People love New Zealand for its exquisite wines and breathtaking landscapes. Around every bend (from the road or sky) there’s a quirky town, an incredible mountain, a glacier blue lake, a waterfall…. the list goes on. This destination paired perfectly with my 12 remarkable female friends who possess the innate ability to connect deeply, laugh heartily, and support each other from the very beginning. This LimitLes trip was truly an unforgettable dream come true. As with each of our trips, we love each group equally but differently, and this itinerary and group of ladies exceeded our wildest expectations. Here are a few of our favorite moments from LimitLes New Zealand 2023.

LimitLes New Zealand 2023: Favorite Moments

First and foremost, I have to shout out our friend Lee from Alpine Luxury Tours, our partner in travel crime who was the not-so-secret ingredient to our flawless itinerary. Lee’s expertise, passion, and community connections were instrumental in the itinerary execution that surpassed our expectations at every turn. Thank you, Lee and the Alpine Luxury Tours team, for an extraordinary journey

Listen. I could write a whole blog post/love story about our helicopter flights and hikes. If you remember, I shed many tears aboard helicopters in New Zealand circa February 2020. Cut to 2023 and everyone shared that same sentiment and felt moved after taking the skies by heli. Maybe that’s why we added on a second flight in Mt Cook to land on the Tasman Glacier. We were giddy little kids living the dream and Alex captured it all too well.

Queenstown Heli Tour

First stop: Milford Sound

We rented out the whole boat hosted by two female captains #onbrand. The scenic boat tour through the sound, surrounded by towering cliffs, waterfalls, and exotic wildlife, was mesmerizing and humbling to say the least. Just look the day we got! Sunshine and happiness abound.

Next stop: Middle Earth Waterfalls

Made famous by Lord of The Rings/ The Hobbit, we had the absolute privilege of visiting Middle Earth Waterfalls (officially called Earnslaw Burn). The weather could not have been more perfect with crystal clear skies, sunshine, and weather in the high 60s. We hiked on soft, barely touched land through a lush meadow towards the majestic waterfalls so perfectly placed. If you didn’t believe in heaven, this place might make you a believer.

Mt. Rosa Winery

Mt. Rosa Winery is a family-owned and operated winery nestled in the heart of the South Island. Guy Boanas runs the place, and you can’t help but to immediately fall in love with him, the winery, and his precious terrier. He’s knowledgable, passionate and a comedian – so get ready to laugh, although the wine will surely help you out with that 🙂 We also made our way to Cloudy Bay, one of New Zealand’s most celebrated wine regions, where we savored some of the finest wines in the region.

Hooker Valley Hike

Well maintained and mostly flat, we loved the Hooker Valley Track with beautiful views from start to finish. New Zealand never ceases to amaze me- the trails are so well kept and accessible yet the foot traffic never feels overwhelming, allowing you to spend intimate time with the snow-kissed mountains and turquoise reflective lakes. It was a 3-hour highlight in our book!

Impromptu karaoke 

Whispers of karaoke began at the final dinner. With the encouragement of our waiter, Lee bid us farewell as all 15 of us slipped out of the van and into a dark karaoke room until the wee hours of the morning. It was certainly a LimitLes-first, and it honestly felt like the perfect closing to this epic with week the Kiwis. I’ll keep those very few photos and way too many videos sacred.

These were a few of the standout moments, but if I’m being honest, the whole entire trip from start to finish was one for the books. New Zealand has so much to offer, and I could run this trip again and again and never get bored. So… New Zealand 2024. You in?!