Canada

Home to the rockies, epic coastline and 62% of the world's lakes, Canada's landscape (and warm hospitality) blew us away. We drove and camped through British Columbia and Alberta, stopping at breath-taking national and provincial parks. We also hiked a bit of Vancouver Island backcountry and camped along the coast. Camping will take you to stunning spots, and your wallet will thank you! Vancouver is worth a visit for THE world's best sushi. Visit in Spring or Autumn to avoid the crowds, but keep in mind trails may be snowy!

Highlights

jasper

ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

SQUAMISH

bEDWELL laKE TRAIL - Vancouver ISLAND

Itinerary

Queenstown (12 nights)

1 hour 2 minutes

Wānaka (3 nights)

3 hours 51 minutes

Franz Josef (2 nights)

6 hours 11 minutes

Nelson (2 nights)

33 minutes

Motueka (6 nights)

2 hours 33 minutes

3 hours 50 minutes

Wellington (3 nights)

3 hours 51 minutes

Tongariro (4 nights)

1 hour 50 minutes

Rotorua (2 nights)

1 hour 47 minutes

Waitomo (1 night)

2 hours 5 minutes

Auckland

Vancouver

Vancouver doesn't have much character (maybe harsh) but it does have amazing sushi (dare I say better than Japan?!) and activities that show why Canadians love the outdoors. You can walk the Stanley Park Seawall that connects most beaches and parks from the west side of VC to Downtown, take the boat to Granville Island Public Market (go hungry, lots of food options!) and visit bustling Kitsilano beach with a large outdoor pool or more laid back Jericho beach.

Stanley Park Seawall, Granville Island Market , Sunset at English Bay Beach, Kits Beach, UBC Campus (for forest & views), Mt Seymour hikes, Paddle boarding through false creek, multi-day trip to Mount Cyprus or Whistler for Ski

Eat

Sushi : Toshi Sushi, Tozen Sushi Bar, Sashimiya (takeaway), Coffee & pastries : Nemesis, Matchstick, Fife, Their there, Other food : Jinya ramen, Annalena, Anh Chi, Tacofino, Bao Bei, La tana

Stay

HI Hostel Jericho Beach

Wells Gray

One of my favourite places in New Zealand. It's got a lot more of a chilled out vibe than Queenstown. The lake is gorgeous, and there's a nice beach too. If you fancy a longer hike, you can hike up to Roy's Peak (like everyone else does) but then walk all the way along the ridgeway. There'll probably be some hitchhiking involved at the start or end but it's worth it!

Roy's Peak, beach day, That Wānaka tree

Eat

Stay

Adventure Wanaka Hostel

Jasper

A nice place to stop as you head up the west coast of South Island. Speaking of which, the drive to get here is a belter. Once you get to Franz Josef, a glacier, an amazing lake, and even a little forest with glowworms awaits you. Head to Reflection Island on Lake Matheson for one of the most photographed views in New Zealand – Mount Cook and Mount Tasman in the background, perfect reflection in the lake.

Robert's Point, Lake Matheson, Terrace Walk (with glowworms)

Eat

Stay

Franz Josef Top 10 Holiday Park

Banff

The ferry ride over from Picton is very picturesque, and the Kiwi capital was really nice, if a bit windy! The museum was great. There was a very fun drag show in the botanical gardens while I was there, I think they put on quite a few events there which are worth checking out.

Wētā Workshop (Lord of the Rings), Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Botanic Garden

Eat

Satay Palace

Stay

The Marion

Revelstoke

There's only one reason you'd be here, to see Mount Ngauruhoe, also known as Mount Doom. Most people do the day hike – The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but I implore you to do the Tongariro Northern Circuit instead. It's a three to four day trek, and one of the best multi-day hikes I've ever done. I mean, you get to simply walk into Mordor!

Tongariro Northern Circuit, Tawhai Falls (Gollum's Pool)

Eat

Stay

YHA National Park Backpackers

Squamish

If you've just done the Tongariro Northern Circuit, you'll be glad to have made it to Rotorua with it's thermal pools. Warm baths and massages, yes please. There's also a lot of places to learn more about Maori culture. I went to Te Puia which has a big geyser too. If I'm honest, the Maori part felt a little bit like a human zoo, but it was still interesting, and you get to see a haka.

Thermal Bath, massages, kayaking (with glowworm caves), Te Puia (Maori cultural village and geyser)

Eat

Stay

Haka House Rotorua

China Beach

I pivoted last minute, choosing Waitomo instead of spending a night in Auckland, which everyone had warned me was pretty boring. And I'm glad I listened. I'd seen glowworms before in New Zealand. But this took it to the next level. It genuinely felt like you were stepping (or floating, as you're in a boat) into a scene from Avatar. And obviously you're going to be driving past Hobbiton on the way there, which is a must.

Waitomo Caves, Hobbiton

Eat

Stay

Kiwipaka Waitomo

Buttle Lake

Thermal Bath, massages, kayaking (with glowworm caves), Te Puia (Maori cultural village and geyser)

Eat

Stay

Haka House Rotorua

Tips

Car rental can be expensive, and it can be annoying having to pay for days when you're off trekking. And it can be costly to take a car on the ferry between north and south islands. I actually ended up renting multiple cars to avoid this (Queenstown to Nelson, Wellington to Auckland).

If we had more time...

1. Aoraki/Mount Cook

2. The Coromandel

3. Bay of Islands

4. Lake Tekapo

OTRA

Canada

Highlights

jasper

ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

SQUAMISH

bEDWELL laKE TRAIL - Vancouver ISLAND

Itinerary

Queenstown (12 nights)

Wānaka (3 nights)

Franz Josef (2 nights)

Nelson (2 nights)

Motueka (6 nights)

Wellington (3 nights)

Tongariro (4 nights)

Rotorua (2 nights)

Waitomo (1 night)

Auckland

Vancouver

Wells Gray

Jasper

Beauty Creek

Lake Louise

Banff

Revelstoke

Squamish

China Beach

Buttle Lake

Tips

If we had more time...