south island
New Zealand
CHRISTCHURCH - HANMER SPRINGS - KAIKOURA - GREYMOUTH - WESTPORT - FRANZ JOSEF - WANAKA- QUEENSTOWN - MOUNT COOK
The Ultimate
KIWI EXPERIENCE
It's hard not to fall in love with the southern island of New Zealand almost instantly. Its snow capped mountains, crystal clear waters and dramatic landscapes are not only breathtakingly beautiful, but provide the perfect ingredients for the one of the best road trips in the world. Take a look at our recommended stop offs or check out our Itineraries where you can find out about whale watching, walking along one of the most famous glaciers in the world (before it melts!) and cruising along some of the best roads on the planet. We know it's important to relax as well, and there's no better way to do it than to bathe in the hot volcanic pools.
Top Places to go in the
SOUTH ISLAND
CHRISTCHURCH
One of the main cities in the south island and in our opinion the least spectacular. It is still rebuilding after the major earthquake in 2011 so do not expect too much, however it does make a good port of entry with its cheap flights especially from Australia. We only recommend staying a night before heading off to see what the rest of the south island has to offer.
QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown isn't called the adventure capital of New Zealand for no reason; skydiving and bungee jumping is what adrenaline junkies flock here for, while those who prefer to remain on solid ground enjoy incredible hiking and skiing in the winter months.As soon as we arrived we wanted to move here! Seriously, the town centre is beautiful with a lake at the bottom that parts two mountains - and theres no better way to admire the views than from inside a plethora of coffee shops, restaurants and cafes.
HANMER SPRINGS
Only an hour and a half drive north from Christchurch and you'll reach the beautifully quaint Hanmer Springs. The drive gives you a taste of what is to come, with rough and rugged terrain and winding roads through the mountains - its hard not to stop every five minutes to take photographs. The main draw of Hanmer Springs are the hot pools, where you can relax in naturally heated water or sulphur pools (if you can handle the smell). It's especially nice to relax in the hot pools after a day spent trekking on one of the many popular routes.
KAIKOURA
If you've travelled as far as New Zealand, then Whale Watching will almost certainly be somewhere on your itinerary - and Kaikoura is the place to do it! Whale Watching has been on our bucket list since we can't even remember, and the experience was unforgettable. We booked a boat tour, but it was cancelled due to poor weather (which is actually very common). Fortunately, they offered us a full refund or a plane ride the same day to see the whales! Of course we chose the plane and it was amazing! Kookier isn't all about the whales though. The distant mountains over the coast make it an incredibly beautiful town, and we feel its very underrated! There is also a resident seal colony on the beach,it seemed we were not the only ones who love to sunbathe!
View goals
Whale watching in our very own plane
The seals just love a good sun bathe
WANAKA
There is something special about Lake Wanaka, when you park up and look over the lake to the mountains in the distance you can't help but think 'I want to move here'. Lake Wanaka is good for water sports like paddle boarding. In the evening head over to the infamous Wanaka Tree where you can get some dramatic shots with the sunset. Also its probably known to most we love food and we can definitely recommend a burrito bar...OMG! Just so good. Anyways head over to Lake Hawea which is less busy and doesn't have much of a town but arguably has more of a dramatic landscape.
WESTPORT-GREYMOUTH
'One of the best drives on the planet'
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FRANZ JOSEF | FOX GLACIER | MOUNT COOK
MOUNTAINS & GLACIERS
FOX GLACIER
Feel like you're the first person to walk the earth again! The
setting feels so prehistoric with waterfalls cascading down the side of the mountains. This is a definite must see before it melts. Slightly less popular with tourist so it is a lot quieter.
MOUNT COOK
One of the most picturesque spots in New Zealand, we hopped in and out of the car dozens of times to capture photos of the bluest lake I've ever seen being overlooked by the incredible snow capped mountain.
This is a great spot for star gazing if you have time to spend the night
FRANZ JOSEF
One of the more famous tourist hotspot, and rightly so - make sure you visit it before it disappears! Its incredible to see how much the glacier has receded even in recent years.
You can get flights to walk along the top, but the free walk up to the glacier is close enough - mixed reviews but you can see it and it is close enough to get decent photos. The waterfall at the bottom has some of the freshest water, so don't be prepared to drink a little.
