The Ultimate South Island, New Zealand Road Trip
In August 2021, Auckland was put into lockdown which ended up lasting 4 months. During that time, we weren’t allowed to leave the city, so when the announcement came that the border was going to be lifted in mid December, I knew I had to get back to doing what I love; being back on the road, with a camera in my hands and exploring some of the best parts of the country!
The timing was perfect. Summer had just arrived which meant lupins are blooming, the weather’s heating up, hikes are more doable and there’s still some snow on the mountains. I’ve done some epic trips around the South Island before, but this time I wanted to tick more things off my list and step out of my comfort zone by going on some of the best hikes that New Zealand is so famous for, as well as revisiting the classic spots too. I hope this blog post gives you some inspiration for your future New Zealand trip and encourages you to put the South Island at the top of your bucket list!
HOW TO TRAVEL AROUND NEW ZEALAND?
For years, I had heard people say that the best way to travel around the country was to get a camper van and hit the open road. It was always something I had wanted to do and now that I’ve finally got to experience this for myself, I agree! There are so many free and paid campsites around New Zealand with toilets, showers, power, wifi, dump stations and so much more. For this trip around the South Island, we travelled in a Chubby Camper from Travellers Autobarn and I couldn’t recommend them enough! They’re based in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and Queenstown as well as many locations in Australia and USA.
The Chubby Camper was the perfect vehicle for our trip. It’s a powered camper van that comes equipped with a seating area and table that you can remove to turn into a double bed, chilly bin, sink, gas cooker and so much more! The staff were incredibly friendly and helped us out with any problems or questions we had. I’d recommend them to anyone looking to experience van life too! Click here to book your trip with Travellers Autobarn.
OUR ITINERARY
We started and ended our journey in Christchurch. Click here for a map of our itinerary with some key places to visit tagged as well!
Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=11Ev-R1daxzRkFLChNfX7CFLBoAoXTc_p&hl=en&usp=sharing
LAKE TEKAPO
As soon as my friend Joanne and I landed in Christchurch, we picked up our Chubby Camper from Travellers Autobarn and hit the road to start our 2.5 week road trip around the South Island! It’s about a 3 hours drive to Lake Tekapo and we had a full day ahead of us so we just cruised and planned where we were going to shoot sunset that night. My favourite thing about Lake Tekapo are the lupins and we spotted the most gorgeous field as were driving into the town. Unfortunately most of the lupins were dying by this time, as they bloomed a little earlier than usual this season, but we grabbed our cameras and headed for the lake where the moon was also rising behind the mountains. It had been a long time since I had felt this kind of excitement again, so I made sure to take it all in.
This season, the lupins started blooming in November and only lasted a few weeks. Most of the fields had died before we even got there. The next morning we went back to the field we saw on arrival and spent about an hour shooting. I couldn’t believe how beautiful this field was, I was nearly in tears. That night we stayed in our van for the first night at the Lake Tekapo Holiday Park. It was my first time in a camper van, let alone sleeping in one, so this was a totally new and exciting experience for me!
WANAKA
The weather was starting to turn so we decided to head to Wanaka for a couple of nights. This little town is one of my favourite places in all of New Zealand and is also home to my favourite restaurant in the country, The Big Fig.
There’s so much to see and do in Wanaka, especially if you want to be active, as it’s most famous for its world class hikes. Isthmus Peak, Liverpool Track and Brewster Hut are on my to-do list, but on this trip, we only had time to do everyone’s favourite, Roys Peak.
Roys Peak
Did you really visit Wanaka if you didn’t hike Roys Peak? Roys Peak is considered to be one of the best day hikes in the country and one of the most beautiful in the world! It’s a 16km return hike that takes around 5-6 hours return. Once you reach the viewing point, you get breathtaking views overlooking Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring. It’s another 30 minutes to get to the very top.
This was my second time doing this hike and I can’t wait to do again! We started around 5:30pm with the goal of making it to the viewpoint before sunset. The first 30-45 minutes are probably the hardest due to how steep it is, but it gets easier after you cross the first gate. We got to the top in about 2 hours which gave us heaps of time to shoot videos and take photos.
The viewing point gets very busy during the day and sometimes has a queue to get photos, so I recommend doing this hike early in the morning or later in the afternoon. There’s absolutely no shade during the walk, so if you’re going to do this on a sunny day, make sure you take sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water.
QUEENSTOWN, ARROWTOWN & GLENORCHY
Our next stop on our trip was to my favourite destination in NZ, Queenstown. This beautiful town is surrounded by the most beautiful snow capped mountains and lakes that will leave you speechless! On the way there, we stopped at Arrowtown, a small historic town that will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. They have the cutest boutique shops and nice eateries. We had pizzas for lunch at The Fork and Tap bar and highly recommend it.
After settling in to Queenstown and grabbing dinner from Fergburger, we headed to Glenorchy for sunset. The drive there is along one of the most beautiful and scenic roads you’ll drive on. Glenorchy is best known for its red boat shed and wharf and both are popular photo spots so don’t forget your camera!
The next morning we had breakfast at Vudu Cafe, near the Queenstown waterfront. Queenstown has some of my favourite cafes in New Zealand and this one is now on my list alongside Bespoke Kitchen and Yonder! Later in the day we drove out to Moke Lake, a beautiful small lake surrounded by mountains and is only a 20 minute drive from Queenstown. We found an unmarked track that was off the beaten path and decided to head on up for the most spectacular views of the area. After about half an hour of climbing, we reached the top of the cliff and got straight into shooting some of my favourite photos from one of my favourite viewpoints ever.
This spot isn’t easy to get to. It’s unmarked and not an official track, so caution is advised. It’s very steep, there’s loose rocks and in parts, you’ll need to use both hands to help yourself up. I’d only recommend it to people with a decent level of fitness and advise anyone against taking children. I’m also not going to reveal the exact location of how to get here, but with a little research, you can find it.
FIORDLAND
MILFORD SOUND
Milford Sound is one of the most stunning natural wonders in the world and somewhere that should be at the very top of every person’s New Zealand bucket list! I’ve visited twice and each time has been in perfect sunny conditions, so seeing it when it’s rainy and moody is something I’ve wanted to experience for years. It’s one of the wettest places in the world and rains 182 days on average per year, so how I’ve never seen the rain here is beyond me! When it rains, waterfalls cascade down the mountains and it’s a sight that just needs to be seen to be believed and makes you feel like you’ve just hopped straight onto the set of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty!
Milford Sound is a four hour drive from Queenstown but there’s heaps of tours that can take you there and back and also includes a cruise. If you’d prefer to stay in Milford Sound, there’s only one accomodation and that’s the Milford Sound Lodge. They also have powered camp sites, which is where we stayed for two nights in our Chubby Camper from Travellers Autobarn.
If you’re driving yourself, be aware that the last town before Milford Sound is Te Anau, which is over an hour and a half away. This is also the place you can get petrol, so make sure you fill up before you leave!
LAKE MARIAN
This hike is just before the Homer Tunnel going into Milford Sound and its incredible! After about an hour and a half hike, you’ll get the most amazing views of Lake Marian surrounded by snow capped mountains. The hike itself takes you through a magical looking forest where you’ll climb over tree roots and cross streams so a decent level of fitness is required.
Unfortunately, the lake had flooded when we did it but it was still so worth it and absolutely awe-inspiring!
WEST COAST
We slowly made our way up to the West Coast, making a few stops along the way to our final destination of Franz Josef. This area of the country is known for its wild weather, rivers, rainforests and glaciers.
BLUE POOLS
Our first stop was at the Blue Pools. The Blue Pools are about 2 hours away from Queenstown or an hour away from Wanaka and the drive takes you past the jaw-droppingly beautiful Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea.
Let me start this off my saying the water at the Blue Pools is incredibly cold. It’s glacial water that comes straight from the Makarora River so go for a dip or jump off the bridge if you’re brave! Caution: the West Coast is swarming with sand flies and they’re particularly bad in this area so don’t forget your bug spray!
LAKE MATHESON
Lake Matheson, located in Fox Glacier, is regarded as the most beautiful lake in New Zealand and with good reason! The lake is famous for its reflections and on a clear day, you’ll be able to see Mount Cook and Mount Tasman in the distance. Getting perfect conditions here is pretty rare, but I got lucky to witness an amazing showcase where the sky turned red and lenticular clouds sat above the mountains. It was a magical morning I won’t forget anytime soon!
ALEX KNOB
This hike is in Franz Josef and only about 30 minutes away from Fox Glacier. It’s an eight hour return hike through the rainforest with unobstructed views of Franz Josef Glacier at the top. This was our main reason for coming to the West Coast so when we saw there was a couple of days of good weather, we knew we had to make the trip up. The weather here can be very unpredictable, and when we reached the top, everything was clouded over and we couldn’t see anything, but as it got closer to sunset, the clouds started to part and we were greeted with epic views of the glacier and a cloud inversion on the other side. This was easily one of my favourite New Zealand memories ever.
LAKE PUKAKI
After a successful trip to the West Coast, we made the journey all the way back to Lake Pukaki. We found a spot to freedom camp at and woke up to breathtaking views of the lake and snow capped mountains behind it. There are many locations here to freedom camp if you’ve got a self contained van. Thankfully, we had the Chubby Camper from Travellers Autobarn which gave us the freedom to spend the night at one of the most beautiful locations in the world!
Lake Pukaki, simply put, is stunning. The water is an incredible, vibrant, turquoise colour that can only be compared to a bottle of blue Powerade. On a hot and sunny day, you must stop and take a dip here! Even though the water is very chilly, it’s one of my favourite swimming spots in the New Zealand! Where else can you swim in glacial water overlooking the tallest mountain in the country?
AORAKI MOUNT COOK NATIONAL PARK
Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in the country and home to the most scenic road (State Highway 80) you’ll ever drive down! There’s so many random stops along the way that have the most incredible views. One of my favourite stops is Peter’s Lookout, a windy road that leads to Lake Pukaki and Mount Cook. It’ll leave you speechless!
The Hooker Valley Trail is a must-do when you’re in the area and a walk that I have to do every time I visit. The 10km return hike is very popular and one of the best ways to see the National Park. It’s pretty flat most of the way with some stairs in parts and an incline towards the end, so if you’re reasonably fit, this is very doable. You’ll cross three swingbridges along your way to Hooker Lake which fills up with icebergs in the winter.
There’s many other things to do in the National Park that are on my bucket list, such as visiting Tasman Lake and hiking up to Mueller Hut.
