The Perfect New Zealand Road Trip Guide - Everything You Need To Know
To know my wife, you know how much she loves anything whimsical or anything that makes life feel like a fairytale. So, of course frolicking thorough lupins in New Zealand has been on her bucket list forever!
New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been and I quickly understood why it’s been on her bucket list! Our entire trip felt like a movie and we were constantly having to ask ourselves “how is this real??”. New Zealand is known as the Adventure Capital of the World and is home to beautiful snow-capped mountains nearly everywhere you look, fairytale like lupins, “8th wonder of the world” Milford Sound and so much more.
In this itinerary, you’ll explore the South Island of New Zealand by camper van, plane, boat, horseback and amazing hikes that you will never forget.
How To Get To South Island
Long story short, New Zealand is made up of two islands - North Island and South Island.
North Island is known for it’s beaches, large cities and warmer climates while South Island is known for colder, jaw-dropping mountain ranges and adventure!
This blog is based on the South Island mainly because of the lupins, mountains, and national parks.
Most flights coming from the U.S. fly into Aukland in the North Island. You can probably find direct flights to Christchurch but it’s often cheaper to fly into Auckland and then catch a domestic flight to Christchurch, which is what we did.
Tips Before Visiting New Zealand
Lupins = Higher Prices! Camper van prices can be almost double so the earlier in advance you book, the more money you can save.
Peak Lupin Season is between November and December. Our trip was Nov. 30th to Dec. 10th and lupins were just reaching their peak, it was perfect!
Pack layers even during summer but pack efficiently! The temperatures varied like crazy during our trip. Make sure to bring some easy packable layers as space can be limited in a camper van.
Book your camper van and campgrounds in advance! We suggest booking up to 6 months advance for a better choice in vehicle and rates. More camper van and campground tips later!
Pack UPF Clothing and Sunscreen: Due to the stronger UV, the sun in New Zealand is no joke. Make sure to bring UPF Clothes like light long sleeved shirts, hats, sunglasses and SPF 50+ broad-spectrum for sun protection on your trip! You can even get sun burned even when it feels cold.
Bring Bug Spray! The sandflies in New Zealand were so annoying. Think baby mosquitos except the itches don’t show up until hours later and last for days.
Purchase an e-sim to help save some money during your trip. We have used e-sims from Holafly and Airolo that have worked great for us and can help save you $100-$200 depending the length of your trip.
Best Time To Visit
New Zealand never really has an “off” season which is why it’s popular to visit year-round!
Peak Lupin Season is between November and December and is the second most busiest time on the South Island. However, although there are crowds, peak blooming usually happens just before the big Summer crowds hit!
Summer months are December through February. This is the most popular and busiest time to visit due to the perfect weather for outdoor adventures like camper vans, hiking, water-sports and more. They call Summer in New Zealand “peak adventure season” so expect crowds, higher prices and make sure to book your accommodations far in advance.
Fall months are March through May and can still feel like Summer! This is another great time to visit as there are fewer crowds and a lot of hikes are still accessible. You can expect some beautiful autumn colors around April in the alpines.
Winter is June through August and is another popular time for ski towns but can be quiet otherwise especially in National Parks outside of ski towns. Expect frozen lakes and snow covered mountains and unfortunately alot of mountain roads and hikes are closed.
Spring months are September through November. You’ll find early lupins, shoulder season prices, calm weather and fewer crowds which is best if you’re looking for some quieter travel.
Traveling In A Camper Van: Things To Know
Camper van trips in New Zealand are super popular and easy to do even if it’s your first time. Ever since our first camper van trip, it’s become our favorite way to road trip scenic places like New Zealand. Here’s a few tips and things to know for camping in New Zealand or if it’s first time camping in a van!
Who to rent with:
They are lots of great places to rent camper vans and can be an affordable option compared to hotels. We booked with Apollo Camper Vans and drove the Euro Tourer Mercedes Sprinter Van during our trip and loved it.
It came with a heated cabin and living area, shower & toilet, large double bed, TV, USB outlets and a fully equipped kitchen including all your essential appliances such as microwave, gas stove and refrigerator! Making it a completely self contained home on wheels. Which is important if you’re freedom camping.
This type of van cost about $240 per night depending on the season. But if you think about how it’s also your rental car and home for your trip, it’s actually a great deal!
Freedom Camping
Freedom camping sounded like a dream come true when we first heard about it coming from the U.S. where mostly all campsites are regulated and can actually be quite expensive.
If you don’t know, freedom camping in New Zealand is completely free camping as long you follow certain rules and guidelines and you’re in a certified self-contained vehicle. “Free” camping might sound amazing, but it does come with it’s pros and cons. Pros like being free (obviously), and being located in breathtaking areas that you can have all to yourself but cons include no amenities like power, bathrooms, or fresh water. So make sure you double check your power and water supply before heading out! It really comes down to what you’re comfortable with.
Find out what qualifies as a “self contained” vehicle and other rules and information that apply HERE
How to find camping sites?
We used the app Campermate and NZ DOC to find some great spots during our trip. Campermate is a great app to find paid and free campgrounds and camping amenities like water fill and dump stations, bathrooms and more which are essential when traveling in a camper van!
The campgrounds in New Zealand can range from basic to luxurious with some of the more luxurious campgrounds coming with community kitchens, hot showers, game rooms, on-site restaurants and one even had saunas you could reserve!
These “Holiday parks” or campgrounds cost us ranging from $55-$90 per night where as DOC campgrounds are more affordable, scenic and remote because they’re often located in national parks and forests and have no amenities except toilets and water.
Some of our favorite campgrounds were White Horse Campground in Mt. Cook National Park, The Camp Wanaka, Freedom Camping Lake Pukaki, Lake’s Edge Holiday Park at Lake Tekapo, Moke Lake, and Creeksyde Holiday Park in Queenstown.
Driving on Other Side Of Road
Something to note about driving in New Zealand in general is that they drive on the other side of the road. I’ve driven in a few other countries before, but this was a first for me. I consider myself a good driver, but driving on the other side of the road took some getting used too. A few things I suggest is starting slow to get your bearings and to help read the unfamiliar road signs, practice driving closer to the driver side of the road, and be mindful of the wind!
Things To Do:
Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo is one of those places that transports you to another place mentally. We found ourselves mesmerized by the glowing gatorade blue filled lake surrounded by vibrant lupins that were as tall as Ashley!
Lake Tekapo is a 3 hour drive from Queenstown and is considered the most famous alpine lake in New Zealand and is a great stop for spotting lupins. It’s also home to one of the most photographed spots in New Zealand, Church of the Good Shepard.
We highly recommend planning your stop for mid-day for even more vibrant water colors. We also suggest exploring some of the walking trails around the lake to find some hidden lupin patches away from the crowds.
There’s a campground located directly on the lake where we decided to camp for a night during our trip. Lake’s Edge Holiday Park has many lake view sites equipped with full hook ups with amenities like hot showers, a kitchen, and more!
Lake Tekapo is also located on a Dark Sky Reserve, making it one of the best places to stargaze in the world. I witnessed the brightest stars I’ve ever seen and although it was my first time, I was able to capture some amazing photos of the milky way, just a short walk from our campsite!
Hiking Mt.Cook National Park
Mount Cook is one of those places in New Zealand that looked unreal in photos and we can now confirm it also looks unreal in real life.
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, known for its grand alpine landscapes and turquoise lakes, is located just 90 minutes from Lake Tekapo and 45 minutes from Lake Pukaki, making it a perfect stop to add to your itinerary if you’re craving stunning outdoor scenery.
Make sure you fuel up before heading into the park as the most reliable fuel station is about 45 minutes away in Twizel.
If you’re interested in camping inside the park like we did, you should check out White Horse Campground, the only DOC campground inside the park!
We highly recommend camping at least one night inside the park. It was unreal waking up, walking out of our camper van and being surrounded by the majestic mountains. Not to mention cute bunnies hopping everywhere.
One night cost $20 NZD ($12 USD) and came with no hook ups or amenities, only drinking water and toilets. White Horse Campground is very popular all year so make sure you book many weeks in advance, especially for Summer.
What made us love this campground even more was that it was super convenient to some popular hikes that we wanted to do while inside the park. Tazman Glacier Track Hike was only a 5 minute car ride away and the trailhead for Hooker Valley Lake Hike was located directly inside the campground!
Lake Pukaki
Lake Pukaki, another iconic New Zealand lake you can’t miss during your trip, is a 20 minute drive from Lake Tekapo and might be our favorite lake out of the two. It was the most fairytale-like place I had ever seen. This glacial-fed lake is famous for its beautiful water and incredible views of lupins, and Mt.Cook.
Although Lake Pukaki is an amazing stop for lupin photos, unfortunately, many of the popular photo spots we visited didn’t look as “full” or “luscious” as the photos we’ve seen online.
We learned that lupins vary in density, location and size year to year so make sure you’re getting up-to-date information about lupin locations. We ended up having good luck finding some great spots all to ourselves by keeping an eye out while circling the lake!
Make sure you stop by Peter’s Lookout while you’re there for one of the most aesthetic photos of Mt.Cook framed perfectly behind Lake Pukaki.
Wanaka & Lake Hawea Scenic Drive
Another stop on our roadtrip was the town of Wanaka. December in Wanaka seriously felt like Summer paradise. The town sits at the end of Lake Wanaka making it perfect for lake activities and hikes like nearby, popular Roy’s Peak.
There’s lots of other things to do like exploring the picturesque town, stop for food or visit the famous Wanaka Tree!
We ended up camping at The Camp Holiday Park right outside of town for the night and it was a great experience.
We cooked dinner in the community kitchen before eating right outside our camper van and taking in breathtaking views of the lake and mountains before bed. If we visited during winter we would’ve definitely used their sauna. The next day our goal was to drive the Lake Hawea Scenic Drive to Mt.Aspiring National Park.
The Lake Hawea Scenic Drive from Wanaka to Mt.Aspiring National Park is a 50 minute, mind-blowing drive that is considered one of the most photogenic road trips in New Zealand.
The drive passes two of the biggest lakes I’ve ever seen, Lake Hawea and Wanaka that were almost completely surrounded by rugged mountains! These lakes are different from the water we’ve been seeing as they are known for their really deep-blue color and are some of New Zealand’s deepest lakes.
This scenic highway has lots of scenic pull-offs for photos and country back roads to explore. Trust us, make sure this drive is on your itinerary, you won’t regret it!
Mt.Aspiring National Park
We love visiting National Parks when we travel so it was great to check off two parks in one trip!
Mt.Aspiring National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for it’s flowing waterfalls, braided rivers, vast alpine meadows and fast changing weather.
It’s about an hour drive to the park from Wanaka and 2 hours from Queenstown. There are no fuel stations inside the park so make sure you fill up before your trip and bring your bug spray! This park is also known for having lots of sandflies, a biting insect similar to a mosquito. The bites are harmless but boy do they itch!
You can’t visit a National Park without a hike so we highly recommend the Blue Pools Track! A very easy, flat, 30 minute walk that takes you over some really cool suspension bridges that cross over the rushing unreal Blue River.
Although it was Summer when we visited, the water was still really cold. I mustered up the courage to jump in any way to cross New Zealand cold plunge off my bucket list. The parking lot is small so make sure to get there early to get a spot and stay up-to-date with the weather inside the park as it can change quickly.
Horseback Riding in Glenorchy
Another highlight of our New Zealand South Island adventure was horseback riding in Glenorchy, which is another 45 minute scenic drive from Queenstown. This scenic drive was made famous for being the backdrop in The Lord of The Rings movies and the views are literally jaw-dropping the entire drive!
We booked the Easy Rider Experience with Lighthorse Adventures and it was a perfect addition to our itinerary. Horseback riding is quickly becoming one of favorite activities to do together as it’s great way to immerse ourselves into new places and see things we wouldn’t normally be able to see.
After a brief lesson on riding basics and getting to know our horses, we rode through a magical valley filled with lupins as we crossed the rushing glacier melt river surrounded by towering, snowy peaks. They also offer longer rides for more experienced riders and even suggested that we are ready for more intermediate rides! We couldn’t recommend it enough. This experience was about 2 hours long and cost us 209 NZD, which comes out to $130 USD per person.
Milford Sound Air and Cruise
Trust me when I say the one of the coolest things we did in New Zealand was the Milford Sound Cruise and Flight with Glenorchy Air.
This experience offers you a 40 minute roundtrip scenic flight from Queenstown to Milford Sound as you fly above jagged snowy peaks and alpine lakes that looked like A.I. before dropping you off for a nature cruise through and around Milford Sound.
We really liked this option as we really wanted to see Milford Sound during our trip, but we were limited on time. By booking the scenic flight + cruise option we were able to skip a 8 hour total drive! Otherwise, seeing the Milford Sound wouldn’t have fit into our schedule.
Milford Sound is New Zealand’s most famous tourist attraction and is hard to describe as it didn’t feel real! The nature cruise lasts about 1h and 45m as it takes you around the fjord’s skyscraper tall cliffs and endless waterfalls.
However, if you book just the cruise, try to plan your trip on a rainy day or after a heavy rain for more stunning waterfalls! It was a clear day when we went which is perfect for the flight. Milford Sound was still stunning, but it’s supposed to be other worldly on rainy days.
The entire experience is on the expensive side costing $453 USD per person.
But trust me, it was totally worth it and I was extremely grateful to have experienced this with Ashley.
Tips:
Make sure you wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet, preferably a rain jacket will be ideal!
Bring motion sickness medicine for the flight!
HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS NEW ZEALAND ROADTRIP BLOG!
We hope this itinerary helps make your trip as unforgettable as ours! Have you been to New Zealand before? Let us know if we missed something so we can add it to our itinerary!