Two weeks won’t be enough to see everything, of course, but you can definitely get a flavour for the island in this time.
Day 1: Christchurch
Christchurch, in the Canterbury region, was founded in the 1800s by English settlers. Its name is derived from Christ Church college in Oxford, and British influences can still be seen in the city’s architecture. Despite being the largest city on the South Island, there isn’t much in terms of tourist attractions in Christchurch. Luckily, this means you can easily see the best bits in one day:
- Christchurch Botanic Gardens
- Taylors Mistake coastal walk
- Christchurch Gondola
- Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre
Day 2: Akaroa
For your second day, it’s time to get used to New Zealand’s rural, winding roads as you drive 90 minutes south to Akaroa. This coastal town has French and British inspirations, so expect multicoloured buildings and authentic cuisine.
The main reason to venture out here is the dolphins. Akaroa is the only place in the world where you can see Hector’s dolphins—the world’s smallest and rarest dolphin. Dolphin watching tours are also a great way to see other New Zealand wildlife, like seals and blue penguins.
We recommend returning to Christchurch overnight, as accommodation in Akaroa can be expensive. It’ll also make your journey shorter the next day!
Day 3: Lake Tekapo
It’s about 3 hours from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo. This picturesque lake is nestled in the Southern Alps. It’s also a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, which means you have a good chance of stargazing on a clear night, or even seeing the southern lights.
In addition to walking around the lake itself, highlights of Lake Tekapo include:
Day 4: Aoraki Mount Cook National Park
Today, you’ll want to get up early—to maximise your hiking time—and make the hour-long drive around Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook. The Hooker Valley track is the most popular hike in the park and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. It is a relatively easy walk to Hooker Lake, where you can see floating icebergs with snow-capped Mount Cook in the background. Another popular walk is Tasman Glacier and the Blue Lakes, which takes about an hour to complete.
Days 5 and 6: Wanaka
It’s about 2.5 hours from Lake Tekapo or Mount Cook to Wanaka, the famous lake located near Queenstown. One of your days in Wanaka will be dedicated to the iconic Roy’s Peak hike. It takes about 5-7 hours to complete but you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of Wanaka at the summit.
Here are some ideas for how you can spend the rest of your time in Wanaka:
- Diamond Lake & Rocky Mountain hikes (a good alternative for views of Wanaka if you don’t want to do Roy’s Peak)
- Wanaka Willow (don’t forget to hashtag any pictures you take with #thatwanakatree)
- Wanaka Lavender Farm
- Puzzling World
- Lake Wanaka scenic cruise
Days 7 and 8: Queenstown
The next two days are for enjoying everything Queenstown has to offer. Queenstown can be divisive: it’s such a touristy town that people either love or hate it. Located on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, there are lots of opportunities for watersports. Adrenaline junkies will probably fall under the category of loving Queenstown!
Here are some of the other activities that Queenstown is famous for, which you can mix and match to fill your time:
- Shotover Canyon jet boat
- NZONE Skydive (New Zealand’s first tandem skydive)
- AJ Hackett Bungy Jump
- Queenstown Gondola and Luge
- Queenstown Gardens trail
- Parasailing
- White water rafting at either Shotover River or Kawarau River
Day 9: Milford Sound
If you only have 14 days to spend on the South Island, your best option for seeing Milford Sound is booking a day trip that leaves from Queenstown. Milford Sound is a fjord located within Fiordland National Park, on the southwest coast.
It’s a long day trip, as Milford Sound is about 4 hours away from Queenstown. The benefit of taking a guided tour is that you don’t need to concentrate on the driving! Instead, you can enjoy the scenic route and scheduled photo opportunities.
Come prepared for cold and rain, as Milford Sound is one of the wettest places in New Zealand. You’re also bound to get wet on the boat trips that sail guests up close to—and sometimes even under—the gushing waterfalls of the fjord.
Day 10: Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier
For day 10, it’s time to start the long drive up north. Break up the journey by stopping half-way at Fox and Franz Josef glaciers on the west coast. It takes about 5 hours to drive from Queenstown to glacier country.
You can view the glaciers from designated roadside viewing areas, or you can embark on short walks to get closer (Fox Glacier Valley Walk and Franz Josef Walk are the most popular trails).
If you’re feeling extravagant, you can book a helicopter tour that will take you onto the surface of each glacier.
Days 11 and 12: Marlborough Sounds
From Franz Josef, you’ve got another 6 or so hours until you reach your next destination of the Marlborough Sounds. The Marlborough Sounds are sunken valleys that span 1,500 km of the South Island’s northern coastline. The main town where people base themselves for exploring is Picton.
Some good stopping points along the way for day 11 include Greymouth (a historic mining town) and the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks.
If you are ending your road trip in Picton to take the ferry across to the North Island, you will have extra time in the Marlborough Sounds. If you’re returning back to Christchurch, you’ll have just over a full day here to choose some of the following activities:
- Edwin Fox museum (one of the world’s oldest surviving merchant sailing ships)
- Queen Charlotte track (the whole track takes 3-5 days to complete, so pick a part of it to hike!)
- Bob’s Bay track (for views of the Queen Charlotte Sound)
- E-Ko whale watching tour (if you’re not continuing on to day 13 in Kaikoura)
- Marlborough food and wine tour
- Havelock sea kayaking
Day 13: Kaikoura
As you start heading back to Christchurch, be sure to stop in the coastal town of Kaikoura. Kaikoura is located 2 hours south of the Marlborough Sounds and 2.5 hours north of Christchurch.
Kaikoura is world-famous for whale watching. As well as sperm whales, you’ll have a good chance of seeing dolphins, albatross and seals during your whale watching tour. Point Kean, on the peninsula walkway, is another popular viewing area in Kaikoura for seals.
Outside of whale watching, there is plenty to do in Kaikoura:
- Kaikoura Llama Trekking
- Swim with dolphins
- EcoZip (ziplining)
- Kayaking (with the seals!)
- Albatross Encounter
Day 14: Return to Christchurch
From Kaikoura, it’s an easy drive back to where you started in Christchurch. We hope you enjoyed your unforgettable tour of the South Island!
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