New Zealand is an astounding country that will leave you breathless around every corner. And let me tell you, there are a lot of corners to go around. In my experience the more extreme the corners, the better the view is getting.
The Southern Alps hog much of the terrain which almost forces your road trip into some sort of a loop whether you like it or not. As it happens, with the exception of the mountains themselves, many of the best sights are near the coast anyway.
This New Zealand South Island itinerary is designed for those that have decided to see the Island through the lens of a campervan, but anyone looking for things to do on the NZ South Island would also find it useful. In my opinion, though, a campervan is the best way to explore. You are free to leave the schedule flexible and decide how long to spend in a place when you actually know what’s there. You can go at your own pace and stay where you want.
This is just a suggested itinerary, so use it as a guide as you drive around the island, but be sure to keep flexible as well because you never know what you’ll stumble upon.
In a hurry? Download this NZ South Island travel guide in PDF form to read later by clicking below.
Day 1 – Christchurch
Six years ago Christchurch was a bustling hub of culture and business. These days, in the wake of a devastating 2011 earthquake, it is a city in recovery and transition while it rebuilds itself, literally from the ground up. This gives the city and interesting atmosphere and what really comes through is a vibe of tenacity, resilience and creativity.
Tip: To properly see Christchurch in a reasonable amount of time you really need a hire car/campervan. Some cool neighbourhoods and sights not within the city centre would be easily missed as they are out of walking distance and public transport is minimal to say the least.
Click here to search for a car to rent on rentalcars.com
Visit the ruins of Christchurch Cathedral, have a meal and do some shopping at the temporary Re:Start mall built in 55 shipping containers. Go punting on the Avon River, walk through the botanic gardens and make sure you also walk down New Regent St not far from Cathedral square, a street full of pastel coloured art deco buildings (I think).
NZ Tip: Buy a sim card instead of a GPS. Roads are easy to navigate and Google Maps will help you where signs can’t. You can obviously then research stuff to do and ring places if need be. I went with 2Degrees and they were great. Any convenience store will sell them.
Day 2 – Christchurch to Hanmer Springs
Christchurch is not exactly laid out in a perfect grid so if you find yourself walking in circles, you are not alone. Hopefully by now you are finding your bearings and if so have a peek in and be inspired by the “Transitional Cathedral”, affectionately known as the Cardboard Cathedral due to the 96 cardboard pillars that form the frame of the roof. It’s genius. Nearby is the earthquake memorial of 185 painted white chairs.
If you have a car/van, drive out to the Christchurch gondola for spectacular views of the Christchurch plains and the nearby port town of Lyttleton on the opposite side of the hill. If not, you can get a shuttle from the iSite near the Art Gallery for $5. After this, begin making your way to Hanmer Springs in your van.
Pick up your wheels in for your New Zealand road trip and leave the city behind you.
Hanmer Springs Holiday Park tip: Hanmer River Holiday Park. Basic powered sites not far from town. Helpful owner fixed my power cable for me.
Day 3 – Hanmer Springs to Kaikoura
Hanmer is a small town famous for its natural spring-fed thermal pools, but the charm of the town itself I think is equal to the attraction of the pools. Lines of deciduous trees line the roads with mountains dotting the background.
Bathing in the pools is a very confronting experience because the temperature outside is most likely very cool, and you are forced into changing into swimmers which offer very little warmth. Suffice it to say the walk from/to the change rooms and between pools is very brisk.
The Hanmer Springs Thermal Pool complex (entry $22) is actually 15 man-made pools that leverage the thermal water from the natural hot springs in the area. I’m not sure how this works but it does. The pools vary in size and temperature and possibly even mineral makeup. Even though you’re in water, make sure you keep hydrated! You will feel refreshed, relaxed and glowing with energy.
After lunch, begin your drive through the beautiful hills to Kaikoura. Make sure you do this trip in the daylight.
Edit July 2017: In November 2016 there was a major storm near Kaikoura, causing landslides all down the coast, causing major closures between Waipara and Kaikoura. I’m not going to change this article because of it, but you might consider an alternative route in your planning.
Booking Tip: Check the site www.bookme.co.nz for potential entry discounts.
Day 4 – Kaikoura to Blenheim
Kaikoura is all about the whales.
There are two ways to see the whales: by boat, which is cheaper, gets closer and lasts longer; or by plane, giving spectacular views of the Kaikoura Peninsula, region and mountains, finishes quicker and sees the full length of the whale.
For me, taking a scenic flight was one of the best things I did on the South Island because not only did we see a whale, but the flight around the seaside mountains absolutely incredible.
Eat some blue cod or crayfish for lunch and head out to Kaikoura Peninsula for a close encounter with some seals. From the northern carpark there is a (2 hour) loop walking track that takes you up and will give you a great view of the ocean and a distant view of the seals.
Or just follow the rocks on the coast around until you find a colony of about 30-40 just relaxing in the sun, which you can get quite close to. Make sure you take your long lens if you have a DSLR and don’t get closer than 10 metres because, over jagged rocks, the seals will be faster than you.
If you’d like to see what other wildlife I came across in New Zealand, read this post here.
This will take you to mid-afternoon at which point drive north to Blenheim. There is little to do in Blenheim, but there are a few cool pubs/bars around. Find your favourite with Foursquare or Yelp.
Booking tip: Again, bookme.co.nz should have some discounts for both Wings over Whales scenic flights and Whale Watching Kaikoura boat tours.
Day 5 – Blenheim to Picton
If you need to fill up the fridge or the tank, this is a great place to do so as it is the largest town (~26,000 people) you will see for a while. Find a place for breakfast and head west into the heart of Marlborough Wine Country, famous for Sauvignon Blanc. Go into the iSite and get a map of wine country, it is a very well laid out map and has all 40-odd wineries listed.
I visited 3 wineries:
- Cloudy Bay – excellent wine, uninspiring location.
- High Field Estate: Great views of the yellowing vineyards from their castle viewing tower.
- Brancott Estate: the first winery in Marlborough and a must visit. The restaurant has unsurpassed views of the area and does a fine cheese platter.
Obviously, there are many others so go to as many others as you want to, and I don’t need to tell you if you plan on everyone drinking, spend the night in a carpark, otherwise, with your palette now satisfied and your fridge full head 25 minutes north to Picton.
Picton is a beautiful little town at the mouth of the Marlborough Sounds. If time and budget are on your side you might like to organise a cruise through the sounds (use Bookme), however, tomorrow you will be driving along the sounds which will also have some pretty amazing views.
Pick up a map at an information centre as there are some very nice walks in the area. Just over the bridge is a great, easy walk to Bob’s Bay (30 mins return) and those wishing for extra credit can take the high road up to “Harbour View”, which is well worth the effort.
Stay the night in Picton to ensure that you can take your time driving through the incredible Marlborough Sounds tomorrow in the day light.
Beer tip: If you are into craft beer, New World stocks a fairly wide variety of New Zealand craft beers. Bring your passport for ID though, as this is all they accept.
Day 6 – Picton to Tasman Region
Leave the beautiful town of Picton behind as you head west along the Queen Charlotte Road, winding around the Marlborough Sounds toward Nelson. Those with days to spare might hike the Queen Charlotte Track, but this takes additional planning and not so easy with a campervan. It is about an hour to Nelson going at a pretty slow pace – the corners are quite sharp.
There is plenty to occupy you in Nelson for a half to a full day. Visit the “Centre of New Zealand” – a walk from a park up a hill with pretty great views of the city and the water. Walk through the Queens Garden (great spot for a picnic), visit Nelson’s own Christchurch Cathedral and have a coffee/meal/drink along Trafalgar Street or nearby in the central city.
Drive as far as you feel like you want to and stay somewhere near Motueka. Or those wishing for a fantasy experience, The Jester House in Tasman has a B&B setup like a big boot – as in There once was a woman who lived in a shoe…”. It is a very unique and once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone with a spare $300 for a night.
Bar Tip: The Free House is a very unique drinking establishment in Nelson. It looks like a convent meets beer garden. Weird opening hours but a very cool experience.
Day 7 – Motueka to Whaririki Beach
There is very little of note in Motueka, however, the straight main road is bursting with places to eat, fill the fridge and fill the tank. Utilise where required. Make sure you buy some beers because you’ll need them after a big day of driving.
Whaririki Beach (pronounced ‘Far-ricky’, yes really) is the very far end of the road that squeezes between Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks, and will take you through Golden Bay. From Motueka there is one road in and one road out.
To get out to Golden Bay you must cross Takaka Hill, and at a steep 792 metres above sea level, it is no easy feat. The road winds its way uphill steeply and sharply, but the lookouts that you can stop at on the way up are breathtaking and make it all worth it the drive just for the view.
Stop at Takaka to stretch your legs and pick up a map from the information centre. Then continue on your way to Whariki Beach stopping at any little spots that take your fancy. There are no wrong answers out here! In summer, beaches like Kaiteriteri will be teeming with wet towels and hot bodies and winter will be virtually deserted so expect accordingly. The towns get increasingly sparsely populated the further you get out.
Collingwood is the last populated town and is worth a quick stop. The museum is hilariously small and will take all of 10 minutes to do a complete self-guided tour – just let yourself in! If you make it all the way to Whaririki, well done, it has been a big day. Relax in the South Island’s most northerly campervan park, and in my opinion one of the most simple, yet picturesque ones as well.
Day 8 – Wharariki Beach to St Arnaud
Awake to the delights of small, rolling green hills and peacocks and follow the road out of the park and to the right where you’ll find a car park. From the car park Wharariki Beach proper is an easy 20-minute walk through the hills and if you go at low tide, you will most likely find some seals. Ask reception what time low tide is.
Drive back out along the gravel road and follow signs to Farewell Spit. Farewell Spit is the long sand dune that stretches out 25km towards the North Island like a kiwi beak. Have a coffee at the only place possible with an excellent view. There is a walking path down close but, if you want to actually spend any time on it, you must book an eco-tour (Do this in advance). The area is highly protected as it is a most important resting spot for migratory birds.
Make your way back through Golden Bay, stopping at will and head in the direction of St Arnaud. There are two ways to get there and while the road through Richmond is less direct, the road is less windy and faster.
St Arnaud is a town of nothing, the real destination is Lake Rotoiti, the largest lake in Nelson Lakes National Park. The long drive south will be completely worth it, as you will be greeted by a fairly small lake (by Australian standards) dominated on each side by two large mountains that appear to meet in the middle. Enjoy happy hour, feed the ducks and eels on the pier and spend the night in nature’s beauty at the DOC campsite around the corner.
Day 9 – Lake Rotoiti to Punakaiki
It will be hard to will yourself to leave magnificent Lake Rotoiti, but alas, you must. If you have time to spare (or if you wake up early) Lake Rotoroa is worth a 30-minute detour. Though admittedly, when I visited it was raining quite heavily so it was only a very brief carpark tour. In summer, Rotoroa would be just as busy as Rotoiti, but in winter it was dead.
Follow SH6 out to Westport and stop at the Buller Gorge Swingbridge on your way. The area is the epicentre of a 7.2 earthquake in 1929. You can actually see the 4.5m ridge that occurred as a result. I found it pretty fascinating: the earth is incredible.
Westport is pretty dull but is a great spot to fill the fridge and fill the tank since you’ve just spent a few days out of civilisation. Although I spent a few hours there, I did not take a single photo. That alone should speak volumes.
However, make sure you visit the seal colony at Tauranga Bay just 15 minutes south of the city. It’s an easy 10-minute walk from the carpark, but bring your long lens if you have one.
A brief 45-minute drive south will get you to your night stop: Punakaiki, home of the Pancake Rocks. Punakaiki exists to service the Pancake Rocks, a series of coastal cliffs that over millennia of sexual abuse from nature have formed to look like giant stacks of pancakes. Around these rocks are also several impressive blowholes. Make sure you visit at high tide to ensure the blow holes are actually blowing. Tide times are published at the Westport and Greymouth iSites and on the Internet.
There is a holiday park nearby, a cafe and the Punakaiki Tavern with more character than almost any pub I saw in New Zealand. Definitely worth a meal if not just to warm up in front of their fireplace.
Day 10 – Punakaiki to Franz Josef
By now you will most likely have seen more than your fair share of rain. The west coast sees up to 6m in any given year. So time to decide to just live with it.
Much unlike its northern counterpart, Greymouth is worth spending half a day in. Not too much, but more than Westport. Snap the beautiful colonial buildings, visit Monteith’s Brewery for a pint and a tour pick a nice spot for lunch.
45 minutes south of Greymouth is Hokitika, home of the greenstone crafts. Or jade. It goes by many names. Crafty people will enjoy watching jade carvings or glass blowing (free) and animal lovers will tolerate the Kiwi Centre ($22.50). Although the centre has seen better days, it is one of few opportunities see an endangered kiwi and feed 100-year-old eels.
Get to Franz Josef township before dinner as there seemed to be a better selection than Hokitika.
Holiday Park tip: Rainforest Retreat and Holiday Park in FJ was reasonably priced and had excellent, well-maintained and modern facilities with a hot tub.
Day 11 – Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef is a town of about 500 that exists to service the visitors one of the world’s steepest and fastest moving glacier. The glacier itself is surprisingly accessible and there are a number of self-guided walks from the car park.
The first walk is to Sentinel Rock, which is the shortest walk and will give a good distant view of the glacier. This is about a 20-minute walk on flat gravel and is slightly uphill. It feeds from a fork in the path, the alternative route taking you along the Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk.
On a good day, this walk will take you all the way to the base of the glacier (the ‘terminal’). The path begins through bush and you end up walking through the glacier valley. Depending on the weather the length of this walk can vary.
When I visited, 3 weeks of heavy rain and floods that had washed away much of the walking tracks which means the closest we could get was 2000 metres. It gave an incredible extra dimension to the walk but it did mean that if I wanted to get close to the terminal face I needed to go with a guide.
If you do some sort of tour around Franz Josef it will likely take a majority of the day so either stay in Franz Josef again, or stay at Fox Glacier 30 minutes south.
Day 12 – Fox Glacier to Haast Past
After your morning routine, go against your gut and take advantage of the morning calm by visiting Lake Matheson first. Lake Matheson is a very small lake about 5 minutes out of Fox Glacier township. Far from being off the beaten track, there is a fairly large cafe and separate gift shop just near the walking trail entrance. The reason for the popularity is that on a still day, from the right part of the lake you are able to see the reflection of Mt Tasman and Mt Cook in the lake.
From the car park, you can easily walk around the lake in about 1.5 hours along a well-groomed gravel track. Or, if you would prefer to just see the reflections and return it will take you about 20 minutes each way. Follow the signs to the jetty.
Make your way back through the town to Fox Glacier, which is just as accessible via a well-trodden, yet rocky walk from the car park. You are still quite a distance away (600m when I visited), but your surroundings are also very beautiful. Fox Glacier for some reason seems to be less popular than Big Franz but is just as striking to me. In fact, the valley on the way in was arguably more impressive to me.
About 50 minutes south of Fox Glacier is Lake Paringa, a beautiful stop for lunch and a place I could see being filled with boats, fishers and other water-dwellers in the summer.
And only 5 minutes south of Lake Paringa was Knight’s Point Lookout. Well worth the stop for literally any time budget. Knight’s Point is just off SH6 and looks out of over the ocean with views of rocks just offshore. As you are very high up you have spectacular views of the hilly coastline both in the north and south direction.
If you are visiting in the summer continue on to Jackson Bay to get right off the beaten path. There is little there but wildlife spotting opportunities, a single food offering (The Cray Pot) and the chance to unwind without distraction.
Otherwise, take a left at Haast and find a campsite somewhere along the beautiful Haast Pass. Keep the camera ready, the Haast Pass is another unbelievable drive. Stop at Fantail Falls and Thunder Creek Falls – both short walks and well signposted from the highway.
Campsite tip: Cameron Flat is a beautiful spot to rest overnight and broke up the trip really well.
Day 13 – Haast Pass to Arrowtown
The snow-capped mountains will bid you good morning and if the weather is friendly, just past Cameron Flat is the Blue Pools. The blue pools are such a vibrant colour because of the suspended glacial particles that have flowed down from melted glaciers. It’s about a 15 minute down a hill and back.
As Haast Pass recedes, Boulder Creek will emerge and you will begin to wonder: “when was this ever the size of a creek?” SH6 follows this strikingly blue ‘creek’ in the shadows of more snow-capped mountains for about an hour before Lake Hawea begins to fill your camera lens. Eventually, you’ll arrive in Wanaka mid- to late-morning.
There is a large parking lot by the beautifully picturesque Lake Wanaka. Wanaka doesn’t seem to be well-known to outsiders, but it one of my highlights. Such a beautiful town, with plenty of places to eat and drink without the tourist vibe that big brother Queenstown can sometimes exude. All while gazing at the Southern Alps.
If you have time, and this is not mandatory, but I would highly recommend seeing a flick at Cinema Paradiso. While seeing a movie might not be what everyone wants to do on an adventure holiday, and I appreciate that, but it is a truly unique cinema experience complete with couches, delicious homemade cookies and ice cream and cars to watch the movie from.
Spend the night in Wanaka or get a head start on tomorrow and stay in Arrowtown.
Related: more NZ road trip ideas from fellow blogger Where is Tara.
Day 14 – Arrowtown to Queenstown
Like most of the west coast, Arrowtown is an old gold mining town and thrived in the 1860s. The population has wavered since then but the buildings in the Main Street and miners’ cottages that survive are all original and restored. Buckingham Street, the main drag, is very narrow and gives off a small village vibe, which is essentially what it is. As a result, the population of about 2000 predominately supports themselves through visiting tourists in the cafes, shops and a couple of bars.
Buckingham Street, the main drag, is very narrow and gives off a small village vibe, which is essentially what it is. As a result, the population of about 2000 predominately supports themselves through visiting tourists in the cafes, shops and a couple of bars.
Make sure to visit the Chinese Settlement 5 minutes to the west of the town.
20 minutes away on the banks of Lake Wakatipu and in the shadows of The Remarkables, lays Queenstown. A surprisingly small town with the atmosphere of a big city, Queenstown has it all. Safe to say Queenstown is a mecca for visitors and adrenaline junkies because, despite the population of only 20,000, there are more visitors centres than I can count.
For those wishing to jump out of or into something I’d plan at least 2 full days in Queenstown, because literally, the sky is your limit. For the rest of us, 24-36 hours will give you a really good feel for what the town is all about.
Wander the streets, get a cheese platter somewhere, feed the ducks, go on a lake cruise, stop and have a pint, walk through the Botanical Gardens, play frisbee golf in these gardens (BYO frisbee), play mini golf, go up the gondola, go ice skating, explore Queenstown Mall and buy your mum a tea towel.
These are just some of the options for non-adrenaline inducing activities around Queenstown.
Food tip: Eat at Fergburger/Fergbakery/Ferg Gelato. It is worth coming to Queenstown just for that.
Accom tip: This will be your most expensive night in the van. There is no freedom camping around Queenstown and the holiday parks are no less than $50. Lakeside Holiday Park is the closest to town and the gondola. Stay there.
Day 15 – Queenstown to Milford Drive
Despite spending the afternoon wandering the streets of Queenstown there is still a little more to see. Drive about 30 seconds up the road to the Queenstown Skyline gondola. If you have a late checkout you could easily walk it in 5 minutes. The steep cable car takes you up Bob’s Peak 792 metres for one magnificent view of Queenstown city, Lake Wakatipu, with the distant Remarkables on the left and Cecil and Walter’s Peaks on the right.
Decide at the bottom if you would like to ride the luge because it is naturally much cheaper to include it in your purchase than buy it separately at the top. Once confident you can really get up to some serious speeds so buy as many rides as your budget will allow.
After descending back to earth, finish off any activities you missed yesterday and after lunch, it will be time to head off to Fiordland.
The drive out is a fairly easy one and surprisingly uneventful. It’s about a 2-hour drive to Te Anau, which is a good place to stop to stretch and fill up the tank because there are no fuel stations through the national park. Make sure you have a map of the area because there is plenty to see from here on in.
It is getting on in the evening so pick a spot in the first 30-60 minutes of driving. This will give you a headstart on tomorrow but will stop you driving past pretty scenery in the dark. Henry’s Creek was our choice, which was spacious and near Lake Te Anau.
Day 16 – Milford Drive to Milford Sound to Monkey Island
Wow.
Get ready to say this a lot today, and take in as much as you can so you can tell people that this was your favourite day of the trip. People rave about Milford Sound because of its grandeur and beauty, but did you know the Milford Drive itself is World Heritage Listed?
I will be honest here though, the drive itself doesn’t start to get really good until about until about 20 minutes before the Homer Tunnel. This is when the rolling farmland is replaced by gigantic mountains. There is also a very pretty, boulder-strewn river that runs by the road, though it is very easy to miss good stopping/photo locations because they sneak up on you.
The Homer Tunnel is a modern marvel. 60 years ago they bore a 1.3km tunnel through a mountain. That does not happen easily. And when you get to the other side you will see that is literally no other way around. Make sure to stop and take a photo just down the hill.
In Fiordland, it rains an alarming amount. In 180 days of the year it will rain a total of 7 metres so do not be disheartened if you visit on a rainy day because this is just normal. In fact, you will soon discover that the thousands of temporary waterfalls this creates makes it even better than if you could actually see properly.
I booked our Milford Sound cruise with Mitre Cruises and they were fantastic. Comparatively small boat, outside and inside deck, a knowledgeable captain who took the boat out past the heads (I think they are the only ones who do that). But I have no doubt that all the cruise companies will put on a good show just pick one.
After leaving the Milford Drive behind you, aim for Invercargill, but if it is getting late, there is freedom camping available in Orepuki near Monkey Island.
Navigation Tip: Download the “Official Camping NZ” app by Rankers for maps of every freedom camping (and otherwise) location in NZ.
Day 17 – Invercargill to The Catlins
Invercargill is very rarely visited by tourists. This was made plain as day to us when heckled by some local hoodlums when taking an admittedly tourist photo in the park. Whoops, way to blend in.
Like much of the lower South Island Invercargill is steeped in Scottish heritage and this really comes out in the architecture. There are many remaining Victorian and Edwardian style buildings still in use by businesses today.
Stop by the iSite – the biggest pyramid (probably) in the Southern Hemisphere, though I can’t imagine there is much competition, but New Zealanders seem to claim whatever they can. The pyramid also doubles as a pretty cool (and free) museum.
Visit the Water Tower and wander the main streets in search of beautiful old buildings. My favourite was City Hall, followed closely by St Mary’s Basilica.
Food tip: Devil Burger on Don Street was up there with Fergburger in terms of value and quality. Just sayin’ is all. I’d go back.
Try and leave Invercargill not too long after lunch to give you plenty of time to start exploring The Catlins. The iSite will have some very good maps of the area and it very easy to follow one in and out the other side. In all, about 24 hours in the Catlins is a reasonable amount of time to budget.
Some sights in The Catlins are also bound by the laws of the tides so this will also take some precision to get it right. The shipwreck at Fortrose can only be seen at low tide, as can the Cathedral Caves, so arrange to see the shipwreck today and the Cathedral Caves tomorrow.
Visit the lighthouse (and wild sea lions) at Waipapa Point, drive out to Slope Point if there’s time and spend the night in Curio Bay.
Day 18 – The Catlins to Dunedin
Don’t bother stopping at the ironically named (not kidding) Niagara Falls, it’s just some rushing water in a river.
Do walk to McLean falls, though, but be wary, there are some very nice falls about 20 minutes down the track, keep going to get to the real deal just a little further.
Just past here is the Cathedral Caves, a beach cave that has been carved out of the rock over history. It is about 150 metres deep and must be about 20 metres high at the entrance. The road and access track are along privately owned land and due to the tides, they only open the gates for 2 hrs after low tide hits.
Our low tide was at 9:50 am and we arrived right on 11:00, thinking there is usually some grace in tides for things like this. But it’s an hour round trip and the lady couldn’t guarantee we’d be able to get in. It was close but after climbing over some rocks I was able to. I won’t say my shoes stayed 100% dry on the way out though…the tide moves so fast!
Make sure you make the time to walk out to Purakanui Falls, this 3 tiered, cascading waterfall is one of the highlights of the Catlins and is not to be missed.
Climax your tour of the Catlins at Nugget Point, named not for a god-like nuggets out at sea, but because they look like gold nuggets…using some part of your imagination. From the car park, it is about a 15-minute walk 900 metres out along a cliff to a lighthouse, beyond which are large rock formations randomly scattered, just asking to be on your New Zealand guidebook cover.
Start driving toward Dunedin and expect to get there in time for dinner. If time allows, take a break at Brighton Beach, 20km south of Dunedin.
Day 19 – Dunedin
When Dunedin was first being laid out instead of using a square as the city centre like many cities do a circle was used, inside which is St Paul’s Cathedral and the beautiful Victorian styled Municipal Chambers. The rest is made up of various cafes and a few stores. It is a social hub of sorts. This is called the Octagon due to Moray Place, the road that surrounds it, well, it’s an octagon.
Cafe tip: there are plenty of cafes in the area, but none more highly rated than The Perc on Stuart St.
A couple of blocks down Stuart St is the Dunedin railway station, supposedly new Zealand’s most photographed building, also the home of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. On the same block is the Cadbury factory who do tours of the factory and have a tasting room, cafe and gift shop.
5 minutes away is The First Church of Dunedin. Simple name, to the point, descriptive.It’s been there since the 1860s.
For beer lovers, the Speights Brewery Tour is a must. An informative, entertaining and delicious insight into the process that brews New Zealand’s biggest selling beer. This, of course ends in the beautifully timber decorated tasting room where you might be lucky enough to pour your own samples.
Van tip: Parking in the city, for the most part, isn’t too bad and is pretty cheap. Even the fines are cheap. They range from $12-20 depending on the length of time your overstay your welcome.
Bar tip: Albar is a Scottish themed bar who entice you in with the promise of serving pints. Low lighting and leather booths gave this an intimate feel, and the four (count ’em) hand pumps will satisfy the beer purists who prefer to quaff their beer at room temperature to properly taste the flavours. Very cool.
Because there’s plenty to do in Dunedin we’ve spent a whole day here. Return to where you stayed last night or find a new place.
Day 20 – Dunedin to Oamaru
As you know well by now, Otago and Southland are steeped in Scottish heritage, and what would complete the picture better than a tour through an old castle? Head out onto the Otago Peninsula to Larnach Castle. A castle built by William Larnach in 1870 and is as beautiful as its history is depressing: 3 divorces, 2 suicides and at least one court case over the estate.
About an hour north are the intriguing Moeraki Boulders. A collection of large stone boulders scattered among the sand. Play amongst them for a while before continuing your drive north to Oamaru, one of the prettiest towns on the South Island. It’s just Victorian building after Victorian Building, you might even forget that you are in the modern time of 2015. Go nuts with your camera and unless you’re a fan of steampunk (recycled industrial machines), probably give Steampunk HQ a miss.
Find a spot to Freedom Camp as far north as you make it for the night.
Day 21 – Oamaru to Christchurch
If you have an extra day, you might detour inland to see the beautiful Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo. But having this as the last stop can often make it difficult to time budget so far in advance.
Otherwise, continue your drive back to Christchurch to drop off the van and sadly head home.
For more reading on some epic NZ experiences, read this article from The Traveller’s Guide By #ljojlo.
What an epic journey this has been. Even if you don’t follow this itinerary word for word, that’s fine, and I actually expect that. I have no doubt you’ll have an incredible time exploring the majesty of Middle Earth. The best part about having a campervan is that you can afford to have that flexibility to make changes at the last minute. So I sincerely hope you have the best time and of course, if you think I’ve left any of your favourite spots out, please let me know in the comments below.
Want to save this for later? Pin these, just hover.
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you,
However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I don’t know why I am unable to join it.
Is there anybody having the same RSS problems? Anyone that
knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!!
Hi Rashad. Glad you liked the article, are you heading to NZ soon? The RSS is located at backstreetnomad.com/feed, that should let you import it into feedly or whatever program you use. Cheers and good luck!
[…] Dave and Deb visited Christchurch just days after the earthquake, and you can read about that their experience with Aftershocks in Christchurch here. but this article is about how the city is faring 5 years in. Well, 4 years, as it has now been a year since I visited. You can more about my New Zealand South Island Trip here. […]