ITINERARY – 22 days
Christchurch [1] > Mt Cook [1] > Wanaka [2] > Queenstown [2] > Milford Sound [2] > Dunedin [1] > Abel Tasman [3] > Wellington [2] > Turangi [2] > Rotorua [2] > Auckland [2] > Waiheke Island [2]
SOUTH ISLAND
We traveled most of the South Island in a campervan but would not recommend it. Driving around with a big campervan on windy roads and on the right side of the road is not an easy feat. My husband did an amazing job though! The work of plugging and unplugging the campervan so it can be charged; emptying the grey water tank, filling it with fresh water; emptying the toilet tank; setting up the beds inside the van at night and taking them down in the morning so you have a table to eat at and a place to sit, is more work than we wanted to deal with after a long day of driving, hiking or exploring. If we were to do it again, we would just have a car and stay at lodges along the way.
CHRISTCHURCH
Is a fascinating & somewhat sad city at the same time. Over 1,000 downtown buildings had to be demolished due to damages caused by the earthquakes in 2010 & 2011. Some reconstruction is underway, but the number of empty sites or crumbling buildings right in the middle of town is striking. One way the population has found to enliven the area is through street art, in particular graffiti- great murals all around. We took the historic cable car to the main attractions, since we only had a day in town, and walked around the main city park, which was quite beautiful. Re: START is an interesting complex of local shops and cafes in shipping containers.
COFFEE deserves its own category since it is so good all over NZ (this was a surprise since one does not associate NZ with great coffee). But our favorite coffee was at C1 Espresso, a retro coffee shop with pneumatic tubes that deliver food. Food is pretty good as well.
ARTHUR'S PASS
We drove out of our way to Arthur’s Pass Village on the way to Mt Cook. It's a scenic drive but not worth the extra time. Maybe taking a train ride from Christchurch aboard the Tranz Alpine would have been a more fun way to do this. Unless you are truly going over the pass on your way to Franz Joseph & Fox Glaciers (we did skip that due to our time constraints and since we had seen many glaciers recently on a trip to Patagonia). While at Arthur’s Village, which is BTW not much besides a visitor’s center, gas station & small market, we did a one-hour out & back walk to the Devil's Punchbowl Falls. Good way to stretch your legs.
MT COOK NATIONAL PARK
As you get closer to the park along the beautiful Lake Pukaki (crystal turquoise water), the views of Mt Cook (highest peak in NZ) are stunning. Hike the Hooker Valley track which is pretty flat with a few rocky sections. You will cross bridges & meadows always with incredible views of either the snowy mountains or Lake Pukaki at a distance. About 3hrs out & back.
We did not spend the night here, but inside the park there are some nice chalets as well as a pretty hip motel.
WANAKA
Small resort town by Lake Wanaka. Even though it is quite touristy, it retains its charm and is much more appealing than Queenstown.
TO DO
Drive to Makarora, 50 minutes outside of Wanaka, for the Wilkin River Jets, Jumboland Wilderness Adventure - a 20 min helicopter flight into Mt Aspiring National Park, 4-hour walk & 30 min jet boat ride back. About $300/person, but worth the cost.
Hike up Mt. Roy. It starts in private farmland and then crosses into public land. It’s a big hike with a long downhill and recommended on a clear day so you can enjoy the incredible views - 5-6hrs out & back.
Funny French Car Tours – explore the surrounding area of Wanaka with Julie (who is a lot of fun) in one of her many refurbished vintage Citroens. You can visit wineries in the area & see the landscape off-roading in small countryside roads.
From Wanaka it's a short but dramatic journey over the Cadrona Saddle to Queenstown/ We stopped at Arrowtown on the way (small and historic gold mining town), but it was a bit “Disney-like”. You can stop for lunch or dinner at Amisfield, but book a table ahead of time. An alternative drive is through Cromwell on route 8 to go through the Kawarau Gorge - spectacular drive about 1hr longer.
QUEENSTOWN
The setting of Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and at the base of the Remarkables Mountains is quite beautiful, but the town itself is nothing special. It’s overrun with businesses catering to travellers, in particular the ones seeking some crazy adventure.
TO DO
The Queenstown Hill Walkway is easily accessible from Queenstown city centre. It is a very demanding walk but relatively short that offers great views of QT, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. Make sure to dress warmly, since it can get pretty nippy on the top.
Drive to Glenorchy, 45 minutes from Queenstown, for a very scenic drive and to get to one of the starting points of the Routeburn Trek. We decided to do only the first third of it as a day trek. We walked out & back to Routeburn Flats, about 16km/10 miles for 6-7 hours. The trail is excellent all the way with a gradual climb on the way in and downhill on the way back. For an extra challenge you can climb to Routeburn Falls for stunning views and it will add another 3km/2 miles to your hike. We did not do this since it was raining so hard! Come prepared for rain & cold weather. The weather is unpredictable and changes very fast.
SLEEP We needed a break from the campervan today, so we decided last-minute to rent an apartment at The Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartments. It was wonderful: we got to wash and dry all our dirty, wet clothes after a day at the Routeburn Trek; take a nice warm shower and have dinner overlooking Lake Wakatipu.
MILFORD SOUND
The 4-hr drive to Milford Sound is stunning.
TO DO
Kayaking around the sound, weather permitting. We did the Milford Magic tour (2.5hrs kayaking; 2hrs boat tour) with Sea Kayak Fiordland and it was worth it. About $150/person.
Milford Trek is a multi-day trek, but has parts that can be done as a day-trek. Due to a lot of rain and the trek being so wet, we skipped the hike.
If you want just a quick taster, the Key Summit track follows the Routeburn Track for about an hour before peeling off for a 30-minute climb to the summit. This is recommended on a clear day because you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world. It’s a good opportunity to cheat, and soak up some stunning alpine scenery in a fraction of the time you need to allocate for the Fiordland’s multi-day treks. Begin at The Divide car park on the Milford Road.
SLEEP Milford Sound Lodge is pretty much your only option unless to stay in Te Anau.
We cheated here again, and stayed at one of their beautiful newly built cabins. They have a restaurant on site or a communal kitchen if you rather make your own food. They also have laundry facilities.
DUNEDIN
Pretty disappointing industrial town that can be skipped.
The Otago Peninsula outside of town is a nice area to explore. We hiked to Victoria beach, to Lover's Leap and Sandfly Bay, searching for yellow-eyed penguins. Even though we never saw any, the ocean vistas were impressive.
EAT Plato Super funky & relaxed eatery with great seafood.
** We missed Kaikoura, north of Christchurch, which is a wildlife heaven and beautiful little town. You can go whale watching or swimming with dolphins in this area.
This is where I would have stayed: Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses.
ABEL TASMAN
We flew from Dunedin to Nelson and with a rental car drove first to Motueka. Since we knew we would be missing the last sea shuttle to our next destination, we spent the night in Motueka at a great house (more info below). The next day, we took the Sea Shuttle from Kaiteriteri to Awaroa on our way to Pepper’s Lodge (more info below). It’s a beautiful boat ride along the many beaches of the Abel Tasman coast.
SLEEP
Pepper’s Awaroa Lodge is at Awaroa beach and can only be reached with the sea shuttle or if you hike in. A few nights here is highly recommended!
An Island Getaway – 2-bedroom house at the beach (booked thru Booking.com). Great spot; since it’s in a small island, the owner will take you across on a small boat. Their dog Buck will be your companion during the length of your stay!
EAT Toad Hall in Motueka [healthy food and juices, big garden out back, small market]; Celcius Coffee [great organic coffee & small bites]
TO DO
Abel Tasman Trek runs along the Abel Tasman Coast. We did part of the trek from Pepper’s Lodge and it was absolutely stunning with stops along beaches for a swim or picnic. Don’t miss this! Even if you are not staying at Pepper’s Lodge, you can take the sea shuttle to one of the beaches, hike as long as you want and get picked up by the sea shuttle at the end of your hike. You just have to make sure to coordinate your schedule/location with the shuttle’s schedule/stops.
If you are staying at the lodge, you can also go on kayak tours along the coast.
The drive through the Takaka Valley on the way to Wharariki beach/Cape Farewell is gorgeous. We skipped it in order to relax at the beach from moving around every day. Wharariki beach is an amazing deserted beach only 1-hr drive from Takaka, followed by a 30-minute farm walk; and you can walk from there to Cape Farewell. Wharariki is big in every way: big waves, big cliffs, big sand dunes, big caves, and even bigger winds!
NORTH ISLAND
WELLINGTON
One thing you will notice right away about Wellington is that it is one of the windiest places you probably have ever been to. And this comes from someone who lives in San Francisco. It’s an interesting town; somewhat disjointed but with cool spots of hip, young cafes, and good restaurants. However, I would not spend more than 2 days here.
EAT House of Dumplings [we stumbled upon this tiny place and the dumplings were absolutely incredible. Best to date!]; Jano Bistro [trying a little too hard but still good food]; White-bait [awesome seafood]; The Flight Coffee Hangar [great coffee & food]
SLEEP Ohtel is a very small boutique hotel at a very convenient location at Oriental Bay.
TO DO
Te Papa Museum is the national museum of NZ, and will cover its history. There are also a lot of interesting temporary exhibits.
Right behind Ohtel is Mt Victoria. It’s a steep hike up to Mt Victoria’s Lookout, but it will offer great views of Wellington.
TURANGI
We were told that unless you are into fly-fishing for trout or will hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, there is no reason to go to Turangi. Even though our reason for coming here was to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, we were pleasantly surprised how beautiful of an area it is, and were really glad we went.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing was, on the other hand, a bit of a disappointment. Not because it’s not a very pretty hike, but because it is mobbed with people and kids. A bit of a shit show! It is a full-day hike (about 19kms) that is pretty challenging with every possible season in one day, so go prepared for the elements. You will have to arrange for transport to drop you at the beginning of the track and pick you up at the end of the day. The track starts at the Mangatepopo Valley and finishes at Ketatahi Road. Following the track in this direction means the least amount of climbing involved.
SLEEP River Birches Lodge was so absolutely charming with only 3 rooms and a separate cottage. Althea is the caretaker with her husband and she prepares delicious breakfasts, she can also cook dinner if you like or will recommend and book dinners nearby. She prepared an incredible lunch for us to bring in our trek.
Also don’t miss the walk along the river just behind the lodge.
ROTORUA
We wanted to see the Rotorua area and all its fascinating landscape of hot springs, but skip the tacky touristy sites, so we decided to spoil ourselves and stay at the Solitaire Lodge. It’s an all-inclusive lodge perched atop of Lake Tarawera.
TO DO
You can borrow kayaks and explore the lake around the lodge.
Or hike to the Tarawera Falls. The lodge will transfer you via boat to a spot where you begin this 3-hr out & back hike. We never got to see another soul aside from the end point where the falls are, so it was an antidote to the mobbed Tongariro Alpine Pass hike.
Enjoy some spectacular swimming holes along the way with crystal clear water. The boat will be back to pick you up at the end of the hike.
Tarawera Thermal Springs – at the early morning the lodge will transport you via boat to this natural thermal spring for a soak before you head back for breakfast.
Again, nobody around and the light at that time of day is incredibly beautiful.
AUCKLAND
Is a fine town, but we have concluded at this point that one does not go to NZ for it’s cities, but for it’s nature!
EAT Depot [tapas; delicious!]; Masu [great Japanese food]; Odettes [healthy breakfast & dinner]
SLEEP Hotel DeBrett is also a relatively small boutique hotel in the downtown area. Good but not great!
WAIHEKE ISLAND
One-hour ferry ride from Auckland, worth a few nights stay. Incredibly magical island with great beaches, vineyards, farms and gorgeous landscape of native bushes. You will need a car to drive around the island. Some folks do it on scooters, but I would not recommend it along some of the dirt roads.
SLEEP The Oyster Inn offers 3 rooms at the back of their restaurant off the main road in Oneroa Bay. Oneroa Bay has a nice beach.
EAT Casita Miro [Spanish restaurant; funky; we were there on an off night, so did not have the best experience. Would still recommend it.]
TO DO
Man O’War Winery is at the opposite end of the island. The drive there is spectacular, and the setting of their tasting room right in front of the beach is brilliant. All you need is to find a bean bag along the lawn, get a glass of wine and a charcuterie platter. You will not want to leave!
Cable Bay has incredible view of the ocean with Auckland’s skyline at the back. Again all you need is a bean bag on their lawn and a glad of rose. They have very good rose here.
Mudbrick Restaurant & Vineyard did not try this place but heard great things about it.
