We had quite a scare when we found out the night before that the one road leading in and out of Milford, was closed due to snow and avalanche. Your email address will not be published. So you need 2 full days for this leg.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. And no matter the time of year, if you don’t get to the lake early enough, you’ll be surrounded by 100 people all trying to get the prime time spot for photos of the tree.

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You don’t want to find yourself turning down the wrong sides of streets. You could easily spend months here and not feel like you had enough time. You've left the sea behind for the alpine lakes of Tekapo. Thorn Tree Country forums Australia, New Zealand & Antarctica New Zealand Sitemap. We’d recommend you do the same and stop here.

Email our travel desk: hello@planitnz.com, CONTACT | New Zealand: 0800 347 785, Physical Address: First Light Travel, Drive Time: 1:15.

This day is a lot of driving. Long day but manageable as we were driven the bulk of it. Fab breakdown Derek! And this is under ideal weather conditions, which you should never expect.

While activities such as a Milford Sound cruise and Skyline Queenstown cost money, all of the walks, hikes, views, scenic routes, glaciers, waterfalls and other stops we made every day didn’t cost anything.

Please try again. COSTS: New Zealand is indeed an expensive country but there are ways to keep your costs down. We are flying in from (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? The map below shows the 14 day New Zealand South Island itinerary starting and ending in Queenstown. (I’m already looking forward to heading back for another New Zealand road trip once I get my new passport. With incredible mountain ranges, crystal clear lakes, braided rivers and native flora and fauna, New Zealand's South Island really does need to be seen to be believed.

Christchurch is on what you could consider the north-eastern coast of the island. We heard that was a good route too. We have put together this 8 Day South Island Itinerary that departs from Christchurch.

You will kayak and camp in the Abel Tasman National Park, hike the Tongariro Crossing, cruise at Milford Sound and Tasman Glacier.

Experience the must-do activities and excursions on this very popular 14-day easygoing and fun self-drive itinerary. But what drew us to the South Island was Milford Sound and the incredible landscapes. Cook. The good news, is that after a day of driving, it gets much easier. The pinnacle of travel dreams for many, we're excited to bring you this New Zealand South Island itinerary; 10 days of Kiwi highlights for the busiest of travellers. Good to know about (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? There is NO picture or video that will do it justice. Before You Go! We also use cookies to show you the best of New Zealand on other platforms. Did you get to do any of the Lord of the Rings filming locations? New blog posts, honest updates from my 21 years of constant travel, personal recommendations and the best of travel from around the world.

Thank you again for your help, I feel so much more confident in our plans now. They’re quite tiny and photos simply look like specks of green light scattered in darkness and you can’t really tell what they are. And if this has helped you in any way, let us know! Fall in love with the South Island's magnificent mountains, giant glaciers, untouched wilderness and delectable cuisine. With romantic hideaways, jaw-dropping views, and welcoming locals, this unique honeymoon destination is guaranteed to win your heart. Any way to get around without driving ?

With its tall fjords, lush rainforests and an array of wildlife, Milford Sound is a must on any South Island itinerary.

United Kingdom: 0808-189-2382 I understand 8 days isn't very much time, we just wanted to fit as much in as possible. We opted to hike the Hooker Valley Track, which is a 6.8 mile roundtrip hike that ends at the edge of Hooker Lake where you can view icebergs left behind from Hooker Glacier.

Not contributed to the forums before but just got back from NZ and couldn't help notice your post. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-79138002', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Invercargill - so boring and time-consuming? We opted for the Kai Whaka Pai Bar and Cafe since they had a number of vegan/vegeterian options.

– Moeraki Boulders

rental or booking the perfect tour.

… ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-79108832', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Sydney so that's a 2hr time difference, I personally don't think jet lag will be a problem. Thanks for a great post. We’d highly recommend visiting Villa Maria.

With any luck, you'll have a clear day and views as far as Aoraki Mt Cook - New Zealand's highest peak. I have a full post about it coming up soon.

Every time someone loves New Zealand my soul smiles jajaja I’ve been living here for nearly 4 years and every time I’m off traveling I miss “my Islands” so much! It is massive, and one of the brightest blues we’ve ever seen.

So depending on when you land, you may want to spend a night in Christchurch before hitting the road. From Marlborough, you’ll head down the coast along Highway 1 again towards Christchurch.

Even if you are coming from east coast OZ you WILL be jet-lagged and will struggle to check-out at 10 am.

Check out Wotif for the best deals on Kaikoura accommodation. We were super surprised to see some of the most beautiful blue waters along this coast. But there are a few places where you can find them – not all over, but in a few places for sure!

We took the more central route starting along Highway 1 and then up passed Lake Tekapo and Pukaki.

IS. This Classic 14 Day Highlights of New Zealand Itinerary takes a comprehensive look at both the North and South Island of New Zealand. Cook National Park, Arthur’s Pass National Park, Bay of Many Coves/Queen Charlotte Sound. The next 7 days will be jam packed, so a good nights rest is important. This trip includes the rugged West Coast, some time in sunny Nelson Tasman, the opportunity for Whale Watching in Kaikoura and the stunning glacial lakes of the Mt Cook Region. And in the tourist areas (Queenstown and Tekapo there are some terrible drivers so be careful!

Ta-da! We looked around at other peoples trips and that seemed the best option. With a little research you can easily find heavily discounted tickets, even on the official websites for the cruise companies. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-79134693', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');lake Tekapo area and there are tours from that area....so better than dark sky at QT.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We had booked a cruise through South Discoveries to go through the sounds, along with a kayak ride which sounded like an epic once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thanks for your post. You’ll be staying in Arthur’s Pass National Park, and with all the driving, it’d be wise to do most of your packing the night before.

The price is based on current exchange rates but is only an approximation.

Sorry but this is waaaaay too much driving for 8 days.

Now I doubt where to go. Without doubt this is a whirlwind New Zealand South Island itinerary, but there is just so much to see and if you’ve only got 10 days, we hope you’d want to explore as much of this as possible! The island is SO big, and there is simply SO much to see. Milford Sound Experience Full Day from Queenstown, Half-Day Milford Sound Flight and Cruise from Queenstown, Cruise Milford NZ Small Boutique Cruise Experience, Thrifty Car Rental......$35 to drive one way on a toll road. The good news though, is from here on out, it’s mostly relaxation.

If you have any questions about this itinerary, be sure to contact us with any questions. Here it was MUCH colder, and probably the coldest temperatures we’d experienced on the island at around 18ºF, and windy. The views and scenery never get old or boring.

Check out what other travelers say about New Zealand on TripAdvisor. So you’ll want to make sure you plan accordingly.

Here you will find a number of private apartments perched high up on a hill overlooking this incredible bay. Map of South Island New Zealand – 8 Day Itinerary WHY THE SOUTH ISLAND?

I’m that curious for these have always been my ultimate reason to visit New Zealand. Contact us or fill out our FREE Travel Planning Service form below.

This day is Te Anau to Wanaka, 7th becomes Wanaka to FJG (still no time for the PM hike!

Organize a rental car or campervan, and pick it up from Queenstown first thing in the morning.

Check out Wotif for the best deals on Queenstown accommodation. Just under 2 hours drive from Lake Wanaka, combined with the epic views of the mountains in the background and it is a must-stop. As the New Zealand travel experts we can give you the best advice and save you money.

It's a stunning trip where you have the wild Tasman Sea on one side, and the snow-capped Southern Alps on the other.

That was our epic New Zealand South Island itinerary.

There are regular flights from Australia (several per day) directly to Queenstown and there were plenty of other non-Australian and non-New Zealanders on our flight but for some reason, we were the ones that were singled out. . ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-79136570', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');CHC heading to Dunedin then Invercargill to Te Anau, staying Te Anau to Milford then up to Queenstown and back to CHC, missing the glaciers all together (breaks my heart but I just can't figure out a way to avoid the partner having to drive for 6+ hrs with the glacier and everything we want to see included). The ferry ride from Picton to Bay of Many Coves is about 45 minutes depending on how many other stops the ferry is making before arriving at Bay of Many Coves. If the country, at least the south island as that was all we had time for, is not the most beautiful location on this planet, it is definitely as close to the top of that list as it gets.

Mount Cook had the best Southern Alp views with snow caps but Arthur’s Pass had even more impressive sweeping mountain views.