There are many great drives you can do on the South Island, from the drive between Queenstown and Milford Sound, to the Southern Scenic Route from Dunedin to Invercargill. But another of my favorites (scenery-wise) is the drive up the middle of the island — from Queenstown to Christchurch.

I’ve done this 8-hour journey twice by bus, and highly recommend it. Here are some of the things you can expect to see on that drive:

The trip will have to begin early — you’ll have to rise with the sun over The Remarkables in Queenstown.

If you’re traveling during the right time of year, you’ll be greeted by the snow-covered Southern Alps in many directions once you hit the road.

And you’ll of course see plenty of New Zealand farmland along the way.

In the town of Cromwell, expect a break at Mrs. Jones’ orchard, where you can buy fresh fruit, healthy snacks, and tasty ice cream.

A stop in the lakeside town of Wanaka should definitely be included. Be careful, though, because you may not want to leave here.

If you’re able to pull yourself away, you may also see nearby Lake Hawea in the Southern Lakes District.

Once in Central Otago, you’ll traverse the Lindis Pass before approaching the town of Omarama, a world-class gliding location.

Past Twizel, the next major point of interest will be Lake Pukaki, where the oddly-blue water will certainly catch your eye.

At the far end of Lake Pukaki lies New Zealand’s tallest peak — Mount Cook.

Get your fill of the mountains here, though, as they won’t be so close much longer.

After Mount Cook, the next note-worthy stop will be at Lake Tekapo, where the little stone Church of the Good Shepherd is one of the most-photographed buildings in New Zealand.

From Lake Tekapo, it’s off into the rolling Canterbury Plains.

Here, enjoy the rural scenery — and the crazy cloud formations I’ve seen here more than once.

The sun will likely begin to set before you reach Christchurch, which is why I recommend doing this journey from south to north. The mountainous scenery during the first part of this trip is definitely the part you don’t want to miss!

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Have you done the Queenstown-to-Christchurch route before? If not, would you subject yourself to 8 hours on a bus for this scenery?

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“Iconic” doesn’t necessarily mean fancy or expensive, however. In fact, the 3 things I’m going to call “must-eats” in Ottawa are more snacks than anything. But I’m no food snob. These are the sorts of random things I seek out when I travel!

3 Thing You Must Eat in Ottawa

Here are 3 things I think you shouldn’t miss while in Ottawa:

3. An “Obama Cookie”

In the Byward Market building is a French bakery/cafe called Le Moulin de Provence. Not only does this bakery do stellar pastries, but they also sell “Obama Cookies.” No, these cookies are not shaped like the American president’s head — in fact, they’re not USA-themed at all!

In February 2009, mere weeks after taking up the role of America’s Commander in Chief, Obama visited Ottawa on his first trip out of the U.S. as president. He was only in the city for one afternoon, but one of his stops was at Le Moulin de Provence to buy one of their shortbread cookies in the shape of a maple leaf. He declared “I love this country,” ate his cookie, and went on his way. But the bakery has never forgotten his visit, and have since dubbed their Canada cookies “Obama Cookies.”

And I can say from experience that they are delicious!

2. Poutine

Poutine (AKA a heart attack on a plate) is actually a Quebec invention. But, with Quebec just across the river from Ottawa, eating poutine here should still be on your list — especially if you don’t plan to make it across the river.

This dish, in its traditional form, consists of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. It may not sound appetizing, but, when done right, it’s delicious. Some places add meat and other ingredients to their poutine to turn this side dish into a proper meal.

But if you want some no-frills poutine in Ottawa, Mello’s diner is supposed to have some of the best.

1. A BeaverTail

If you only eat one thing in Ottawa, make sure it’s a BeaverTail. No, this is not some weird wild game dish — BeaverTails are deep-fried pastries covered with sweet toppings. The original version (which does resemble the shape of a beaver’s tail) consists of the deep-fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar and lemon juice. I got a cinnamon sugar BeaverTail, but they will also top your snack with nutella, bananas, crumbled oreos, and more.

I can’t verify this, but I was told a BeaverTail tastes best when eaten on ice skates on the Rideau Canal. Each winter, the canal that runs through downtown Ottawa freezes over and turns into the world’s longest skating rink. BeaverTail stands are opened right on the ice, and you can skate up to buy your snack.

(Obviously not the skate-up version.)

Some other places worth eating:

If you want a real meal instead of snacks and fast food, here are some other good places I discovered:

For coffee and a snack, Planet Coffee. I had some delicious soup here one afternoon. It’s also a great place to just sit and read a book while sipping a warm drink.

For a cheap lunch, La Bottega. This Italian grocery store has a deli in the back where you can get a large, fresh sandwich for just $5.

For a delicious gourmet dinner, Courtyard Restaurant. This place, located in a beautiful old stone building, will definitely dent your wallet — but the food is well worth it. I had a delicious venison dish here, followed up by a chocolate dessert that included raspberry-beet sorbet.

For tasty treats, Rocky Mountain Chocolates. Inside the Byward Market building is a chocolate shop that could be dangerous for those with a sweet-tooth. Not only do they sell yummy chocolates, but they also have treats like candied apples for purchase and immediate eating.

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Do you have any other must-eat suggestions for Ottawa?

*Note: All of these suggestions are contained in the Byward Market neighborhood, simply because that’s where I stayed in Ottawa, and that’s the area I spent hours wandering around.

Also, my meal at Courtyard Restaurant was comped by Ottawa Tourism. As always, though, opinions are my own.

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1. How do you define the word “traveler,” and why would you consider yourself one?

First let me start off by saying a big thanks to Amanda and best wishes for the year ahead to everyone in the midst of conducting some “dangerous business”! I hope your travels in 2012 are even more dangerous (but not like the neck-breaking, genital castrating kind) than ever before!

So onward to the topic of the word “traveler.” Well I’d define it as someone who gets a bit of a kick out of plunging themselves into the unknown. Someone who flirts with danger (and attractive humans). Someone not comfortable with kettle chips, 9-5 work and the Friday night piss-up.

As for me? Yeah I’d say I’m definitely in that crowd. I can’t stay in the same place for too long!

2. What has been your favorite travel experience thus far?

In fear of being a troublesome interviewee I’d like to think my favourite experience has yet to come. I’ve had a crap load of cool experiences, from bathing naked with six other men in a natural Icelandic spring (a lot of penis), to watching the sunset over Angkor Wat (not much penis with that one), yet I’m still holding a candle for that all-time favourite.

I do hold one particular memory quite firm in my mind however and that’s Halloween on the streets of Coconut Grove, Miami. Never before had I seen so many Borats rocking “banana hammocks” (it was a few weeks after the film was released) all in one place. My French maid outfit — complete with fishnet stockings — was pretty special too. It also gave me the strong taste for cross-dressing that’s carried over into my other travel trips! You don’t want to know what I call myself on weekends…

3. How about your proudest travel moment?

One of my proudest moments is (groan) strictly academic. As a sprightly, doe-eyed 22-year-old, I found myself in Saigon, Vietnam, trying to get my CELTA so that I could travel and teach around the world. The 4-week course? Agony. I’d just finished university only to find myself abroad in a strange land and thrust into a class of expectant students. Managing to string together what vaguely represented a lesson (I remember a lot of over-exaggerative arm gestures), I came through the experience unscathed.

Would I do it again? Hells yeah! Teaching completely transformed me as a person. You probably wouldn’t believe it if you met me now, but I once was a shy little English boy with a penchant for beat literature who wouldn’t say “boo” to a goose.

4. Have you had any travel mishaps or bad experiences? If so, have these influenced how you view the place where they happened? Would you go back?

I’ve had my fair share. I remember being extremely annoyed having missed a flight out from Singapore back to Vietnam after sunning myself on Sentosa Island for too long (it’s not even a real beach for chrissakes!) as well as being hideously sunburnt in Turkey (my face looked as if someone had pressed an iron down on it).

The worst time I’ve had is probably in Bangkok where I got conned at every turn. I was one of those who went on the “temple tour” and ended up in the tourist office. I was one of those who listened to the street sellers’ affirmations that the temples were closed. And yes, I was one of those who had a “traditional Thai massage” only to have my bodice caressed in a manner that even the most sex-starved teenager would balk at.
A definite case of “if only I knew then what I know now”.

5. Name one thing you can’t travel without.

I’m tempted to say underwear but I’ve proved to myself on numerous occasions that I can go without. Instead I’ll have to be incredibly boring and say my Macbook Pro. It’s delicious. Even now, after a good three years, I still catch myself stroking its shiny cover in the kind of amazement like I, myself, birthed it. As I tell everyone who dare touch it: It’s my livelihood.

Oh and I can’t travel without an iPod and the albums of Deerhunter!

6. Name one thing you wish you COULD travel without.

Baggage. Not the physical kind but rather the emotional. Sometimes I wish that leaving for a time wouldn’t cut people back at home up like it does. But what can you do? Live out your dreams otherwise what else is there to live for?

7. What do you think has been the biggest thing you’ve learned while traveling (about yourself, a destination, a culture, travel itself)?

I think I can safely say that I’ve learnt everything that’s worth learning in life while travelling. Living in Vietnam, at such an early age, taught me that you don’t have to have “things” to be happy. That the pursuit of happiness is more complex than earning money and accruing things and that “living comfortably”, in the Western sense, isn’t really living comfortably at all. In short, because travel has brought me closer to so many fresh perspectives, customs and traditions, I know that life is all about continued learning and exploration.

Oh and travel has also shown me that I can actually sit down and enjoy a plate of olives. I couldn’t do that before.

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Right now I’d probably say Brazil, but the answer changes on a daily basis. I’d love to try learning Portuguese (I’m already doing well with Spanish) and there’s just so many exciting things coming up for this country in the next few years (The Olympics and The World Cup!), not to mention regular stuff like the Rio Carnival. I’ve also wanted to get my shoes shined in Sao Paulo since I saw people doing that in secondary school Geography lessons.

If Brazil wouldn’t have me, I’d fancy giving Bolivia a go. That’s been a country that’s fascinated me for years.

9. Name one place you’d like to see or one experience you’d like to have before you die.

This has been brewing for quite a while, but I’d really love to do the Camino de Santiago — or St. James’ Way, as it’s better known in English. Living in Cáceres, Spain, I heard a lot about people who’d completed it and their raving has certainly had an effect. I’d probably do it the French way and start in the Pyrenees and walk towards Santiado de Compostela, that way I’d no doubt pass through some stunning scenery.

I’ve not done anything near this adventurous before, so this would be the ultimate test of endurance and will-power. Obviously I couldn’t do this in a pair of Converse!

10. If there was one thing you wish somebody would have told you before you started traveling, what would it be?

I wish someone would have told me about the importance of recording your travels in some way! I really wish I’d taken blogging a little more seriously early on in my travels — if I think about how much I could have written about back when I first started, it makes me feel a bit sick.

Oh well. At least I’m making up for lost time now!

Visit Will’s sites: Gap Daemon, My Spanish Adventure, Travel Sex Life

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Are you a travel blogger who has something to say on these topics? Do you know of somebody really interesting in the travel universe that you’d like to see interviewed? Speak up! The Thursday Traveler needs some interview subjects.

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I mean, a long-haul flight essentially means being confined to a couple of square feet for hours upon end, being fed dubious in-flight “meals,” and being forced to breathe the same dry, recycled air as dozens (or hundreds) of other people.

Sound appealing? … I thought not.

Despite not exactly loving long-haul flights, though, I have nevertheless become quite familiar with them over the past 7 years. I’m a traveler, after all, and distance (or flight time) has never kept me from visiting a destination.

Here, then, are the 3 longest of the long flights I’ve ever been on:

Atlanta, Georgia, –> Honolulu, Hawaii — 9 hours

My flight from Ohio to Hawaii a year ago was supposed to be broken up into nice, manageable chunks. I was supposed to fly from the Midwest, to Denver, to Seattle, to Honolulu, with no flight lasting more than a few hours. But a last-minute ice storm cancelled my original itinerary, and I was rebooked (by a lovely Delta representative, I may add) on a long-haul flight from Atlanta nonstop to Honolulu. Despite never leaving the United States, the flight lasted a whopping 9 hours. Luckily, I had a fantastic seatmate who made the long hours fly by.

Los Angeles, California –> Auckland, New Zealand — 12 hours

I’ve been to New Zealand 3 separate times now — meaning 6 long-haul flights between the U.S. and the South Pacific in total. The flights from Los Angeles from Auckland usually last, on average, about 12 hours, and can be grueling. But, I always make sure to book with Air New Zealand — my favorite airline. A friendly flight crew, decent in-flight meals, and a huge selection of in-flight entertainment makes these long flights almost enjoyable. Almost.

Chicago, Illinois –> Shanghai, China — 14 hours

You’d think flying to NZ from the West Coast would be the longest flight on my list. But no, there’s one that was even longer — a nonstop flight from the Midwest to China. My third year of college, I went with my marching band on performance tour to China, flying a route that took us over the Arctic and Russia. That long-haul flight is the only one on this list that I didn’t fly solo, and having friends on the plane definitely helped. But the flight was still uncomfortable, and the “meal” of Ramen noodles served halfway through the flight did nothing to improve it.

After looking back at these flights, flying to Iceland in March will be nothing, and even any London flights I look into for this summer should be a piece of cake!

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What’s the longest flight YOU have ever been on?

*Note: This post was sponsored by a third party.

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