South Island road trip: Christchurch to Queentown

This short road trip takes you through some of the most beautiful places in New Zealand’s South Island, before finishing in spectacular Queenstown. Think deep, blue lakes, rolling countryside, and pretty towns, all with the majestic Southern Alps in the background.

Obviously, you can follow this road trip route in reverse, starting from Queenstown. However, I strongly recommend hiring a car in Christchurch, as the scenery gets more and more spectacular as you make your way down the country.

How long does it take to drive from Christchurch to Queenstown?

You can drive directly from Christchurch to Queenstown in under six hours. However, while you can do this drive in a day, it’s really worth slowing down and taking your time.

There’s lots to see on the route between Christchurch and Queenstown and some of these spots are perfect for relaxing and just enjoying the scenery. If, like us, you travel with a young child, the short distances between stops makes this road trip completely doable.

Lei He via canva.com

Day 1: From Christchurch to Mackenzie Country

Hopefully, you will have spent at least a couple of days in Christchurch before starting on your drive south.

Christchurch has changed a lot since the major earthquake which destroyed much of the city centre and is now a modern city with interesting street art and some interesting new restaurants and shops. The city itself is interesting to wander around and there are also some good day trips from Christchurch, including nearby Akoroa where you can visit a penguin colony.

Leaving the city, you’ll find yourself driving through the Canterbury Plains, an expanse of flat farmland, interrupted only by grazing cattle or sheep.

Ashburton is just over an hour from Christchurch’s CBD. A town of 35,000 people, it has good amenities and a lovely domain. While a stop here isn’t necessary, it’s a good place for irritable children to burn off some energy.

View over green hills and trees

Geraldine - lunch stop

Less than two hours from Christchurch, Geraldine is a charming country town on the banks of the Waihi River. Stop for lunch and take a stroll through the town, browsing through the artsy, little shops.

For those with tiny passengers, we went to Café Verde and it was perfect for our little one, with good food and a fully-fenced garden area with a few swings.

Just outside of town is Peel Forest, a pine forest that’s also home to a variety of native ferns and birds. There are some nice tracks in the forest if you’re spending some time in the area – the standouts are two waterfall tracks and a climb up Little Peel Mountain with panoramic views of the mountains and over the plains to the coast.

Leaving Geraldine, you’ll soon find yourself in Mackenzie Country, a golden, tussock-studded basin surrounded by snow dusted mountains.

The Church of the Good Shepherd

Lake Tekapo - photo stop

The famous Lake Tekapo is just over an hour’s drive from Geraldine and is easily one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. With smooth, turquoise water (coloured by sediment from glaciers), and the Southern Alps on the horizon, it’s an idyllic spot.

White pebbles lead down to a gravel beach studded with stone cairns. In the summer, purple, pink and blue lupins wave gently on the shores of the lake, leading the way to the picture-perfect Church of the Good Shepherd.

Built in 1935 as a memorial church to commemorate early settlers, the church is used by various denominations. While no photos are allowed inside the church, everyone is welcome to attend a service.

From the church, you can walk across a blue bridge towards the village. Some of the nicest photos of the church are taken from across the river, on the banks just after you’ve crossed the bridge.

In the Tekapo township, you’ll find a small supermarket, some cafes and restaurants, and the observatory. There’s also a range of tours and activities on offer, from hot springs to helicopter rides. A grassy hillside leads down to the lake, and a playground on the hill offers some of the best views in the country.

Days 2-3: Twizel

The drive to Twizel is beautiful – there are numerous viewpoints of beautiful Lake Pukaki, which is just as lovely as Tekapo but without the famous church and associated tour buses. You’ll still see the turquoise waters and mountain views.

Twizel is a good spot to stay if you’re planning to take advantage of some of the activities in the area. There’s decent accommodation, cafes and pubs and most, importantly, it’s less than an hour’s drive to Mt Cook National Park.

If you spend a couple of nights in Twizel, you’ll also have the opportunity to appreciate the beautiful night sky. The Dark Sky Reserve starts from Geraldine and spreads to Mt Cook National Park, so if you happen to be there on a clear, moonless night, the stars are spectacular. You can also do night tours at the observatory in Tekapo.

Views of Tasman Glacier Lake in Mt Cook National Park

Aoraki/ Mount Cook National Park - day trip from Twizel

It’s a scenic drive to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, with views of turquoise lakes and the mountains looming ever larger. The national park has a range of trails and the Edmund Hillary Alpine Village and this is a good opportunity to go mountaineering or hiking. The scenery in the national park is some of the loveliest in the country.

There’s also a good selection of day walks for the less energetic among us. We had a two-year-old with us, so we can only tell you about the shorter ones. The Glacial Lake View walk is short but goes up 300 steps. The views at the top are incredible, but the walk up is a bit steep, particularly for older walkers (and excited toddlers).

The Blue Lakes walk is thankfully relatively flat, but the lakes are green, not blue, due to algae in the water.

If you're after something a bit longer, try the Hooker Valley Track, one of New Zealand's most popular hikes. It's a three-hour return journey past beautiful scenery including alpine streams and glaciers.

Or, if you have the time and inclination, do one of the longer walks – the views are spectacular and you can see the snow-covered peak of Mount Cook looming in the distance.

In case you were wondering, it is possible to ski or snowboard at Mount Cook, but it’s an expensive exercise with the slopes only accessible by helicopter.

Day 4: Ōhau Lake and Lake Hawea - picnic stop

From Twizel, head towards Wanaka. It’s less than two hours away, and if you aren’t tired of lakes yet, there are a couple more on the way.

Ōhau Lake isn’t far from Twizel and makes a great place to have a picnic. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of Hau" for Ōhau, but an alternative meaning could be "windy place" – which would certainly describe it on the day we were there!

The lake offers the same picturesque setting you’ll have come to expect from Mackenzie Country – gravel, mountains, lupins… and your last chance to see that turquoise water before you leave.

Then, just outside of Wanaka, you’ll find Lake Hawea. Here you’ve officially left the pale blue waters far behind - Lake Hawea is deep blue although still ringed by mountains.

If you still have energy after visiting Mt Cook National Park, consider doing the Isthmus Peak track. With scenery to rival the famous Roy’s Peak trek (but without the crowds), it’s a long, steady climb with panoramic views of Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and the Southern Alps.

Both lakes are also renowned for their excellent trout fishing.

That Wanaka tree on a moody day

Days 4-6: Wanaka

Wanaka is a stunning spot. It’s a small town with artisan shops, good coffee and delicious food, set on the shores of a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains.

There’s a large variety of restaurants to pick from or you can have a picnic on the grassy banks of the lake. If you have a smaller person with you, the playground at the lake has amazing views… and a dinosaur slide! Just a short walk west of the town, you’ll find the famous Wanaka tree.

With nearby ski fields in winter and water sports in summer, there's enough to keep you busy in Wanaka for at least a couple of days. The nearby Mount Aspiring National Park has some spectacular hikes, and the famous Roy's Peak hike is also nearby.

You can choose to base yourself in Wanaka for longer, if you wish. Personally, however, I prefer to base myself in Queenstown during the winter, as fog tends to gather over Wanaka, even when it’s sunny on the other side of the Crown Range.

Day 7: The Crown Range drive to Queenstown

If it’s a nice day, you may decide to take the stunning 69km drive over the Crown Range. At 1076m, New Zealand’s highest main road winds through the historic mining town of Cardrona. The old hotel is still there, complete with a good restaurant and beer garden.

It’s a beautiful drive with wonderful views from the summit – there are a number of designated viewpoints too, looking out over the Remarkables Mountain Range, Arrowtown and the Wakatipu Basin.

Cromwell and Gibbston Valley - an alternate route to Queenstown

If there's ice on the roads, take the route around the mountain, stopping at Cromwell and the beautiful Lake Dunstan along the way.

Lake Dunstan was made when they dammed the Clyde River, covering the old main street of Cromwell. Some of the historic buildings dating back to the gold rush of the 1860s were saved or rebuilt on higher ground. Take your time wandering through the old buildings and enjoy the beautiful lake views.

There are also a number of great restaurants and vineyards, just out of town. We enjoyed The Stoaker Room, where they cook food in old pinot noir barrels. Mt Difficulty up on the hill has delicious food and wine with glorious views and there are many others.

Once you leave Cromwell, keep an eye out for the Roaring Meg Dam lookout point and see the rough waters that power some of the nearby settlements.

This route to Queenstown also takes you through Gibbston Valley where you have a number of wineries to choose from – rather than stop now, you may want to save this for a day trip from Queenstown when you can leave your car behind.

Central Otago pinot noir is the local (and my) favourite, but there’s a growing number of breweries in the area, many with open space and activities for children. And if you want to attempt New Zealand’s highest bungy, the 134m jump is in this valley.

Either way, just before you get to Queenstown, stop at the Kawarau Bridge, the iconic home of bungy jumping in New Zealand. Even if you don’t want to jump yourself (or already have at Nevis), take a moment to watch the others as you marvel at the breathtaking views.

Looking down at Queenstown from the top of the gondola

Queenstown

Even after all the beauty you’ve just seen, Queenstown is breathtaking. On the shores of the magnificent Lake Wakatipu, the town boasts a wide range of shops, restaurants, bars and activities. Queenstown is bustling in summer and positively festive during the ski season.

Queenstown can be busy, so we suggest staying just out of town. There’s good food and wine everywhere, and a lot to do. So, stop, take a breath and enjoy your Queenstown trip.