See Canterbury at its finest at Arthur’s Pass National Park. I love the amazing diversity of views and plantation, as well as the spectacular mountain view. You can’t beat this amazing walk!

A challenging bush walk, I love Ball Pass Crossing for its amazing alpine views. The 2-3 day walk is truly spectacular - my favourite parts of the walk are Mt Sefton and Copland Pass. Stunning!

You can’t beat the beautiful Banks Peninsula for day and multi-day walks. Great for people of all levels, you’ll find a track perfect for your abilities.

I love this Peel Forest walk for its spectacular native trees including several large kahikatea and a massive tōtara tree.

Mount Grey has a series of excellent walking tracks, my favourite is the 3-5 hour walk which has amazing views of the Canterbury Plains. Also, the Red Beech Track is fantastic too!

A short drive from Christchurch, my favourite swimming spot is Ashley Gorge. Spend the night at the Ashley Gorge Holiday Park or simply spend the day by the river. You may even get lucky and find a great swimming hole too!

The Otehake River is my favourite hot springs in Canterbury. The springs are small but hot and amazing. You can access them from Arthur’s Pass - head down SH73 to Aichens Corner and you’ll find them. Enjoy!

The Waimakariri River Regional Park is a great place for a dip. I love this river for swimming and jet boating - there are great rapids and whirlpools too! To find the best swimming spot, simply drive to South Eyre Road, turn Left onto Diverson Road, when you get to first T junction go right and head up the gravel road.

A great family-friendly swimming spot, I love Camp Bay for its boogie boarding, schools of fish and amazing view of the harbour. There are loads of small waves to have fun in too.

I love this South Canterbury gorge for its trekking, camping and beautiful green open spaces (great for a picnic!). I also love this gorge for its waterfalls and swimming holes. Not a bad place to spend your time at all!

Jailhouse totally rules. What other backpackers do you know of that is housed in an old jail? This place is awesome and has a whole load of history. I particularly love the cleanliness about this place and the fun things you can do whilst you’re staying there.

I love Onuku Farm Hostel for their first class service at bargain prices. This affordable farm accommodation is awesome because it’s located right near Akaroa!

If you ever find yourself in Methven go spend the night at Big Tree Lodge Methven. This place is fantastic for their amazing Canterbury service, excellent meals and amazing clean bedrooms - it’s a hard place to beat!

Affordable accommodation in the heart of Akarora, I love Bon Accord Backpackers for their stunning views and amazing Kiwi service. You won’t break the bank spending a night here, but you’ll feel like you have stayed in a five start hotel. This place rules!

This Methven lodge is simply awesome. An environmentally friendly lodge, Pinedale is family and pet friendly which makes it a great place for holiday as everyone can come along!

I love this Wanaka backpacker! The owners are super friendly and knowledgeable of the area and the fun activities that you can do on Lake Wanaka. This cheap accommodation is super cheap but at the same time very clean and great value for money. I love it!

Nomads Queenstown is simply superb. I like staying at this place during winter because of the amazing fireplace and cosy shared spaces. It’s also very close the centre of town so great for rushing home from town on a cold night out!

Central BD is a place I always stay whenever I’m in Dunedin. The backpackers is quiet, clean and located in the heart of the city so perfect for exploring the area. The staff are super friendly, helpful and knowledable too!

Hogwartz is an awesome place to stay in Dunedin. The building that houses the backpackers is very old, built in the late 1800s! The space is very comfortable and clean and a very cheap place to stay!

Empire Hotel Backpackers is very cool. Not only is it located in one of my favourite towns (Oamaru!) but is is also located in the historic district which is simply amazing - it’s a cheap but clean place to stay too!

This YHA is always a great place to stay. There are many reasons to love YHA Te Anau, including their sparkling clean bedrooms and communal areas, as well as their native and herb gardens. I particularly love the deck with BBQ!

At Tuatara you pay budget prices but receive five star service. There are many great things about this lodge, including its close proximity to the city of Invercargill and all its bars, cafes and restaurants. There’s even an awesome onsite cafe too.

This budget retreat is simply amazing. You have everything you need here that you may never want to leave. Whatsmore, this place is not just home to amazing accommodation but hosts festivals and wedding throughout the year!

A fantastic backpackers overlooking Lake Te Anau, this place is simply incredibly. The lodge is super clean, warm and a great place to meet new friends too. Give yourself enough time so you can explore the sights of the Fiordland National Park.

This BBH hostel is a great, safe and clean place to stay. You’ll have amazing views and a fabulous time staying here. I particularly like the shared living areas which are always an excellent place to mix and mingle with fellow travellers.

I love this family run budget accommodation in Hokitika. Not only do the owners have extensive knowledge of Hokitika and the surrounding areas, but the modern facilities are simply superb. Their is incredible standard for customer service and cleanliness!

If you ever find yourself in Seddonville, you may want to stay at the superb cheap accommodation there … Seddonville Hotel is a charming place to lay your head. You’ll find the hotel located in amongst the untouched West Coast bush. It’s a place of tranquility and serenity. An amazing and clean place to stay!

This YHA is a great place to stay for many reasons including a free sauna! Located next to the West Coast rainforest, this cheap accommodation is hard to beat. With comfortable beds, modern interiors and excellent entertainment facilities, this YHA is the place where I stay whenever I’m in Franz Josef.

A great backpackers (and art gallery!) in Karamea, I love Rongo for its laidback atmosphere and its location in Kahurangi National Park. A great place to stay if you like tramping, hiking or fishing, and this cheap accommodation has very clean and modern facilities too.

Located right next to the beach, I love PBH for many reasons, but particularly their breakfasts. They have daily bread, cakes and muffins along with tea and coffee to enjoy every morning. The location is worth another mention … the views are spectacular from the hostel!