Viktoria Wanders

29/05/2024

Another lap around the sun with my dream girl by my side. Loved re-creating this photo on our elopement anniversary in our favorite place.

It’s an honor to be her Māmā and watching her grow 🩷

12/04/2024

- a really special day

Milford Sound is known for being best in the rain, but we had something better. We left the docks in a moody scene — mountains peeking out behind thick clouds, rain drizzling and waterfalls pouring in every direction. We ooo’d and ahh’d and ran around the deck elated. As we made our way back from the Tasman Sea, the sun began to shine through the clouds and the deepest, most vivid rainbow appeared. The magic of Milford never disappoints. I’ll never forget this day.

🌈🚢 :
beautiful captures by my hubby

28/02/2024

*a place that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

On our third elopement anniversary I surprised with a trip where we stayed after saying “I do.” I’ll never forget that night and the incredible sunset we witnessed from this property. The owners are the loveliest family, the views are unmatched and I’m still dreaming about their new spa pool.

Until next time x
*hosted

22/01/2024

***SAVE THIS POST for your next trip to Queenstown!

Almost a year ago I started a blog, Queenstown on a Budget and it’s about damn time I shared it. As a resort, holiday-destination place, the cost of visiting is daunting, but I promise you, there are ways to do it cheap. Pop over to viktoriawanders.com, or the link in my bio for my breakdown on how to visit Queenstown on a Budget. Being both a tourist and a local, I hope I can help a few of you with my insights.

If I’ve missed anything, let me know!

Photos:
1. Road up to Queenstown Hill
2. Bed Lomond Trail
3 - 5. best holiday park in town!
6. Queenstown Hill hike
7. Skipper’s Canyon
8. Arrowtown in Autumn (photo from my baby moon with Lia in 2018 😱)

04/01/2024

Hello 2024!

What’s in, what’s out for you as we reset the ole calendar? I’m loving this trend shared across IG, and I had to jump on.

Swipe to see what’s in and out for me this year (some inspired by other post I’ve seen the past few days) or read on below.

Ins:
- jumping into cold water
- deeper connections
- expanding my five repetitive edible dinners
- hikes with friends
- releasing my inner child
- mum friends
- group content shoots
- skipping
- dating my husband

Outs:

- anything that f*cks with my nervous system
- meals consisting of my children’s leftovers
- late night scrolling
- re-reading ridiculously long book series
- cleaning all day long
- rushing
- mum guilt

share yours below x

20/12/2023

This might be my favorite spot in all of Aotearoa.

We danced and played, laid in the long grass, watched the clouds go by, pointed out makeshift animals, jumped on rocks, sipped wine (snuck a bottle of white from back with me from Welly), took turns doing model poses (Oli cracking us up over and over) and simply enjoyed the moment together as the sun sunk behind the ridge line.

It’s these moments that make the harder ones in between all worth it.

P.S. this spot is only accessible if you’re a guest at 🧡

14/12/2023

I’ve never been a routine kind-of-girl. I’ve dabbled in gym memberships, shopped around for yoga studios, tried to make workout plans, but nothing has ever stuck until (thanks to 2020) I started running outdoors. On the open roads, I can breathe. And I can, in my new Bondi 8’s ANK that feel like I’m floating. I can daydream and wonder as I weave through forests, mountains and along rivers. I find peace in my head and my heart and what comes after is always such a sweet high.

03/12/2023

What was your first memory? While out exploring Aotearoa when the kids are their happiest, I often wonder what their first memory will be. Will it be camping under the stars, wading in rivers amongst the lupins, skiing in wintertime? I can still remember mine. The edges are golden, magical and sometimes I question if it is real, but I know in my heart it is. I was four years old, at summer pre-school, playing outdoors in the sun amongst tall straw-coloured grass. My best friend there beside me and I can remember our big tote bags. I have little glimpses of being in pre-school, then more memories flood in as I think about kindergarten. A boy named Grant giving me chicken pox, a classmate not making it to the toilet in time and my favourite coloring activity dedicated to the color of the day.

I look at our daughter and I try to imagine her first memory. At her age, I assume she’s had it already and I look forward to the day she tells me. I hope it’s as magical as mine was. I hope our son’s is the same.

If you feel like it, share yours below.

- Photos from a magical Spring day out in Paradise.

29/11/2023

In my lupin haze era

iykyk

23/11/2023

When I was a young teen, I dreamt of modeling. I remember going to an agency with my friend who modeled and begged my mom for headshots. I used to gawk and watch every Victoria Secret Fashion Show. I even applied and interviewed for America’s Next Top Model while in college. At some point that dream faded into the background knowing how unrealistic that world was for me. Then this app showed up. And eventually, Ry and I started taking cameras on our adventures, him honing his craft, me running off to some viewpoint with my back to the camera. And as our accounts grew, so did our opportunities. I started facing the camera and I started getting paid for promoting brands on my channel until one day as Ry clicked away and I moved across a cliff edge, I realized I achieved that childhood dream. And it is even better because I am in control. I choose the shoots, the clothes, the creative process. I don’t have to worry about being judged on my body size, or getting denied. The ugliness of the industry doesn’t exist in my world. And while most of my work ends up on a tiny handheld screen, sometimes it ends up in catalogues — ones I used to flip through as a girl (swipe until the end).

Thank you for trusting us with this campaign, and thank you for making my inner girl proud.

- photos from the 2023 autumn and winter campaign

07/11/2023

Things I love about this Suzuki NZ Vitara Hybrid
- It saves us HEAPS on petrol.
- It comfortably fits all four of us and all our stuff (there is a lot of stuff 😆).
- It’s crazy smooth to drive.
- It’s super safe for me and my monsters.
- It has auto lights, wipers and braking when traffic suddenly stops.
- It senses when I go over the line or the vehicle sways.
- And my favorite part is that it locks and unlocks without me having to find my keys at the bottom of my purse.

It’s the perfect vehicle for the mountains, for families, for anyone who loves a good cruise.

Swipe to the end to see Oli man heli spotting 😆

ad / ambassador

02/11/2023

Hi, it’s me. I’m still here. Feeling like I’m living every single emotion a million times through out the day. I haven’t been posting because it feels so minuscule and meaningless compared to what’s going on in the world. I’ve been waking up with very intense anxiety and crying most days. Is it my new job, the horrors I’m seeing as I scroll, mom guilt, or the lingering of a two-week tummy bug, I have no idea, but it’s been a challenge to say the least. Self-doubt one minute, then super mom the next, and I don’t know how to shake it. Almost every morning I feel the anxiety sitting in my gut, leaving me frozen. Yesterday, I couldn’t remember what size nappies Oli is in and stood in the aisle in tears. My mind has been spinning and I’m sure many others are feeling this too, which is why I want to share it. When it comes, I reach out. To my husband, to my friends, and I try to let it out through tears. Sometimes writing it down, writing it here, helps. I know I’m not alone and if you’re feeling like this, you aren’t either.

If you have any good advice, I’m all ears. If you’re a working mom, I bow down to you. I honestly have a new whole respect for all working parents and I’m in awe of how everyone makes it work.

If you’re still reading this, thank you. I appreciate you letting me use this space to express myself. I hope you have a beautiful day wherever you are in the world. I love you

♥️

16/10/2023

A place of peace, a place of power, a place that feels like home after so many visits, each one unique, like this trip where we enjoyed uninterrupted views of Aoraki all to ourselves.

09/10/2023

E I G H T wild, life-changing years in Aotearoa. The years have flown. Long ago we were using supermarket crates as a kitchen table, scraping every dollar to spend on traveling across the islands and loving the new life we created. So many times we thought of leaving, worried about visas, dreaming up of other plans, but here we are eight years later as NZ residents. If you told that girl who arrived to a wickedly windy Welly in spring of 2015 that she would still be here eight years later with two little blonde-haired monsters, I doubt I would have believed it. It’s now been two years since making the move to Queenstown and honestly, it’s only getting better.

- a photo for each amazing year

05/10/2023

A night in Ho**er Hut.

A spot we’ve dreamt about staying at for years. After bailing twice due to sick kids, we finally had a night at this cosy cabin hidden off Ho**er Valley Track. Without a cloud in the sky, we weaved through the masses and made it to our five star view home for the night and enjoyed our own paradise. The kids were happy, the parents even happier.

26/09/2023

One year ago.

One year ago we were reuniting with our favorite people.

One year ago we were toasting Tuscan wine.

One year ago we were lounging by the villa’s pool, watching our friends and family become one.

One year ago, we finally said I do in front of our loved ones and we all watched bawl through his vows.

One year ago we danced into the morning with the biggest smiles on our faces, wishing for it to never end.

It was the weekend, we dreamt of and more.

Thank you to our loved ones who made it so special.

📷:

04/09/2023

Last week we took a little family trip to our favorite place in Aotearoa. While most don’t think of a Suzuki NZ Jimny being a family car, this trip proved us wrong. The four of us fit perfectly with enough space to bag a few bags for a short getaway. Not only do we love the look of this cute car, the kids are happy staring out the big windows and can’t get enough of the 4WD tracks we can head down. Sure, we can’t fit a stroller or much shopping, but this ride has been such a fun time for our family adventures. I’ve always been a Jeep girl, but Suzuki, I think you’ve turned me into a Jimny girl.

🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

28/08/2023

Thirty-six laps around the sun and loving each more and more. This past year healed my heart with finally seeing our loved ones after years of being “locked in.” I rang in 35 swimming in an Austrian lake, left a part of my soul in the Dolomites, could have stayed forever in Roma, cried and laughed with our favorite people at our overdue wedding celebration. We returned for kiwi spring and summer and finally became NZ residents. We celebrated my boy’s first birthday, camped along the West Coast, swam in the river, found my running legs again, worked on some of my fav campaigns ever, enjoyed our first ski season, watched our girl start school, and welcomed another boy into our little NZ fam. Grateful for the life we’ve created, grateful for our loved ones, real fam and chosen fam and grateful to spend another year smiling amongst the mountains.

🎂♥️

31/07/2023

Growing up, my favorite place in my little world was a small town called Westfield. A three-hour drive from home across the Wisconsin border to my grandparents’ oasis. Journey’s End, they named it. Sixty acres of forest, trails, and fields — it was a haven for me and my cousins. Growing up I dreamt of my children running through the same tall grass, paddling the pond searching for turtles and playing card games long into the night. While I can’t give my kids that exact memory, I know I’m giving them something close to it. A place full of rawness, of endless stretches of openness with towering mountains staring you down. A backyard of trails where imaginations wander and playfulness appears. I’m giving them the life I wished for everyday. A home, rather than a far away destination, where they can explore freely and grow amongst the tall grass.

♥️

28/07/2023

My zen moment is __________​
​
- a mountain view ​
- a good book​
- a warm cup of tea​
- and the stillness of the lake ​
​
One sip of ’s zen tea and I’m transported to this spot. A peaceful, calm place that makes my shoulders drop, my breath deepen and my mind still. Made with St. John’s wort and zinc, the warmth of this delicious herbal tea wraps around me like a cosy blanket on a cold winter day. ​
​
Pick up a box of ’s Zen tea and teleport with me to a place of peace. ​
​
Tell me what’s your Zen moment? ✌️ 🍵 🧘‍♀️​
​
​
Always read the label and use as directed. Vitamins and minerals are supplementary to and not a replacement for a balanced diet. Endeavour Consumer Health, Auckland.

16/07/2023

Today is a big day for the De Doms! Our sweet baby bean starts school and I’m a big ball of emotions wondering where the time has gone. Another part of me is thinking, “oh s**t, it’s over, we’ve ran out of time.” I dreamt of traveling the world with her, wandering slow, showing her new countries, exposing her to new languages and cultures, and yes, she has a few stamps in her passport at just five years old, but part of me wants more time. Part of me hates that we’re conforming to the school schedule, only able to travel on weekends and school holidays. Part of me knows there is not a chance I have the strength and patience to home school and a big part of me knows she’s ready for more. For more learning, more playing, more social experiences that I could not give her at home. She’s growing up amongst the mountains, amongst nature and a few walls aren’t going to stop our connection with the outdoors, but I think it’ll make us appreciate it more. My dreams of backpacking as family of four aren’t gone, just on hold knowing that one day, we’ll traverse countries together, letting the world be their classroom and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Would you take a year off and go traveling with your kids?

13/07/2023

Just a girl impatiently waiting for some actual fricken snow to arrive so I can finally fulfill my snowboard season dreams. But instead of a girl shredding through the mountains, I’m in full hibernation mood. Letting the kids roll around the bed in the morning as I hide under the covers as long as they’ll let me. Moving at snail’s pace, feeding them breakfast waiting for my moment of peace with a cup of coffee and my book. I usually get through half a page before the bosses yell for my attention or both decide to use me as a couch. We spend the days playing inside, chasing each other through the house, rolling around in front of the fire with no place to be or rush off to and I’m completely content with this. I follow the short-lived sun as it reaches certain spots in the living room and let the kids circle around the house when it’s warm enough to bask outside. I’m a summer girl, but right now I’m a mama bear in hibernation and that’s my season and that’s ok.

But like some snow would be good as well 😆

New Zealand winter, nz mountains, Ben Lomond, queenstown travel, mountain girl, hiking in NZ, nz travel, nz mum

06/07/2023

Friendly reminder to let your inner child out ☺️

- photos from an impromptu snowball fight

28/06/2023

Coming to Queenstown with kids? I wrote a little thing for you. 15 family-friendly things to do while you’re in Aotearoa’s Adventure capital. Head to the link in my bio to check it out? Feel free to add any of your fav things to do below 👇

- swipe to see our attempt at a family photo 😆 thanks for snapping these.

27/06/2023

Thinking of a family holiday in Queenstown? Here are 15 things to do in Queenstown with Kids!

https://www.viktoriawanders.com/blog/15-things-to-do-in-queenstown-with-kids


New Zealand family travels

Queenstown isn’t just for the adrenaline junkies, it’s for families of all kinds too! Find 15 things to do in Queenstown with Kids on your next holiday down.

26/06/2023

This is your sign to fly, cruise, fly to Milford Sound with Glenorchy Air! Winter is better down here and seeing it from a bird’s eye view is even better.

Check out flight times for the school holidays and be sure to pre-book your seats. It’ll be a trip of a lifetime, what are you waiting for? 😝

✈️
🛥️
📷s by

22/06/2023

Home. A place that I feel has no exact location. It’s a confusing feeling for an expat or anyone who has bounced from place to place, or landed somewhere new.

As soon as I saw the Welly coastline, I felt home. Walking around the streets, along the beach, the trails I ran so many times, the museum our daughter started walking in. Where so many little and big life shifting moments happened. Yet, Queenstown feels home. The Chicago suburbs feel like home, even the city where I only lived for a few years. So maybe one place isn’t home. Maybe you just leave pieces of your heart in each place you live. I think I still have some over in India. And while sometimes it’s confronting to not feel a true home, I know my home is this little family and I created, in this beautiful place at the bottom of the world. Home is really just a feeling.

13/06/2023

Another labor of love, my SOUTH ISLAND GUIDE is finally complete. I share all my fav places, accomm options, beer spots and of course the best trails across a very long, but detailed loop road trip guide.

As always reach out with questions, I’ll be constantly adding to this and my North Island Guide - both linked in my bio.

Swipe to see just a few of my fav places down here, let me know yours below x

08/06/2023

Well hello winter, thanks for being both brutally frigid and beautifully breathtaking as you graced us with your presence these past few mornings. I’m looking forward to many more blue bird days for the season and currently counting down the days until I’m on the slopes 🏂

Who’s coming down for a ⛷️ trip?

x

06/06/2023

While the chase is almost an impossible task, the choice is easy. is a brand I trust to support and comfort my little one’s needs. I promise I’ve tried every brand on the shelf and never, not once has nappies let me down with a leak. Founded by a New Zealand Mum, designed with zero nasty chemicals and made for our movers and explorers, it is the easiest choice for my little rascal.

Try them and love them just like us 💙 find award-winning and their affordable prices 💃 at your New World, Pak ‘n Save & Four Square 👶