New Zealand South Island Road Trip

New Zealand's south island truly has it all: breathtaking beaches, snow-capped mountains, gorges and rivers, wildlife, and so much more.

A road trip is a great way to see the sights of New Zealand's South Island. Rent a car or campervan and take a few weeks to explore the beauty the south island has to offer. 

When to go

There's really no bad time to explore New Zealand, but I'd recommend going in the summer when things are in full bloom and you (hopefully) don't have to worry about snow in the mountains. Remember, New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere so summer is from December - February and winter is from June - August. Another great time to visit is spring, where the wildflowers are in full bloom and there's not as many tourists.

Getting there

If you want to explore the south island, it'll likely be cheapest for you to fly to Christchurch or Queenstown. You'll also find lots of rental vehicles in these cities. For the purpose of this guide, we start off in Christchurch, but you can hit the same things following the loop.

Christchurch