Are you planning a Top of the South roadtrip? You’ve come to the right place.
New Zealand’s South Island has some of the best scenery the country has to offer. Breath-taking views, mountains, glaciers and lakes. The top of the South Island isn’t so well known, but deserves just as much recognition offering idyllic gold sand beaches, world-class wine and extraordinary marine wildlife.
In December 2021, we hired a campervan from Christchurch and set off on our 10 day roadtrip around the top of the South.
If you’re not tight for time, I think 2 weeks would be pretty spot on for completing this roadtrip really thoroughly. But for us, having already ticked off a few spots on previous short trips, we managed to squeeze our top of the South roadtrip into a fun-filled 10 days – and if you’re short on time you could definitely do it too!
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1. Christchurch
We first visited Christchurch in 2018 and were really underwhelmed by the city. The devastating effects of the 2011 earthquake were still very prominent and we felt really limited for things to do.
Coming back in 2022, we fell in love with the food and drink scene and how easy it is to navigate your way around all the city’s best attractions by foot, bike or scooter. The city is also a great first stop for your roadtrip so that you can stock up on supplies before heading further afield.
As the international airport for the South Island, most campervan and car rental companies are also based here.
OUR TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
Little High Eatery
If like us, you love street food, then Little High Eatery is the place for you. In total 8 different local, family run businesses reside inside this modern style marketplace. When you can’t decide on what cuisine you fancy, try a bit of everything! Our highlight was El Fogon and their Venezuelan Parrillada (Chargrilled BBQ meats). It’s open 7 days a week, so you can’t miss it – 11am-10pm.
Riverside Market
Riverside Market is another really cool city development. It’s an indoor farmers market providing a vibrant hub of boutique retail, restaurants and bars. Start your day by picking up a coffee, then stroll around sampling different local food and drink, before undoubtedly buying a few treats to take on the road with you. This fantastic spot is also open 7 days a week with varying opening hours. As they say themselves, its “a great place to start your food tour of the South Island”.
Antigua Boatsheds
Take the weight off your feet and spend an hour meandering down the Avon River. Antigua Boat Sheds is situated in the heart of Christchurch’s city centre. They offer a punting tour if you want to sit back and relax completely, or if you’re wanting to get more hands on, they also offer single or double man canoes, and rowing boats. We took out the rowing boat with the picnic hamper option for $60. It was really romantic and we got so much food! I would definitely recommend this as a lunch stop before embarking on your afternoon of driving.
Other Honourable Mentions…
- O.G.B for the best cocktails you will ever try
- New Regent Street for a variety of brightly coloured restaurants and bars
- International Antarctic Centre for learning about the amazing continent
2. Akaroa
1 hour 20 minutes driving from Christchurch
Akaroa is one of 3 volcanoes that forms the Banks Peninsula. The town was founded in 1840 by French settlers, and to this day a strong French influence remains.
It also is home to some incredible marine wildlife and some beautiful walking tracks.
The roads are windy, but even just driving through, the views are quite incredible. There are tourist routes you can also follow to maximise the scenic drive.
TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
Swim with Dolphins
There are a few companies that do this in the area, but we recommend Black Cat Dolphin Swim. Their numbers are small, but their boat is big enough to handle some rougher weather conditions.
We had 6 people on our tour – ourselves and 2 other couples. The driver and 2 crew members were amazing at pointing out the dolphins to us, and the best part was that we had no idea they were taking pictures of us when we were in the water with the dolphins for us to take home with us!
The weather was pretty terrible for us, but I was really surprised that the 5mm wetsuits provided kept us so warm and floating easily in the water, without really having to work hard at all. Even though the visibility wasn’t so good under the water, we still managed to capture some amazing footage on our GoPro which shows just how close the dolphins came to us.
The Hector’s dolphins we were swimming with are the rarest and smallest dolphins in the world. We were lucky enough to swim around with at least 20 and to even see a mother and its baby from the boat too. This made the whole experience all the more special.
Stoney Bay Peak
Take note, the road to this track is difficult. We saw 3 cars in ditches so it requires some careful driving and takes far longer than Google Maps predicts.
The track itself takes around 1 hour return and isn’t too steep as the car has done most of the uphill for you!
There can’t be too many people who walk the track often, we didn’t see anybody else and it was overgrown to the point plants were covering the route which at times made it a little difficult. However, the views were beautiful, even on a moody day! The low clouds rolling through the valley gave an eerie feel up on the summit and made for a really interesting stop.
Ma Maison
If you’re not planning on making your own food every night, I highly recommend making a booking at Ma Maison for some fantastic food on the waters edge.
We really enjoyed all our food here, however and we must give a special mention to the seared Tuna and Venison dishes. It was exquisite, combining some really different flavours and beautifully presented.
3. Kaikoura
3 and a half hours driving from Akaroa
Also known for its marine wildlife, in particular its huge population of sperm whales, you must add a night in the coastal town of Kaikoura to your itinerary.
The town itself on both occasions we have visited has been a little sleepy, however it is absolutely worth visiting to try some freshly caught crayfish and spot an array of incredible sea animals.
TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
Seal Swim Kaikoura
Now we actually did this on our trip back in 2018, but it is still to this day one of our favourite activities of all our travels to date.
Seal Swim Kaikoura is a small family-run business that takes you out to a seal colony to, as the name states, swim with the seals. They provide great wetsuits and snorkel gear and direct you to make your way around the rocks with about 50 seals basking in the sun.
Due to the playful nature of these beautiful creatures, many get excited when they see you and dive in from the rocks to play with you in the water – one headbutted my goggles it came so close!
The experience was so interactive, it was quite magical. You can see seals on almost every rock just from the beach in Kaikoura, but getting this up close and personal with them was really special.
Listed as one of the world’s ‘Top 10 Marine Encounters’
Lonely Planet
Wings Over Whales
Whale watching is Kaikoura’s most famous activity and for good reason. The chances of seeing one is ridiculously high!
We opted to take a tiny plane for a scenic flight to whale watch with Wings over Whales in order to have a better vantage point to see the full body of the mammals.
We were really impressed with the thorough briefing before the flight, which informed us a lot about the many species of whale in the water and why they live in the waters around Kaikoura.
There were 5 people in our plane plus the pilot, so we all had a window seat and were in the air for around 40 minutes. We were lucky enough to see a blue whale twice, and even then the pilot seemed quite disappointed saying that was a bad day! Even if we hadn’t seen a whale we still enjoyed the experience of flying in a tiny plane and touring Kaikoura from above.
Accommodation
Both times we have stayed in Kaikoura we have been really impressed with our accommodation, so felt both venues deserved a mention in our article.
If you’re travelling by car, check out SkyHi Lodge. Their private rooms are very reasonably priced, and there is a huge social area to relax in during your stay too. The location is right by the centre of town, just a few minutes walk to anything you could need.
If you’re in a campervan, then we would recommend staying at The Point Campsite. Just a few minutes drive from the town, this little farm provides sites for self contained vehicles with views of the sheep and the ocean. It was really easy to rock up, register and pay via the letterbox.
4. Blenheim
1 and a half hours driving from Kaikoura
Blenheim is the main town for visiting the Marlborough region, internationally renowned for producing some of world’s the finest Sauvignon Blanc. However with 35 cellar doors to choose from, be sure to try some of the regions lesser known varieties which are equally as impressive.
If you’re not into wine, there are also a few breweries and distilleries you can visit too, but with so many wineries its pretty likely you will find a glass of wine that suits you somewhere!
(Read how Marlborough vineyards compare to their North Island counterparts here!)
TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
Bike 2 Wine
The best way to get around Blenheim is by bike. We hired tandems from Bike 2 Wine in 2018 and enjoyed it so much, that we did the same again on our 2021 trip.
Riding a tandem is great fun and requires little fitness, but some moderate teamwork! The bikes are easy to pick up and just $60 per day.
The wineries generally open 10am-5pm so you have plenty of time to explore. The cellar doors are all close to each other and well sign posted. In total collecting our bikes at midday, we visited 5 wineries and cycled no more than 5km.
Bladen
As I said, there are lots of wineries to choose from so we had to recommend our absolute favourite Bladen. It’s a little family ran winery in the heart of Marlborough, and the rose in particular is exquisite. The cellar door is ran by the son and daughter of the owners who gave up their corporate jobs to become wine makers and have never looked back since. They have 3 gorgeous dogs who will greet you when you arrive, and the wine tasting is really informative and the pours are large! Of all the maybe 30 wineries we have visited in New Zealand, Bladen is hands down our favourite so don’t miss it!
Boom Town
When all the wineries close their doors for the day, there is one important place to visit. Boom Town is a new venture which opened in October 2021 and serves up a great selection of local drinks as well as some of the best burgers I have ever eaten!
The set up is a huge outdoor area, we’re talking; bean bags, outdoor games, fire pit, food trucks, and both sunny and shady seating areas to enjoy. They offer for you to try samples of all drinks before you buy them, and have produce from all the local wineries so its a great chance to try any which you might’ve missed earlier in the day.
Jackson and Will run the show and are super hospitable, lovely guys who are really passionate about what they do. The beer garden is open Wednesday through to Sunday with varying opening hours, so check out their website.
Other Honourable Mentions
- Antares Homestay for a great nights sleep amongst the vines
- Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen for a delicious lunch menu with incredible views nestled within the vineyard
- Forrest Wines for an awesome food platter to accompany your wine tasting
- Vines Village for a diverse tasting courtesy of the Gin Room and Whitehaven wines
5. Marlborough Sounds
25 minutes driving time from Blenheim
This stop was the highlight of our top of the south roadtrip. Marlborough Sounds is made up of 4 different sea drowned valleys, creating beautiful scenery and stunning walks.
We visited Queen Charlotte sound, which is also home to the Queen Charlotte multi-day hike which is absolutely now on our list of things to do!
There is road access to the Sounds, however due to flooding it is currently resident access only. Kenepuru Road will be closed for the entirety of 2022, so the easiest way to explore the Sounds is by foot, bike or boat.
TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
Punga Cove Resort
Add a slice of paradise to your trip.
Currently the easiest and quickest way to Punga Cove is by boat. The Cougar Line ferry itself is a stunning boat trip through the sounds – we even saw a pod of about 20 bottle nose dolphins next to our boat on our trip across!
The resort is stunning, and very reasonably priced considering how beautiful and secluded it is. Room prices vary depending on how much luxury you are after, but start from $90 per night. For this price, you also have free access to the swimming pool, spa pool, kayaks, paddle boards and various other outdoor games.
Punga Cove also has 2 restaurants, the Boatshed Cafe & Bar, and the Punga Fern Restaurant. The former, offers share plates and pizzas as part of their all day menu, the latter a more formal breakfast and dinner menu all of which we can vouch for being pretty tasty!
The resort is on the Queen Charlotte track, so I would strongly recommend stopping by, or even better staying the night before continuing to enjoy the track.
Mount Stokes
This hike is our favourite hike internationally to date. Starting from Punga Cove (due to the road closure), it was 22km and took us 8 hours return. We would seriously recommend doing it for sunrise, just look at the pictures to see why.
The walk from Punga Cove to the start of the track is 7km and took us around an hour and half.
In the dark, it’s tricky to see the start of the track. DOC considers it to be an advanced track, the sheer steepness of it, and the tree roots and actual fall trees breaking the path make it very challenging, and even more so to tackle this before the sun comes up!
The other thing is, despite the little orange markers on the trees, in the dark the track is really hard to follow. Give yourself extra time and prepare for the difficulty of completing an advanced track in the dark.
But the views are so worth it! So be prepared for a challenge, but absolutely do not miss this beautiful hike.
Snout Track
If you’re not a big hiker, and you haven’t the time to head to Punga Cove, the Snout Track is a really beautiful walk of 4 hours return at Picton.
Before you head to the Queen Charlotte track, or jump on a boat to a luxurious lodge head to the Snout Track.
Most of the uphill is done by the car to get to the carpark, although there is a few steeper moments on the track. The canopy walk takes you through to a gorgeous lookout and then down to the point of the headland.
6. Nelson
2 hours driving from Marlborough Sounds (Picton)
Nelson really could be a whole trip in itself. It’s a really popular to visit by New Zealander’s across the summer break, and of course is the home to the gorgeous Abel Tasman – check out our article about this here.
From stunning walks, to a great food and drink scene, and golden sand beaches, Nelson has something for everyone, and is a non-negotiable for your itinerary.
TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
Harry’s Hawker House
Our first recommendation is an incredible restaurant with high end food for really reasonable prices. 80% of the produce they cook with is homegrown, and the menu is inspired by the flavours and vibrancy of South East Asian street food and comes in the form of share plates.
Our favourite dishes of the evening were the Naughty Negiri and Southeast Ceviche. The lemongrass mojito was pretty delicious too, and really complimented the food. We actually enjoyed it so much, we didn’t get a chance to take a photo so check out their website to see how unreal the dishes look for yourself.
Neudorf Winery
Nelson is less known for its wines given its next door to one of New Zealand’s biggest wine regions, but it is home to another one of our favourites.
Neudorf is another relatively small winery with a beautiful cellar door offering tastings of their selection of wines.
Their chardonnay is our favourite and rather different to what you’ll be expecting.
Nelson Lakes – St. Arnaud Track
Nelson Lakes National Park is an hour south of Nelson city itself, and home to 2 stunning lakes and various walking tracks.
The most challenging day walk of these is the St Arnaud Track which takes approximately 5 hours to complete and starts from the beautiful Kerr Bay Campsite.
The track starts with a steady climb through forest and is mostly moderate walking, until you reach the top of the tree line and are faced with an incredibly steep scree pathway which is very exposed and takes you to the top of the mountain.
Of course, the higher you go, the better the views, but you can stop at Parachute Rocks if you don’t want to tackle the last section, or if the weather is not suitable for such climbing.
It’s a really beautiful hike, and would thoroughly recommend ticking it off and jumping in the lake when you head back down.
7. Golden Bay
1 hour 50 minutes driving from Nelson
Golden Bay describes the area from the end of the Abel Tasman coastal track all the way up to Farewell Spit. This includes the most northerly point in the South Island.
Given its close proximity to the gorgeous Abel Tasman beaches, you can expect similar golden sand bays and turquoise waters but with far smaller crowds.
TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
Tata Beach
Arguably the best beach in Golden Bay. It really felt like we were in the Abel Tasman National Park – without having to hike or jump on a boat to enjoy the beach.
The waters here are so warm, and compared to other beaches in the area, it remains easy to swim at low tide meaning you could spend all day here if you’d like.
Kiwi Spirit Distillery
We stumbled upon this driving to Tata Beach, and it was one of our favourite stops on the top of the South roadtrip.
The cellar door offers free tastings of their wide variety of home brewed spirits – gins, vodkas, whiskys and liquers. Our host Jeremy was so knowledgeable on everything from the drinks to recommending more local spots to visit. It was clear he was passionate about his work, and we left having learnt masses about our purchases. Far more than at any other tasting room we’ve experienced.
Definitely swing by – our favourite was the Gemstone Gin and the Boysenberry Liquer!
The distillery draws pristine water from ancient acquifers at Te Waikoropupu Springs as we captured below. The waters are incredibly sacred and special to the Maori people.
Wharariki Beach
A little bit further out of the way, but well worth the short drive is Wharariki beach.
The beach is about a 20 minute walk from the car park, and at the end you’ll find the sand dunes.
It’s very exposed, so its not a beach for swimming. Nevertheless I would highly recommend heading down to experience the dunes and see the seal pup colony on the rocks.
It’s a beautiful spot for sunset if you time it right, and next to Cape Farewell – a quick picture spot of the most northerly point of the South Island.
8. West Country
4 hours 45 minutes driving from Golden Bay
Despite the West Coast’s dreary reputation, we found some stunning spots to explore in this region.
The drive itself is quite picturesque, although there is very little worth stopping for in Westport or Greymouth.
Take note – there are very limited petrol stations around, so be sure to top up regularly to avoid becoming stuck.
TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO MISS…
State Highway 6
As mentioned, the drive itself is very pretty and makes this day feel like a real roady. Stop at various lookouts and follow some of the short walking tracks.
The road heads through a stunning gorge before following the coast through windy roads.
There are various places to stop, just pull in whenever you see signs to do so and admire the views.
Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blow Holes
We would strongly recommend staying in Punakaiki on the west coast, given it is town with the most to do.
It is most famous for the pancake rocks and blow holes, which is incredibly touristy, but with pretty good reason.
Stop off here and take the half an hour walking track through these interesting natural creations. Aim to go at high tide in order to see the blow holes in all their glory.
Punakaiki Cavern
This was another stop we stumbled upon on our roadtrip and we loved it!
Pick up your head torch and climb through the 130m cave. Make sure you wear trainers to avoid getting your feet extremely muddy like we did.
The cave is really interesting and relatively easy to navigate your way through if you’re brave enough!
9. Arthurs Pass
Our final day was approximately a 4 hour drive through Arthurs Pass from Punakaiki back to Christchurch.
If you have time, spend the night in Arthurs Pass and complete the Avalanche Peak hike. There is also a great scenic spot for lunch – the Devil’s Punchbowl waterfall.
If you don’t have time, then there are plenty of beautiful stops on the way to break up the drive. Just the road itself is seriously impressive.
The drive was actually one of my favourite things we did on our top of the South roadtrip. I was just in awe of the mountains, and we will definitely be coming back to explore the area thoroughly.
We enjoyed brief stops at Otira Viaduct Lookout, Moana Rua and Castle Hill, before returning to Christchurch to return our campervan and catch our flight home. We even met a cheeky Kea on our travels.
Hiring a Campervan:
Now all that’s left to do is start booking your top of the South roadtrip! We loved our campervan experience, and would definitely recommend Mad Campers for reasonable rates and friendly, quick correspondence.
The van and all the gear was really clean and ready to use. The layout was well thought out and the bed pretty comfortable.
For 10 days during the peak season of December/ January, we paid $128 per day for the camper. We also then opted for the Gambler insurance policy charging $15 per day.
Do note that travelling during the peak season also means you should book campsites ahead of time as everywhere is so busy, and these can also be expensive. We paid on average $40 a night per site, given that the campers are self contained but have no shower facilities.
This being said, the experience of travelling in a campervan, and the ease of just getting up and going definitely made the roadtrip far more enjoyable. We would absolutely do it again and recommend to you for your trip too.
Budgeting for your Top of the South Roadtrip:
In addition to the costs of hiring the campervan and camping sites, we spent around $450 on our activities around the top of the South.
Our best money saving tip would be to book your activities through BookMe.com rather than directly through the companies websites. By doing this we saved $25 each on our dolphin swimming in Akaroa. Even better we saved $75 each on our whale watching flight.
Another way of limiting your costs, would be to cook as much as possible in your campervan. Plan your meals ahead of completing your food shop to avoid buying unnecessary supplies. We’ve always found breakfast in New Zealand to be rather underwhelming and overpriced, so consider preparing your own breakfast.
The other cost you can’t really avoid is petrol. Our roadtrip covered 1,788km in total, costing approximately $400 in fuel. It’s pretty unavoidable, but try and stock up in larger towns where possible. Try to find a Mobil if you can, they are usually the cheapest option!