South Island New Zealand

A Photographer's 2 week Camper Van Road-trip through New Zealand's South Island 🇳🇿📷

A New Zealand road trip should be on everyone’s bucket list! This beautiful Country has so many incredible nature sights to see, hikes to do and adventures to be had, all from the comfort of your own van (some may disagree with the van haha). With ‘freedom camping’ being available in this NZ, it is an amazing opportunity to enjoy nature up close! Check out my 2 week road trip of the South Island, hikes, food options, van options and much more!

Here’s a few important tips before reading through our itinerary….

  • Make sure you have travel insurance! Our van broke down during the trip and were a few thousand out of pocket, it’s a must to protect you!

  • Download the Camper Mate app to find campgrounds, dump stations, hostels, activites etc - It was amazing to help us find all our campsites along the way

  • Download the All Trails app to find hikes and trails, we use this worldwide to document our hiking and upload images/reviews of trails.

  • Keep your itinerary flexible as this allows for you to stay longer when you LOVE somewhere or when you have an issue on our trip like us (3+ day breakdown of our van meant a complete rearrange of days)

Enjoy reading through and please EMAIL US if you wish to purchase any images as prints for your home. These are unique images by Life Portraits on the trip and available as artwork.

Don’t want to read the full blog? Here’s my MUST KNOW quick list of sites to see…..

MUST SEE/DO IN NEW ZEALAND SOUTH ISLAND:

  • Christchurch: Beers by Bacon Bro’s for an incredible smoked meat & beer experience! Breakfast/Coffee Strange Bandit by Luceano

  • Lake Tekapo: See the beautiful turquoise lake and coloured lupins

  • Aoraki/Mt Cook: Hooker Valley Track, Muller Hut Track, Tasman Glacier & Camping under the mountains at White Horse Hill Campground

  • Queenstown: Gondola & Luge ride, hire an E-bike and ride the Queenstown to Jacks Point track, phone ahead and order Fergburger (yes call them, you don’t have to wait in the line)

  • Milford Sound: Rosco Kayaking experience, Southern Discoveries afternoon cruise, stay at the Milford Sound Lodge and do the hikes in the area!

  • Wanaka: Roys Peak Hike, Relax by the lake, Lake Hāwea

  • Makarora: Stop or stay at the gorgeous Makarora Country Cafe & Camp, the owners are unreal, a beautiful stop, great views and good food/coffees.

  • Hasst Pass: The whole drive is AMAZING! Prepare to be pulling over the whole way.

  • Arthurs Pass: Temple Basin Ski Field Hike, Devils Punchboal Waterfall Hike


Part 1 Map: Christchurch; Lake Tekapo; Lake Pukaki; Mt Cook; Queenstown; Te Anau; Milford Sound; Queenstown; Wanaka/Lake Hawea

Part 2 Map: Wanaka/Lake Hāwea, Makarora; Fox Glacier & Franz Josef; Greymouth; Arthurs Pass; Christchurch

Fri 15 Nov: night flight brisbane to christchurch afte midnight arrival, WALK TO LYLO @ Christchurch AIRPORT

To make the most of the work week, we chose to fly the Brisbane to Christchurch Air New Zealand 6pm flight, it was great for sleeping on the way over, 3hrs 30 min flight, getting in for approx. 1.30am by the time you’re through customs. For ease, we stayed at Lylo Christchurch (about 10 mins walk with your bags) as they had 24 hour checkin with small cost effective rooms or pods/dorms for cheaper options. This made it easy to get straight to bed, have a sleep in, shower and get ready to start the trip on the Saturday. We even organised our campervan to be delivered to us at Lylo which was easy!

ACCOMMODATION/VAN:

DAY 1, Sat 16 Nov: MORNING PICKUP CAMPERVAN, ON THE ROAD TO Lake Tekapo & Lake Pukaki, Overnight at freedom camp site Lake pukaki

Christchurch to Lake Tekapo: 230km, aprox 3 hours

Lake Tekapo to Lake Pukaki: 65km, aprox 45 mins

With a nice sleep in to reset from our late flight, we hired our campervan through Camplify, Australia's largest van hire and peer-to-peer sharing community. We looked at many options through larger rental companies but they are veryyy expensive for NZ and since we were going for 2 weeks it was costly. So instead, we opted for Camplify, where we were able to input our dates and location pickup and hire a van straight from someone in New Zealand. This was way more personalised, the communication was amazing and the price was much more affordable.

We hired this Ford Transit from Chris and it had everything we needed! We did have a little unfortunate happening later on the trip with the gearbox going (which I’ll go into later), however that was just bad luck for us, the van was in great condition and Camplify did what they could to look after us to get us back on the road with a new option. We had the van dropped to us on Saturday morning at Lylo so we could go and pickup supplies for the fridge and get on the road.

FOOD BUYING TIP: We suggest going to New World and asking for a tourist temporary loyalty card, this will get you some GREAT savings on your groceries and they have fuel offers. After stocking up on all our food, drinks and cooking supplies we were on the road to our first stop, the famous Lake Tekapo.

The beautiful Lake Tekapo is around 3 hours from Christchurch (230 km) in the Mackenzie Basin. I will note there is many stops everywhere in New Zealand, so times are approximates based on your vehicle and how many times you stop for photos haha As we approached Lake Tekapo the views were sensational, rolling valleys, sheep, cows, lambs and a brewery stop of course! We stopped in at House of Hop with great wings and their own beers, we had to taste a tasting paddle.

We pulled into Lake Tekapo late afternoon, this was intentional for a beautiful afternoon glow across the light turquoise coloured lake to the mountainous drama of the Southern Alps! Lake Tekapo/Takapō gets its intense milky-turquoise colour from the fine rock-flour (ground by glaciers) which is suspended in the water. The lupins are what really make the lake pop, blooming in late spring and stay in flower until mid summer (between November and February). Their lupin’s bright colours of pink, purple and yellow are breathtaking and a must stop spot for photos. We walked the peninsula walkway exploring and across the bridge to the The Church of the Good Shepherd.

After spending a good 2 hours here in awe of the views, we drove on to Lake Pukaki to freedom camp for free at the Overnight Campervan Parking spot.

HIKES/WALKS:

  • Lake Tekapo Peninsula Walkway (easy and beautiful walk around the lake) -www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/canterbury/lake-tekapo-peninsula-walkway

CAMPING:

  • Lake Pukaki Overnight Campervan Parking

DAY 2-3, SUN 17 Nov - Mon 18 NOV: LAKE PUKAKI TO Aoraki / Mount Cook STAYING AT THE MOUNTAIN CAMPSITE 2 NIGHTS

Lake Pukaki to Aoraki/Mt Cook: 40km, 30 mins

Day 2, Sunday 17 Nov: Drove Lake Pukaki to Aoraki Mount Cook, 70 Mins, 105 km with stunning views driving around Lake Pukaki then driving into the spectacular views of Mt Cook National Park, the photos speak for themselves!

We arrived early enough to setup the van at the campground and start the Hooker Valley Track! NZ has long days with sunsets around 9pm, so allows for travel + hiking days too. This hike was one of the most memorable I’ve ever experienced. Corey and I started the track at 1pm with it being a quiet easy route to the Hooker Lake, the beautiful glacier lake from the mountains. A well maintained track that the whole family can do. However, being the explorers we are, we kept going up the mountain to the Ball Pass Track getting the most spectacular views of Mt Cook & Mt Sefton. We made it to the end of the track marked by a black stick as an avalanche had wiped out the mountain, unreal!

This hike needs long pants, long shirt, and sturdy shoes due to the climbing and navigating of the pat. I left rock towers along the route to help others haha some parts were hard to see the trail. On our way back we ventured off the path up a rock gully to a waterfall, this was one of the highlights of our trip! We both had a dip in this freezing waterfall, Corey going fully in haha

Hiking Notes: Hooker Valley Track & Ball Pass Track - 16.3km, 478 in elevation gain to 1114m, with a moving time of 4.5 hours, 6 hours with breaks/swim. This is by fav one of our FAVOURITE hikes of the trip! After the hike we came back to the campground, made our dinner and watched the sun set over the mountain, breathtaking.

Day 3, Monday 18 Nov: Started the morning with a big breaky at camp and then preppred for the Mueller Hut Route (ended up not making it to the Hut due to snow coverage and not having crampons, but the Sealy Tarns Summit is a great spot to get to). This hike was a grueling one with the famous, ‘stairway to heaven’ to Sealy Tarns point, with a lovely 2200 steps, yuck! I love hiking but this was brutal! INSANE elevation gain very quickly, be prepared for a lot of breaks to get your breath back. The second half of the ascent is essentially a rocky track until you reach snow at around 1500m. We made it up to the steep snow pass to get to the top, however due to not having poles and crampons we decided to not climb it as there was a lot of people struggling to get up.

That afternoon we took a drive around to New Zealand's longest glacier, the mighty Haupapa/Tasman Glacier, 23km long, on one of the best short walks. With some stairs up for a 1.5km return track, the view is worth it!

Hiking Notes: Mueller Hut Route - We enjoyed the views from this point making it to 862 elevation gain to 1692m, 7.3km total, 3 hours 15 mins moving time, 5 hours total with breaks. Incredible views, but very intense on the body, 2-3 day recovery on the knees, legs and calves. I was running in my new Scarpa boots, ended up with hikers toe, not fun lol

HIKES/WALKS:

CAMPING:

  • White Horse Hill Campground, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park 227 Hooker Valley Road, Canterbury

DAY 4-5, TUE 19 Nov - Wed 20 NOV: Mt cook through Lindi's pass to QUEENSTOWN 2 nights

Aoraki/Mt Cook to Queenstown via Lindi’s Pass: 265km, 3hrs 15 mins

Day 4 Tue 19 Nov:

Today was a recovery day after our two days of big hikes. We drove from Mt Cook through Lindi’s pass, unreal mountain views, stopping at Cromwell to stock up on supplies before hitting Queenstown, easier with the van and cheaper. We drove through all the winery areas and stopped at Arrowtown (there was 2 golf courses we wanted to visit to see them, beautiful!). If we had more time we would have done the e-bike riding winery tour!

We checked into our cute campground, Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde, it is renowned for their sustainability choices and is a very peaceful place to stay walking distance to Queenstown’s main centre. We spent the afternoon walking the town on foot to explore and got takeaway lamb and potatoes from the incredible Pedro’s House of Lamb!

Day 5 Wed 20 Nov:

It’s not a trip to Queenstown without visiting Fergbakery or Fergburger. We started the morning with Coffees and Pies from Fergbakery, then went to a local e-bike store to hire a bike for the day to do the loop of Queenstown.

We did the Queenstown to Jack’s Point Track, 53kms, 864m elevation gain in 4 hours with stops. We stopped at the brewery, Smiths Craft Beer House, on the final leg for a refreshing bear and pizza. This cycling route was breathtaking, riding along the beautiful Lake Wakatipu, through Jacks Point Golf Course and some gorgeous lakeside areas.

TIP - Ring and order your Fergburger on the phone. You may have to call a few times, but it means they take your order, wait 15-20 mins and go straight to the pickup window instead of waiting for an hour in the line!

HIKES/WALKS/CYCLE:

  • https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/otago/queenstown-to-jacks-point-track

CAMPING:

  • Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde, 54 Robins Road, Queenstown

DAY 7-8, THUR 21 NOV - SAT 23 NOV: STAYING AT TE ANAU & MILFORD SOUNDS DAY TRIP

To celebrate our wedding anniversary we had an adventures package with the Milford Sounds Lodge booke for 2 nights which included a powered campsite and 3 activities, morning Kayaking, afternoon cruise and a water taxi to start the Milford Track. Unfortunately, on the way from Queenstown to Milford our van broke down just before Te Anau and the gearbox went :( We booked through Camplify and due to having to complete the trip and fly out of Christchurch in over a week, they couldn’t find another van for us. So we had to stay in Te Anu for 2 nights to organise a new hire van and camplify helped with hire car for two days while this was all organised.

We had to forfeit our stay at Milford Sounds Lodge as there was no availability at all, even for their chalets (which is super luxury and an amazing option if you can budget it, NOTE book months in advance). An unfortunate situation, but we didn’t let it ruin our trip. With the car hire, we ended up still doing a day trip out to Milford Sounds for the morning Kayaking at 7am with Rosco’s Kyaking and then the Southern Discoveries. After our unforgettable kayaking experience at Milford we had Lunch at Pio Pio Restaurant at the lodge. Reset from our EARLY morning (driving out at 3am), we did the gorgeous cruise in the afternoon at 2.30pm so it was a big day! This is a must do if you’re going out to Milford Sounds, a beautiful experience. On our way back to Queenstown we called in at Marian Cascade area and enjoyed sitting on the rocks watching the water.

HIKE

  • Lake Marian Track 6km - https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/otago/lake-marian-track

CAMPING:

  • Powered campsite at Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park & Motels, 77 Manapouri Te Anau Highway, Te Anau

DAY 8, SAT 23 - SUN 24 NOV: QUEENSTOWN & OUTSKIRTS

To finish off our stay, the Queenstown Luge is a MUST DO experience for a bit of fun. https://queenstown.skyline.co.nz/things-to-do/queenstown-luge/ Skyline gondola and luge package (get the Gondola + 5 rides deal as it’s the best deal and the most fun!). They are currently doing a number of upgrades here, but the luge is still running.

CAMPING:

  • Freedom camped at Kawarau Bridge Historic Reserve by the river, 1693 Gibbston Hwy, Gibbston

DAY 9-10, Sun 24 - Wed 27 Nov: WANAKA & Lake Hāwea

We continued on from Queenstown to Wanaka for a few more days of hiking and exploring. We stopped in at Brewery B.effect brewing before relaxing on the waterfront of Wanaka for beautiful views of the lake. We did the Wanaka Tree Walk and beyond for some beautiful views, stocked up on some supplies and then parked up the van near the water for a nap. To finish off the afternoon, we did the Lake Wanaka Lookout Track before heading to camp.

We stayed at Wanaka’s The Camp, a little bit outside of the township and was just perfect in front of Lake Hāwea Holiday Park, 1208 Haast Pass-Makarora Road.

The next day we played a game of golf at Wanaka Golf Club, the most unreal views over the lake! That afternoon we relaxed by our camp down by the lake and I captured some beautiful images as the sun set.

HIKES/WALKS:

  • Wanaka Tree Walk (Easy, keep walking passed the tree for a beautiful lakeside walk) - www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/new-zealand/otago/the-wanaka-tree-walk

  • Glendu Bay Track (Moderate, 10km, you don’t need to walk the whole track and can walk out as far as you want, beautiful views of Lake Wanaka - www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/new-zealand/otago/glendhu-bay-track

  • Diamond Lake Wanaka Lookout Track, 4.7kms, 255 elevation gain, 1hr 45 mins - https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/otago/diamond-lake-lookout-track

CAMPING:

  • Powered site while explroing Wanaka area @ The Camp - Lake Hāwea Holiday Park, 1208 Haast Pass-Makarora Road, Lake Hāwea

day 11, tue 26 Nov: morning hike roys peak Wanaka, then drive hasst pass with overnight at Makarora

Today we celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary and what better way to celebrate than hiking 16km, the renowned Roys Peak Track! The hike was a grueling 1310m elevation gain with some pretty steep hills, but when you get to the top it’s worth it. Poles are very handy to save your knees on the way down. We did the hike in 5.5hours return with stops, a new record for us for our speed. We went for a dip in Lake Wanaka afterwards, a bit cold haha but great for recovery.

That afternoon we drove Hasst Pass, one of the most unreal driving experiences, particularly late afternoon! Stayed at a small campsite between Wanaka and West Coast at Makarora Country Cafe & Camp. Run by a very lovely couple, this cafe is rustic, very homely and has great food, drinks and atmosphere, plus it’s under the mountains! There are powered, non powered and tent sites there.

HIKES/WALKS:

  • Roys Peak Track (Hard, 16.3 km, elevation gain 1,310 m, route type out & back- www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/otago/roys-peak-track

CAMPING:

  • Non Powered campsite on the way out day to get us closer to the West Coast at Makarora Country Cafe & Camp, 5507 Makarora-Lake Hawea Road, Makarora 9382

Wed 27th - Sun 1 Dec: West Coast Exploring

Fore more ideas on the West Coast travels see the below https://www.newzealand.com/au/west-coast/

Day 12, wed 27 Nov: stay overnight at Fox Glacier

Our West Coast part of the trip was very rained out, however that didn’t stop us from putting on our rain jackets and exploring the coast. It was very unfortunate that the Glaciers on the West Coast are all receding to a point where they can’t be seen much anymore.

CAMPING: Powered campsite @ Fox Glacier Lodge, 41 Sullivan Road, Fox Glacier 7886, New Zealand

day 13, thur 28 Nov: Fox Glacier to Greymouth

CAMPING: Freedom Campsite at North Tip Road, Cobden, Greymouth 7802, New Zealand

Day 14, Fri 29 Nov: drive GREYMOUTH TO ARTHURS PASs

This drive was one to remember for many reasons! The bridge over the valley was a site to see, stopping at the Otira Gorge Rock Shelter Lookout (Corey being an engineer loved this). We saw a Kea bird when stopping here too!

We did the Temple Basin Ski Field Hike which was some spectacular views!

HIKES:

  • Temple Basin Ski Field Hike - 5.3km, 493mElevation gain, 2h 40m www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/canterbury/temple-basin-ski-field

  • Devils Punchboal Waterfall Hike - Easy hike 1.9km, 106m Elevation gain, 45 mins - www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/canterbury/devils-punchbowl-walking-track

  • Arthurs Pass Nature Walk

CAMPGROUND - Staying at DOC site at Arthurs Pass Avalanche Creek - $15pp/night

DAY 15, Sat 30 Nov: Arthurs Pass to Christchurch, drop van back, stay at Lylo flying out early 1 Dec morning

Things to see along the way
- Beautiful views along the Waimakariri River
- Castle Hill Rock formations
- Beers by Bacon Bro's in Christchurch

DAY 16, Sun 1 Dec: CHRISTCHURCH, FLY BACK TO BRISBANE

3am wake up to walk over to international airport from Lylo for our 6am flight. Sad to go home :(

This was a trip to remember! If you want to enquire about image prints, trip details or more information please contact info@lifeportraits.photography

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