NZ South Island Road Trip: Our Full Itinerary

It’s been about a week since we got back from our South Island road trip, and I wanted to unpack our full itinerary for those of you thinking of heading over there. Despite growing up in Wellington, I never really made it down to the South Island until my twenties, and even then, it was just to pop to Queenstown for a wedding. With some serious hiking on the agenda for this trip, the thing I was most looking forward to was seeing some of New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes for myself.

We were a little limited by how long we could spend in NZ but we managed to squeeze in a full nine day holiday, and we made the most of the time we were there. Originally I’d had us driving out to Mount Cook (Aoraki) as well, however it was a five-hour journey I think Luke and I could have done without. Instead, we focused on a small area in the Lakes District: Queenstown, Wanaka, Glenorchy, Te Anau and Milford Sound.

DAY ONE + TWO: Queenstown

Where we stayed: The Sherwood Hotel – Just a short drive into Queenstown, I’d been recommended the Sherwood by friends. The rooms are relatively basic – no TV – but incredibly comfortable and a great spot to curl up with a bottle of wine after spending the day exploring. We decided to splash out an extra $30 to get a one-bedroom apartment that had a view of the lake, which I’m glad we did as it gave us some extra space too. While I didn’t get the chance to take this up, there is yoga on-site multiple times a day, and quite often they’ll have live music in the performance space near reception. I’d 10 out of 10 recommend staying here if you have a car and aren’t too concerned about staying right in the centre of Queenstown. The grounds are beautiful, the buffet breakfast is one of the best I’ve had, and the food at the on-site restaurant is just sensational.

What we did: This was our third time visiting Queenstown, so we were pretty familiar with the city already. On our first night, we booked into the Onsen Spa, which has a view over the Shotover River. This is a really relaxing experience, and a great way to start our trip. It was pouring down with rain on our first night, but this really added to the magic of sitting in a hot tub while looking out at the beautiful view.

On our second day in Queenstown, we decided to hit all of our favourite tourist spots. We started the morning by getting the Skyline gondola up to the viewing platform which overlooks the town. If you aren’t afraid of heights, this is a must do. The view gets better the higher that you walk up from the lower viewing platform, and the luge is a lot of fun if you want to do something a little adventurous while you’re up there.

After soaking in the views, we headed down to the waterfront to have a glass of wine at while looking out at the lake, and then we grabbed a shuttle out to Gibbston Valley Winery. We ended up spending the rest of the afternoon here, indulging in a few glasses of wine and some oven-baked brie at the adjacent Cheesery.

Where we ate: Our first night in Queenstown we ate at the Sherwood, conveniently located within the hotel grounds. I’d been keen to eat at least one meal there after hearing exceptional things about the food. The kitchen’s ethos focuses on fresh in-season produce, much of which is grown on-site in their gardens and from nearby orchards and farms.

On day two, we kicked off our morning with a light brunch at Yonder, which is situated down by Lake Wakatipu. It can get quite busy here on Fridays and weekends, so I’d recommend going early. The food is good, and I like that they have dairy-free and gluten-free options, making it a great choice if you have any special dietary requirements.

No trip to Queenstown is complete without eating a legendary burger from Fergburger. The lines are pretty long so I’d say expect to wait at up to 30-40 minutes to get your food from when you first step foot in the queue. There’s a reason why their burgers are so popular though, and they’re best enjoyed with a couple beers down on the beach overlooking the lake.

DAY THREE + FOUR: Wanaka

Where we stayed: AirBnB – My cousin’s wedding coincided with one of the biggest events of the year in Wanaka – the A&P Show – which meant that hotel options were limited. We ended up going with an Airbnb which my stepmum booked. The home was really comfortable, spacious, and not far from town, plus it had a stunning view of Lake Wanaka which was visible from the living room.

What we did: We arrived in Wanaka a few hours before my cousin was due to get married, so after getting ready for the wedding, we spent the rest of the afternoon at Glendhu Station, celebrating as her and her now husband tied the knot.

On our second day in Wanaka, we joined the wedding party along with all the other guests back at Glendhu Station, before tackling Roys Peak. If you can only do one thing in Wanaka, make it this. This turned out to be the most difficult of all three hikes that we did, but the view is 100% worth it. It’ll take you about 3-3.5 hours to reach the peak, and another 1.5-2 hours to make it back down to the bottom. It’s all incline, but once you reach the lower summit, you’re treating to some of the most spectacular views (and my favourite from the entire trip). When we made our way out of town, we took the Cadrona route, which is a quicker drive back through to Queenstown, and offers some lovely mountain views.

Where we ate: We didn’t really make it out to eat during our (short) stay in Wanaka, but we managed to drop into The Coffee Shack before driving to Kinloch. Highly recommend the coffee there, and the cream filled doughnuts are an absolute treat.

DAY FIVE + SIX: Kinloch

Where we stayed: Heritage Lodge – Kinloch is a small settlement half an hour out of Glenorchy, that had once been used as a station for farmers. I’d actually booked at the lodge, not realising it wasn’t part of the township as I wasn’t familiar with the area. And it turned out to be a welcome surprise. We were fortunate enough to book into one of the six rooms located within the Heritage Lodge (there’s also an adjacent YHA Hostel and Ecolodge), which has been around since the 1800s and was recently refurbished. The rooms are absolutely teeny, and there’s no fridge or TV, so make sure you bring along a book and some red wine if you plan to drink your own booze – especially as the closest shop is half an hour drive away! We really enjoyed sitting out on the front porch and looking out at the view. The attached restaurant overlooks the base of Lake Wakatipu, and there is a winding bush walk nearby that will take you along the lakeside. Perhaps my favourite part of staying here was the hot tub hidden at the back of the property. It’s perfect for resting weary muscles after a day of hiking!

What we did: We were pretty tired from our hike up Roys Peak so decided to take it easy, and did a light hike up from the Lodge on our first afternoon. It follows the lake and is pretty flat, and you can stop and go back at any point.

Our second day we headed out to do the Routeburn Track. We headed out just before 8am, and decided to hike to Lake Sylvan before tackling the Routeburn. This is something I recommend doing, even if it’s only to warm up your muscles for the day. The return trip is no longer than 1 hour 20 minutes, and it’s all quite flat. If you can, also go early, as you’ll be treated to the sight of the surrounding mountains mirrored in the lake (something I’d never seen before!). We were the only ones on the track too, and it felt really peaceful out there as the only sound aside from us rustling our way down the path were the calls of native birds.

The Routeburn Track isn’t quite as strenuous as Roy’s Peak, however it is as long or as short as you want to make it. We hiked first to Routeburn Flats, where the river curves through the surrounded mountains. The weather turned while we were tucking into an early lunch, so we made the decision to hike to Routeburn Falls (further along the track), before making our way back. There was one point where we were walking along the side of a cliff, prior to reaching the Falls, where we had the most incredible view of Routeburn Flats and the mountains. Well worth making it up there at the very least, and if you can, I think this is one worth tramping overnight. The track is well maintained, there are toilets at reasonable points along the hike, and you can organise to stay in one of the huts as a mid-point during your tramp. If it hadn’t started raining I think we would have carried on until we reached the lake further up in the mountains. The track can get quite steep from the Falls so if you decide to do this one, bring shoes with good tread. I’d also recommend packing insect repellant as we got bitten a lot by midges and mosquitoes during our hike and our stay at the lodge.

Where we ate: We were very limited for food options in Kinloch, given that the settlement there is quite small, so we ate both evenings at the on-site restaurant. The meals here are hearty and while priced at a premium, they’re a delicious reward after a day of hiking.

DAY SEVEN + EIGHT: Te Anau

Where we stayed: AirBnB – After looking up at all our options in Te Anau, we decided to go down the AirBnB route as it gave us the option of cooking our own meals, plus we thought it might be nice to have a bit of space. We got so lucky with our pick. We ended up staying in a three bedroom house, with views of the nearby mountain range in the distance. This is a great place to stay if you’re looking at coming with friends or family, and it’s only a two minute drive into the town centre.

What we did: After a few days of hiking, Luke and I were pretty exhausted by the time we got to Te Anau, a three and a half hour drive from Kinloch. And the weather seemed to be playing along, as it was pouring down with rain, so we decided to stay in on our first night and make the most of the AirBnB.

On our second day in Te Anau, we tackled the Kepler Track, and if you’re planning to do the same, I’d recommend getting a water taxi down from the lakefront to Brod Bay, as it’ll save you a couple hours of hiking along the flats. It’s $25 per person each way, is a quick ten minute trip, and gives you a different perspective of Lake Te Anau. We headed up to Luxmore Hut, which is about a 2 hour hike from Brod Bay – give or take depending on your speed and stamina levels. From here, you have a beautiful view of Lake Te Anau and the surrounding mountain range, and if you’re keen, you can keep heading in to the mountains and do an overnight trek if you wish. This ended up being the least strenuous of the three hikes we did. There’s approximately one hour of incline up the mountain (the altitude of Luxmore hut is around 1100 metres), while the rest of the walk is relatively flat. We got lucky on our hike and spotted a Kea on the way down. These are a native bird to New Zealand and are very curious, so if you see one, don’t be surprised if they come straight up to you (but please don’t feed them!).

To follow our hike, we found a local hot tub located right across from Lake Te Anau (we went to Getaway – it’s $30 for an hour). This is a great spot to rest your muscles after a hike.

DAY NINE: Milford Sound

Where we stayed: Milford Sound Lodge – If you’re planning on heading to the Milford Sound, you’ll want to book early if you want to stay in the area. On a good day, it’s a 1.5 hour drive from Te Anau, but can take closer to 3 hours if the weather or traffic is particularly bad. As far as I know, the Milford Sound Lodge is the only accommodation available, with both campervan, hostel and boutique rooms on-site. We ended up coordinating our itinerary so that we could spend a night in one of the Lodge’s Mountain Chalet rooms, which open up to the most stunning view of the mountain. This was the most expensive accommodation that we booked for the entire trip, but it was well worth the treat. Also, just keep in mind that there isn’t any cellphone reception in the Milford Sound.

What we did: We drove up to Milford Sound first thing, as we’d planning to head out on a boat cruise at 11.30am. The cruise we went on was the Southern Discoveries Milford Sound Scenic Cruise and Kayak. Personally, my favourite part of the cruise was when we docked at Harrison Cove and headed out on the kayaks, as it gave a different perspective to the fiord, and we were able to drink water straight from where the river meets the lake. Some of the highlights included spotting some seals frolicking in the water, seeing a school of dolphins swim past the boat, and stopping at the mount of a huge waterfall. We managed to get exceptionally lucky with the weather, too. It was picture perfect when we arrived and started the cruise, and was just starting to mist over and get quite foggy by the time the boat docked at the Visitor Centre. It rains 200 days of the year in Milford Sound so do keep that in mind – we ended up experiencing some of the region’s heavy rain that night, and from what I’ve heard, the rain adds a mystical and moody atmosphere to the cruise, plus you’ll be treated to the sight of thousands of non-permanent waterfalls.

Where we ate: Our cruise came with a picnic lunch included so that sorted us out for midday meal. In the evening, we treated ourselves to dinner at the Pio Pio Cafe at Milford Sound Lodge. If you’re staying there, then this is definitely worth it, and if you can, ask for a window seat, as you can look out at the waterfalls running down the nearby mountain while you eat.

And that wraps up our nine-day trip to New Zealand’s South Island. We’ve been back less than a week and I’m already thinking about what I’d like to tick off on our next trip down there (Mount Cook, and more of the Lakes District is a must!). if you’re planning your own trip, I hope that this gives you a few ideas of what you can do, and if you’ve been yourself, I’d love to know if there’s anything else you’d recommend in the comments below! x