10 Day Campervan Itinerary New Zealand: A South Island Loop

How the ten days fit together

The loop is about 1,800 km, so the average day is 180 km, and the longest legs are the run from Queenstown to Te Anau with the Milford Road side trip, and the West Coast day from Haast to Franz Josef and on. Starting and ending in Christchurch avoids a one-way fee and gives you the flight home from the same airport. Check the driving day planner before you lock the days in.

Book the nights you cannot move: Te Anau, Franz Josef and Queenstown in summer, and Aoraki Mount Cook if you want the DOC campsite at White Horse Hill. In winter the passes can need chains and the Milford Road can close, so build in a spare day and read the winter driving guide.

Days 1 to 4: Tekapo, Aoraki and the lakes

Day 1: leave Christchurch and drive to Lake Tekapo, about 3 hours, stopping at Geraldine or Fairlie on the way. Spend the evening at the lake and the stars. Day 2: continue to Aoraki Mount Cook for the Hooker Valley walk, then spend the night at Twizel or in the national park village. The Christchurch to Tekapo and Aoraki guide covers both days.

Day 3: cross the Lindis Pass to Wānaka, about 3 hours, and walk the lake or Roys Peak if the weather is clear. Day 4: drive to Queenstown, about an hour, with a stop in Arrowtown. Use the afternoon in town, and spend the night at a holiday park.

Days 5 to 7: Fiordland and the Haast Pass

Day 5: drive from Queenstown to Te Anau, about 2 hours, and take the afternoon to see the lake and the glowworm caves. Day 6: drive the Milford Road, about 2 hours each way, for Milford Sound, and return to Te Anau. It is a long day, so book a cruise rather than doing the whole drive in a rush. The Fiordland camping road trip guide has the details.

Day 7: drive back to Queenstown and on to Wānaka, then north over Haast Pass to the coast. The Wānaka to Haast Pass guide covers the stops, and the road is slow but beautiful. This is the longest day of the trip, so start early and spend the night at Haast or Fox Glacier, whichever your timing allows.

Days 8 to 10: the glaciers and Arthur's Pass

Day 8: use the day for Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. The valley walks are short, and the glaciers are best seen on a clear day, with a helicopter or a guided trip if the budget allows. This is also the rest day, so keep the driving short. The Christchurch to Franz Josef guide shows the road from the other direction.

Day 9: head north through Hokitika and Greymouth and then over Arthur's Pass, stopping at the viewpoints and the village. Spend the night at Arthur's Pass, where the keas are curious about your gear. Day 10: drive back to Christchurch, about 2 hours, with a buffer before any flight. The Arthur's Pass guide has the details.

Where to camp and what to book

Holiday parks are the easy choice in Tekapo, Wānaka, Queenstown, Te Anau and Franz Josef, with power, showers and kitchens, and they book out in summer, so check the holiday parks guide on reserving early. DOC campsites at Aoraki, along the Milford Road and on the Coast are simpler and cheaper, and the DOC campsites guide covers booking.

Freedom camping is restricted in most of these towns, and the Queenstown Lakes and Westland areas are patrolled. Read the freedom camping rules guide before you rely on a spot, and carry sandfly repellent for the West Coast and Fiordland.

Planning your ten days in KiwiCamping

Ten days in the South Island means a lot of nights to line up, and KiwiCamping's iPhone map shows the DOC campsites, huts and holiday parks for every one of them. Once the stops are in order, each leg gets a distance and each place a forecast, which is how you spot a wet Coast day or a snowy pass before you commit. The app plans rather than navigates, so drive with your maps app and check closures on the NZTA Journey Planner.

Reservations for DOC sites go through DOC's own system.

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