The South Island of New Zealand is famous for it’s mountain ranges, glaciers, and stunning lakes. The Southern Alps run through the entire length of the island, and is the perfect destination for adventure seekers. We decided to spend most of our time on the South Island, and only 10 days on the North Island. We started and ended our trip on the South Island in Christchurch, 3 weeks in a non self-contained Beta Spaceships campervan. During our road trip, we hiked almost everyday, and mainly camped in the cheapest available options. We also visited plenty of Lord of the Rings filming locations which was another highlight for us. Here is a detailed adventure itinerary for 21 days on the South Island of New Zealand for those on a budget!

Overview:

Day 1: Christchurch
Day 2: Castle Hill, Arthur’s Pass & Greymouth
Day 3: Punakaiki Pancake Rocks & Hokitika
Day 4: Franz Josef and Fox Glacier
Day 5: Lake Matheson & Haast Pass
Day 6: Wanaka
Day 7: Wanaka & Queenstown
Day 8: Around Queenstown
Day 9: Queenstown
Day 10: Te Anau
Day 11: Milford Sound & Fiordland
Day 12: Milford Sound
Day 13: Catlins
Day 14: Catlins & Dunedin
Day 15: Dunedin & Otago Peninsula
Day 16: Mt Cook National Park
Day 17: Mt Cook National Park & Lake Tekapo
Day 18: Lake Tekapo & Mt Sunday
Day 19-21: Mt Sunday, Kaikoura, Christchurch and around

Day 1

Christchurch

We enjoyed the city of Christchurch a lot more than Auckland and spent the afternoon there. Once you find parking downtown (you’re gonna just have to bite the bullet and pay), you can explore and see a lot of sights by foot. Christchurch was hit by a massive earthquake in 2011 and you can still see evidence of it throughout the city. It seems though that within the city’s healing and transition process, everyone turned to creativity and art. Beautiful and bizarre street art, sculptures, and architecture can be seen through out the city. Some sights to check out are:

• Ruins of Christchurch Cathedral
• Cardboard Cathedral
• Botanical Gardens
• New Regent St

30 min from Christchurch:

Camping: Chamberlains Ford Reserve OR Coes Ford (FREE)
50 min from Christchurch: Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite ($13 pp) if you want somewhere a bit quieter and more scenic.

• Reviews: Coes Ford – Great free campsite with tons of space, possible to find a bit of privacy as well. Clean (and flushable) toilets! Fairly quiet at night, didn’t have any trouble with mosquitos.
• Chamberlains Ford Reserve – Had to stay here at the end of our trip since Coes Ford was flooded. Pretty good free site, toilets are clean. However it’s so crowded and some people came in late and it can be quite loud. Decided not to stay here again for our second night at the end of our trip.
• Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite – We loved this site! Very quiet with beautiful views and walks. The road up is sealed, toilets are clean, and drinking water is available. Not many people seem to come up to this campsite, it’s 50min from Christchurch but worth the drive. (Feb 2018).

For campsites, water fountains, public shower facilities and more – download the CAMPERMATE app!

Day 2

Castle Hill

1 hr 20 min from Christchurch

THEY FILMED THE NARNIA BATTLE SCENE HERE. Even if you’re not a fantasy nerd like us, it’s still a cool place to walk around and explore the bizarre karst rock formations for a bit. A short 10 min walk from the parking lot leads you into the grassy hills. You could easily spend an hour or more exploring and climbing through these photogenic rocks rising from the landscape.

Arthur’s Pass

40 min from Castle Hill

As you drive from the east to the west coast, this scenic road takes you through valleys surrounded by mountains in Arthur’s Pass National Park. Climbing up to over 900m, it is the highest and most spectacular pass through the Southern Alps. There are a ton of hikes to do around here of various lengths and difficulty levels. Stop by the Visitor Centre to get information on them. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a kea, an alpine parrot endemic to the South Island!

Camping: If you want to do a longer hike in Arthur’s Pass, there are plenty of free campgrounds to stay in nearby including: Greyneys Shelter, Klondyke Corner, Hawdon Shelter, Andrews Shelter, and Lake Pearson.

We decided to stick to a couple short trails including the track up the the base of the 131m tall Devil’s Punchbowl Falls (40 min walk/2km return – highly recommend) and Bridal Veil Falls Lookout (30 min walk/2km return). We continued on towards the west coast, with a quick stop to take in the views at Otira Lookout.

1hr 20min from Arthur’s Pass:

Camping: Central Park Camping ($25 for 2 people) in Greymouth

Review: It’s in the middle of the town in basically a parking lot, but it was surprisingly quiet! The host was very nice, toilets and showers ($4) are very clean. Laundry, free wifi, and drinking water available as well. (Feb 2018).

Day 3

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes

40 min from Greymouth

This 20 min loop trail takes you through a heavily eroded limestone area, with a few blowholes you can watch the sea shoot up from. The best time to see the blowholes in action is at high tide (which we did, but unfortunately because of the swell that day we didn’t get to see them). Check the Westport Tide Timetable before you go! Even if you are unable to time your visit with high tide, it is still definitely worth visiting for the unique rock formations. You can even stop for pancakes at the cafe across the street when you’re done your walk.

The Pancake Rocks were formed 30 million years ago when fragments of dead marine creatures and plants landed on the seabed. These solidified into limestone with soft, mud rich layers due to the immense water pressure. Eventually, seismic actions lifted the limestone above the seabed where they continued to be eroded by water, wind and salt spray, into the pancake layers of hard limestone we see today.

Hokitika

1 hr 10 min from Pancake Rocks

Hokitika is a small and friendly town famous for it’s jade/greenstone! The town centre is very cute, and easily accessible on foot. You can visit many shops and galleries to view or buy different jade carvings and jewelry. There are some locations where you can even watch artist’s at work. There is also a driftwood sculpture contest here every January! Sadly we only saw the remnants of it, the tide had taken the rest. Greenstone can be found on the beaches here (WHICH I’M PRETTY SURE I FOUND AND BROUGHT BACK TO CANADA WITH ME, COSMO THINKS OTHERWISE).

Hokitika Gorge is a 30 min drive from town and is supposed to have the brightest blue water. We went on a very rainy day and the water was grey – I was so disappointed we drove out of our way for it that I didn’t take a single picture lol. On a nice day, it’s supposed to be a great spot for a swim as well. This short walk takes you over the river on a bridge for another vantage point.

Franz Josef

1 hr 30 min from Hokitika

Camping: Otto/MacDonalds Campsite ($13 pp) – Cheapest campsite near Franz Josef

Review: We stayed in Otto’s (to the left) after seeing reviews of people recommending it over MacDonald’s (right at the fork). It’s smaller though and fills up fast. It’s in a quiet spot right next to a beautiful lake. There is a covered picnic bench area (thank god cause it was pouring on us). Toilets are clean and there’s a sink to wash dishes. (Feb 2018).

Day 4

Franz Josef Glacier

12 min from Campsite

There are a couple different hikes to access the glacier, both easily accessible by car from town. The easiest is the 1.5 hr Terminal Walk which takes you to a lookout about 50m away from the terminal face of the glacier. It is also the most popular and crowded trail for glacier viewing. We decided to do the more challenging Robert’s Point hike (about 5 hrs return) in the rain. Be prepared to get wet, this stretch of west coast is the wettest part of NZ, and can make this trail pretty slippery. The elevated views of the glacier were stunning, and well worth the hike. The four swing bridges along the way were also fun! We came across hardly anyone on this hike, and shared the viewing platform at the glacier with only one other group (who were nice enough to share their beer with us!).

Fox Glacier

30 min from Franz Josef

Unfortunately due to a sinkhole, the road into Fox Glacier was completely unaccessible and we were only able to pass through town. The hike to the glacier and back takes about 1 hour. If you want closer access to both of these glaciers, helicopter tours are also offered.

Camping: Because we were wet and cold and in desperate need of doing laundry we decided to splurge tonight and stay at Fox Glacier Top 10 Holiday Park ($48 for 2 people) instead of in the rain at Otto’s again.

Review: Pricey, but nice quiet location. Toilets, hot showers, and communal kitchen were clean. Laundry was reasonably priced. (Feb 2018).

Day 5

Lake Matheson

5 min from Campsite

This trail is best done first thing in the morning, as the lake is usually at it’s calmest. You can either walk 20 min to the first view point, or 1.5 hrs around the entire lake with an even better viewing point later on! Lake Matheson is famous for it’s perfect reflections of Mt Cook and the surrounding mountain range. We recommend doing the whole walk if you have the time, it’s very peaceful and the views only get better. This lake was formed about 14,000 years ago when the Fox Glacier retreated, leaving behind a depression that eventually filled with water.

The road towards Wanaka through Haast Pass has plenty of beautiful and quick photo stops along the way:

• 1 hr 50 min from Lake Matheson – Roaring Billy Falls (20 min walk/1.4km return)
• 40 min from Falls – Knights Point Lookout
• 45 min +5 min from Lookout – Fantail and Thunder Creek Falls (both 5-10 min walks)
• 15 min from Falls – Blue Pools near Cameron Flat (easy 40 min return walk)
• 35 min from Blue Pools – Lake Hawea Lookout

Wanaka

15 min from Lake Hawea Lookout

After a full day of driving and multiple short stops to waterfalls and lookouts, we headed straight to the campsite on the outskirts of Wanaka to relax and eat dinner beside the river.

Camping: Albert Town Campground ($10 pp)

Review: Cheapest campground close to Wanaka. It’s a beautiful location with sites right on the river that you can go for a swim in. Campsite is very large, most noise is by the main toilets, away from there is very quiet. Toilets were clean, we stayed 2 nights. Sinks available to wash dishes, no drinking water. The ducks are the best! (Feb 2018).

Day 6

Wanaka

15 min from Campground:

Roys Peak Track

This 5-6 hour hike provided us with some of our favourite views in New Zealand and a total highlight of our trip. With an elevation gain of 1250m, the wide trail switchbacks up the mountain through farmland and past many sheep. It’s very open to the elements and there is no tree cover, but it does have no shortage of great views the entire way up and down.

Recently due to Instagram, this hike has grown in popularity and can be pretty crowded in the afternoon. We started the hike at sunrise and it was much more quiet, with hardly anyone on the track. Also keep in mind that the track is closed from October-November every year for lambing!

Lake Wanaka

After our hike, we headed down to the lake and took a picture of the famous That Wanaka Tree. It’s basically a tree growing out of the lake. (PLEASE DON’T CLIMB ON THE TREE THOUGH). Enjoy the afternoon swimming and relaxing in the sun on the lakeshore after that challenging hike. Wanaka unexpectedly turned into one of our favourite towns on the South Island.

Consider going to the charming and unique Cinema Paradiso in the evening! They do an intermission and have a meal prepared for you that you ordered earlier. Make sure to call and reserve a seat ahead of time!

Camping: Albert Town Campground ($10 pp) for a second night.

Day 7

Wanaka

1 hr 15 min from Campground:

Rob Roy Glacier Track

This 3-4 hr roundtrip hike is off the beaten path and not nearly as busy as Roy’s Peak. The trailhead is located at the end of a long and bumpy unsealed road (4WD not required though). Not as gruelling of a hike, the finish line of this track is within the mountains at the base of a glacier, rather than on a summit. We had the entire viewpoint to ourselves, sadly not even a single kea was around!

Queenstown

2 hrs 45 min from Rob Roy Glacier via Cromwell Route

Queenstown is a busy small tourist town, famous for all of it’s adrenaline activities and tours. If you’re on a budget like us, then you’re probably skipping all the skydiving and river rafting options. Here’s how to spend a couple days around Queenstown on a budget.

After a decent hike and a long drive from Wanaka, we didn’t have a lot of time left in the day and decided to visit Queenstown’s Botanic Gardens. We took a stroll through the park to Lake Wakatipu, providing beautiful views of the Misty Mountains (from Lord of the Rings) – oops I mean The Remarkables.

Camping: Twelve Mile Delta ($13) – (15 min from Queenstown) OMG the location for the Ithilien Camp scene in Lord of the Rings
Moke Lake ($13) – (23 min from Queenstown)

Review: We decided to do the extra bit of driving into the Moke Lake Campground because we had heard Twelve Mile Delta tends to be louder. We stayed here two nights, the first night was very quiet while the second night a group pulled in later right beside us so we packed up and headed to the other quiet end of the campsite. The campsite is in a BEAUTIFUL location, surrounded by mountains. Gravel road is fine in 2WD. Clean toilets, sheltered kitchen area, no drinking water, but outdoor cold showers have been set up. 2.5 hour loop walk around the lake as well. (Feb 2018).

Day 8

Glenorchy / Paradise / Queenstown

The scenic drive following the shores of Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy takes about 45 min. Go to Bennet’s Bluff Viewpoint and Old Glenorchy Wharf for some great views of those Misty Mountains again. There are many hikes and tours from this small town, and it is often called the Gateway to Middle Earth. Hikes range from short ones like Glenorchy Boardwalk to multi-day ones such as the Routeburn Track.

15 min from Glenorchy:

If you want more LOTR filming locations, follow the main road out of town and turn left after the first bridge onto Priory Rd. Continue to follow the Dart River and as you are about to head over the third bridge, park and head down to the river. From here you will see the Isengard lookout! It was very cool being able to match up the mountains in the background with a photo from the movie.

20 min from Isengard lookout:

Looking for even more LOTR locations nearby? Head back to the fork (where you turned left onto Priory Rd) and turn left to go back onto Glenorchy-Paradise Rd. This gravel road (4WD not required) will lead you to the rural town of Paradise. At this point you are surrounded by farm land and basically in the middle of nowhere, but is it ever pretty. Once you reach Diamond Lake, across from it lies the Forest of Lothlórien, where Galadriel and her fellow wood-elves lives.

After this, we headed back towards Queenstown and stopped at the Twelve Mile Delta Campground where we did the short Bob’s Cove Track for one last LOTR location of the day. Here we got to look for oliphants in the Ithilien Camp from the lookout Frodo, Sam, and Gollum hid on making POE-TAY-TOES.

From here we headed back into Queenstown to explore the town itself. There are a couple hikes you can do including Queenstown Hill Time Walk (2-3 hours) or Bob’s Peak (2 hours), which is the hike up to the top of the Gondola for a view over the city, Lake Wakatipu, and the Remarkables. We ended up doing neither of these walks and instead paid to ride the Skyline Gondola up the hill lol.

At the top of the gondola, we decided to go luging again! While the views from the top are AMAZING, we found that the the luge tracks in Rotorua on the North Island are definitely better! Check BookMe for deals for luging or other activities in Queenstown.

For dinner, the number one recommendation is Fergburger. The lines outside this restaurant are always super long so we decided to skip it and went to Devil Burger instead (decent burgers and way less busy). We hit up Ferg Gelato after dinner which was also not nearly as busy. Enjoy walking through town and along the lakeshore. Consider hitting up Queenstown’s Ice Bar, there are pretty cheap prices on BookMe as well.

Camping: Headed back to Moke Lake for another night ($13) – (23 min from Queenstown)

Day 9

Queenstown

30 min from Queenstown:

The next morning we drove up the mountain to the Remarkables Ski Area Lodge for some stunning views along the way. From here we did the Lake Alta hike (1hr 30min return). This is also the scene from LOTR of Dimrill Dale, where Aragorn leads the Fellowship away from the Mines of Moria. The lake is a beautiful and bright blue (darkened in the movies, but it is still recognizable if you know the scene!). We took a minute to mourn the loss of Gandalf just as the Fellowship did in this location.

1 hr 20 min from Queenstown:

Camping: Lumsden Motor Camp ($10 pp). There is a free campsite nearby, but we thought $10 was worth for hot showers and being able to do laundry. Plus you can feed the fluffy alpacas!

Review: We loved this location on the family farm. Quiet, with clean toilets and showers (Hot showers were free when we went, but they may be $4 according to more recent reviews). Camp kitchen was well equipped, and laundry is also available. Owner was fine with us (lots of reviews say he’s grumpy). We enjoyed our stay here so much we decided to camp here on the way back from Milford Sound as well. (Feb 2018).

Day 10

Te Anau

1 hr from Campsite

Make sure to fill up on gas, groceries, and water in Te Anau as there are none between here and Milford Sound. We also hit up the Bird Sanctuary in town (admission by donation). We thought it was well worth the short visit, NZ has some very unique birds you won’t see anywhere else in the world!

While in Te Anau, we also sampled a part of the Kepler Track (one of NZ’s Great Walks), and did the Rainbow Reach to Moturau Hut Trail (3-3.5hr return). Scenes of the Anduin River that the Fellowship canoed down in LOTR were filmed near here. After hiking through a beautiful forest and across a bog (or the Dead Marshes?!) we eventually reached Shallow Bay on Lake Manapouri, the second deepest lake in NW (447m deep).

On our way towards our campsite for the night, we found an amazing discovery with the help of our NZ Frenzy South Island book (a MUST for hidden spots and extra tips to avoid the crowds) – a WALKWIRE! We had a ton of fun balancing on the rope making our way across the river and back, and enjoyed it all to ourselves. The trail to the walkwire is only 10 min, from there you can continue the trail onward but we decided to turn back.

Milford Sound

1 hr from Te Anau (45 min from Milford Sound)

Camping: Cascade Creek Campsite ($13 pp) – There are many DOC campsites between Te Anau and Milford (all the same price) but this campsite is closest to Milford Sound, perfect if you have a early morning boat cruise through the sound the next day. Lake Gunn Nature Walk also starts in this campsite (45 min).

Review: Beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Very large campground, quiet at night. Clean (but smelly) toilets, picnic benches throughout, and sheltered cooking area. No issues with sandflies. (Feb 2018).

Day 11

There are a few tracks in the area between the DOC campgrounds and Milford Sound. We decided to do the Routeburn Track: Key Summit Track (3 hrs return). Unfortunately due to the rain and cloudy weather, we saw zero views from the summit and were in the middle of a cloud. This is to be expected from Milford Sound, as the sun rarely shines. From pictures online though, the view looks pretty unreal. If you want to extend this hike you can continue to Earland Falls. (5-7 hrs for both tracks). Park at The Divide for the trailhead to these trails. Other hikes in the area with stunning views include Gertrude Saddle (5-6 hrs) and Lake Marian (3-4 hrs).

Camping: Cascade Creek Campsite ($13 pp, 45min from Milford Sound)

Day 12

Milford Sound

45 min from Campsite

Drive through a mountain in the impressive 1.3km long Homer Tunnel. Be prepared for A LOT of rain in this part of NZ. Don’t worry though, rain is the best time to view Milford Sound as the mountains come alive with giant waterfalls.

We hopped on a boat tour with JUCY (yes that’s the campervan company). The first cruise of the day has the cheapest price ($45 at 8:55am), and is also the cheapest cruise company in the area. We had a great time on the 2 hour cruise – our captain was knowledgable, taking us close to spectacular mountains and waterfalls, as well as plenty of dolphin sightings. Jucy does the same trip and stops the rest of the companies do within the sound.

After your cruise, stroll the easy Milford Foreshore loop with spectacular views of Mitre Peak. Other fun things to do in Milford Sound include kayaking, scuba diving, or the underwater observatory for a more dry approach. The sea creatures you would normally see at 100-200m depth are found in less than 30m of water in Milford Sound! The combination of freshwater sitting on top of saltwater allows you to see some pretty cool species including black coral trees.

The drive back to Te Anau provides plenty of short stops along the way:

• Mirror Lakes (15 min walk)
• Lake Marian Falls (20 min walk)
• Humboldt Falls (30 min walk)
• The Chasm Waterfall (20 min walk)

2 hr 30 min from Milford Sound:

Camping: Lumsden Motor Camp ($10 pp) or FREE campsite nearby: Lumsden Parking Area

Day 13

Catlins

1 hr 45 min from Campsite

The Catlins is a sparsely populated area, in and out of cell service. Less tourists visit this wild coast, but if you have the time it’s worth putting into your itinerary. Some stops you should consider fitting into your itinerary include:

Waipapa Point Lighthouse – An active lighthouse with a nearby cemetery of shipwreck victims from 1881. Also a good spot to see fur seals.

Slope Point (35 min from Lighthouse): – NZ most southern point, take a picture with the Equator/South Pole sign (30 min return walk).

Waipohatu Falls (10 min from Slope Point): – We decided to skip this one as we didn’t have time to do the 2 hour walk. Photos of the two waterfalls look beautiful though.

Curio Bay (15 min from Falls) – We thought this stop was super cool and there was no one else was around! You can see a petrified forest around 180 million years old at 4 hours on either side of low tide. These ancient conifers were buried by volcanic mud flows, and were eventually replaced by silica to produce the fossils now exposed by the sea. The bay also hosts a colony of yellow eyed penguins (rarest species of penguin in the world), best chances of seeing them are at dusk. We didn’t see penguins as we went in the middle of the day, but had a chance to view them later on in the trip.

Cathedral Caves (35 min from Curio Bay) – To view these caves, you must visit at LOW TIDE, either 2 hours before or 1 hour after low tide. Keep in mind it takes 1 hour to walk one way, and has a $10 fee. Our timing didn’t quite work out with the tides, so we decided to skip this stop as well.

McLean Falls Walkway (10 min from caves) – 30 min return walk to a beautiful waterfall.

15 min from the falls will lead you to Tautuku Beach (15 min walk), Lake Wilkie (30 min walk) and the Tautuku Estuary Boardwalk (30min walk). We stopped at a couple of these but honestly if you are short on time, I would skip them. If you’re interested in birding like us, the estuary might be worth viewing.

Florence Hill Lookout – A quick spot to view the insanely beautiful ocean and swell from above.

5 min from Lookout:

Camping: Papatowai Campsite ($8 pp)

Review: Very nice large campsite, possible to find some privacy as well. Quiet at night, flush toilets are very clean, and there’s an indoor space for cooking and washing dishes. Very short stroll right onto a beautiful beach! (Feb 2018).

Day 14

Catlins

Our adventures through the Catlins continued for a second day as we headed up the coast towards Dunedin. We started the morning with a couple more waterfalls which included Matai Falls (30 min walk) and Purakaunui Falls (20 min walk).

Jacks Blowhole (30 min from Falls) – A 1 hour return walk, we decided to skip this trail to the chasm and blowhole as we heard it wasn’t nearly as impressive as the ones at Pancake Rocks.

Cannibal Bay – Surat Bay (30 min from Blowhole) – An amazing place to see a sea lion colony! A highlight of our trip, we got to watch a few giant males fight with each other over a nearby female. That shit was straight out of National Geographic, I could hear David Attenborough narrating beside me. These are wild and dangerous animals, remember to keep a safe distance between you and the fur seals.

Nugget Point Lighthouse (40 min from Bay) – A short stroll to a busier but very cool stop! You can walk right up to Tokata Lighthouse, one of the country’s oldest lighthouses perched above the famous rocks named by Captain Cook because they looked like pieces of gold (white male patriarchy am I right?). Another place to view yellow-eyed penguins, but again only at dawn or dusk and you’ll need a set of binoculars.

Otago Peninsula – Dunedin

1 hr 30 min from Lighthouse (only 10 min from Dunedin):

Tunnel Beach (1hr return walk, go at LOW TIDE). This short and easy walk is a popular stop and for good reason. It includes sandstone cliffs and arches, as well as a secret tunnel. The narrow tunnel was carved through the rock in the 1870s by a politician so his family could bathe in privacy at the hidden beach. This secluded beach is accessible at low tide so make sure to check the tide times.

Camping: Wingatui Racecourse Mosgiel ($15 per vehicle) OR Ocean View Recreational Reserve Brighton (Free), however there is hardly any spots for non self contained vehicles and a lot of people get fined for parking in the wrong spot.

Review: Racecourse – It’s just a parking lot but it was large and quiet, and toilets are very clean. No drinking water or sink for dishes. Great spot for a night, only 15min from the city. Got to see some horses in the morning on the track. (Feb 2018).

Day 15

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island (after Christchurch). Many Scots emigrated to the area making for an interesting history and architecture, it really feels like you’re suddenly in the middle of Scotland. Sights to see around the city include:

• Dunedin Railway Station
• First Church of Otago
• Larnach Castle
• Street Art Trail
• St Pauls Cathedral
• Botanic Gardens

30 min from Dunedin:

Another beautiful track we did in the area is Sandymount Loop Track (50 min return walk). It’s best to do the walk counterclockwise! It’s an easy walk through farmland on the coast, providing incredible views of the Otago Peninsula.

We finished up the afternoon near Dunedin by checking out the surf at at St Clair Beach, but there wasn’t very good swell, so we continued onward. Still a nice beach walk though.

1 hr from Dunedin:

Shag Point – Matakaea Scenic Reserve is a must stop if you want to see fur seals up close!! We saw SO many seals lounging on the rocks and frolicking in the water. PLEASE respect the seals and don’t invade their personal area. Don’t try to touch them, take all your litter with you, and be quiet and respectful.

20 min from Shag Point:

Katiki Boulders – Similar to the famous Moeraki Boulders, the lesser known Katiki Boulders are definitely worth the stop. A beach tucked in between holiday homes that is best to visit at low tide. There are plenty of them along the sandstone coastline to explore and the best part is you’ll probably have this beach to yourself! They even found a 7m long plesiosaur skeleton in one of them!

Katiki Point Lighthouse – Drive through the village of Moeraki for another chance to see yellow-eyed penguins and fur seals. We finally were very lucky and spotted a few wild yellow-eyed penguins, the rarest species of penguin in the world. The hills used to be covered with them, but due to human activity their numbers are dwindling and volunteers have created a sanctuary for them here. Even though we went at the recommended time around dusk and hung out for a couple hours, we only saw a handful. Again, please keep your distance from the wildlife! And don’t make the mistake of thinking a group of cormorants in the distance are penguins lol!

Camping: Because we wanted to see the famous Moeraki Boulders around sunrise when there are less tourists around, we decided to spend a bit of extra money and stay nearby at Moeraki Village Holiday Park ($35 for 2 people).

Review: Quiet location across the street from the beach. Sites are a nice size so you don’t feel cramped next to your neighbours. Clean toilets and showers, and laundry available. A great, fully equipped kitchen. Owners were very nice and informative of nearby attractions. (Feb 2018).

Day 16

Moeraki Boulders is a popular tourist stop and best viewed at low tide. TIP: There is free public parking a short walk away from the beach. You don’t have to park at the cafe where they make you pay. Another tip is to see the boulders early in the morning, before the beach fills up with hordes of tourists.

2 hrs from Moeraki Boulders:

Omarama Clay Cliffs – Because it’s on private property you have to pay $5 per vehicle to the donation box, but we thought it was really cool and well worth! A short walk from the car park, not a ton of people make the stop here, and we were able to wander and had the cliffs all to ourselves. These tall pinnacles are made up of layers of gravel and silt, originally formed by the flow from ancient glaciers over a million years ago.

On the way towards Mt Cook you will pass along the bright blue waters of Lake Pukaki (Lake-town in The Hobbit film). Along this drive are a couple stops you should make including Peter’s Lookout and Mt Cook Lookout. On a clear day you can see Mt Cook towering over the lake.

Mt Cook National Park

1 hr 10 min from Omarama:

Hooker Valley Track is a famous and popular track in NZ and for good reason. It’s a fairly easy 3 hr return hike to Hooker Glacier, at the base of Mt Cook, NZ’s tallest mountain (3724m). The views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers are breathtaking, and seeing icebergs in the lake at the base was pretty cool too! We were incredibly lucky to be able to view Mt Cook on this day, by the next it was hidden in the clouds again.

Camping: White Horse Hill Campground ($13 pp)

Review: The ONLY campground in the area at the base of all the trails, so be prepared as it is PACKED, do your best to arrive early. Despite this, we found it quiet and toilets are clean. Drinking water available, clean kitchen area, and sinks to wash dishes. The views of the surrounding mountains are beautiful. No showers, but showers are available in Mount Cook Village for $2. (Feb 2018).

Day 17

Mt Cook National Park

Tasman Glacier View Track is a quick and easy hike. Unfortunately due to climate change, the glaciers are receding further and further every year. The length of the glacier is currently 24km and is expected to be 20km by 2027. It retreats 480-820m per year.

We wanted to do more tracks in the area but the weather had unfortunately turned very quickly and most of the walks had no views. Check in with the Visitor Centre for weather reports. The Visitor Centre is also BEAUTIFUL and very interesting! One of our favourite ones in NZ.

Lake Tekapo

1 hr 15 min from Mt Cook National Park

There isn’t a whole lot to do in Lake Tekapo, but the blue colour of the lake is worth the visit. Most people stop and take a picture of the famous Church of the Good Shepherd and Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue. Lake Tekapo is part of a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, making it the perfect spot for stargazing.

You can either hike or drive up to Mt John’s Observatory – but note there’s a $5 road access fee to drive up. While we’ll pay $5 to see some cool clay cliffs, we aren’t about to pay $5 to drive up a road when you can easily walk up! It was a 2-3 hr loop and best to do clockwise. The blue colour of Lake Tekapo honestly looks fake, as if the residents of the town have dumped blue dye into it! Whether you decide to walk or drive, the views from the top are 100% worth it.

Camping: Lake MacGregor Campsite ($10 pp)

Review: Cheapest campsite around Lake Tekapo. It’s very basic, toilets weren’t the cleanest (BRING YOUR OWN TP). A little crowded but beautiful views right next to the lake, and pretty quiet at night. Washing/cooking area also available. (Feb 2018).

Day 18

Lake Tekapo

Near our campground was the Peninsula Walkway to the White Bluffs (1.5-2hrs). Walking along the bluffs by the lake, you can find a trail that takes you down to the lake edge. From here you can find some chalk white bluffs, and go for a swim in the brilliant blue lake. We didn’t pass anyone else on this walk.

Mt. Sunday

2 hrs 45 min from Lake Tekapo

The filming location for Edoras and the Plains of Rohan from LOTR! This was one of our favourite filming locations to visit. The hill is very recognizable from the movie, and we had the ENTIRE place to ourselves! Because Mt Sunday is so far off the main tour route through NZ, many people don’t make the side trip out here. The scenery is beautiful, and the lack of tourists make for a memorable trip.

Camping: Mt Potts Lodge ($28 per vehicle)

Review: We loved this campsite! Great and clean amenities available, beautiful views and very quiet at night. Didn’t have any issues with only one toilet/shower as there were only a few other campers. Dinner is also provided in the Lodge if you want. (Feb 2018).

Day 19-20

Mt. Sunday

Honestly, we loved Mt. Sunday/Edoras so much we walked to it again on our second day and up to the top again. When the clouds clear around you in the valley, you see that you are surrounded by mountains.

1 hr 20 min from Mt Sunday

On the way back towards Christchurch we stopped and went for a 3 hour walk at Rakaia Gorge Walkway. On a clear day the water is a startling icy blue (not today obviously), and there are some great mountain views. If you don’t want to do the whole loop, you can just do the 45min walk to the first view point and turn around.

Christchurch and around

1 hr 10 min from Gorge Walkway

Do what you wish with your last couple days in the Christchurch region! We were going to drive north for a seal swim in Kaikoura (dolphin swims are also available), but it was cancelled due to bad weather and we were given a full refund. Instead we decided to do some easy walks around Christchurch and go surfing at Scarborough Beach! We rented boards and wetsuits for a few hours from the the Learn to Surf van which was conveniently located right on the beach, lessons are also available. After surfing, we walked along Sumner Beach to Cave Rock and Shag Rock. On our way to our campsite for the evening we did another walk in Godley Head where we had some pretty beautiful views.

Camping: Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite ($13 pp)

Review: We loved this site! Very quiet with beautiful views and walks. The road up is sealed, toilets are clean, and drinking water is available. Not many people seem to come up to this campsite, it’s 50min from Christchurch but worth the drive. The sunset in the evening was also amazing. (Feb 2018).

Day 21

Christchurch

On our last half day in Christchurch, we decided to visit the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. After an entire month, we finally got to see a Kea (alpine parrot), as well as Kiwis in the dark exhibit! Ended the day with dropping off our campervan and headed to our Airbnb before our flight home early the next morning.

And there you have it! An epic itinerary for 21 days on the South Island of New Zealand. Have any questions? Leave a comment below! And of course, don’t forget to read my 10 day itinerary for the North Island of New Zealand.