South Island, New Zealand🇳🇿

This blog will focus on the South Island stops and the things we recommend to do here. There is a lot to do in the South, so definitely prioritise more time, up to two weeks if not more. This will give you enough time to see all the main sights without rushing. The South has a lot of incredible walks and hikes as well, which I will mention in this blog. However, to avoid this blog from being too long, I have written a separate one, which goes into detail on all of the hikes we did. You can find this blog here!

Picton

To get from North to South Island (vice versa), you have to take the ferry from Wellington to Picton. This costs $330 NZD with a camper van for two people and takes five hours. The ferry gets booked up quite quickly so make sure to do this in advance.

Once you arrive in Picton, explore the quaint town and port. You must try the green shell mussels, which Picton is known for. Couple this up with some seafood chowder and you are in for a real treat.

From Picton, depending on your route, you can either drive down to Blenheim or West to Havelock. If you are into your wine, Blenheim has a few gorgeous wineries you can stop at, either Cloudy Bay or Saint Clair. If you decide to drive straight to Havelock from Picton, you will drive through the Marlborough Sounds, which is something we definitely recommend to do as the drive is gorgeous. If you want to do it all, you can drive from Picton to Blenheim and circle round to Havelock, then just drive up Marlborough Sounds and back.

Marlborough Sounds

Drive through the scenic landscapes in Marlborough Sounds either on your way to Abel Tasman or down towards Kaikōura. There are two main scenic drives, the Queen Charlotte Drive, which is between Picton and Havelock, or the road to French Pass. The Queen Charlotte Drive is winding roads with views of the sounds and surrounding cliffs, whereas the French Pass has more sweeping views but includes unsealed roads so make sure to drive carefully in your camper. If you drive the Queen Charlotte Drive, stop at Cullen Point Lookout and hike one of the walking paths of the Queen Charlotte Track.

Abel Tasman

Abel Tasman National Park
If you have the time, we would recommend staying here for two nights if not more. This is because Abel Tasman National Park has a huge variety of different walks and hikes to choose from, ranging from hours to days, depending on your preference. The National Park is huge so make sure to research what you want to do. It is also known for its kayaking, where you can hire kayaks and explore the different swimming holes. If you want a cold morning plunge in a natural pool, stop off at Riuwaka Resurgence. More details of the walk we did will be in my hiking blog here.

*(On the way to Kaikōura, make sure to stop off at Hamner Springs, sadly when we were there there were wildfires so the roads to and from the springs were closed)

Kaikōura

We loved Kaikōura so much, that we went back to spend another couple days there! The place is so beautiful, it is on the coast and the landscape of the surrounding mountains were incredible. There are so many walks to do and marine wildlife to see, so Ned was in heaven.

Whale Watching/ Dolphin Tour
Kaikōura is known for whale watching and Ned really wanted to see Sperm Whales so had to go! As we had recently gone whale watching in Perth, I chose not to go and did an admin day instead. It cost $175 NZD, and lasted three/four hours. Ned unfortunately didn’t see Sperm Whales, but he saw Hump Back Whales, different species of dolphins, seals and albatross, so he was really happy he went!

Kaikōura Coastal Walk
Kaikōura Coastal Walk is a three hour return walk along the coast. More details of this trail will be in my hiking blog here.

*(Hike Mount Fyffe)

Westport

With the Kiwi Experience, after Abel Tasman, we stopped off at the iconic Nelson Lakes before heading to the surf town of Westport. Here you can go kayaking, surfing or paddle boarding.

Lake Mahinaphua

With the Kiwi Experience, I also stopped off at Lake Mahinaphua. The journey is pretty cool, and takes you down State Highway 6, which is 435km along the Tasman shoreline. We first stopped off at Cape Foulwind Seal Colony Walk before heading to Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, which is a 1.1km walking loop. If you have time, add these two stops into your road trip itinerary.

We spent the night at Mahinapua Hotel, which is across the road from Lake Mahinapua, where you can go down to watch the sunrise. Here we got to socialise with the other travellers on our Kiwi bus. We did a Jewellery making class, had dinner all together and then also did a fancy dress night.

Hokitika

Hokitika Gorge and Hokitika Sandwich Company
Details of the Hokitika Gorge Walk will be in my hiking blog here. Make sure to stop off at Hokitika Sandwhich Company before to grab one of their delicious sandwiches, either for a breakfast bite or a sandwhich for on the go during your walk. Either way, you cannot miss it, as they are incredible!

Franz Josef

🏨Orange Sheep Caravan Park (paid)

Roberts Pass Hike
If you are unable to do the Heli Hike at Franz Josef, another hike to do instead is the Roberts Pass Hike. It takes you through the forest, over multiple swinging bridges and at some points steep climbing. However, at the end, you will be able to see views of Franz Josef Glacier. More details are in my hiking blog here.

Callery Gorge Walk & Peters Pool
Callery Gorge is a 5.2km return walk whereas Peters Pool is a shorter 1.1km walk. Both walks are pretty easy, and can be done in the morning before your other activities, with Peters Pool being the perfect spot for sunrise. More details are in my hiking blog here.

Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools
Spend the afternoon in the glacier hot pools. They get booked up pretty quickly, so make sure to book these in advance if you want to do it. These pools are the perfect way to relax after hiking in Franz Josef.

Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Ride
We ended up doing the Glacier Helicopter Scenic ride as our Heli Hike was sadly cancelled. It was pretty expensive and was only 25 minutes, 10 minutes on top of the glacier and 15 minutes helicopter ride up and down. It was a pretty cool experience though, we could see incredible views over Franz Josef, got to land and touch the snow at the top of the Glacier as well.

Lake Matheson

From Franz Josef drive thirty minutes to Lake Matheson and spend the morning walking around the famous mirror lake. It is a 4.4km loop and can take an hour and a half to complete. It is a pretty easy trail through the forest and on a clear day you can see the incredible mirror reflections of Aoraki/ Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Stop off at the cafe for a morning coffee and bite to eat before making your way to Wānaka.

Wānaka

🏨Glendhu Bay Holiday Park (paid) or near Lake Hawera (free camp)

Drive to Wānaka from Franz Josef, which can take three and a half hours. To break up the journey, stop off at the Blue Pools Track, which is a 3km walk. As you drive through the winding roads that lead you to Wānaka make sure to stop off at the multiple different viewpoints, such as The Neck Viewpoint, which give you incredible views over Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea. Finish the day going to the famous Wānaka Tree and watch the sunset over the lake. Personally, Wānaka Tree wasn’t that amazing to us, maybe because the weather wasn’t good, but worth the stop to tick it off!

Roys Peak
Roys Peak is a popular hike in Wānaka where you can see an amazing sunrise over the mountains and town. I did this with the Kiwi Experience and it was one of my favourite hikes. More details are in my hiking blog here.

Isthmus Peak
Ned and I did Isthmus Peak as Roys Peak was sadly closed when we were there. We did it during the day as the weather was really good, so we were really lucky with the 360 views that we got at the summit! More details are in my hiking blog.

Queenstown

🏨Q-Box campervan (paid)

Skyline Gondola and Luge
One of the main things to do is get the Skyline Gondola up the mountain and see gorgeous views over Queenstown. You then can Luge down part the of the mountain. It is expensive, but completely worth it to see these views. We got the three rides option, which cost us $89 NZD each.

AJ Hackett Bungee Jump & Nevis Swing
Another main activity to do is the Nevis Swing and Bungee Jump. I did this during my last trip and got the bundle deal for both, which made it a little bit cheaper. If you are an adrenaline junkie I would definitely recommend doing this. The Bungee Jump was so much fun as I got to see the views in-between the mountains and the Nevis Swing is the biggest swing in the world, so my friend Ellie and I got to do this together!

Onsen Hot Pools & Day Spa
Spend the afternoon relaxing in the onsen, which overlooks incredible views and mountains of Queenstown. We got the private onsen, which came with two free drinks and snacks. We booked for an hour and it was so relaxing after spending the day exploring the city.

Ice Bar
Have a few drinks at the Ice Bar in Queenstown. We did this with the Kiwi Experience and it was pretty fun way to spend an evening.

Fergburger, Fergbaker & Patagonia Chocolatier
You can’t go to Queenstown and not try any of these. Fergburger is famous for its massive, delicious burgers. They also have Fergbaker, which focuses on different pastries, pies and tarts. For a little sweet treat, get some chocolates or ice cream from Patagonia Chocolatier, who serve the most incredible ice cream, their portions are also very generous! If you’re a foodie like me, you will not want to miss these spots!

Day trip to Glenorchy or Arrowtown.
Spend a couple of your days in Queenstown and do a small road trip to Glenorchy and Arrowtown.

Milford Sound Day Trip
You can do a Milford Sound day trip from Queenstown if you are tight on time. If not, you can drive there yourself and camp along the way. Further details will be below.

Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park

Do a day trip to Milford Sound and spend the day on a boat, going through the surrounding mountains of the Fiordland National Park. We booked a more expensive boat, which didn’t have a lot of people on it, which allowed us to enjoy the views instead of fighting with people for space.

Te Anu, Fiordland National Park

As we drove towards Milford Sound, we saw a sign for The Routeburn track, which was recommended to us. After we finished our Milford Sound tour, we decided to do the hike, which took us a couple of hours to do and it was one of our favourite trails in New Zealand. More details are in my hiking blog here. If you have more time than us make sure to stop off at the Glow worms cave as this is one of the places that you can see them yourselves and without a tour!

Mount Cook, Aoraki National Park

🏨 Lake Pukaki Campground (free camp) OR White Horse Hill Campsite

We stayed at Lake Pukaki Campground and it was one of our favourite campsites of our whole trip! There are three different levels to the camp ground and it faces Lake Pukaki with Mount Cook and the other mountains in the distant. Sunset and sunrise is incredible here as the sun casts a glow over the mountains. Pop your head out when it’s dark or go stargazing as the stars shine incredibly bright here.

Mount Cook Hikes
Mount Cook, Aoraki National Park was one of our favourite hiking days of New Zealand. There are three hikes in this National Park that are highly recommended, the Sealy Tarns Summit Track and Mueller Hut, the Hooker Valley Track and the Tasman Glacier View Track. More details are in my hiking blog here.

Lake Pukaki

On the drive to Lake Tekapo stop by Lake Pukaki for gorgeous blue waters and views of the mountains across the lake.

Lake Tekapo

Spend a couple days at Lake Tekapo to see the stunning views over the glacier lake.

• Church of the Good Shepard - visit the famous stone church on the lakefront, a prime photo spot, especially if the lupins have bloomed.
• Tekapo Springs.
• Stargazing at the Dark Sky Reserve, Mount John Observatory.
• Mount John Summit Circuit with panoramic views of Mackenzie Basin.
• Lupin season over the Lake (November time).
• Tekapo Peninsula Walkway.
• Cowan’s Hill Walkway.
• Kayak across the lake.
• Lake Alexandrina.

* Arthurs Pass Hiking Trail - we sadly didn’t have enough time, but make sure to stay here for a night after doing the hike. On the way to Christchurch, we also recommend finding the time to stop off at Devils Punchbowl Waterfall.

Christchurch

There isn’t a lot to do in Christchurch, you would only need one full day and night here. For both my trips, I flew in and out of Christchurch, which is the main reason why I stopped here.

• Christchurch Botanic Gardens.
• Christchurch Gondola.
• Day trip to Kaikōura if short on time.
• Grizzly Baked Good Bakery.