New Zealanders have a word, tiki tour, for taking the long, scenic, faintly pointless route to somewhere. The South Island is the world’s finest excuse for one. In a single day you can drive from rainforest to alpine pass to a beach where the only footprints are yours.
A loose loop
Start in Christchurch, run down the coast to the Otago Peninsula, cut inland through Central Otago to Queenstown, push out to the fjords of Fiordland, then climb the West Coast past the glaciers and back over Arthur’s Pass. Roughly 1,500 kilometres; entirely too much to hurry.
Fiordland National Park, home to Milford Sound, is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area and is managed by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. [1]
The unmissable detours
- Milford Sound — go early or stay overnight to beat the day-tour flotilla.
- The Catlins — waterfalls, sea lions, and a lighthouse at the bottom of the country.
- Wanaka — the lake, the lone tree, and the best flat white on the trip.
- Franz Josef & Fox — glaciers you can walk toward from rainforest, a genuinely strange pairing.
On the South Island, the drive between two places is usually better than either place.
— Holly Ngata
Van or hotel?
Campervans give you the flexibility the island rewards, but freedom camping rules are strict and enforced. Whichever you choose, book Fiordland accommodation ahead. More trips like this live in our adventure and coastal drives collections.
Where to Eat
Five stops along the loop, from a Michelin-starred flagship in Queenstown to a lakefront café in Wanaka built on sustainability.
