15-Day New Zealand South Island Road Trip Itinerary

Planning a Visit to South Island

South Island (Māori name: Te Waipounamu) is the largest island in New Zealand and is separated from North Island by the Cook Strait. Despite its size, South Island is home to only 23% of New Zealand's population (as of 2024). As a result, most of the island is still unspoiled by development. 

What New Zealand's South Island is known for is its pure, natural beauty as well as the diversity of its scenery. As you travel around the island, you'll see the snowcapped peaks and glaciers of the Southern Alps, stunning beaches, breathtaking fiords, and temperate rainforests. 

When to Visit South Island

For me, the best time to visit South Island was during the summer months (December to February) when temperatures are warmer and the weather is better overall. Since summer is high season, prices will be higher and accommodations get booked up months in advance.  

If you'd like to avoid peak season, the shoulder seasons - autumn (March-April) and spring (September-October) can also be good times to visit. In autumn, the fall colors are beautiful and in spring, the flowers are blooming.

Finally, if you're into snow sports, winter (June-August) might be perfect for you. But if you're trying to drive around, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a pro at driving through snow.

How Long to Spend on South Island

Determining how long to spend on South Island is one of the hardest questions to answer. It mostly depends on how many activities you want to fit into your stay. Since the island is not that large, you can easily drive around it in a week or so. However, once you start stopping for hiking and other adventures, the time gets away from you quickly. 

In order to see most of the island with a few big hikes, I'd recommend 2-3 weeks for a South Island road trip. Our 15-day itinerary took us around much of South Island. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to get to drive up north to Marlborough and Abel Tasman National Park, which I'd wanted to visit.

If we'd had 3 weeks, that would have been better itinerary-wise to fit in everything we'd wanted to see. That being said, 2 weeks was the perfect amount of time for me. By the last day, I was starting to get trip-fatigue and was ready to not be living in an RV anymore.

Getting to South Island, New Zealand

Depending from where you're coming, you can get to South Island a couple of different ways.

Flying to South Island

If you're coming from abroad, you'll most likely fly into Christchurch International Airport (airport code: CHC). It is South Island's largest airport and has direct flights from Australia, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong (summer only). 

Traveling from Australia or New Zealand's North Island, you might fly into one of South Island's smaller airports - Queenstown International Airport (airport code: ZQN) or Dunedin International Airport (airport code: DUD).

Ferry to South Island from North Island

A more scenic way to travel between New Zealand's North Island to the South Island is to take a ferry across the Cook Straight. This is the way you'll cross if you're combining a North and South Island road trip.

The Cook Straight ferries run between Wellington (North Island) and Picton (South Island) and take roughly ~3.5 hours. On the Interislander website, you can book tickets for passengers, animals, and vehicles.

How to Explore South Island

Undoubtedly, the best way to explore South Island is to self-drive around the island. Whether you rent a car, campervan, or RV will depend on several factors. Regardless of the type of vehicle, self-driving allows you to take in the scenery, stop at scenic viewpoints, and set your own pace as you explore South Island.

Renting a Campervan on South Island

In my opinion, renting a campervan / RV is the way to go when visiting South Island. Our goal was to get as close to all that pristine beauty as possible while exploring the island. Camping allowed us to fully experience the wild, rugged beauty in a way that we would not have if we'd chosen to rent a car and stay in hotels instead. 

Things to Consider Before Renting a Campervan/RV

That being said, you have to be comfortable driving a larger vehicle and roughing it if you stay in off-grid campgrounds. Not to mention, you have to work into your itinerary certain logistical things, such as shopping for groceries, filling and emptying water tanks, and dumping your toilet cassette (ick).

Pro Tip: If you plan to stay in off-grid campsites without electrical hookups, plan to bring an external battery (or several) to charge your phones and other electronic devices overnight. 

How Far in Advance to Book Campervan/RV and Campsites

Depending on when you're going, it's important to book your campervan or RV at least a few months in advance. That way, you get the type of vehicle you want and lock in your dates.

As far as booking campsites goes, we found that the powered sites at holiday parks tend to fill up faster than unpowered sites or those at the DOC campgrounds. We booked our powered sites about a week before our trip. Then, during our trip, we booked the DOC sites 1-2 nights before our stay. 

Pro Tip: Since you can check on the DOC site how many spots are available, you can see which sites tend to fill up more quickly and gauge how far in advance you should book.

Our RV Experience 

Being someone who doesn't normally enjoy camping, I was wary of the whole campervan thing. So much so that I vetoed renting a van. Instead, we rented a 4-person RV just for my husband and me. 

Luckily, my husband has driven U-Haul moving trucks in the US, so he was (mostly) comfortable driving the larger vehicle. However, renting a large vehicle did make driving on mountain roads and fitting into tight parking lots more stressful for us. 

Overall, even being in an RV, this experience pushed me out of my comfort zone. But I'm so glad that we chose to rent an RV to see South Island. We loved having a flexible itinerary and being able to unpack and be "at home" every night. Plus, we stayed in some epic places that we wouldn't have otherwise.

Popular Campervan/RV Rental Places in New Zealand

We rented our RV from a family-run company called Kiwi Motorhomes (model: Liberty). They only have a limited number of vehicles, but they keep them in great condition and I'd highly recommend them. 

As you drive around South Island, you'll see lots of campervans and RVs branded with their company name. Some of the ones we saw regularly include maui Motorhomes (RVs), Happy Campers, and Jucy (campervans). 

To compare prices across companies, check out the Motorhome Republic website.

Renting a Car on South Island

If you aren't comfortable with renting a campervan or RV, traveling by car around South Island is the next-best option. Many of the holiday parks in which we stayed also had rooms for rent, plus you can find accommodations in the towns.

However, hotels are more limited and seem to fill up far in advance. As a result, you'll have to plan your itinerary further in advance and have less flexibility once you arrive.

To start searching for cars, I recommend using Rental Cars and Expedia rental cars to compare prices.

Bus Tours around South Island

If you are not comfortable driving around some of the mountainous roads, joining a tour to popular tourist spots is another option (i.e. Milford Sound). Personally, I think you miss out not being able to set your own pace and stop whenever you like. However, given the stress we had driving down that Milford Sound Road, maybe it would be worth it to take a bus tour instead.  

What to Do Before Arriving in New Zealand

Before you head out for your trip to New Zealand, be sure to take care of a few things in order to ensure a smooth trip.

Apply for New Zealand Visa or NZeTA

Depending on what nationality you are or how long you plan to stay, you'll either have to apply for a Visitor Visa or a NZeta (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) to enter New Zealand. The NZeTA is usually processed within a few days, whereas the Visa takes several weeks so be sure to figure out which one you need well in advance.

As U.S. citizens, we applied for the NZeTA using the free mobile app which offers a slight discount on the cost (NZ$17 instead of NZ$23). Beginning in October 2024, New Zealand also requires visitors to pay an IVL (tourism levy) which costs NZ$100 (~US $65). The IVL is paid at the same time as the NZeTA. The NZeTA lasts for 2 years, so perhaps good to plan multiple trips in those two years to get your money's worth! 

Download Apps and Bookmark Sites

During our trip, we found the following apps and websites helpful as we traveled around South Island.

Purchase DOC Campsite Pass

When planning your trip to New Zealand, consider purchasing the DOC Campsite Pass. For a set fee, this pass allows you to book as many DOC campsites within the time period (30-nights or 1-year) as you want. Each person in your family/group needs a pass since the fees for the DOC sites are per person fees. 

Is the 30-night DOC Campsite Pass Worth It?

For our 2-week South Island trip, we purchased the 30-night DOC Campsite Pass. Before our trip, I figured out a rough plan of how many DOC Campsites we'd stay in versus private campgrounds to see if buying the DOC pass was worth it. 

For us, the DOC campsite pass was worth it. We stayed in just enough DOC sites that it paid off. Plus, using the pass to book allowed us to avoid the hassle of paying the fees in cash at each campground. Despite having the pass, you still have to book the campgrounds online in advance before you arrive.

Clothing & Gear to Bring

Given the unpredictable weather in New Zealand, packing for the trip is a challenge. In the space of an hour, you can be in warm, sunny weather that turns into a blustery, cold afternoon. To be well-prepared, a good rule is to pack clothing that layers well and dries quickly. Even in the summer, be sure to bring plenty of warm clothing (warm coat, hat, gloves) as the mountain regions get quite cold, especially at night.

16-Day New Zealand South Island Itinerary

Since South Island has so many beautiful places to visit, it's hard to narrow down where to go. I planned our 2-week South Island road trip itinerary using various blogs, travel guides, and asking a Kiwi friend for recommendations. We hit many of the best spots on South Island, so hopefully you'll enjoy following our route.

In the following section, I'll share our day-by-day road trip itinerary. For each day, I've included detailed information, like where we went and how long it took to drive there. Plus, I'll share our hikes and fun activities, as well as logistical things like campsites and dump stations. 

Even though we rented an RV for this road trip, this itinerary could be easily be followed in a car. I've included a few recommended accommodations for each of our overnight stops.

Lastly, I've included a ton of recommended activities throughout the itinerary. Although we focused mainly on hiking and free activities to reduce costs, New Zealand's South Island has so many amazing things you could do. Hopefully, these suggestions will help you figure out the ones on which you want to splurge.

Day 1 - Arrive in Christchurch, Start of Road Trip

Our first day on South Island began when we flew into Christchurch and picked up our RV. Then, we drove to our first destination - Lake Tekapo.

Arriving at Christchurch International Airport

We took a direct overnight flight from Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific and arrived in Christchurch at 1:20 pm. The immigration and customs process went smoothly. We declared our hiking shoes as the custom form asks you to declare any hiking or camping gear. Ours were clean so we were able to go quickly.

Important Tip: New Zealand has the strictest Customs Prohibited and Restricted Items list I've ever seen. Be sure to check it thoroughly before you arrive to make sure you aren't bringing anything into the country that's restricted or you could face steep fines, especially if you do not declare it.

Kiwi Motorhomes

Once we finished up in the airport (2:30 pm), we met up with one of the owners from Kiwi Motorhomes in the parking garage. He picked us up in our RV and drove us to their offices nearby.

Once there, he went over the features of the RV, took photos of any damages, and then handed over the keys. By the time we left, it was already 3:45 pm. 

Grocery Shopping

However, we still were not finished with trip logistics. After leaving Kiwi Motorhomes, we drove straight to a large grocery store near the airport. Since New Zealand has such strict import restrictions, we did not bring ANY food with us. Therefore, we had to buy groceries for the next couple of days, including dinner for that night.

Driving to Lake Tekapo

By the time we finally began our drive, it was 5:00 pm. Lake Tekapo is roughly 222 km (138 mi) from the Christchurch International Airport and it took us ~3 hours to drive there.

It was an easy drive through farm country. The sprawling plains reminded me of the middle of the U.S. Not my favorite scenery, but it got us to our destination.

Lake Tekapo

We arrived at our holiday park on Lake Tekapo around 8:15 pm. Luckily, we were there at the end of summer so it stayed light until 9:00 pm. These longer days were great for fitting in more activities during the day.

Since we'd had a long day and only slept a few hours on the flight, we were ready to crash. After making a quick dinner in the RV and catching a glimpse of a sunset, we passed out early. But not before realizing that this was going to be a cold trip for us. Even though it was winter in Hong Kong, it was still colder on South Island, especially at night. 

Other Places to Stay in Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo has many nice places to stay both in town and on the outskirts. You can find motels, apartments, and entire houses to rent. However, this area is quite popular so things book up quickly. Below are a few accommodations that I'd consider booking in Lake Tekapo:

ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHT - Lake Tekapo Stargazing

Lake Tekapo is part of a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve. If you're staying on the outskirts of town, you should be able to see the stars with the naked eye. On one of these tours, you'll have a chance for an even better look!

Day 2 - Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, Aoraki/Mt. Cook

On day 2 of our South Island road trip, we stopped at several beautiful lakes and saw incredible scenery as we drove to Mt. Cook / Aoraki.

Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo (Māori name: Takapō) is one of three parallel lakes in the Mackenzie Basin and lies just north of the Southern Alps (Māori name: Kā Tiritiri o te Moana). Its stunning milky-turquoise color is due to the fine silt particles, or glacial flour, which are suspended in the water. Many of New Zealand's lakes and rivers are this color and I never got over how beautiful the color is! 

The Church of the Good Shepherd and Sheepdog Monument

On the shores of Lake Tekapo, you'll find the famous Church of the Good Shepherd. Built in 1935 for pioneer families and still used today as a place of worship, it's also a popular spot to take photos.

Steps from the church, you'll also spot the sheepdog monument, which recognizes these adorable canines for their part in grazing this district's mountainous countryside.

We spent the morning visiting these sights, then drove up Godley Peaks Road (east of Lake Tekapo) to enjoy scenic views of the lake. Although we took a short hike, it rained and we ended up running back to the RV for shelter.

Lunch in Lake Tekapo Town

Before leaving Lake Tekapo, we stopped at Reflections Cafe for lunch. Sadly it's permanently closed now, but the meal was delicious! 

At ~2:00 pm, we headed west towards the next beautiful lake. It's a ~40-minute drive from Lake Tekapo to reach the first viewpoints for Lake Pukaki.

Logistical Note: In Lake Tekapo, we stopped to use the free Hamilton Drive, Tekapo Public Dump Station (location on Rankers app) since our next stop was an off-grid location.

Lake Pukaki

Lake Pukaki is the largest of the three parallel lakes in the Mackenzie Basin. Due to the glacial flour, it has the same stunning turquoise color as Lake Tekapo. 

As you drive from Lake Tekapo on Route 8, don't miss the scenic viewpoints along the way.  On a clear day, you can see the Southern Alps across Lake Pukaki, including Mount Cook. Unfortunately, it was a bit stormy on the day we visited so Mt. Cook was hidden.

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Shop and Lake Pukaki Visitor Center

If you're a salmon-lover like me, you definitely don't want to miss the Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon Shop. We bought a couple of smoked salmons for dinner in the RV and I had a sashimi snack along Lake Pukaki. Delicious!

At the same spot is the visitor center for Lake Pukaki where you can find information and clean restrooms. Plus, it's where the Himalayan Tahr statue is located.

Places to Stay at Lake Pukaki

Unlike Lake Tekapo, there are no towns along Lake Pukaki. If you'd like to stay on Lake Pukaki, however, there are few luxurious options:

Driving to Aoraki / Mount Cook

After leaving the Lake Pukaki Visitor Center, we got back into the RV to continue our scenic journey. Turning onto route 80, we began our drive to Aoraki / Mount Cook. Along this route, you'll also find many scenic viewpoints.

New Zealand Alpine Lavender Farm

Shortly after the turnoff onto route 80, we saw signs for NZ Alpine Lavender. Since lavender is one of my favorites, we decided to visit the farm. It's set up for Instagram photos in the lavender fields. But I was more interested in the shop selling various lavender goods (i.e. hand cream) and lavender ice cream.

Arriving in Aoraki / Mt. Cook

Driving into Aoraki / Mount Cook was honestly one of those moments I'll remember forever. Although I'd heard it was a beautiful spot, nothing prepared me for how jaw-droppingly gorgeous the Southern Alps would be. Photos truly do not do this area justice.

As we drove, the temperature also continued to plummet and a coat was necessary every time I stepped out to take a photo. We arrived at our campground at 5:30 pm and found a great spot to park.

Aoraki / Mt. Cook

Home to some of New Zealand's highest mountains and longest glaciers, Aoraki / Mount Cook has 23 peaks over 3,000 meters. Far from any city light pollution, Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is a large part of New Zealand's International Dark Sky Reserve and the stargazing is absolutely incredible.

While you're in Mount Cook, enjoy the incredible hiking options, from challenging peak summits to easy valley walks. For an adventure, take a helicopter tour to walk on a glacier. Or, just admire the beautiful views while soaking in the pure mountain air.

Other Places to Stay in Aoraki/Mt. Cook

If you're not camping yet still want to stay in picturesque Mount Cook, there are a few options in Mount Cook village. Given the limited options, they tend to be on the pricey side and do sell out.

Pro Tip: If you cannot find a place to stay that is available on your dates and fits your budget, consider looking in Twizel. About a 50-minute drive to Mount Cook, it's the closest town and has more options.

Evening Walk to Hermitage Hotel

After we arrived in Mount Cook, we decided to take a walk to enjoy the beautiful views and grab a drink at The Hermitage Hotel. This easy walking path was a great introduction to the gorgeous scenery.

Though the mid-50s°F temperatures (low teens Celsius) combined with the wind was a rough adjustment. Our time in Mount Cook was the coldest of the trip and it even hit freezing one night.

Day 3 - Hiking in Aoraki/Mt. Cook

On day 3 of our South Island adventure, we spent the full day in Aoraki / Mt Cook hiking on a couple of the gorgeous trails, which are called 'tracks' in New Zealand. When we woke up, it was a beautiful morning and the mountains were calling us.

Sealy Tarns Track

The first trail of the day was the Sealy Tarns Track. Never early-risers, we began our hike from the White Horse Hill Campground at 11:00 am.

Dubbed "the stairway to Heaven," this steep trail of 2,200 steps takes you almost straight up the 600 m / 1,967 ft climb. The DOC classifies this hike as "easy," but they must be rating on a different scale than me. I'd say it's at least "moderate" unless you're in peak physical shape and great with stairs.  

As you make your way up the never-ending stairs, you'll have magnificent views of Hooker Valley and various peaks, such as Mt. Cook / Aoraki and Mount Sefton.

At the top are a couple of freshwater lakes and more stunning views. We stopped to have a snack once we reached Sealy Tarns at 1:00 pm. 

If you're feeling ambitious, you can continue on the Mueller Hut Route, a steep trail with loose gravel that climbs more than double the altitude of Sealy Tarns. You can stay in Mueller Hut overnight but bookings are required. After "assessing my fitness at Sealy Tarns" as DOC recommends, I decided it wasn't as great as I'd hoped! Plus, I didn't want to kill my legs on our first hike so we did not continue.

The descent went much quicker, especially as we watched the storms roll in and hurried more than we might have otherwise. We reached the campsite at 2:30 pm, just before it began to hail.

Lunch Break and Recovery Time

One of the things we loved about having the RV is that we had a built in spot to relax and eat lunch whenever we wanted. After finishing the Sealy Tarns Track, we hunkered down with our PB&Js while the storm raged outside. 

Hooker Valley Track

By 5:00 pm, the storms had cleared and the evening was looking beautiful. Long summer days meant we had time to hike the Hooker Valley Track. 

In this case, I agree with DOC that this 10-km roundtrip track is an "easy" hike as it's mostly flat, on a wide trail, and meanders through Hooker Valley. It's insanely popular in the morning, but seemed less crowded in the evening.  

The views throughout the hike are spectacular as you pass alpine streams and have views of several glaciers. You'll cross three swinging bridges along the way. 

We reached Hooker Lake, the turnaround point, at 6:30 pm and took a bunch of photos. From there, you have great views of Mount Cook / Aoraki. If you look closely, you can also spot Mount Cook Glacier at the end of the lake, though it's quite dirty.

As we walked back, the clouds rolled in again and it got rather chilly as the wind whipped through the valley. We made it back to our campground by 8:15 pm.

Day 4 - Wānaka

The next day, we left our alpine paradise to drive south to Wānaka, a resort town in the southern part of the island. 

Driving to Wānaka

We left Mount Cook around 10:30 am and drove back past Lake Pukaki headed south. Our first stop was a logistical one - the Twizel Public Dump Station. After a couple of days off-grid, our gray water was full and our fresh water was on empty. That stop probably took a half hour or longer as we had to wait for others to finish.    

The views on the drive to Wānaka continued to amaze as we made our way through beautiful brown mountains dotted with greenery. It took ~3.5 hours to drive from Mount Cook to Wānaka, including our stop.

Exploring Wānaka

Once in Wānaka, we checked into our campground, then had a relaxing day exploring the small town and admiring Lake Wānaka. However, we never made it down to see the Wānaka Tree that's so famous. 

Lunch at Lake Bar

Our first stop was lunch because it was already 3:00 pm and we were very hungry. We picked Lake Bar for the outside seating with views of Lake Wānaka. The burger and craft beer hit the spot.

Wānaka Breweries

Next, we hit up a couple of Wānaka's local breweries. The craft beer scene is another reason I was excited to visit New Zealand. We made sure to sample it throughout the trip.

To walk off our lunch, we trekked up past the Wānaka Golf Club to the "suburbs" where the breweries are located.

Pro Tip: New Zealand has VERY strict drink driving laws and steep penalties for breaking them. One reason we stayed in cities a few times during our trip was to be able to easily walk to our holiday park from breweries and restaurants after having a couple of drinks. 

Other Places to Stay in Wānaka 

If you're not camping, you might consider one of these well-reviewed options in the heart of downtown Wānaka:

Fun Activities in Wānaka  

Wānaka is a great jumping off spot for a plethora of fun activities. Check out some of the adventures you could have below!

Day 5 - Hiking Roy's Peak

On our fifth day on the South Island, we destroyed our legs again with another full day of hiking on the Roy's Peak Track before heading down to Queenstown.

Roy's Peak Track

One of South Island's most popular hikes, Roy's Peak Track is a steep climb with incredible views of Lake Wānaka, Mount Aspiring/Tititea, as well as surrounding peaks. This 16-km / 10-mi hike climbs 1,258 m / 4,127 ft and took us ~6 hours to complete it. 

Crowded Parking Lot

When we arrived at the parking lot around 8:30 am, it was already full. Since it's a popular sunrise hike, we waited for a bit as people were already coming down and leaving. This was one situation where it was more difficult to park our giant RV in a crowded lot. Luckily, a friendly local gave us the confidence to squeeze into a spot. 

Climbing Roy's Peak

Although the Roy's Peak Track is classified as "easy" by DOC, again, I think that's due to trail conditions, not a commentary on the fitness level required to climb it. It's a steep, long climb on gravel switchbacks to reach the top. 

Pro Tip: The trail has practically no shade. Bring SUNSCREEN and reapply regularly! The sun is INTENSE and will burn you even with sunscreen.

At 9:15 am, we finally began the climb up through the grasslands. Due to the lack of trees, you'll have amazing views during the entire hike. 

Roy's Peak Lookout

When planning this hike, I thought we'd only climb as far as Roy's Peak Lookout (1,000 m / 3,000 ft), which we reached at 11:40 am. The ridgeline walk at the lookout has epic views of Lake Wānaka.

If you're wiped out, Roy's Peak Lookout serves as a good turnaround spot. Although that was originally my plan, it didn't seem right to turn around when we'd already come so far.

Climb to Roy's Peak

Despite being pretty tired, I continued putting one foot in front of the other, determined to make it to the peak.

Eventually, we made it to the top! And the 360-degree views made it all worth it! We reached the top at 12:40 pm and celebrated by resting and enjoying the amazing views for a bit.

From the summit, you have 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape, including the ski slopes behind Roy's Peak that you couldn't see from the lookout.

Climbing Down from Roy's Peak

Once we made it to the top, it was time to turn around and go all the way back down. By the time we reached the switchback grasslands, my legs were killing me. It was sad how broken they felt. Along the way, don't be surprised to encounter sheep, cows, or maybe even a hedgehog. 

We made it back to the RV by 3:20 pm but I was not moving at a speedy pace. The parking lot was much emptier in the afternoon than in the morning.

Driving to Arthurs Point

Once back in the RV, we drove ~1.5 hours south to Arthurs Point, just outside of Queenstown, where we planned to stay for one night. We checked into our campground and finally showered off the sweat, dust, and grime of the day.

Route Note: We took the Cardrona Valley Road from Wānaka to Queenstown as it looked like the most direct route. It was a gorgeous drive, but rather steep for our large RV, so Jeremy found it a bit stressful. 

Dinner at Canyon Brewing

The reason we stayed in Arthurs Point was so that we could walk to Canyon Brewing for dinner. The brewery was in a beautiful location, along the Shotover River  which is where the Shotover Jet canyon tours begin.

We had a pizza and a couple of hazy IPAs that hit the spot after that big hike. Though the walk back up to our holiday park wasn't one I enjoyed on my sore legs.

Arthurs Point for Non-Campers

Since Arthurs Point is a suburb of Queenstown, it's mostly residential. If you'd like to stay there for a night and do not have a campervan, you could book a cabin or motel room at the Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park. Or, check out the hotel recommendations I provide for downtown Queenstown on day 8 of this itinerary.

Day 6 - Te Anau, Fiordland National Park

On day 6 in South Island, we made our way west towards Fiordland National Park. First, we stopped in Te Anau then made our way up Milford Sound Road towards our campsite for the night.

We considered this full-day tour from Te Anau to Doubtful Sound, one of the magnificent fiords in Fiordland National Park. However, because I was so tired after our Roy's Peak hike, I decided didn't want to wake up early and do a full-day tour the next day. If you have time in the itinerary, definitely consider it though!

Drive from Arthurs Point to Te Anau

Making our way from Arthurs Point to Te Anau, we drove through Queenstown instead of the way shown on the map above. Since we got stuck in traffic, I wouldn't recommend that way. But we did get our first look at the town to which we'd be returning for a night later in our itinerary.

It took us roughly 3 hours to drive from Arthurs Point to Te Anau. In addition to getting stuck in traffic, we also stopped to fill up our gas tank in Queenstown. 

Throughout the drive, we had incredible views and pulled over at a couple of scenic overlooks. My favorite was Devil's Staircase Viewpoint which overlooked Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. We also passed Kingston Lake Camp which looked like a good spot for freedom camping.

Te Anau

Te Anau is the closest town to Milford Sound and many use it as a jumping off point for exploring Fiordland National Park. It's also famous for its glow worm caves.

Situated on Lake Te Anau, the town has many accommodation options as well as a good selection of restaurants. It's also a great place to stock up on groceries if you're going off-grid for a couple of days like we were.

Lunch at Redcliff Cafe

Just as we arrived in Te Anau, it began pouring. Since it was lunchtime, we took shelter in the Redcliff Restaurant and Bar. This cozy spot was perfect for lunch and the food was delicious.

Rainforest Hiking in Fiordland National Park

After finishing lunch and a bit of grocery shopping, the rain had stopped so we decided to check out the Anduin River Viewpoint (The Lord of the Rings film site) that we saw listed on the map.

We drove south to the Kepler Track parking lot, then walked across the Rainbow Reach swinging bridge. It wasn't much of a film viewpoint, but ended up being a beautiful rainforest walk.

We spotted so many mushrooms and vibrant green moss was everywhere. After being in the dry climate further east, the humidity was quite a change! Since it was already 5:00 pm by that point, we just walked a short way to get a feel for the forest, then turned around.

Te Anau Milford Highway

At ~5:30 pm, we began our drive north on Te Anau Milford Highway. The goal was to enjoy the scenic drive, stopping at viewpoints, and to check out various campsites. (I still think we chose the best one.)

Pro Tip: In almost all of Milford Sound Hwy, campgrounds, even Milford Sound itself there is NO DATA CONNECTIVITY (as of Feb 2024). Be sure to book your campgrounds and activities in advance before you reach this dead zone.

The scenery along the highway was gorgeous, even in the cloudy weather. Perhaps the clouds even added to the dramatic landscape.

Since we stopped at so many places along the drive, we did not reach our campsite until 7:45 pm. 

Other Places to Stay near Milford Sound

Given the remote location, you won't find many non-camping accommodation options close to Milford Sound, which is why many people stay in Te Anau. The places you will find are booked up months in advance and are very expensive. 

Another great option to consider is booking a Milford Sound Overnight Cruise. Not only is it a place to stay, but you'll have a more intimate Milford Sound experience.

Day 7 - Milford Sound

Our seventh day was all about Milford Sound and exploring the mountainous region between Cascade Creek Campsite and Milford Sound, including a beautiful hike.

Getting to Milford Sound

Despite our Milford Sound cruise not being until mid-morning, we set out by 9:00 am. 

Pro Tip: The drive from Cascade Creek to Milford Sound is only supposed to take 45 minutes, but best to allow 1.5 hours instead. Not only is the road steep and windy, (driving slowly is a must) but there's a tunnel mid-way where you might have to wait several minutes. Plus, the parking lot is not at the cruise terminal so you still have to walk ~15 minutes from there to check-in.

Due to the heavy rains the night before, so many waterfalls streamed down the mountains along the drive. We stopped at a few river overlooks that were roaring down beside the road. 

Milford Sound Parking

The Milford Sound parking lot is ~650 m (0.4 mi) from the cruise terminal but you can walk along a boardwalk trail to get there. Parking is expensive (NZ $10/hr) and we paid for 4 hours. The lot was pretty empty when we arrived at 10:15 am, but it filled up by the afternoon. 

Pro Tip: There's a dump station in the parking lot, but no fresh water hookup. Use the dump when you arrive if the parking lot is empty, because it gets difficult to drive close to it when the lot is full.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound (Māori name: Piopiotahi) is one of the most famous sights in New Zealand. Described as the "eighth wonder of the world" by Rudyard Kipling, the sheer cliffs of this fiord combined with the multitude of waterfalls over 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is breathtaking. 

Although you can do many fun activities in Milford Sound - kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking the Milford Track - the most popular activity is taking a cruise in the sound. We didn't pay for many big activities on the trip, but the Milford Sound Cruise was our big splurge.

Milford Sound Cruise

Although you'll find what feels like a million Milford Sound cruise options, we enjoyed this 2-Hour Milford Sound Scenic Cruise on Mitre Peak Cruise. Since it was a (relatively) small boat, we were able to get closer to the cliffs than some of the larger boats. It was also easier to move around the boat to different viewing spots throughout the trip.

We booked the mid-morning (11:10 am) cruise which gave us plenty of time to get to Milford Sound from our campground in the morning. Plus, we ended up seeing the best of both worlds - the mystical rainy vibes at the start and the gorgeous sunny views by the end.

The cruise company provides coffee and tea throughout the trip to keep you warm during the rainy times.

During the cruise, the boat skipper tells you about the various waterfalls and scenic points. Because it had rained so much the night before, we saw waterfalls that we may not have otherwise since the skipper said they often dry up in summer.

We also saw a bit of wildlife along the way - a couple of groups of seals lazing around on the boulders.

Towards the end, the skipper made an announcement that I didn't quite catch. Apparently it was a warning that we were about to drive under a waterfall. Standing up on the roof, that cold water plunging onto my oblivious head was more effective than coffee!

After the Cruise

Once the cruise was finished, it was bright and sunny. Amazing how much the scenery changes! We headed back to our RV and made sandwiches for lunch. The parking lot had gorgeous mountain views once the clouds lifted.

Scenic Viewpoints along Milford Sound Highway

Once our paid parking was finished (~2:00 pm), we began heading back the way we came on Milford Sound Highway. However, since the rain stopped and the clouds lifted, it looked much different on the return trip! A few interesting viewpoints along the way that I'd recommend: 

Lake Marian Hike

Determined to fit a hike into our day, our final stop was the Lake Marian Track. This 6.2 km (~4 mi) hike to a pristine alpine lake in a gorgeous hanging valley is rated by DOC as an "advanced tramping track". I second this rating!

We started the Lake Marian Track at 4:30 pm. The first part along the rushing river is easy and would be worth it if you just want a short walk. Once you see the turn-off for Lake Marian, the trail gets rocky and much more challenging.

The fact that it had recently rained so heavily meant the train was also extremely MUDDY and added an extra obstacle to avoid. Climbing over boulders, tree roots, and avoid mud pits as you climb up a steep mountain pretty much sums up this hike.

Lake Marian was absolutely gorgeous when we arrived at 6:10 pm, albeit somewhat flooded. We spent ~20 minutes trying to find the best viewing spot. Wouldn't say we succeeded in finding a spot to sit, but at least we got a few good photos.

We started heading down at 6:30 pm and arrived back at the RV by 8:00 pm. By then it was getting dark as the sun dipped below the mountains, so a headlamp would have come in handy.

Day 8 - Queenstown

On day 8 of our South Island road trip, we headed back to Queenstown for the day to have a "city day" after being off-grid.

Scenic Drive to Queenstown

When we woke up that morning, it was sunny and gorgeous. We left our campsite around 9:15 am to begin our drive back to Queenstown.

Driving back out of Fiordland National Park on Te Anau Milford Hwy was a whole new experience for us since the mountains had been covered with clouds on the way into the park.

We stopped at Mirror Lakes again and we actually saw the reflection this time. 

The rest of the scenery along the drive continued to be gorgeous and we arrived to check in at our holiday park in Queenstown at 1:00 pm.

Queenstown

Queenstown (Māori name: Tāhuna), a resort town in Otago, is the largest town in the Queenstown-Lakes District on South Island. Known as the "adventure capital of the world," you can find all sorts of activities here to get your adrenaline pumping. Whether its ziplining through the trees, tandem sky-diving, riding a jet boat or whitewater rafting on Shotover River, or driving an ATV through epic scenery, you'll be sure to have incredible memories from Queenstown. 

Situated on Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by beautiful mountains, Queenstown has a small-town vibe and is also just a great spot to relax.

Exploring Downtown Queenstown

After parking our RV, we walked to downtown Queenstown to explore, eat some non-RV meals, and drink craft beer and local wines. 

A few places we enjoyed sampling throughout the day were: 

Queenstown Gardens and Peninsula

To walk off our lunch and enjoy beautiful views of Queenstown, we walked around the Queenstown Gardens peninsula. This park gives you amazing views of Lake Wakatipu and several peaks. 

Queenstown was one of the warmer locations we visited on South Island, though it still didn't feel like "summer" to me. While we were walking around in jeans, Kiwis were at the beach in town and some were even swimming!

Other Places to Stay in Queenstown

Being a resort town, Queenstown has plenty of incredible accommodations options. These are a few highly-rated places that guests loved which you may want to consider:  

Queenstown Adventures

Are you a bit of an adrenaline-junkie? If so, indulge your adventurous soul with some of these incredible activities in Queenstown! 

Day 9 - Glenorchy

On the ninth day of our South Island road trip, we woke up early to do laundry at Creeksyde Holiday Park before checking out. Then, we headed to Glenorchy, a small settlement on the northern end of Lake Wakatipu with a population of ~400 people. 

Fun Fact: Several areas around Glenorchy were used during filming of The Lord of the Rings movies. Although we tried to find the spots ourselves, you can take a Lord of the Rings Scenic Tour from Queenstown.

Scenic Drive to Glenorchy from Queenstown

Only a 45-minute drive from Queenstown, many people visit Glenorchy on a day trip. However, it's also a peaceful spot to spend a night.

The drive to Glenorchy along Lake Wakatipu is incredibly scenic. Stop for crystal clear lake views at Wilson Bay Reserve.

Then, stop and climb up Bennetts Bluff Lookout for incredible views of Lake Wakatipu and the rocky peaks behind it.

Isengard Lookout

When we arrived in Glenorchy, we drove straight through town and turned onto Glenorchy-Paradise Road to make our way even further north. After crossing Rees River, we turned left onto Priory Rd / Glenorchy-Roteburn Rd which took us to the Dart River and the Isengard Lookout.

We assumed it was one of the locations for The Lord of the Rings filming and it did look kind of familiar. Whether you've seen the films or not, you can still appreciate the beautiful views. 

To go even further into Mt Aspiring National Park, you'll have to ride a jet boat on Dart River from Glenorchy. We wanted to book this activity but it was sold out by the time we tried to book it.

Diamond Creek walk

Along Priory Road, there's a parking lot for the Diamond Creek Walk - a short (5.4 km / 3.4 mi), flat walk through a meadow next to a babbling stream. We found it to be a lovely walk but it's quite exposed, so sunscreen is a must.

At the end of the grassy trail, you'll reach Lake Reid and have beautiful views. It's the perfect walk to stretch your legs and enjoy the mountains. We must have been strolling because the walk took us 1 hour, 45 minutes hours to complete it. 

Exploring Glenorchy Settlement

Once we finished our walk, we returned to Glenorchy to check into our campground and explore the village. It's quite small and only takes ~1 hour to explore. The main attraction is the riverfront area with the Glenorchy shed and the pier into the Dart River.

Mrs. Woolly's General Store is also worth a stop for a cup of coffee or to buy local Kiwi handicrafts - jewelry, wool clothing, ceramics, etc.

Other Places to Stay in Glenorchy

Glenorchy is a small place, so there are only a few accommodation options if you don't want to camp. Here are a few to check out:

Day 10 - Wine Tasting in Otago 

On our tenth day in South Island, we woke up to stormy weather. Luckily, all we had planned was scenic driving and wine tasting at a couple of places in the Otago region.

Scenic Drive from Glenorchy into Otago

We left Glenorchy around 10:00 am to make our way back to Queenstown, stopping at Frankton NPD Dump Station near the Queenstown Airport. It was a large gas station with an easy-to-access dump area which was great for a larger RV.

Then, we continued along Route 6 towards Cromwell, stopping at the Roaring Meg Viewing Area to see the powerful stream that drives the hydroelectric power station along it.

Another fun stop for us was the Webb's Fruit Stand - just past Cromwell. We bought some delicious apples and a jar of honey.

Logistical RV Stops

In Cromwell, we stopped at a large grocery store to buy another round of groceries for the next few days. We planned to go off-grid again and needed to stock up. We also filled our propane tank. Turned out, we hadn't even used half of it so that wasn't necessary at all.

Lunch at Cloudy Bay

Our first destination in wine country - Cloudy Bay - is a well-known New Zealand winery with locations in Marlborough and Central Otago.

Due to its popularity, we made a lunch reservation for 2:00 pm at The Shed, the winery's restaurant. The food was delicious, but the portions were small and it was on the expensive side. 

We had lovely views of the garden while we ate and watched the sun start to come out. By 3:30 pm when we finished, it had turned into a beautiful day!

Wine Tasting at Te Kano Winery

Next, we visited another winery near Cromwell for a tasting - Te Kano. The views from the back deck at Te Kano were absolutely breathtaking and I'd recommend visiting for that reason alone.

Unfortunately, the wines didn't appeal to me as much as the ones at Cloudy Bay. However, I wouldn't let that stop you from visiting since your tastes might be different than mine. We left Te Kano around 4:45 pm. 

Driving to Lake Hāwea

After finishing our tastings, we continued driving north on Rt. 6 towards Lake Hāwea where we planned to stay that night. The drive took a little over an hour.

Other Places to Stay in Lake Hāwea

If you're looking for alternatives to camping, you could book one of the cabins at The Camp - Lake Hāwea. Or, check out the small settlement town on the southern end of the lake for other accommodation options. Hāwea Hotel is the only hotel in town and has basic rooms with balconies overlooking the lake. If the hotel is booked up, you could try renting a holiday home or staying in Wānaka, which is only a ~15-min drive. 

Day 11 - Scenic Drive up West Coast

On the 11th day of our South Island road trip, we continued making our way north with the ultimate destination of Franz Josef / Waiau. We used the dump station and water refill at The Camp before heading out around 10:30 am. 

Side Note: This was also the day that we got into a tricky parking situation and backed into a guardrail. We had paid for the extra insurance so that meant we just did not get our RV bond deposit back since the cost to fix the bumper was higher than the deposit.

Lake Views

For the first part of our northward drive on Rt 6, we had stunning lake views, first of Lake Hāwea, then Lake Wānaka. We stopped at a couple of viewpoints along the way to take photos of these stunning blue lakes. 

If you have time for a hike, you might try the Isthmus Peak Track. This popular 16-km / 10-mi roundtrip hike is classified as an "advanced tramping track" on DOC. It climbs up to a ridgeline which gives beautiful views of the lakes and the Southern Alps. 

Blue Pools

Our first stop on the drive was the beautiful Blue Pools, which we reached at 12:00 pm. Unfortunately, the swinging bridges were closed for repair during our visit. However, we walked the flat, forested trail (1.6 km / 1 mi) to the first bridge on the Makarora River. 

Given how pretty the river is, it's still worth it to stop and stretch your legs. Some people waded across the river to reach the Blue Pools. The water was about waist-high and very cold, so not something I was interested in doing. 

Walking the trail and hanging out at the river for a bit took us around 1 hour. Back in the RV, we had a leisurely lunch before continuing our drive.

Haast Pass Lookout

To work off our lunch, we stopped for a short (1.5-km / 1-mi), yet steep climb up Haast Pass Lookout. The trail through the mossy beech forests was shady and refreshing. At the top, we had views of the Southern Alps as well as snow-covered Mount Brewster. 

Roundtrip, the Haast Pass Lookout hike took ~30 minutes. We left that parking lot at 2:45 pm. 

Toilet Tip: Many of these waterfall and trailhead parking lots along Route 6 do not have toilets (one reason I was glad to have an RV bathroom). There are a couple campgrounds along the road though that have restrooms so look for those when you need a bathroom break. 

Waterfalls

Continuing onward, the next few stops were at various waterfalls along Rt. 6. These proved to be more difficult for us because we were driving an RV. The lots were often small and very crowded. For these stops, having a smaller camper or a car would be better. 

Fantail Falls

Fantail Falls is 23-m (75-ft) waterfall a short walk from the main road. Also, it's the spot where we backed into the guard rail because the parking lot was too crowded.

Gates of Haast

We pulled over after crossing the bridge to admire the view of the Haast River and Mount Brewster in the background.

Thunder Creek Falls

Thunder Creek Falls is a 28-m (92-ft) waterfall that is an easy walk from the parking lot through a kāmahi (evergreen tree native to NZ) and silver beech forest.

Haast 

After leaving Thunder Creek Falls at 3:30 pm, we continued driving next to the Haast River. We planned to stop at a couple other pull-over areas, but we couldn't find room for our RV.

We stopped in the small town of Haast to grab a coffee. The Awarua/Haast Visitor Centre in town would be a good place to stop for information or a bathroom stop.

Ship Creek Walk and Munroe Beach

After Haast, we drove along the west coast catching glimpses of the Tasman Sea. We stopped at the turnoff for the Ship Creek. This boardwalk makes its way through an ancient kahikatea swamp forest to Munroe Beach. 

Unfortunately, sand flies make the boardwalk less than pleasant but once you reach the Munroe Beach, the flies aren't as bad.

Knights Point Lookout

Don't miss this gorgeous lookout point. Perched on the hillside overlooking the Tasman Sea, the turquoise water against the greenery is a beautiful sight.

Scenic Route 6

After the lookout, the road makes its way inland for a bit, crossing beautiful glacial streams with mountains in the background.

Maori Beach

Maori Beach was the final beach stop and where we said goodbye to the Tasman Sea on the drive. This rugged beach is a beautiful spot. By the time we left Maori Beach, it was 6:00 pm. 

Mountain Views

Continuing north on route 6, we headed towards the lush, green mountains, crossing more milky glacial rivers. One of the toughest sections of road to drive the RV was the section between Fox Glacier and Franz Josef. Lots of tight switchbacks and steep hills meant a lot of stress for the driver.

Franz Josef / Waiau

We reached the town of Franz Josef (Māori name: Waiau) by 7:00 pm.  Franz Josef / Waiau is a small town that serves as the gateway to Franz Josef Glacier. It has several restaurants, grocery stores, and accommodation options. 

Despite there being a few campgrounds in/close to town, we chose to stay in one outside of town instead. By this point in our road trip, we realized we enjoyed the quieter campgrounds surrounded by nature better than having the ability to walk to town. 

Other Places to Stay in Franz Josef

Due to its popularity as a tourist location, Franz Josef has a nice selection of accommodation options in town. Here are a few that guests loved: 

Day 12 - Hiking Roberts Point Track in Franz Josef

Our original plan for our 12th day in South Island was to try to see Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. However, when we woke up, it was fairly cloudy up on the mountains. So, we decided to focus our efforts on a big hike to (hopefully) get close enough to see Franz Josef Glacier. In order to do this, we decided to skip Fox Glacier.

The best way to see both Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, including an opportunity to walk on one, is to take a helicopter ride (weather permitting). Unfortunately, these glaciers have retreated a lot in recent years so they're more difficult to see from the valley. 

Roberts Point Track

The Roberts Point Track is a challenging, 12.3 km / 7.6-mi roundtrip hike that promises amazing views of the Franz Josef Glacier. This "advanced tramping track" as classified by DOC climbs 600-m / 1,969- ft in elevation over a rocky trail, steep trail. It took us 5.5 hours to complete it, beginning at 10:30 am. 

Pro Tip: The parking lot at the trailhead for Roberts Point Track is small and fills up quickly. We parked in the main Franz Josef Glacier Car Park (see map above), which is much larger and has bus and RV parking.

Peters Pools

To get to the Roberts Point Track from the main parking lot, you'll end up passing Peters Pool. This mirror lake is a lovely spot and is a short 1.1-km / .7-mi roundtrip walk that you could take if you don't want a longer hike.

Swinging Bridges

At the start of the Roberts Point Track, you'll cross the first of several swinging bridges. The first one is by far the sturdiest one. So, if you have issues with heights, you may want to re-think this hike.

Along the trail, you'll cross 4 swinging bridges. The longest (and scariest) one is 100-m / 328-ft long. When more than one person is on the bridge, the bouncing is intense and you have to hold on tightly.

Mid-way through the hike, you'll also walk along a floating staircase. After the bridges, this section seemed easy though you may have to wait for people going the opposite direction since it'd be hard to pass by people on it.

Rocky Climb

Between the bridges, you'll have a steep climb over boulders, rocks, tree stumps, and streams. The dense, mossy forest at the start of the trail is beautiful and provides nice shade.

Be sure to follow those orange triangles as sometimes the trail doesn't look like a trail. Sometimes you're climbing up tree roots and others you're scaling a rockface. 

As you climb higher, the views of the mountains on the opposite side and the valley below get more impressive.

Roberts Point Lookout

Finally, you'll round a corner and climb up to a viewing platform. Directly in front of the lookout, there's the Franz Josef Glacier! Although it used to stretch down into the valley, sadly, you can see how much it has retreated over the years. 

Despite how cloudy it had been earlier in the day, we got lucky that the clouds cleared by the time we reached the lookout point at 1:15 pm. Even as we sat there, clouds occasionally blew in to cover part of it.

We spent around 20 minutes up at the viewing platform eating our granola bars and admiring the glacier. It's really the only spot on the hike where you can see it.

Franz Josef Logistics

We finished our hike by around 4:00 pm. Since we planned to grab a drink in town, we showered in our RV in the parking lot and ate some snacks to tide us over.

Once we got to town, we stopped at the Franz Josef Public Dump Station (across from the Community Center). Then, we parked and walked around the town and stopped to buy drinking water at a grocery store. By that point, we were kind of tired. So, we ended up going back to our campsite to eat and relax instead of going out in town.

Glacier Helicopter Tours - Franz Josef and Beyond

Choose how many glaciers you'd like to see and find a helicopter tour that's right for your budget below!

Day 13 - Hokitika Gorge and Drive to Arthur's Pass

On day 13 of our South Island road trip, we continued driving up the west coast. Our ultimate destination for the night was Arthur's Pass, but we made a stop in the lovely Hokitika Gorge along the way.

Morning Drive

We started our drive around 10:00 am. It was a gorgeous morning with lovely mountain and glacial stream views along the drive. 

The turnoff for Hokitika Gorge is just before you reach the town of Hokitika. Then, the gorge is a 30-minute drive inland from the town, but the drive is quite scenic. There's also a shortcut on Woodstock-Rimu Rd that may be faster, but since we weren't sure of road conditions, we stuck to the highway for longer.

Hokitika Gorge

Although we arrived at the parking lot for Hokitika Gorge at 12:30 pm, we ate a quick lunch before walking around. Hokitika Gorge is famous for its stunning turquoise color and the mature podocarp forest.

Hokitika Gorge's walking paths are some of the more accessible that we saw in South Island. One viewpoint is even accessible by wheelchair. Most of the track is a gravel path or on boardwalks and it's only 2.5 km / 1.5 mi roundtrip. The walk took us around an hour to complete, including ~20 minutes taking photos.

When we first started walking, it was a bit cloudy. But the sun came out as we reached the furthest viewing spot. 

One our walk back to the parking lot, we encountered a weka (flightless bird native to New Zealand) meandering about the trail. 

Logistics in Hokitika

We left Hokitika Gorge a little after 2:00 pm, then drove into Hokitika town to take care of logistics before driving into Arthur's Pass. First, we filled up our gas tank, then bought a couple of things at the grocery store. 

Just north of Hokitika town, we stopped at the Hokitika Oxidation Ponds - Public Dump Station (Rankers). Since we were planning to be off-grid with no access to a dump station, we wanted to make sure our tanks were empty and our fresh water was full. The things you have to think about with a camper!

Scenic Drive to Arthur's Pass

It was around 3:15 pm by the time we got on the road to Arthur's Pass. Once we turned off of route 6 onto route 73 to head inland, we had some gorgeous mountain views. 

As we got further into the mountains, the road had a few steep grades (up to 16%) which made Jeremy sweat a bit as the driver. Although we stopped at a few viewpoints, some of them were too steep so Jeremy said "no stopping".

Travel by Train: Built in the early 1900s, the TranzAlpine passenger railway runs from the east coast (Christchurch) to the west coast (Greymouth) through Arthur's Pass. This scenic railway is considered one of the world's great train journeys due to its spectacular scenery.

Arthur's Pass

We arrived in Arthur's Pass shortly before 6:00 pm. It was sunny and beautiful, but with a distinct mountain chill in the air that we hadn't felt since Mount Cook.

Arthur's Pass National Park is part of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. Compared to some of the other national parks on South Island, Arthur's Pass is more rugged and facilities are not as developed. Many of the big peak hikes especially are advanced tramping tracks and are recommended for hikers with tramping experience.

Other Places to Stay in Arthur's Pass

Arthur's Pass National Park has limited accommodations, so you'll have to book well in advance if you don't plan on camping. Here are a few options to consider:

Day 14 - Hiking in Arthur's Pass

The 14th day of our South Island road trip, we spent hiking around Arthur's Pass National Park before fleeing an approaching storm that afternoon. 

Pro Tip: If you need to change a DOC campsite reservation and the online system doesn't work, stop by a DOC visitor center. We'd planned to stay in Klondyke Corner for 2 nights, but a nasty storm was set to hit on our second night. We stopped at the Arthur's Pass DOC Visitor Center and park rangers helped us change our reservation to a different DOC site.

Arthur's Pass Walking Track

By this point in our journey, I wasn't up for an advanced tramping track. Instead, we enjoyed an easier hike - the Arthur's Pass Walking Track - with a couple of off-shoots to waterfalls. The main track is ~6.8 km / 4.2 mi roundtrip, longer with the additions. We spent a little over 4 hours hiking around the area.

Although most of the trail was fairly wide and well-maintained with loose gravel and boardwalks, there were a couple sections that were more challenging.  

Bridal Veil Falls

We began hiking around 10:30 am on the Arthur's Pass Walking Track, beginning at the parking lot just outside of Arthur's Pass Village. The forest walk was peaceful and had plenty of shade.

Bridal Veil Falls was the first waterfall on the walk, but I wasn't overly impressed. You climb down into a gorge but it's a small waterfall compared to others we saw. Then you immediately have to climb back up the other side of the gorge.

Mountain views

The next section of the trail is more open with panoramic mountain views on an easy boardwalk. However, the highway is just below, so it does have a bit of road noise.  

Bealey Chasm Walk and Bealey Valley Track

After the Arthur's Pass Walking Track took us across the highway, we turned off to take the Bealey Valley Track, which included the Bealey Chasm Walk. This off-shoot is also classified as "easy", but there's a small section that includes a bit of tramping.

The Bealey Chasm is lovely with a river rushing through it and shaping the rocks. 

Along this trail, we had beautiful mountain views, then walked through a lovely forest. The track ends at Bealey River in what is an avalanche zone in winter. This is where we turned around and returned the way we came.

Dobson Nature Walk

After re-connecting with Arthur's Pass Walking Track, we continued onward. We ended up on the Dobson Nature Walk, enjoying gorgeous mountain views and catching glimpses of waterfalls coming down the mountains across the road.

Arthur's Pass Lookout

Finally, we reached Arthur's Pass Lookout, a very windy point, at 1:00 pm. It's sort of in the middle of where we'd been hiking, so the view is about the same. But it serves as the turnaround spot. 

Devil's Punchbowl Waterfall

Since the Arthur's Pass Walking Track is an out-and-back trail, the sights on the return are pretty much the same. Although, on our return journey, we added the Devil's Punchbowl Waterfall, which was supposed to be an "easy" 2-km / 1.2-mi roundtrip walk.

Despite the terrain of the trail being easy, it was a lot of stairs (150-m /492-ft climb). As long as you're used to climbing stairs, it won't be challenging. But the trail does require more physical fitness than the "easy" rating might suggest. One family left their grandparents sitting on a rock because they couldn't make it. 

Once you make it to the viewing platform, it's a pretty epic waterfall, so worth the effort to get there.

Leaving Arthur's Pass

Back in the RV, we had a quick PB&J lunch before heading to the Visitor Center again to dump our garbage and recycling. They also have nice public washrooms (flush toilets) there.

We left Arthur's Pass around 3:50 pm, while it was still nice and sunny. The road leading down on the eastern side was not as scary as the one going into Arthur's Pass on the western side. 

Accommodations near Lake Pearson

If you're not camping, you'll probably stay another night in Arthur's Pass instead of trying to stay near Lake Pearson. This area does not have much in the way of accommodations. That being said, I did find an ultra-luxurious property called Flockhill Lodge that looks amazing if you're looking to splurge.

Day 15 - Return to Christchurch, End of Road Trip

On the final day of our South Island road trip, our plan was to enjoy one last scenic drive back to Christchurch to return the RV by 1:00 pm. 

Lake Pearson Sunrise

That morning, I awoke to a fiery sky. It was an incredible last sunrise, even though we didn't see the sun, just the lights on the clouds. 

Scenic Drive to Christchurch

We left our campsite around 10:00 am and managed to escape most of the rain as we headed eastward. Even with the clouds, we had lovely views. 

Since we purchased the "Dump n Run" package for the RV, we only had to clean out the fridge and throw out our garbage before returning it. We didn't have to worry about finding a dump station. So, we stopped at the rubbish and recycling center in Castle Hill, which was very conveniently located right off the highway. 

Arriving in Christchurch

We made it back to Christchurch in plenty of time and returned our RV by 12:00 noon.

Return RV to Kiwi Motorhomes

It was a fairly easy process to return the RV. They examined it for any new (major) scratches or dents. We'd already messaged them to let them know about the guard rail incident, so they were prepared to see that. Luckily, we didn't have any other incidents, so that was the only issue. 

End of South Island Road Trip

Just like that, our 15-day South Island road trip adventure was finished. After we returned our motorhome, we took an Uber to downtown Christchurch. Then, we spent the next couple of days exploring the city, eating delicious food, and drinking lots of coffee and craft beer.

On our 17th day on New Zealand's South Island, we took an afternoon flight back to Hong Kong which ended our trip.