Itineraries

Queenstown - Te Anau - Queenstown

Start Queenstown / Finish Queenstown
Recommended Length: 3 Days
Distance: 743 km (464 miles)

Discover the full flavour of the deep south with this short, but scenic. Leave the action-packed world of Queenstown and enjoy a peaceful drive to Te Anau. Rivers and mountains provide endless photo opportunities. Caves, lake trips and walking tracks will occupy your time in Te Anau, then you’ll drive east to the city of Dunedin for a dose of heritage architecture and wildlife. The trip back to Queenstown takes you across Central Otago to Alexandra, hub of the region’s fruit growing industry. Historic gold towns, a spectacular gorge and vineyards are other things to see.

Queenstown - Te Anau
172 km (108 miles)
Approximately 2.25 hours

The alpine resort of Queenstown is exciting and fantastically attractive. It’s the place to source almost any kind of adventure, including bungy, jet boating, horse trekking, rafting and river surfing. It’s also a destination for luxury experiences – gourmet food and wine, spa treatments and leisurely games of golf.

High country landscapes and trout fishing rivers are features of the road to Te Anau. The first part of your drive clings scenically to the edge of Lake Wakatipu. Take a break when you reach the small town of Kingston, the home of a remarkable vintage steam train. Further on, the settlements of Lumsden and Mossburn can be explored for unique shopping opportunities – a farm tour is another possibility.

Te Anau township sits on the shores of Lake Te Anau. From here, the delights of the Fiordland National Park are within easy reach, including the start of the Milford Track. Cruise on the lakes, walk the tracks and visit the Department of Conservation wildlife centre. The Te Ana-au Caves are an excellent adventure.

Te Anau - Dunedin
291 km (182 miles)
Approximately 4 hours

Te Anau township sits on the shores of Lake Te Anau. From here, the delights of the Fiordland National Park are within easy reach. Cruise on the lakes, walk the tracks and visit the Department of Conservation wildlife centre. The Te Ana-au Caves are an excellent adventure.

After Lumsden you’ll travel across the river plain to Gore. Stop in Mandeville if you’d like to fly in a Tiger Moth, or by the Mataura River if you want to catch a trout. Fresh, green farm scenery will accompany you to Balclutha, which has a distinctive arched concrete bridge and an interesting museum. Milton is the last sizeable settlment before Dunedin - the unusual kink in the main road is where two surveyors didn’t quite meet.

In the late 19th century, Dunedin acquired an impressive amount of ostentatious Victorian architecture. Today you can enjoy the historic public buildings, imposing churches, palatial homes and ornate hotels. There’s even a castle. Eco-tourism is the other face of Dunedin – visit penguin, albatross and seal colonies.

Dunedin - Alexandra - Queenstown
193 km (121 miles)
Approximately 2.5 hours

In the late 19th century, Dunedin acquired an impressive amount of ostentatious Victorian architecture. Today you can enjoy the historic buildings, imposing churches, palatial homes and ornate hotels. There’s even a castle. Eco-tourism is the other face of Dunedin – visit penguin and albatross colonies.

There are three ways to get to Alexandra. The fruit route takes you south to Milton, then on through the orchards of Roxburgh. The Middlemarch route takes you through the Rock and Pillar Range. The Dunback route travels up the coast to Palmerston before it turns inland. The Middlemarch and Palmerston routes merge before the art deco town of Ranfurly. Explore the historic mining area of St Bathans before you reach Alexandra.

As the main centre for Central Otago, Alexandra is a prosperous, attractive town. Walk up to the huge clock on the hill and explore the gold mining displays at the local museum. In winter, Manorburn Dam freezes to become a skating rink. In summer, you can enjoy the delicious stone fruits that grow in the region.

Image:
Road to Milford Sound
Tourism New Zealand

Queenstown - West Coast -Christchurch – Queenstown

Overview

Start Queenstown / Finish Queenstown
Recommended Length: 5 Days
Distance: 1406 km (879 miles)

This itinerary connects some of the South Island’s most interesting destinations. From Queenstown you’ll journey to the river and rainforest environment of the west coast. See the glaciers, then drive on to explore the historic towns of Hokitika and Greymouth. The road to Arthur’s Pass village is mountainous and memorable - stretch your legs on a bush walk before you continue on to the heritage and art attractions of Christchurch. Turquoise glacial lakes are the gateway to Mount Cook National Park – explore the mountain trails before you return to Queenstown via beautiful Lindis Pass and the Kawarau Gorge.

Queenstown - Wanaka - Haast - Fox Glacier
103 km (64 miles)
Approximately 1.25 hours

The alpine resort of Queenstown is exciting, sophisticated and fantastically scenic. It’s the place to source almost any kind of adventure, including bungy, jet boating, horse trekking, rafting and river surfing. It’s also a destination for luxury experiences – gourmet food and wine, spa treatments and leisurely games of golf.

The shortest route to Wanaka is over the Crown Range Road. It’s a challenging drive, but the views are amazing and you’ll probably encounter friendly keas (mountain parrots). More conservative drivers can take the route that runs beside the Shotover River, Lake Dunstan and the Clutha River. The vineyards of the Gibbston area and bungy jumpers at the Kawarau River Bridge are interesting distractions along the way.

The lakeside resort town of Wanaka can provide you with an appealing mix of fine living, family fun and adventure. It has a high concentration of cafes, restaurants and interesting shops. You’ll also find some unique attractions, like the 3D maze and the ‘warbird’ air show, which is held every two years.

Fox Glacier - Franz Josef - Hokitika - Greymouth
23 km (14 miles)
Approximately 0.25 hour

The Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are unique relics of the last ice age. Mighty rivers of solid white, tumbling down ice-hewn rock valleys, they are classically beautiful in the glacial sense. Nowhere else in the world have glaciers advanced so close to the sea at this latitude. While in the area, you can choose from a wide range of adventure activities.

The terminal face of Fox Glacier is just 5 kilometres from the township that serves it. The road to the walking track crosses ancient moraine from earlier advances and retreats. Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier was named after an early New Zealand Prime Minister, William Fox.

After a short drive north, you’ll arrive at Franz Josef Glacier. First explored in 1865, the glacier has been moving forward at a rate of about 1 metre a day since 1985. Previously it was in retreat. You can walk to the terminal of the glacier in about 10 minutes. Franz Josef township has a good range of accommodation and eating establishments.

Greymouth - Arthur's Pass - Christchurch
84 km (53 miles)
Approximately 1 hour

Greymouth has a long gold mining history. It’s the largest town on the west coast and is known for its awesome seascapes. The local brewery runs tours or you can catch up with west coast history at the museum. White water rafting, sea kayaking and gold panning are other things to do.

Classic west coast river and forest scenery leads you east. Rushing water, impressive bridges and tiny towns gradually give way to the misty mountains of the Southern Alps.

The route known as Arthur’s Pass was first used by Maori tribes crossing to the west coast to find pounamu (jade). Today it’s a sophisticated mountain pass, memorable for its scenery as well as its breathtaking civil engineering.

The settlement of Arthur’s Pass is a base for climbing, hiking, hunting and skiing adventures in the adjacent national park. There’s a good choice of shorter walks. Native birds commonly seen include the kea, tui and bellbird.

Christchurch - Lake Tekapo - Mt Cook Village
230 km (144 miles)
Approximately 3 hours

The South Island’s largest city, Christchurch is an entertaining mixture of refined lifestyle and cultural excitement. Visit heritage sites, museums and art galleries, and enjoy the highly developed restaurant scene.

The scenic route to Lake Tekapo begins at Rangiora, a rural centre north of Christchurch city. Small towns appear regularly as you travel across the Canterbury Plains through fields and farms. Explore the old coal mining settlement of Glentunnel before the road climbs over the braided Rakaia River and up to Mount Hutt. There are historic lime kilns at Staveley and Mt Somers, and the pretty town of Geraldine has an interesting car museum. After Fairlie you’ll ascend to the region known as the Mackenzie Country, named after the legendary Scottish sheep rustler who once roamed the area.

The settlement of Lake Tekapo is at the southern end of the lake. Fishing, kayaking, bike riding, horse trekking and skiing are some of the things you can do in the area. The Church of the Good Shepherd and the sheepdog statue are great photo opportunities.

Mt Cook Village - Twizel - Omarama - Queenstown
64 km (40 miles)
Approximately 0.75 hour

The Aoraki Mount Cook National Park includes the highest peak in Australasia (Mt Cook - 3755m). The region attracts mountain climbers, hikers and scenery fanatics. Heli skiing, heli hiking and aerial sightseeing provide visitors with amazing memories. A variety of walking trails begin in or near Mount Cook Village – most take only a couple of hours. In the bar of the local hotel, huge windows provide a perfect view of Mt Cook.

The road to Twizel hugs the edge of Lake Pukaki. The exquisite opaque turquoise colour of this lake and others in the area is caused by fine, glacier-ground rock particles held in suspension. The landscape is a mixture of high country tussock, farmland and snow-capped mountains.

Twizel is a well-placed base for mountain climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, horse trekking and hiking. It’s also a place to spy on the rarest wading bird in the world – the Black Stilt. If you don’t have the time to catch your own salmon, the local salmon farm sells it – fresh or smoked.

Image:
Fox Glacier
Toursim New Zealand