My Topdeck Experience – Traveling around New Zealand

When I was in Australia I decided that I needed to take advantage of the short distance and visit New Zealand. The problem was that I didn't have any company to go with.

Well, I had already gone on exchange without knowing anyone, so I concluded that that wouldn't stop me.

I went to a travel agency close to my English school and talked about my case. So they came up with a magical question: Why don't you try a Topdeck experience?

If you, like me at the time, also have no idea what Topdeck is, let me explain: it is a company that forms groups of travelers between the ages of 18 and 39 to go on tourist itineraries.

Yes, it is Contiki's competitor.

As I only had a week for this trip, they offered me the South Island itinerary, called Southern Explorer.

I closed the contract and started counting down the days until my adventure in the land of Kiwi.

The group

I don't think there's any way to write this post without commenting on the group that traveled with me, right? After all, this is a big part of the Topdeck experience!

By some miracle I was the unique Brazilian, a very difficult fact at the time, due to the low exchange rate of the dollar. I thought it was great, as it gave me a chance to practice my English, the main reason for my exchange.

Most of the staff were from the UK. Starting with a very nice woman, over 35, who commented that Contiki was only up to 35, so she could only do Topdeck. In addition to her, she also had a group of boys in their 20s, who were super funny.

Two Chinese girls, who were my best friends, super funny. They had been living in Australia for about a year and, despite our accents, we managed to understand each other well.

There were also two girls from Belgium, and the curious thing is that they spoke very little English. When it was time to introduce themselves to everyone in front of the bus, they did some hilarious mimes. Sense of humor is everything!

Two Australian women also traveled with us, I shared a room with them several times. It was the first time they were visiting New Zealand, even though they lived next door.

A Swiss couple, also visiting the country for the first time, and a Spanish woman completed our group.

As you can see, it was a very diverse team. I found it strange that there were no people from the American continent besides me, but I imagine it was due to the distance. Not everyone can face two long flights for 6-day excursions.

The Topdeck experience

Before you start

The week before the trip we received a brochure with information about the country, such as the local currency, weather, what we should take, health insurance requirements, visas, etc.

Brazilians do not need a visa to visit New Zealand and my insurance was up to date, so everything was fine. Although Australian dollars are accepted in some establishments, I preferred to exchange them for NZ dollars before my trip. A curious fact is that there they have ATMs that are only used to exchange Australian dollars for the local currency, in addition to the traditional ATMs.

I took a plane from Sydney to Christchurch, where our tour would depart. I arrived at almost 3 am and took a shuttle to the Jailhouse Accommodation*, former prison transformed into a hostel. That day I slept in a private room, which appeared to have been a cell at another time. This hostel is highly recommended and has already won several Hostelworld prices.

*This is an affiliate link to Booking. By booking your hosting through it, you not only guarantee the lowest possible price, but you also help the blog with a small commission (at no extra cost!). If this post helped you, consider booking through our link! =)

Day 1: Departure from Christchurch and arrival at Fox Glacier

As I booked the previous day's accommodation as part of my Topdeck experience, they already arranged a room at our meeting point. The next day I only needed to leave the hostel and I was in the right place to meet the staff.

I met several fellow travelers before the bus arrived, so I was already excited! Our guides introduced themselves, a man and a woman, and, after checking if we were all there, we left!

Our entire trip would be done by bus, and it was very comfortable, it even had WiFi. Each day, we chose our roommates from a list that the guides gave us. This way you can make friends with several different people, instead of always sharing a room with the same traveler.

We passed through the city of Hokitika, full of handicrafts, and in the afternoon we arrived at Fox Glacier, our first stop. We stayed at Fox Glacier Inn, a hotel where the hosts were very friendly.

We were served soup for dinner, simple but delicious food. We went to sleep and waited to go to the glaciers the next day.

Day 2: Fox Glacier and arrival in Queenstown

I need to make an observation before I begin to describe the second day. I took this trip in March, when, in theory, it's still summer. But ask if it was hot there? Anything!

I took few coats and was very cold. The funny thing is that only I felt this, since most of the people were from Europe and were already used to this climate. While I was wearing two coats, the boys were wearing shorts and t-shirts. Unbelievable!

In the morning we went to see the glaciers, which are incredible! We also saw caves made of ice, walked a lot, enjoyed the view and took several photos. We wore shoes with little pads on the sole to keep them in place while we walked and avoid accidents. I'm still proud that I didn't fall at any point.

We left there, got on the bus and passed through some wonderful landscapes. The most surprising thing was seeing the number of sheep. It is estimated that in 2015 there were 6 sheep for every person in the country (which I discovered is not enough, in 82 they had 22 sheep per person!!!!!). Whichever window you looked at on the bus, you were sure to see at least one.

We then set off for Queenstown, the city of adventure and extreme sports! Our guides handed out some brochures about the activities we could do there, from parachuting, bungy jumping and whatever else you can imagine.

We sleep in Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park, a hotel with an incredible view of the city, as it is located higher than the center and the lake. We went out to eat and went to a pizzeria/bar to end the night.

Day 3: Bungy Jumping and Queenstown tour

Unlike other days, we didn't continue our journey to another destination, our entire day was dedicated to getting to know Queenstown and its activities. It was a lighter Topdeck experience day lol.

I started my day already facing the most difficult part: I threw myself off a bridge with my ankles tied to a rope to avoid any type of accident. You can read all about my adventure by reading this post: Bungy Jumping in New Zealand, Kawarau Bridge Bungy.

After completing my mission, I went for lunch “the best hamburger in town” with the Australians. I don't know if it was the best, but without a doubt it was sensational. From there I spent the day exploring the corners of the city.

Full of small shops and sports equipment stores, as well as a beautiful lake. I took a good walk, discovered the best cookie in the world (don't even buy it because your life will be incomplete when you can't buy it anymore), and I bought a waterproof coat for the following days.

Day 4: Milford Sound Cruise

From Queenstown, we headed for a “mini-cruise”. It was at that moment that we visited Milford Sound, a super famous spot in New Zealand!

We anchored for dinner, but then went back to the cruise and slept there. As I have never been on a cruise, this was my first “sleeping at sea” experience, and it was very peaceful. I imagine that on large ships it is even calmer.

I confess that I thought I was going to get sick from being on the boat for so long but it was very peaceful. We went down to the boats at times to see the view better and be closer to the water and it was also super fun.

Day 5: Te Anau and Lake Ohau

We got off the cruise, went back to our bus and walked around the Mirror Lake region, Hollyford Valley and Te Anau.

We passed the Kawarau River and continued to Lake Ohau, where we spent the night. The place was wonderful, we stayed right on the edge of the lake and the view was incredible. Without a doubt one of the best parts of the Topdeck experience.

The description of the fourth and fifth day is short, but in general, we visited tourist attractions and took several photos. As it's been more than 3 years since this trip, I can't remember many interesting incidents that happened during those days.

Day 6: Lake Pukaki and farewell

We started the day by going to Lake Pukaki, which had water very blue. It's one of those places where you think it's Photoshop and you have to convince yourself it's real.

There are several piles of rocks there, called Cairns (I think). They said it was good luck and that we could make a wish when we made ours. I confess that on Wikipedia I found a completely different reason for these arrangements, so I don't know how to explain the meaning well.

We went to have lunch at a sheep farm, where they showed us how they removed the sheep's hair, etc. I confess that I didn't think it was a fun ride, but there was no way to escape it.

We headed towards Christchurch, where the tour came to an end. Apparently I was the only one who bought the 6-day package, so I said goodbye, while the rest of the people continued their journey to the North Island.

I thought it was a great way to go on a field trip! I checked out several tourist attractions that I wouldn't have known how to go to on my own and made several friends. Furthermore, I didn't have to choose hotels or where to eat on most occasions, which made planning the trip much easier.

Topdeck also offers tours to Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Prices vary, but those in Oceania cost around US$1000.

If you purchase a package on the website, you have access to an area for travelers to communicate with those who purchased the same tour, making it easier to make friends before the adventure even begins!

Is that you, I wanted to take a trip like this?

Or have you even had a Topdeck or Contiki experience? I want to go to Europe but I don't know if it's worth it... Share your experiences in the comments! =)