7 Pretty towns to visit on your NZ South Island Road Trip

New Zealand is made for road trips. In fact, the South Island, in particular, is made for road trips because there is one major highway that loops the entire island. With nature at the core of the attractions of the Island, hiring a campervan is an absolute must in my opinion. I hired a 2 berth with my wife in 2015, and even though things got pretty chilly, I would not have done it any other way.

We just loved the fact that when we’d had enough driving we could wait for a sign to the nearest campground and pull into it for the night. Or if we were rolling into town, we just found the closest RV park so we could use the facilities and recharge the batteries; both figuratively and literally. This was easy since we travelled in May, but if you’re road tripping in the peak summer or winter seasons, it might be best to book ahead.

Most of the towns we visited were on the main Highway 1 (the loop), but since we had 3 weeks to kill we did make a few detours to get out. Here are the towns that just took my breath away.

Kaikoura

Many lists expressly say “in no particular order”. Not me. There’s a reason I list Kaikoura first, and that’s because it was my favourite from the trip. It’s famous for its whales and its seals because of the abundant sea life close by, but what it should also be famous for is its landscape. It’s this small town cradled on the coast between awe-inspiring mountains on one side, and the ocean on the other. We had a whale-watching ride in a Cessna, and the view of the mountains over the Kaikoura Peninsula and the oceans is simply spectacular.

Wanaka

Wanaka is beautiful not for its buildings, but for its setting. On still days the snow-capped mountains will reflect perfectly on Lake Wanaka and moored boats will pine for a captain to explore with. The golf course is surrounded by autumnal trees and the mountains offer a stunning backdrop so it’s impossible to be sad, even when you can’t hit straight.

Picton

We had planned to spend a night and a day in Picton, but we actually found that the town itself offered little entertainment. However, the reason it makes this list is thanks to the bays and sounds on its doorstep. There is plenty of walking tracks from the town and if you have time you can hire boats to explore the sounds. The sounds might not as dramatic as those in Fiordland, but it’s much greener and still very beautiful.

Nelson

In the north of the South Island is Nelson, a small city that is the geographic centre of New Zealand; there’s even a monument to mark the location at the end of a lovely hike through the hills. It’s not a particularly long hike, and even though it doesn’t take you all that high up, it offers a lovely view out over the city and Tasman Bay. Queens Garden is a really pretty spot for a stroll and in autumn — which is when I visited — the foliage will be lush with gorgeous oranges and reds.

Collingwood

Collingwood is the last populated town along the Takata-Collingwood Highway in Golden Bay. And only just, with a population of only 235. We stopped for a coffee in a cute old cottage and was a perfect stop on our detour out to Whaririki. The main street is lined with old timber buildings that actually look somewhat modernised but the highlight was the hilariously small Collingwood Museum. If it’s not the smallest museum in the world it must close. It is a small house with a single corridor and exhibits behind glass either side enclosing antique artefacts like typewriters and saddles, moa bones, photos, and Maori relics.

Arrowtown

Arrowtown is admittedly fairly touristy, but it is very pretty. Arrowtown has successfully maintained the visual features of what a gold mining town might look like in the 1860s because every building along the main street is original. They have of course been restored so there’s this great blend of old-style architecture with a modern flair. The history is maintained at the Lakes District Museum along the main road and at the old Chinese Settlement, which is a 5-minute walk from the main street. The Chinese weren’t allowed to live with the rest of the gold miners so they built tiny (tiny!) cottages out here.

Queenstown

Queenstown is probably the most popular town for visitors on the entire South Island, evidenced by a cable car that you can ride up to a lookout with a luge. But this isn’t a “hidden secrets” article, it’s about pretty towns, and Queenstown is one of the prettiest. The town lies on the banks of Lake Wakatipu under the watchful gaze of The Remarkables mountain range, which is beautiful on its own. But then the town slowly regresses up the hill, the dwellings coexisting harmoniously with the trees. The Botanical Gardens are just an explosion of colour and if you’re up for some frisbee golf, the Gardens have you covered in that respect too. New Zealand is best explored by car, so be sure to check out the various options for car hire in Queenstown.

Invercargill

Alright, Invercargill is closer to city classification, but it definitely fits the “prettiest” requirement for inclusion. Others on this list have been included because of their natural features, but the streets of Invercargill are just brimming with Victorian architecture thanks to its deep Scottish roots. You just can’t help but click away at everything. City Hall and St Mary’s Basilica are notable highlights, but to ignore the colourful and somewhat eclectic main streets would be criminal.

What did I miss? Tell me your favourite New Zealand South Island towns in the comments below.

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