New Zealand.

Kyle:

Get there in winter, too. Winter is amazing. The skiing is so fun. You've got 2 massive ski fields right in town. You've got Coronet Peak, which is 20 minutes from town. You've got The Remarkables, which is 40 minutes from town. If you want to drive a bit further to Wanaka, you've got Cardrona or Treble Cone. So, you've got 4 massive ski fields close. Great town. Then go whitewater rafting, do fun stuff.

Angie:

That's so fun, too. And there are so many places to do it, right?

Kyle:

Queenstown has the Shotover River, where Shotover Jets is. They kind of finish where the Shotover Jet starts, and just up the road from is solid Grade 5—we are talking gnarly—whitewater rafting. The Shotover River was actually the second-richest river in the world at one point during the Gold Rush era.

There's this famous part of the river—this is such a crazy New Zealand thing—you have this whitewater rapid that goes into a tunnel that was hand-carved out by the gold miners and the river doglegs around this little part. Back in the day, the miners got their pickaxes carved a hole through the rock so that the river would divert through there and they could walk and pick up the gold. Now, what happens is you go from rapid through this tiny little cave and then you come out onto this waterfall-like rapid. It's so crazy. It will scare the living bejesus out of you.

Angie:

I don't know about you, Kyle, but all of this bungee jumping and whitewater rafting has me pretty thirsty for the famous “sauvy b.”

Kyle:

Marlborough is famous for our sauv blancs. It's our winery region, so the Marlborough Sounds are beautiful. We're talking pristine waters, native forest, and then suddenly you flow into vineyards. You've got the mixture of that vineyard culture. You can do a bike tour, you can get someone—you definitely want to hire someone—to drive you around because you're going to be sampling wines everywhere you go. Otago Queenstown is famous for its red wines, so you want to be sampling reds down south and whites up top.

Angie:

Oh, that is a very helpful tip. Put that in my pocket.

What about food? What should people eat? Besides Fergburger, what else are we eating on the South Island?

Kyle:

We love our food here. You can get involved with traditional food, which is called hangi. It's a traditional way of cooking food below the ground in an umu or a pit. Marlborough is very famous for its green lip mussels. You want to go to Kaikoura and have a crayfish.

In Christchurch, the eateries that have shown up there along the riverfront! There's one called Little High Eatery which looks like a food market from Asia. You want a little bit of that, you want a little bit of this, try it all out. Different things going on there.

There's one cafe there called the C1 Cafe. It's built in an old bank and it’s right in the center of town. It has those crazy pneumatic press things like the old bank tellers would use to put the money in and it would fly around in those tubes. And they deliver the food to you that way, so you can order sliders and they'll come to your table on a tube. You'll watch it fly around in the ceiling and then come down.

Often, the smaller the town, the cooler the cafe. For example, in Te Anau, there's one called the Milford Road Merchant and they probably have the best pie I've ever had. We do these meat pies.

You've got places like Toad Hall up in Motueka. You cannot get a bad meal there. Their brunches are off the chart, they have real fruit ice cream, and their coffees.

People often think you have to go to a big city to find it, and what New Zealand does really well is not too city. People in these little towns, this is their home, this is their pride. Start heading up to the little towns and the smaller cafe, you've got it. The best thing I think you can do in New Zealand is talk. Get off the apps. You don't need any of these crap apps to travel around the country. Just talk to people, we love helping you guys out. If we hear an accent, we're going to get excited. You don't have to worry about this trust thing, just know that we're real, we're genuine, and we're here to help. We're here to have a good time.

Angie:

Between bungee jumping, whale watching, and wine tours, how can you not have the time of your life?

Kyle Mulinder, thank you for joining us, and thank you to our listeners for being with us. If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA Travel Advisor, check out AAA.com/travel, or visit your local branch.

This podcast is a production of Auto Club Enterprises. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe, and leave us a review. I'm Angie Orth, thank you for traveling with AAA.