If you’re ready to relax, reconnect with nature and truly slow things down, there’s no better place than New Zealand. Between snowy mountains, crystal clear waters and lush nature, New Zealand and especially its South Island has everything any slow traveler could want and more! Get excited, pack your bags and get ready for your New Zealand South Island adventure!
New Zealand might seem small, but there’s lots to see!
Don’t let the map fool you: New Zealand might appear small when compared to its neighbor Australia but it’s not that small! Just consider that driving from the top to the bottom of the southern island will take you 12 hours… Not exactly a day trip!
This is why I recommend selecting a few spots you absolutely don’t want to miss and exploring these in-depth, rather than power through and checking every single “must-see” Google has in store for you.
You might not be able to see everything, but you will have a nice understanding of the areas you picked and you’ll have a fresh local feeling not every traveler will experience.
Best ways to get around New Zealand’s South Island
You’re welcome to explore the island however you prefer, but the best (and most freeing) way to do it is self-driving. Ideally in a campervan or 4WD!
This gives you so many incredible benefits such as the ability to park yourself exactly where you want, never having to drive back to your Airbnb and you can be completely self-sufficient!
There is something very special about parking your van in a secluded location and being able to fully enjoy that (on your own!) when you wake up the next day.
Take it from a digital nomad and ex-van lifer! I spent 5 years living in a van in Australia and I can attest this is not only the best way to fully explore a new place, but it’s also an incredible way to immerse yourself in the culture and day-to-day activities only local people can experience.
Best times to road trip through New Zealand’s South Island
Summer in New Zealand falls between December and March, while winter is between June and September. Personally, my favorite time to go on a road trip is in the summer months! Road conditions are at their best at this time of year and camping is much more comfortable.
If you decide to go during colder months, make sure you’re packing enough warm and technical clothes, as well as checking the activities, parks and experiences you want to book are going to be open!
My New Zealand South Island experience
Because I had lived in Australia for 5 years, most of them spent traveling in my van and only rarely leaving the country, I just knew I had to visit New Zealand before closing this chapter.
As much as I would have loved to spend 6 months road-tripping both the northern and southern island, my partner and I opted for a week only to just have a taste of it (plus, between work, moving to Kuala Lumpur and other commitments there was barely any time left!)
So in January 2024 we jumped on a 3-hour flight from Brisbane and landed in Queenstown.
From there we were able to catch a bus to Wānaka, where we spent a few days in our self-sufficient campervan, Brian!
We then went on a nice road trip north to Gate of Haast and from there back south to Moke Lake. Finally, we spent our last day in Queenstown for some activities we had booked such as Canyon Swing and the Onsen Spa.
We knew from the beginning it was never going to be enough time to explore New Zealand South Island but it gave us a taste of what New Zealand can be like (and I am definitely convinced I’ll have to be back!)
If you’re short on time and want to explore the island while sitting back and relaxing, this is the perfect itinerary!
7 days self-drive New Zealand South Island itinerary
Queenstown to Wānaka — day 1
Wānaka is a great first stop for your New Zealand South Island itinerary because you’ll reconnect with nature pretty much instantly.
It’s a small, cute and vibrant city overlooking a beautiful lake and has lots of adventures and mini-day trips you can take from here.
We caught a bus from right outside the airport and in less than 2 hours we arrived in Wānaka. We had already arranged to pick up our Camplify van from there, so after the handout we drove away and our adventure officially started.
Our first (and only) stop for the day was #thatWanakaTree. Yes, a tree has a super popular hashtag and although it was just a tree, the view was pretty stunning.
After that, we found a secluded campground, cooked our food and had dinner under the stars.
Pro Tip: Make sure you spend some time researching your van and be smart with your decisions!
There are countless vans for you to pick, so don’t worry about picking the first one you see. Think about how comfortable you want to be and what some must your van needs to have. Will you cook most of your meals yourself? How many people are traveling with you? How much are you comfortable spending? Some bigger campers and motor homes have showers and toilets in the back: is this something you would consider or you’re ready for a more hands-on experience?
Our van needed to be long and somewhat tall because my partner is almost 2 meters tall. We wanted a somewhat set up kitchen because we wanted to buy groceries and cook ourselves, but we didn’t care for a shower or toilet, ‘cause we knew we were going to shower at local swimming pools.
So make your decision wisely!
Day 1 recap:
- Arrive and settle down
- Get to Wanaka
- Snap pictures of #ThatWanakaTree
- Enjoy the sunset from your van
Wānaka — day 2
Our second day was spent exploring Wanaka and planning the rest of our trip (yes, we had nothing planned before leaving Australia!).
We started by visiting the Wanaka Lavender Farm and spent a few hours getting lost in their mazes and botanical gardens. The cafe has some incredible products too!
After that, we moved on to Puzzling World and got lost in their super maze. This amusement park started as a family business and quickly attracted visitors from all over the world. They had some incredible illusory rooms and I felt my brain hurting after a while, but it was so worth it!
We spent the rest of the day wandering through Wanaka and towards the end of the day we started driving north towards Lake Hawea.
This was one of my favorite drives during our New Zealand South Island adventure. The views were just incredible, first with Hawea Lake on your right, then with Wanaka Lake on your left.
We found a super secluded campground and enjoyed the best sunset of our life (seriously!).
Day 2 recap:
- Explore Wanaka
- Head to Wanaka Lavender Farm and try their lavender ice cream
- Get lost in a massive maze at Puzzling World
- Start the drive up towards Hawea Lake
- Find a campground on the lake and enjoy the view!
Lake Hawea to Gate of Haast — day 3
Day 3 is when we felt as if the adventure started for real!
We suggest stopping at every single lookout because the view will be just incredible and so worth it.
Unfortunately for us, day 3 wasn’t super sunny. In fact, it started raining soon after we woke up so after driving to a coffee shop we stayed there hoping it would stop.
It didn’t.
Still hopeful, we decided to keep driving and get to our next destination: Blue Pools.
We went on the walk regardless and came back soaking wet, but I can attest the view was just incredible — I had never seen such blue water!
Pro Tip: check online if the track is open before heading there. We knew the suspension bridge was closed, but the track to the water was open so we went there anyway. Although the rain didn’t make it for an amazing day, I really wanted to see them and I’m so glad we stopped by.
Blue Pools to Gate of Haast
After drying up and recharging, we continued driving north and we arrived at Gate of Haast — a whimsical experience you must have!
The drive is completely different and instead of having lakes and mountains, you’ll see lots of lush green rainforests, waterfalls (such as Fantails Falls) and narrow roads.
There is a sign for a tourist viewpoint which was nowhere near as incredible as the little metal bridge overlooking the Haast river. It’s definitely worth a stop.
From here you can continue north and adventure through New Zealand’s West Coast or, if you’re stripped for time, you can drive back towards Wanaka or Queenstown.
We drove towards Queenstown but hit all the little villages along the way including Gibbston, Kawarau (birthplace of the first commercial bungee jumping bridge!) and Arrowtown.
Because it was still raining and it had no intention of stopping, we decided to call it a day and ended up binge-watching The Lord of the Rings on a secluded free camp overlooking Wakatipu Lake. It was a good day 😊
Day 3 recap:
- Continue the drive in between Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka
- Walk the Blue Pools track (if open)
- Keep driving towards Gate of Haast
- Plenty of waterfalls! I recommend Fantail Falls
Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown and Lake Moke — day 4
Luckily for us, day 4 was a bit better so we drove around Lake Wakatipu (we really overindulged in lakes) and decided to drive past Queenstown towards Wilson Bay Reserve. It was just incredible!
So good that we decided to set up camp and relaxed there for a few hours.
On the way back we stopped in Queenstown and went up the hill with the steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere!
Make sure you buy your luge tickets as well and race down the hill! Definitely fun and such a Mario Kart experience!
In the early afternoon, we headed towards Lake Moke and found a freedom campground on the lake itself.
We dipped in the water, cooked dinner and enjoyed another star-gazing night.
Day 4 recap:
- Explore Lake Wakatipu
- Sit back and relax at Wilson Bay Reserve
- Go up Queenstown hill on the gondolas and luge your way back
- Camp at Lake Moke
Lake Moke & Queenstown adventures — day 5
Start your day with a full hike of the lake! Or if you feel lazy like us, you can do half, we won’t tell anyone 😂
After packing our stuff, we headed back to Queenstown where we had booked a Lord of the Rings tour 🤓
Although Hobbiton and the majority of the Hobbit houses are on the northern island of New Zealand, more than 80% of the trilogy was filmed on the southern island. And, because my partner had slowly converted me into a Lord of the Rings fan, I said yes and we booked the tour.
Luckily for me, it wasn’t an over-the-top one and turned out it was incredibly adventurous.
The 4WD bus took us across Skippers Canyon Road, one of New Zealand South Island’s most thrilling but scenic routes. This unpaved road, carved by hand by miners over 140 years ago, is made from a very narrow cut in the middle of a sheer cliff face. The road is 17.4 km, mostly one-way with no turnarounds… It was just breathtaking!
You won’t be allowed on those unsealed and narrow roads with a rental car (luckily for everyone!), so tours are the only way you can explore this area.
The Shotvoer Speedy boat
After arriving at the Canyon, it was time for the next adventure: jumping on the Shotover speedy boat!
This adrenaline jet boat ride takes you through the narrowest part of the Shotover River with a series of 360 spins that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
If the day didn’t tire you enough, you could take one of the most popular (and easy) hikes in the area and walk up Queenstown Hill.
This 3 hr return hike is perfect at sunset or right before sunset so that you can admire Queenstown from above. Highly recommended!
Alternatively, explore the city and just wander in the area! We visited the Ice Bar before going on the Queenstown Hill hike.
Day 5 recap:
- Walk around Lake Moke
- Travel the Skipper Canyon Road and look down if you dare!
- Take the Shotover River Jet
- Explore Queenstown
- Hike your way up the Queenstown Hill
Last day relaxing — day 6
Are you really in New Zealand if you don’t jump off a bridge?!
We couldn’t finish our New Zealand South Island adventure without the most exciting (and scary!) activity and we had booked our Shotover Canyon Swing experience back in Australia so there was no change of hearts!
This ridiculously scary experience has a 60m freefall and a 200m swing… And the platform is set 109m high!!
The people on the platform are really friendly and they make you laugh from the very beginning…
On our way to the platform they made us watch funny videos of people who were to scared to jump or that would say funny things while freefalling: it made me so excited but so nervous!
Once on the platform, they showed their true colors and started tricking us or kicking people off the platform without much notice 😂
I got cut off the platform after saying that, as an Italian, pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza. But the girl didn’t like my answer, so I fell into the Canyon!
After arguably the most adrenaline-filled adventure, we got in our van and went for a polar opposite experience at the Onsen Pools Spa. This was on my list for years and I can totally confirm it was worth it every penny. You can pick between a variety of pools and spa treatment which are perfect after a week of hiking and adventuring.
Day 6 recap:
- (safely) jump off a bridge!
- Recover and relax at the Onsen Pools Spa
- Enjoy last night’s campground experience
Pack up and fly back to Australia — day 7
Time to fly back! Day 7 is all about packing up, returning the van and heading to the airport. Not much happened to us besides chilling at the airport and getting ready to fly back home.
Other New Zealand South Island hot spots
As mentioned above, we were strapped for time and didn’t want to spend 7 days recklessly driving from one hot spot to another. So we opted for a few activities we knew we just didn’t want to miss out on, but if we had even one week more, I would have definitely included more in our New Zealand South Island itinerary, such as:
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fiord not far from Queenstown known for rainforests, waterfalls and other incredible views! It’s common to cruise around and, from what other people have told me, it’s magical even if it rains. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins, so it would be perfect for any nature lover.
Wharariki Beach
You probably have seen pictures of Wharariki Beach beach before without realizing where or what it was! This majestic beach is on the northernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand and has been made famous across the world thanks to Microsoft. This not-so-secret anymore gem became popular in 2015 after it was published as one of Windows 10 desktop screensavers.
I know Cinque Terre in Italy got a very similar story and, as a local, I can say it drastically impacted local tourism and attracted a wave of not-so-mindful tourists.
I hope Wharariki Beach didn’t encounter the same fate!
Lake Tekapo
Another highly Instagrammable location, Lake Tekapo is famous for its incredible blue water, which contrasts beautifully with the surrounding mountains, and for the small church on the edge of the lake. It’s very famous for star gazing and astrophotography too!
Lake Tekapo is about 3hrs drive from Queenstwon and from Christchurch, making it a perfect visit from both ends and an even better stop over if you’re heading to Christchurch from Queenstown!
You only need one night in Tekapo, as you can easily visit the small town and lake front in 24 hours. This will give you enough time to see the lake, admire the church and head up Mount Saint John for the view.
In the evening, go stargazing and practice your astrophotography. The next morning you can choose one of the walks to do around Tekapo and by midday you’ll be ready to head to your next stop.
Your New Zealand South Island Essential Packing list
- Sunscreen — the sun is strong, especially in summer! My favorite is this 3-in-1 primer, moisturizer and SPF from MCoBeauty.
- Camera — you will be snapping a lot! I absolutely love my new Canon EOS R6 Mark II!!
- Hiking shoes — I bought Lowa shoes in 2018 and I still got them!
- Swimmers — a must for freezing cold lake dips!
- Water bottle — my favorite is from Yeti 🙂
- Raincoat — I wish I had this!!
- Bug repellent — I love this one from Perfect Potion
- Fast-drying towel — I recommend WetCat’s Turkish towels as they dry in a heartbeat!
- A camera backpack — Mine is from Lowepro and works as a day backpack too!
- Pack with packing cubes — I got mine from Zoomlite
Additional resources for your New Zealand South Island trip
- Where to camp in New Zealand
- Driving in New Zealand
- All of your New Zealand money questions
- Visa and immigration
Have you ever been to New Zealand? What else would you add to this New Zealand South Island Itinerary?
Hope to see you on the road!
