Planning the Big OE used to be part of the early 20s lifestyle. However, a shift in this space sees many choosing to globetrot when they are retired or semi-retired. Kiwi couple Catherine and Hugh Wakelin turned the OE completely on its head, choosing to explore the South Island as their version. Catherine shares their story.
When my husband, Hugh, and I decided to uplift our lives in the Waikato and move to the southernmost province in New Zealand, Southland, the most frequent question we were asked was, why?
For us, the answer was simple – we wanted to discover the South Island without time constraints. We had decided to be tourists in our own beautiful country. This was our long-awaited OE (across the Cook Strait).
Back in 2022, we found ourselves in our early 50s – still upright, mostly. We’d spent the previous 30 years building careers. Hugh had been deep in the world of property consultancy, with a recent detour into construction. Together, with a business partner, we ran a property company that provided commercial premises for the healthcare sector – because nothing says romance like lease agreements and zoning regulations.
Meanwhile, our two kids had successfully launched into adulthood. Emily was thriving in Wellington, and James was knee-deep in his second year at the University of Canterbury. We genuinely loved the school years; cheering from the sidelines, hosting the kids’ friends, and pretending to understand Year 12 calculus. And now, with the nest officially empty, we had time to ask the big questions… like “What’s next?” and “Do we still remember how to relax?”
So, we sold our properties, our home, our business and planned for our adventure, while we were still fit enough to do it.
We both loved the mainland of New Zealand, as not only was I born in Dunedin with family living in the South Island, but we had travelled south every year for the previous 20 years. But this time we wanted to live it – to wake up every day on the doorstep of the Fiordland National Park and think, ‘what shall we do today?’.
The Long Road South
Literally at the beginning of a new year (2 Jan), we climbed into two packed cars (including two dogs) and a trailer and farewelled familiar North Island roads. It took us four days to drive 1578 kilometres, and it was a beautiful drive.
For me the road from Fairlie (with the compulsory stop for a pie from the Fairlie Bakehouse) right the way through the Lindis Pass, Central Otago, around Lake Wakatipu and through to Te Anau is an enduring memory of one of the most stunning parts of the trip. Each turn of the road brings about another stunning vista, both in summer and winter.
It’s cliché to say that life is a journey, not a destination – but for our entire time in the mainland it was true. Every time we left home the destination wasn’t the only point – it was the drive, it was the voyage itself, and we had never lived like this before.
Our new hometown of Te Anau has 3210 people, no traffic lights, no McDonald’s, KFC and no sushi! However, it does have resident takahē in the bird sanctuary, a huge lake, the towering Kepler mountains opposite and a seemingly never-ending stream of tourists.
We jumped straight into our adventure on day two when our family went on the full day excursion to Doubtful Sound. It’s a trip we always recommended to visitors as it involves a cruise across Lake Manapouri, a bus over Wilmont Pass (or Will-not pass sometimes in winter due to snow) and finally the cruise on Doubtful Sound. This is reversed for the return trip.
It’s testament to how much we loved this as we went through to Doubtful Sound three times while living in Te Anau. Each time was different, and the last time we stayed a night on the Real NZ boat (if you do this, don’t eat beforehand as the food keeps coming and coming on this cruise). I prefer Doubtful Sound to Milford for several reasons. Firstly, it is quieter as most people go to the more famous Milford, but also the fiord is more expansive. Others disagree, but what a great problem to have – to decide which of these beautiful places is better!
To live in Te Anau is a privilege we didn’t take for granted, but we also wanted to meet the people, so I got a part time job at the Te Anau Golf Club. If you’re a golfer and haven’t played there, then put it on your list of things to do. I can’t tell you how many times tourists were surprised at the quality of the course. The 18-hole course has views of the lake and mountains, and so few people playing you can often feel like you are the only ones on the course. It was a great place to learn how to play, and a good way of meeting locals.
Through the club we were surrounded by loads of interesting people. There were those who trekked through the national park bush with their gun on their shoulder to hunt the pest deer (with permits of course). Then came the seafood specialists who casually pop over to Milford or Dusky Sound for a fresh feed of crayfish or blue cod, as if it’s a quick trip to the dairy. We met lots of people who fly helicopters over the park and even others who used to jump out of helicopters onto live deer. Yes, that was a real thing back in the 1980s.
We also became friends with Ken and Marg Tustin. who are spending their time looking for proof that the moose that were released into the park in 1910 have survived. How exciting it will be if they prove to be right.
Another cliché, but true: it was the people who made a huge impact on our time there. Many of great work stories, and adventures had.
Multi-Day Walks
So, what other adventures did we get up to? Let’s start with the multi-day walks.
Routeburn Track
We walked the 32km Routeburn Track with Ultimate Hikes before moving to Fiordland, and it was such a memorable tramp. The track was closed the day we finished the walk due to flooding, but you must take Fiordland as it comes, and the benefit is more waterfalls, and the permanent ones were huge. We were lucky that the day we went over the Harris Saddle it was clear and bright affording us expansive views whetting our appetite for more.
Milford Track
Right: The family walked the Milford Track for Christmas
For Christmas, our family walked the four-day, 53km Milford Track, again with Ultimate Hikes. Besides the incredible walk itself, the highlights were the side trip to the Sutherland Falls, which is a drop of 580 metres, making it taller than the Empire State Building in New York City, and the day after the walk finished, we had a cruise out on Milford Sound. You know when you’ve seen something special when the captain of the boat stops and takes a photo. We saw an extremely vibrant rainbow that looked like it went under the boat, a special treat for Christmas Day.
Ultimate Hikes is a great way to walk – not only do you get guides, but you sleep in comfy beds with three course meals. You also never have to put on dirty wet clothing or boots as they have washing and drying rooms. What luxury!
Kepler Track
Right: The Kepler Track is Catherine’s favourite Great Walk
My favourite, and most challenging, multi day tramp was the 60-kilometre loop of the Kepler Track. We hiked it over three days with friends the week before the official season opened (late October). Hugh and I had trained by walking up the 1000-metre climb to Luxmore Hut and back down again in one go, but it was a different task with a full pack! On the second day there is a 15km walk along the top of the mountain giving multiple vistas of Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri. We were fortunate to walk with some snow still on the mountain and blue skies above, which made the walk even more epic. I must admit that, as I had forgotten my knee braces, I found the long and steep descent to the second hut, Iris Burn, difficult. Thank goodness for the support of friends! On our third day it pelted with rain, so by the time we got home we were wet, muddy and tired, but it was so worth it.
Caples Greenstone Valley Loop
I had pitched this to my friends as an easy walk. There was only one mountain climb and that was only 945 meters and from there it was all downhill or mostly flat. How wrong was I! I was right about the terrain, but I was wrong about the extent of the days! We walked for four days and for three of them we walked around nine hours – it was a 67km slog. In our group were two teenagers on their first tramp, so needless to say, I felt like I had tricked them into a quite difficult walk. Still – another one ticked off the get-to-do list, and it was beautiful.
Hollyford Valley
Our final multi day hike was the Hollyford Valley with our kids. There are two ways you can do this walk – self guided using the DOC huts or guided, we chose guided. Included in the trip is a boat ride up the Hollyford River and across Lake McKerrow out to Martins Bay on the West Coast, and a helicopter flight back to Milford Sound. Accommodation is in lodges, and the food is amazing. I highly recommend doing the Hollyford Valley guided as you jet boat past the section of track called Demon Trail … let your imagination answer why it is called this.
The Hollyford Valley walking was very easy, not taxing in the least, but very enjoyable, and the guides gave us a lot of education about the valley and its history.
Being in the wilds of Fiordland National Park, and the birdlife here, is the main reason to tramp; to see the endless mountain ranges, the deep valleys, the bush and animals – it is all very cool. But we also met some interesting people from all walks of life, and from many nations. It was also a time for us to make memories with friends, and especially with our kids. They don’t live with us anymore, so it was very special sharing these sacred spaces with them. Coming back after each hike I had a profound sense of accomplishment; I had done something I never thought I would have the chance to do.
My top 7 tips for multiday walks
- Pack light; I went for 12kg, Hugh 18kg, that included food (but not emotional baggage). Reduce everything to a bare minimum.
- Bring a steriliser pen. I’s like a tiny lightsabre for your water. It zaps those nasty microbes into oblivion and reduces the amount of water you carry.
- Pre-measure out meals (cereal, milk powder etc) so you don’t take extra food. Precision = lighter pack and fewer regrets.
- Walk in two-hour blocks with a decent break. It turns out too many stops just make your legs confused and your snacks disappear faster.
- Walking poles: brilliant in snow, heroic over streams… but mostly just a game of “where do I put these things?” Burned more energy than they saved. I ditched.
- Foot care = survival. Ditch the sneakers, wear real boots. Hiker’s wool? Magic fluff that stops blisters. Toed socks? Yes, they look like foot gloves, and yes, they also protect your feet.
- It will be hard, but don’t let that stop you – it is worth the effort.
