Hello travellers and my dear friends!
It has been a long time since we last wrote anything on this blog. There were several reasons for that. It is not that we got lazy. The thing is in December we moved to Kaiteriteri and we had no connection to Internet at all! We had been working there for almost 2 months, then we could finally afford holidays. We decided to do a road trip in South Island. It took us almost 3 weeks to get from Kaiteriteri to Christchurch and based on our experiences we decided to prepare a 3-week itinerary for you. The road trip we did could be done in 2 weeks as well, but we did not rush. We enjoyed every single day and even tough we planned on being on the road trip for 2 weeks, somehow it happened that we travelled longer and we still feel it is not enough!
First of all, let’s face it. 2 weeks to see the South Island is a joke. Of course you can do it, but it would mean constant driving and no time for a proper beer by the amazing lakeview. But we understand – there are some of you who just do not have this precious time and this is an itinerary for you. Just adjust the pace of travelling and enjoy all the beauty around. I hope the photos and pieces of advice will be of some use to you.
Because, South Island has it all: sensational mountains (it is still on our list), sandy beaches, west coast, crystal clear lakes, fiords, hills and forests! So here you have: a road trip itinerary of 3 weeks in the South Island!
DAY 1 CHRISTCHURCH, CANTERBURY
Assuming that you will fly to Christchurch (the biggest city in the South Island, you can also read “23 things you probably did not know about the city here” :https://memoriescollectorsblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/18/23-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-christchurch-new-zealand/) you can either rent a campervan or buy your own car. It all depends on how long you plan to stay in New Zealand. Since we live here, we bought a cheap Subaru Legacy car and Tomasz built the bed and the shelfs himself.
Thanks to that we were able to sleep on campgrounds and it meant saving a lot of money. The prices of accommodation do vary a lot. For instance a non-powered site for a car costs around $17 NZD – $20 NZD/per person, powered-site is about $5 NZD/person more, whereas a cost of a private cabin starts from $30 NZD/person. The cheapest accommodation therefore is in your car or in your tent. Bare in mind that the weather in New Zealand is quite tricky and if it rains all day long, sleeping in the tent is not pleasant at all. So the car is your best option.
Once you have it, head to Nelson Lakes. Drive TIME: 4h30min and remember to stop along to take photos 🙂
Nelson Lakes National Park surrounds two beautiful lakes: Rotoiti and Rotoroa (Rotorua is in the North Island). Both lakes offer amazing walks, outstanding views and peace. If you need a company of nature and nothing else, then you should definitely go there. There is one minus, however, sandflies! It was our first encounter with these monsters. I thought mosquitos are the worst, hell no, sandflies are waaaaaaaay worse. Their bite hurt for many days and you cannot help scratching. Your ankles will be covered in a really messy crusts. Apart from that the lakes scenery is very rewarding. And if you fall in love with it, you can always stay a night or two just by the lake.
OPTION OF ACCOMMODATION: Kerr Bay DOC Campsite unpowered/powered site per person $10-15, located near Lake Rotoiti.
If you decide to drive a bit longer then head to Motueka or Riwaka. It is just 1h30 min drive. Both towns are idyllic and nice. There are a variety of restaurants, pubs and even Mc Donald’s for those into fastfoods.
DAY 2 KAITERITERI, TASMAN
Let the Sun wake you up and go to the picturesque village of Kaiteriteri. It is not only famous for its beautiful white sand beaches, lagoons and islands, but it is also home to small pinguins. There are fantastic bush tracks, bike trails and what is the most important – it is the gate to Abel Tasman National Park. One of our most favourite spots so far. Kaiteriteri has been a home to us for 2 months. We spent here the peak of the season and we are not surprised why Kiwis consider it as the best place to spend your holidays here. If I were you, I would just relax on the beach all day long. There are 2 main beaches – Kaiteriteri and Little Kaiteriteri. Both are really beautiful, but quite busy, especially in summer. But there is also one hidden. Just go to the main one and then climb up the hill (5-min walk), there should be stairs through the bush and there you will find a peaceful, paradise beach 🙂 To admire the spectacular view of the bay climb up the hill between the two main beaches. Take a book, a bottle of wine and a camera and observe the resort from above. If you are an active person then you should definitely go for a walk into the bush. There are at least 3 trails. Absolutely wild and peaceful. Not many tourists do know about them. If you go through Kaiteriteri Reserve Campsite, you will end up on the hill among the bush – the view is spectacular!
OPTION OF ACCOMMODATION: There are 3 campsites in Kaiteriteri itself. We will definitely devote a post to campsites across the South Island.
- Kaiteriteri Reserve
- Bethany Park
- Small Bethany Park
Make sure you book a site in advance, especially in high season.
DAY 3 ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK
After a relaxing day in Kaiteriteri it is the time to explore Abel Tasman National Park. Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of the most beautiful in the whole New Zealand. Imagine 60 km of crystal clear seas, golden sand, dense bush and hidden surprises on your way, such as Cleopatra’s Pool. There are a lot of options of how to experience all of that. You can either book a shuttle boat, rent a kayak or a paddle board or just go to Marahau and start walking from the park entrance. We highly recommend booking a boat. There are different cruises to opt from. We took the one from Medlands Beach to Anchorage. The boat cruise lasts 1 hour and the guide stops along the small islands to show the seals colony. You may be lucky enough to encounter pinguins! The walking starts in Medlands Banks and you continue exploring the park for about 4 hours until you get to Anchorage. It is where the boat picks you up and take you back to Kaiteriteri. The shuttle boat costs about $69/person, but it is totally worth it! Abel Tasman NP is absolutely beautiful. The nature will leave you speechless. There is also a swing bridge (I hope you don’t have a fear of height though). Remember to take plenty of water and a camera! One minus – loads of tourists on the trails.
DAY 4 ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK, MARAHAU
Marahau lies just up the coast from Kaiteriteri. It is the main gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. I am particularly in love with this village. It is adorable! Apart from being beautifully situated, it offers a lot of cute restaurants and cafes. My favourites are:
Fat Tui – delicious burgers ($13-19) with exceptional view over the hills and the Tasman Sea.
Park Cafe – this breezy cafe is the best place to refill energy after walking. Totally charming offers not only breakfasts, lunches, wood-fired pizza, but there are live music parties every Thursday. Not to be missed 🙂 You can also sleep in your car after a party and then go exploring the park. It is up to you 🙂
Just before Marahau turn left and enjoy swimming in Split Apple Rock Beach 🙂
DAY 5-6 TAKAKA, GOLDEN BAY
Motueka – Takaka DRIVE TIME: 1h10min
If you are ready and you are not suffering from last night hangover head to Golden Bay. From Motueka there is only one road leading to Takaka over Takaka Hill (791 m). The drive itself is quite disturbing. Your car can get “tired” very easily. It was the least pleasant drive so far. It is stomach-churning journey. The region itself has a unique charm. It is rural, artistic and bohemian. It is located between 2 national parks: Abel Tasman and Kahurangi. Takaka boasts itself about the highest concentration of yoga pants. Its main road is full of shops selling hippie clothes and you will find a variety of cute restaurants there. The town is adorable and unique.
Favourite restaurant: Dangerous Kitchen, which serves healthy, good value food as well as local wines and craft beer.
If you are not in a rush, then it is a good step to spend a night in the town. We stayed in Takaka Campgroud and it was our favourite campsite so far.
If you decide to stay a night in Takaka, then you absolutely MUST go to Tata Beach and visit Wainui Falls located in Abel Tasman National Park.
This side of the park is way more beautiful and less crowded. Have I mentioned it is my favourite place in New Zealand? And do not forget to visit Te Waikoropupū Springs (Pupu Springs for short), allegedly the clearest water in the whole world. Yes, I guess I believe in this. Moreover, it is the largest freshwater springs in the southern hemisphere. It is located just 10-min drive from Takaka.
We have great memories from Takaka. Tomasz came with an idea (which sounded ridiculous) of feeding eels. I could not believe my ears. “Why on Earth would you like to go and feed the fish? I understand catching fish, but feeding? An absurd”. Honestly? It was the funniest attraction during our roadtrip. Anatoki Tame Eels & Cafe is located just 10-min drive from Takaka. It is not only a cafe, it is a whole complex. They have little zoo and a garden. And once you feed eels, you can pamper yourself with a great food in the local cafe. They offer amazing bagels with goat cheese and honey, a variety of meals with salmon and eel. Bare in mind that all products come from the locals. I felt like in my childhood again.
DAY 7 WHARARIKI BEACH, GOLDEN BAY
Takaka – Collingwood DRIVE TIME: 20 min
After the day full of attractions (you must have been swimming in Wainui Falls pool, haven’t you?), this day will be even more enjoyable! Let’s go to Wharariki and let’s stop in Collingwood on our way. Collingwood is the last town in Golden Bay. I would call it a village though. There are not any supermarkets, except for a small On The Spot. It is a good idea to do a shopping before going to Wharariki. We bought a bottle of wine and a few beers, but we totally forgot about the food and then we suffered badly 😀
Collingwood – Wharariki Beach DRIVE TIME: 35 min
After more than half an hour of driving you will find yourself in the sci-fi beach called Wharariki. It is considered to be NZ’s most interesting and windswept beach. It gives you the impression of the isolated land with its dune formations, rocks just offshore and seal colony. But forget swimming there. It is too dangerous, regardless how beautiful it looks. We had this luck to see seals relaxing on the beach. One of them actually vomitted in front of us and then continued on sleeping. Hilarious! The walk to the beach is breathtaking. Green fields full of sheep. After an amazing walk you can grab a coffee in the nearby cafe. Great place, even better memories!
OPTION OF ACCOMMODATION: Wharariki Beach Holiday Park, $18/person unpowered site. One of the most pleasant campgrounds we have been so far.
DAY 8 WESTPORT
DRIVE TIME: 5hr
Now it is time to visit NZ’s less populated region. Surrounded by wild Tasman Sea on one side and the Western Alps on the other the West Coast is absolutely worth visiting and it is totally different than the rest of the country. The region will amaze those into nature. The journey from Golden Bay to the West Coast takes some time, so it is better to relax afterwards. We chose Westport to spend there a night. Instead we stayed there for 3 nights. Whereas, the town itself is pretty boring, it is therefore a great place to recharge the batteries for next stops. If you are not tired you can always continue your road trip and find accommodation in Punakaiki or Greymouth. The choice is yours.
OPTION OF ACCOMMODATION: Westport Kiwi Holiday Park, $18/person nonpowered site
DAY 9 WEST COAST, PUNAKAIKI, FOX GLACIER
DRIVE TIME: WESTPORT – PUNAKAIKI 52 min
DRIVE TIME: PUNAKAIKI – FOX GLACIER 3h20min
Have a proper breakfast and head to Punakaiki known as Pancake Rocks. Located midway between Westport and Greymouth beside Paparoa National Park. If you have time it is really worth exploring the park, which is famous for its high cliffs, empty, white-sand beaches and river valleys. To get to Punakaiki itself it is just a 15-min loop walk. And the limestone rocks really look like Pancakes. There is also a restaurant offering a variety of pancakes. Yummy!
My heart was in pain when we were leaving the most beautiful road in my whole life, but we decided to get to Fox Glacier before the ex-cyclone Fehi. Why we chose to go to Fox Glacier instead of Franz Josef? Well, it was just a spontaneous decision. We could not find accommodation in Franz Josef so we opted for Fox Glacier. And we do not regret. Fox Glacier is relatively smaller, quieter and as beautiful. The proximity of Lake Matheson and Gillespies Beach is an undoubtful advantage. There are a number of options of how to explore the glacier itself. If you afford, you can rent a heli and within 15-min you will find yourself on ice. And this is the only chance of getting on real ice of the glacier. You can also park you car nearby and walk 30 min to it. We chose the longest way, but it was way more beautiful than the glacier itself. Te Weheka Walkway is a rainforest trail and it should take you an hour to get to the carpark and then 30-min of walking. Amazing experience and we did not a single person on our way!
DAY 10 FRANZ JOSEPH GLACIER / FOX GLACIER
We would strongly advise you to stay in Fox Glacier or Franz Josef at least 2 days to fully enjoy the region and recharge batteries for even more adventures 🙂
DAY 11-14 WANAKA / LAKE HAWEA
DRIVE TIME: 3h15 min
Why should you definitely go to Wanaka? First of all, it is way cheaper than its sibling Queenstown. Secondly, Wanaka has a laid-back, small-town vibe. It is located by the beautiful lake, surrounded by the mountains. It is also a gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park. The town is full of restaurants, pubs, shops. It has a great playground and campsites are way cheaper than in Queenstown. There are also a lot of attractions nearby. It is worth going to the Lavender Farm (just 5-min drive from Wanaka), visit Rippon vineyar or even take part in wine tasting. Absolutely delicious experience 🙂 You can also swim in the lake and the water is clear and to my surprise very warm. Let alone the whole road trip from Fox Glacier – it is breathtaking. You should allow at least 3 days to explore the town and the nearby mountains. If you have energy you can obviously climb Mt Iron or Roy’s Peak. We did not make it, because the weather did not allow it 😦
DAY 15-16 ARROWTOWN
DRIVE TIME: 1h20min or shorter, but steep road 50min
I must admit – Arrowtown was never on my bucket list. I did not even know this town existed. We spent a week in Wanaka and we were still not sure whether to go to Queenstown or not. We were afraid if our car would make all the way uphill. Another concern was the prices and the difficulty of parking in the town. People are crazy about Queenstown! When I was looking for a campground the prices were shocking. Then I saw (on Campermate App) a campground 20-min drive from Queenstown. And it happened to be Arrowtown. At first we considered the place only as accommodation, but when we arrived we were impressed by the charm and beauty of it. A really positive town. Surrounded by the mountains, located by the lake. What do you need more? Oh, and a huge plus…. it is not crowdy at all! Arrowtown is a town of gold, which was disovered there in the 1860s. The gold rush buildings are still visible on the main street. I have just read an interesting fact about – record producer Mutt Lange (who worked with AC/DC, Shania Twain etc.) is an owner of a huge part of land between Wanaka and Arrowtown. The region is charming, no wonder why people try to buy the land here. And it is vital to know that the house in Wanaka would cost $1 million, wheras the same house in Christchurch would cost around $300.000. The prices are unbelievably crazy.
DAY 17-18 QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown – What is all fuss about? Honestly, I don’t understand the popularity of this town. Yes, it is pretty. Yes, it is by the lake. Yes, there are a lot of restaurants. But….I could say exactly same things about Wanaka, Cromwell or Arrowtown. Queenstown is considered to be Global Adventure Capital. As for me it is just a cute, little town, but way too expensive, way too overrated and way too touristic. It is so crowdy, that you can barely find a park care over there. Let alone the prices of simple campsites, as I mentioned before. I think it is worth visiting though, only to make your own opinion about it. For those who can afford all the activities they offer, it may seem as a paradise. The Lake Wakatipu offers a really outstanding view. What is more, scientists rated its water to be the second-purest water in the world! So obviously, go to Queenstown and share your experiences. For us, it was just a short visit, but who knows… maybe we will come back there? 🙂
DAY 19-20 DUNEDIN
DRIVE TIME: 3h35min
Dunedin surprised us in many aspects. First of all its pronunciation! Most backpackers tend to call it “Dune-din”, which turned out to be wrong. Otago capital city may look like it has two syllables, but it has three, and the emphasis comes in the middle. So it’s “Dun” as in “done the dishes”, a long eeee sound, then din as in a horrible noise. So the right: “Dun-ee-din”. I knew this city from my primary school. I remember reading encyclopedia where the world’s extremes were enumerated. Dunedin was on the list as the city with the world’s steepest street. I wondered how it was like to live there, how people commute to work, how they walk to their homes. You know… I was a little girl very curious about the world. So when we planned to visit this student city, there was no other option than go to Baldwin Street! But Dunedin is more than the street. It is absolutely vibrant, lively, beautiful! What a surprise! We had not seen so many people on the streets in New Zealand as we saw in Octagon. Lots of restaurants, pubs, live music on the streets. We loved the city! We even wanted to find a job there and settle down for a bit. Dunedin’s name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh. And you can obviously see the Scottish heritage in the city.
We spent there 2 days, but unfortunately only 1 day was sunny, so we did not see everything that we wanted. There is a Cadbury Factory, Speight’s Brewery – totally worth going! It was Sunday and everything was closed 😦 I hope to come back to Dunedin!
DAY 21 OAMARU, TIMARU, CHRISTCHURCH
DRIVE TIME: DUNEDIN – OAMARU 1h30min, OAMARU-TIMARU 1h5min, TIMARU – CHCH 2h10min
OK. So this is the last day of our holidays. Let’s come back to Christchurch. The roadtrip will be long, but remember to stop along the way. Oamaru and Timaru are very nice towns with a vast variety of restaurants, beautiful buildings and good vibes 🙂
So this is it. 3-week road trip itinerary. I hope it will be of some use for you. And remember to share your experiences!
Memories Collectors 
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