What happens when you combine a destination-focused driver with a navigation-challenged photographer on a three-week South Island road trip? Against all odds, it created my favourite holiday experience ever. We covered an impressive 3500 kilometres, with over 2500 photos documenting every breathtaking moment of our New Zealand adventure.
Planning the Perfect South Island Itinerary
For our first visit to New Zealand, I turned to the invaluable resource of New Zealand Travel Tips. This comprehensive online community provided essential insights from both locals and experienced travellers. Their fee-based consultancy service helped us craft an itinerary that balanced driving time with exploration, keeping most daily journeys under two hours. Our route centred around visiting family in Dunedin, allowing us to immerse ourselves in each destination with one to two-night stays.
Christchurch to Te Anau: The Journey Begins
Our adventure commenced in Christchurch, where we embraced the city's unique character. From riding the hop-on, hop-off tourist tram to exploring earthquake recovery sites, botanical gardens, and vibrant street art trails, the city offered a compelling introduction to South Island life. Collecting our efficient hybrid Toyota Yaris from Snap Rentals marked the true beginning of our road trip.
Our first destination, Fairlie in Mackenzie Country, served as the perfect base for exploring Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook. The inland scenic route through Rakaika Gorge and Geraldine provided constant photographic opportunities. Lake Tekapo's stunning turquoise waters, framed by emerging lupins and the distant peak of Aoraki/Mount Cook, created visual magic. The modest Church of the Good Shepherd stood as a testament to early settlers' resilience, though cloudy skies unfortunately cancelled our anticipated stargazing experience.
The following day brought us face-to-face with Aoraki/Mount Cook itself. Driving past Lake Pukaki's brilliant turquoise waters – coloured by glacial flour – we reached hiking trails that offered astounding views of Mount Cook, Mount Selton, and the Mueller Glacier. Blue skies and sunshine elevated the scenery, making this one of the trip's standout days.
Coastal Discoveries and Dunedin's Charms
Heading east to Oamaru proved a brilliant decision. This town of surprises delighted us with its Victorian precinct, stunning whitestone buildings, and quirky Steampunk features. The evening spectacle of hundreds of little blue penguins returning to shore created unforgettable memories.
Continuing south to Dunedin, we encountered geological wonders like the Moeraki Boulders and historical sites including former Maori settlements. Dunedin's changeable weather felt familiar to my northern hemisphere constitution, with misty conditions adding Scottish atmosphere to our Larnach Castle visit. Climbing Baldwin Street, the world's steepest residential street, provided unexpected exercise, while clearer weather later revealed the city's stunning harbour and Edinburgh-of-the-South architecture.
Fiordland Majesty and Alpine Adventures
From Dunedin, our longest drive brought us to Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park. The journey to Milford Sound truly embodied the "journey over destination" philosophy. Each stop – from Mirror Lake to the Chasm – built anticipation through increasingly dramatic landscapes, culminating in the Homer Tunnel's engineering marvel.
Our Cruise Milford experience proved awe-inspiring despite cold, wet conditions. The sheer scale of Milford Sound's towering cliffs and waterfalls created a profound sense of nature's grandeur. Queenstown offered different pleasures, with gondola rides and Ben Lomond Track walks providing perfect adventure levels for our preferences. A day trip to Glenorchy revealed fascinating gold mining history, while the drive along Lake Wakatipu restored balance after Queenstown's bustle.
Mountain Passes and Glacial Encounters
The Crown Range Road from Arrowtown to Wanaka delivered exhilarating driving with breathtaking views over the Arrow Valley. Historic stops included the Cardrona Hotel and the famous Bradrona fence supporting breast cancer awareness. Wanaka's famous lakeside willow tree contrasted with the more engaging Te Ara Maumahara walkway documenting local and world events.
Northwest to Fox Glacier, we discovered the stunning Blue Pools and numerous waterfalls. Crossing Haast Pass introduced us to the wild west coast's rugged drama. Clear weather allowed an invigorating forest walk to view the rapidly shrinking Fox Glacier, while Hokitika Gorge revealed another natural masterpiece. Each swing bridge crossing brought fresh excitement for the landscapes awaiting discovery.
Coastal Spectacles and Thermal Relaxation
The Great Coast Road between Greymouth and Westport lived up to its reputation as one of the world's top coastal drives. Towering rainforests met crashing seas, while Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks demonstrated nature's patient sculpting over millions of years.
As our journey neared its end, we turned east to Hanmer Springs via historic Reefton and the magnificent Lewis Pass. Thermal springs provided perfect relaxation after mountain walks, while our final destination, Akaroa on Banks Peninsula, surprised with its French colonial history and opportunities to spot rare Hector's Dolphins. The Onuku church beautifully blended Maori and Christian traditions, providing a fitting cultural conclusion to our travels.
Three weeks and 3500 kilometres passed too quickly. As we reluctantly boarded our flight home, I reflected that the only improvement would have been adding another week to explore further north. This South Island road trip proved that sometimes the most unlikely travel combinations create the most memorable adventures.
