NZ South Island Road Trip

Two weeks in the South Island is just not enough time! But if like us, it’s all you have… then here is a guide to the perfect road trip.

Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass

So many awesome sights to see in NZ, so I would recommend not spending too long in Christchurch. Chances are you aren’t there to spend time drinking flat whites in the city, so give yourself a couple of hours to see the city, and the very obvious earthquake damage before heading to the mountains! Within a few of hours drive west you can be in Lord of the Rings country at Castle Rocks, well worth the stop. Once you leave the straight flat roads of Canterbury behind, the driving gets awesome – with a new mountain scene unfolding with every corner.

Arthur’s Pass to Franz Josef

As we were camping, we picked the nicest looking campsite near Arthurs pass, and started exploring trails and rivers. The DOC site was really useful (they all are) and we had a decent top planned for the next day – Avalanche peak (more to follow on this bad boy). Post climb we headed straight to Franz joseph, being chased West and South by a cyclone (typical) the second one to hit NZ this summer. Again, the driving is out of this world, and the best way of seeing the countryside on a tight timeframe. Franz Joseph is a real tourist hub, but an easy way to get up close and personal with the sea bound glaciers – although we could barely see it as the weather had well and truly turned.

Franz Josef to Wanaka

With the rain set in, and no signs of stopping we made the call to head straight to Wanaka, it was a real shame not to spend more time out the car, with stunning mountains all along the west coast as we headed towards haast pass. The rain had blown all the rivers out too, but I’m sure there would have been some epic fishing along the way. Wanaka was an awesome town, with a stunning backdrop – a really cool vibe, but again very busy – I would definitely recommend booking accommodation up front for here.

Wanaka to Alexandra

From Wanaka we made a big call to sit the storm out for a couple of nights in wine region. The mountains were out of action, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t take some time sampling the Central Otago wines. Highly recommended wet weather activity, and Alexandra was a great base for this. Trusty old bookabatch (NZ Airbnb) meant we had a roof over our head and gave us a chance to dry the tent whist sampling the local Pinot Noirs! A couple of recommendations for contrasting vineyards – https://www.mtdifficulty.nz and http://www.dunstanroadwines.co.nz

Alexandra to Queenstown

With cyclone gita long gone we headed back the mountains, which had their tops freshly painted with the first snow of the year (late Feb). Queenstown was out next stop, and we got there with enough time to head up time to stretch the legs and head up the aptly named Ben Lomond (again, more to follow shortly on this one). With great bars, restaurants and a hive of activity, it was nice to be back in civillisation!

Queenstown to Glenorchy

Queenstown had a great buzz about it, but we didn’t have time for jet boat or bungee jumps, instead we carried on north to the cracking little village of Glenorchy. Probably our favourite place in NZ. The cyclone had scuppered any fishing plans, and the crystal-clear creeks were all blown out – but that didn’t stop me trying…

Routeburn Route

Next up was a two-day hike along the famous Routeburn Route, but not before a brilliant night at Kinloch Lodge across the lake from Glenorchy. http://www.kinlochlodge.co.nz the Routeburn starts near Kinloch and heads 35km through a high mountain pass toward Milford Sound. The car made the 325km trip to meet us at the other side (http://www.easyhike.co.nz) saving us a long round trip. Full write up of the Routeburn to follow shortly…. But needless to say it was stunning!

Milford Sound to Te Anau

From the end of the Routeburn Route, we left the alps behind us and headed towards Te Aneu, where we based ourselves for a Kayaking trip on the Doubtful sound. Definitely a highlight of the trip. The Fjordlands wilderness was simply incredible, the pictures really speak for themselves. An absolute must for anyone heading to the South Island.

Te Anau to Twizel

The end of the trip came around all too soon, and from Te Aneu we made the long journey north back to Christchurch over a couple of days. The obvious half way point was the green waters of Lake Tekapo on the slopes of Mount Cook. And from here we had one final highlight – a scenic 40min flight over Mount Cook – the top even cleared as circled round the Tasmin glacier. Mount Cook village is another great spot, we didn’t have time to do any of the walks round there, but I would recommend the DOC site and museum, which takes you on through the mountaineering history of NZ highest mountain.