New Zealand was part of the same trip that took us to Australia, and from the beginning, Queenstown was a must. I mean, it is known as the adventure capital of the world, so there was really no question that it belonged on our itinerary.

We stayed at The Stay of Queenstown, an Airbnb that ended up being one of those places you are genuinely happy you found. The customer service was excellent, the stay was wonderful, and we really cannot say enough good things about our experience there.

We had carefully planned out our week in Queenstown, which was not easy because there is an almost ridiculous amount to see and do. Eventually, we had to accept that we could not do everything and narrow it down to the experiences we wanted most.

Our first day was spent exploring Queenstown and immediately jumping into the adventure side of things with the mountain luge and ziplining. It was the perfect introduction to a place known for adrenaline and outdoor adventure. We made our way up above town, where the views over Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and the surrounding mountains were incredible. The luge was one of those activities that sounded fairly innocent until we were actually racing down the winding track, leaning into the turns and immediately wanting to go again.

From there, we moved on to ziplining through the trees high above Queenstown. Between the platforms, the views kept opening up over the lake and mountains, which made the experience just as much about the scenery as the adrenaline. Of course, our ziplining adventure did not go completely according to plan—and somehow turned into one of those stories that was far too good not to save for our Funny Moments section.

The following day, we visited Kiwi Park, where we finally got to see New Zealand’s famous kiwi birds up close. Since kiwis are nocturnal and notoriously difficult to spot in the wild, this was probably our best chance to actually see one during the trip. We also spent time walking through the park and seeing some of New Zealand’s other native birds and reptiles while learning more about the country’s unique wildlife and conservation efforts.

Later that day, we went from quiet wildlife viewing to something completely different—the KJet. We headed out onto the water for a high-speed ride across Lake Wakatipu and the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers, flying over the water, whipping through narrow stretches of river, and spinning through those famous 360-degree turns. The scenery around Queenstown was incredible, but admittedly, it was a little harder to appreciate while holding on and wondering when the next spin was coming. It was fast, loud, wet, and incredibly fun—basically everything you would expect from an afternoon in the adventure capital of the world.

Another day, I had planned a hike.

Now, in my defense, I had specifically researched a hike that was not supposed to be too difficult. Apparently, my definition of “not too difficult” and Sarah’s definition were not exactly the same. Within about 10 minutes, Sarah was already ready to give up, which should probably tell you everything you need to know about how the rest of that hike went. I, however, was determined that we were going to finish what I had apparently signed us up for.

That particular adventure also earned itself a place in our Funny Moments section.

Eventually, though, we made it to the top, where we found the Basket of Dreams sculpture overlooking Queenstown. The views stretched across the lake, mountains, and surrounding landscape, and suddenly all of the uphill effort felt completely worth it—even if Sarah may not have agreed with that assessment at every point along the way.

One of the biggest days of the trip was our journey into Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound, and it ended up being one of the most unforgettable parts of our entire time in New Zealand. Even the drive into Fiordland was incredible, with the scenery becoming more dramatic the farther we went—mountains, valleys, dense forest, rivers, and waterfalls seemingly everywhere we looked.

And then there was Milford Sound itself.

Milford Sound was absolutely breathtaking. Towering mountains rose almost straight out of the dark water, waterfalls spilled down sheer cliffs, and the entire landscape felt enormous, remote, and almost untouched. It was one of those places where photographs do not really capture the scale of what you are seeing. No matter which direction we looked, there was another view that made us stop and take it all in.

Being out on the water gave us an entirely different perspective. The mountains seemed even bigger from below, and as we moved deeper into the fiord, the scenery just kept getting more dramatic. There was something incredibly peaceful about being surrounded by that much nature, even with a boat full of people around us. It felt like the kind of place that makes you realize just how small you are compared with the landscape around you.

Milford Sound had been high on our list when we planned New Zealand, and it absolutely lived up to everything we had hoped it would be. It was wild, dramatic, beautiful, and unlike anywhere else we had been.

Getting there, however, was an adventure of its own.

Our trip to Milford Sound turned out to be… interesting, to say the least. Naturally, that experience became yet another story for our Funny Moments section. But no matter how memorable the journey was, Milford Sound itself was unforgettable and easily one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen.

We had also booked something I had been especially excited about: skydiving.

What better place to finally jump out of a perfectly good airplane than Queenstown?

Sarah had agreed that she would go up in the plane with me, but she had made it very clear that she was not jumping. Personally, I still think I could have convinced her once we were up there.

Unfortunately, we never got the chance to test that theory.

The day of our scheduled jump, the weather had other plans. Because of unpredictable winds—which are apparently very common in Queenstown—the skydive was cancelled. In the end, it worked out because Sarah became sick that day anyway. After getting her medicine, electrolytes, and everything else she needed, I decided to walk into town for a little while.

And I may or may not have ended up in a tattoo shop.

Okay, I definitely ended up in a tattoo shop.

I had already gotten a mountain range tattoo while we were in Iceland, so it seemed only appropriate to add another section to it while surrounded by the incredible mountains of New Zealand. Apparently, when skydiving gets cancelled, tattoos are the logical backup activity.

Our skydive was rescheduled for the next day, and this time we got much farther. We went through the training, got on the bus, drove out to the airfield, suited up, and waited.

And waited.

The winds kept changing, and after about two hours at the airfield, the jump was cancelled again.

So after two attempts, skydiving officially remained on my bucket list.

The good news was that we already had some pretty incredible plans for our final day. That morning, we took a helicopter ride into the Southern Alps, which was my first time ever in a helicopter. Flying above the mountains was amazing enough, but actually landing among them made the experience even more incredible. Standing there surrounded by peaks and scenery that seemed to stretch forever was one of those moments that made you realize just how spectacular New Zealand really is.

That afternoon, we traded the mountains for the water and went out on a fishing charter, something Sarah had been especially excited about. Being able to say she had fished in New Zealand was high on her list, and the day definitely delivered. We ended up catching around four salmon, which made for a pretty successful ending to our week.

What made New Zealand so special, though, was not just everything we did. It was the place itself.

The mountains, lakes, rivers, wildlife, and constantly changing scenery were unlike almost anywhere else we had traveled. We also enjoyed learning more about Māori culture, New Zealand’s history, traditions, and the connection between the people and the land.

By the time we left, New Zealand had easily become one of the most amazing and beautiful places we had ever visited. We loved the scenery. We loved the adventures. We loved Queenstown.

Even after two cancelled skydives.

And somewhere between the mountains, Milford Sound, helicopter rides, salmon fishing, unexpected tattoos, and all of the stories that did not go exactly according to plan, New Zealand became one of those places we knew we would never forget.