Itinerary
- Day 1
Wellington
You'll arrive in Wellington and check into your centrally located hostel in New Zealand's capital. After getting settled, the day is yours to explore this compact harbor city on your own. Walk around and find the local coffee spots, check out the museums and galleries, or take some of the nice walks around town. There's plenty to see without needing a guide.
Optional Activities
- Visit Te Papa Tongarewa national museum on the waterfront
- Walk the cable car route
- Explore Zealandia bird sanctuary
- Visit the botanical gardens
- Walk the sandy beaches and forested hills
- Explore the waterfront promenades
Landmarks Te Papa Tongarewa Zealandia 
- Days 2 - 6
Cable Bay to Marahau
You'll leave the Marlborough region and head to Abel Tasman National Park. The drive takes you through Nelson and the orchards around Motueka before reaching Kaiteriteri Beach with its golden sand. After that, you'll settle into Marahau, the gateway settlement to Abel Tasman, for a 3-night stay in this outdoor-focused area.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Landmarks Abel Tasman National Park Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve - Days 7 - 11
Collingwood to Murchison
You'll head back over the hill toward Motueka, then follow quiet back-country roads along the Motueka River through Tapawera orchards. Stop at Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park to see dramatic mountain scenery and black swans. Later you'll reach Murchison for the night, passing through beautiful natural areas along the way.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Lake Rotoiti viewing and scenic walks
Landmarks Lake Rotoiti Nelson Lakes National Park - Days 12 - 15
Punakaiki
Today you'll explore the Punakaiki Rocks, also called Pancake Rocks, a geological site created by 30 million years of erosion forming layered limestone stacks with caves and blowholes. On rough days, sea crashes into the caves and bursts out through the top. Well-maintained boardwalks and pathways make it easy to see everything.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Punakaiki Rocks (Pancake Rocks) viewing via boardwalks
- Pororari River Loop - walk, paddleboard or kayak
- Punakaiki Cavern exploration
- Truman Track to coastal headland
- Sunset viewing on the beach
Landmarks Punakaiki Rocks Pororari River Paparoa National Park - Days 16 - 17
Akaroa
After breakfast, you'll pack up and depart. ZigZag provides a free transfer back to Christchurch airport or city centre, so you'll head there to complete this leg of your journey and prepare for what comes next.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Days 18 - 21
Mount Cook to Oamaru
Drive south to the Omarama Clay Cliffs, a natural rock formation created by glacial runoff and weathered into huge funnels and soaring turrets. Walk amongst the deep gorges of red dirt for great photography. Head through the gorgeous Waitaki Valley toward the east coast, stopping to view rare early Māori Rock Art dating back hundreds of years. Arrive in coastal Oamaru and camp right on the harbor edge.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Omarama Clay Cliffs viewing and walking
Optional Activities
- Māori Rock Art sites viewing
Landmarks Omarama Clay Cliffs Waitaki Valley Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony 
- Days 22 - 23
Oamaru to Dunedin
Head south along the coast and stop at the Moeraki Boulders, large smooth spherical rocks scattered like huge stone beach balls on deserted Koekohe Beach, great for photos. Later, spend the afternoon in Dunedin, the South Island's second largest city. Walk around and see its strong Scottish heritage, cosmopolitan culture, excellent food and brewery scene, museums, galleries, and botanical gardens.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Moeraki Boulders viewing and photography
- University and Railway Station viewing
- Octagon and Robbie Burns statue visit
- Baldwin Street (world's steepest street) visit
- Food and brewery scene exploration
Landmarks Moeraki Boulders Dunedin Railway Station Octagon Baldwin Street - Days 24 - 25
Naseby
Take an optional short tour of the Maniototo region. Visit Saint Bathans, a settlement that once had over 2,000 residents and now has less than 1% of that. Explore the much-photographed Vulcan Hotel with its unchanged interior and old photographs. See the picturesque Blue Lake created by past mining, and walk the loop track with old mining relics. Try your hand at curling, a sport played competitively here since 1878.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Naseby curling group session
Optional Activities
- Saint Bathans settlement visit
- Vulcan Hotel tour
- Blue Lake loop track walk
Landmarks Saint Bathans Vulcan Hotel Blue Lake - Days 26 - 29
Curio Bay to Te Anau
Visit Slope Point, the southernmost point of New Zealand, a windswept peninsula with a sign marking its location. Enjoy superb coastal views in both directions. Travel through lush green farmland into Southland. Make a detour to Bluff, New Zealand's southernmost town and where State Highway 1 starts and ends. Visit Stirling Point for views across to Stewart Island. Continue toward Te Anau, the base for Fiordland National Park.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Slope Point short walk and viewing
- Stirling Point visit
Landmarks Slope Point Bluff Stirling Point - Days 30 - 37
Wanaka
Free day in Wanaka, the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park on the shores of beautiful Lake Wanaka. With Southern Alps backdrop, it's an outdoor paradise for mountain trails, lakeside walks, canyoning, swimming, and bike riding. Climb Mount Iron or Roy's Peak for incredible 360-degree views. Try water-based activities, bike hire, a boutique cinema, or find the famous Instagram-friendly 'that Wanaka tree'.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Mount Iron climb
- Roy's Peak hike (high and physically exhausting)
- Water-based activities on the lake
- Bike hire
- Boutique cinema visit
- Food truck square above babbling brook
- 'That Wanaka tree' photo opportunity
Landmarks Lake Wanaka Mt Aspiring National Park Mount Iron Roy's Peak - Days 38 - 43
Hokitika to Hanmer Springs
Leave Hokitika and head to the coast, then drive north to Greymouth. Turn inland toward Reefton, the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to install electric streetlights in 1888. Continue across the Lewis Pass, the northernmost of New Zealand's three passes across the Southern Alps. Follow the Waiau River to Hanmer Springs for a 2-night stay. This small alpine resort is best known for its Thermal Pools and Spa complex.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa
Landmarks Hokitika Greymouth Reefton Lewis Pass Hanmer Springs - Days 44 - 47
Kaikōura to Christchurch
Start with a leisurely morning in Kaikōura. Drive to Point Kean viewpoint for superb views of the coastline and mountains. Visit the famous Kaikōura Seafood BBQ kiosk for locally harvested seafood including crayfish, scallops, paua, whitebait fritters, mussels, fish, prawns, and seafood chowder. After lunch, drive south along the craggy coastline, then head inland through wineries and sheep farms of northern Canterbury Plains. Cross the Waimakariri River into Christchurch for drop-off at city centre or airport.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Point Kean viewpoint visit
Landmarks Point Kean Kaikōura Seafood BBQ Waimakariri River Canterbury Plains
