TRAVEL: South Island, New Zealand
We have just returned from our two week trip to the South Island of New Zealand and while it is still fresh in my mind I thought I would summarise it all. This was one of our favourite holidays as a couple and I can’t wait to do it all over again with our family in the future.
We did 9 nights in a campervan and a further 3 nights at the beautiful Sherwood Hotel in Queenstown. I have included our itinerary, van information, tips, holiday parks, our favourite walks and some dining recommendations below:
12 Night Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Queenstown, pick up the van from Maui depot. Drive to Glendhu Bay (1.5 hours) and stay overnight.
Day 2: Day trip to Mount Cook. Walk the Hooker Valley Track. Stay overnight at Glendhu Bay.
* We were meant to spend the night at Lake Pukaki this night but decided at the last minute to drive back.
Day 3: Day trip to Blue Pools/Makarora area. Stay overnight in Wanaka.
Day 4: Walk Rocky Mountain Summit. Stay overnight in Wanaka.
*Day 3 and 4 were meant to be spent at Fox Glacier/Franz Joseph. The weather turned and we decided to enjoy extra time in Wanaka. It is definitely worth looking at adding this to your itinerary (3.5 - 4 hours drive from Wanaka)
Day 5: Walk Glendhu Bay track. Stay overnight at Landescape.
Day 6: Hire E-bikes from Landescape and ride around Lake Hawea. Stay overnight at Landescape.
Day 7: Drive to Milford Sound (4.5 - 5 hours). Enjoy a cruise through Milford Sound. Stay overnight at Milford Sound Lodge.
Day 8: Walk Key Summit Trail. Drive to Queenstown (3.5 - 4 hours) and stay overnight.
*We had two nights booked at Milford Sound Lodge however decided to leave after one night and head back to Queenstown as we needed to get back there a little earlier.
Day 9: Explore Queenstown. Ride the gondola and luge. Stay overnight.
Day 10: Return van to Maui depot. Check in to Sherwood Hotel for 3 nights.
Day 11: Explore Queenstown. Visit Onsen pools.
Day 12: Explore Arrowtown and Glenorchy.
Day 13: Check out of Sherwood and fly home.
Van Info and Tips
We really enjoyed the freedom of taking each day as it came this trip. We had a rough itinerary however this completely changed depending on the weather or how much we were enjoying a location. My advice is to not book anything too far in advance where possible so that you have the flexibility to decide as you go. If you’re visiting in peak season, definitely book in advance.
We hired a Maui Ultima. We loved this van and found it spacious and comfortable, it was perfect for two people. The dining table and lounge easily folded in to a double bed at night time. There was plenty of storage and it was enjoyable to drive.
As expected, the kitchen was very small so we opted to do most of our cooking on the pop out BBQ located on the outside of the van. When free camping we found it easer to do our washing up in a large bucket outside of the van.
Straight after picking up our van in Queenstown we drove to Frankton (5 mins) to stock up on basics that we planned on using in the van, like milk, GF bread, eggs, coconut yoghurt etc. Most towns only have smaller expensive grocers like 4Square so I would recommend grabbing your basics at Pak ‘n’ Save, New World or Countdown to save on costs.
We opted to both free camp and stay at holiday parks. There are a lot of amazing spots to free camp throughout New Zealand, your van must be self contained to do this, which most are (i.e. have a toilet in your van). There are also quite a few free motor home camp sites with toilet facilities, like the one in Lake Pukaki. Before you go, download the THL app. This has so much information including free camp sites, where to fill up gas, dump stations, holiday parks etc.
Holiday parks and camp sites vary in cost per night and can be anywhere from $15 (very basic amenities) to $70 (better facilities). We found most sites cost around $45 for two people. The amenities in most of the holiday parks were amazing, including heated bathroom floors, great showers and coin operated laundry systems. A few of these parks had spas and saunas that are great for after a long day hiking. Bike hire is another bonus. It was also great to have a kitchen to use as the van can definitely get a little cramped if you need to cook and wash up in it.
Holiday Park and Campsite Recommendations:
Such a stunning location. It is located about a 10 minute drive out of Wanaka.
This was a great place to use as a base while we were in Wanaka as it is really close to town (about a 30 minute walk). The facilities are really great too. We loved the outside BBQ/Kitchen area to do our cooking.
The only place to stay right in Milford Sound but it’s amazing. The facilities were great, it is really close to where the cruise departs from and the location is just stunning. You will need to book your site in advance as it can book out really fast.
Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde
The only spot we didn’t love. The location is really great (a 5 minute walk into town) so if that is all you are after it might be great for you.
Like the Wanaka location, the facilities were great. It is quite a while out of town (10 minute drive) but we didn’t mind. There is a complimentary shuttle that runs every hour if you wanted to go into Queenstown. We walked down to Canyon Brewery for dinner.
Not a holiday park, but a must do if you are visiting the South Island. Joe found this place in his research and booked us two nights. It is essentially a van site on a huge block of land. There is a composting toilet. The best part is that you get your own wood fired hot tub. We spent every morning and night soaking in here, topping it up with more wood to keep it warm. Definitely stock up on groceries for the time you are there, including cheese and wine, as you won’t want to leave the property. You can also hire electric bikes here to ride around the Wanaka cycle network. These trails start only 500m from the entry to Landescape and Rick and Juliet provide great maps and recommendations for your riding day. This site was around $160AUD per night and so incredibly worth it.
Our Favourite Walks:
We both LOVE walking/hiking and booked this trip with this as the focus. For this particular trip we decided to do a few shorter walks/day walks instead of a multi-day hike. There are so many beautiful walks for all different experience levels all over the South Island. Make sure you check via the DOC website before you walk to make sure it is open/the conditions are okay. Our top 4 walks from the trip are below:
Hooker Valley Track (Mount Cook)
10km return, this took us around 2 hours. It’s an easy walk that is relatively flat. There are beautiful views of the glaciers at the end.
Rocky Mountain Summit Track (Wanaka)
7km return. A moderate walk with a lot of climbing. The last 30 minutes of the ascent are quite a climb but the views are worth it.
Glendhu Bay Track (Wanaka)
30km return. This is a long walk but is relatively flat with only a few steep spots. The views are incredible. You can do portions of this walk or do the whole thing.
Key Summit Trail (Milford Sound)
7km return. A moderate walk, wear proper footwear. Majority of the way up is very steep. This is my favourite walk in NZ, it is part of the Routeburn track and makes me want to go back and do the full thing.
I have previously done part of the Ben Lomond track (Queenstown) and loved it. We wanted to do Roy’s Peak and Rob Roy Glacier this trip but both were closed.
Restaurant and Dining Recommendations:
Wanaka:
Federal Diner - consistently great food and coffee.
Scroggin Coffee & Eatery- delicious coffee!
Milford Sound:
Pio Pio Restaurant at Milford Sound Lodge - you need to try the Venison here, it is their star dish.
Queenstown:
Sherwood Restaurant - We ate here for breakfast everyday and dinner most nights. This is a must do if you love good food and beautiful produce (most of it is grown on site)
Bespoke Kitchen - a great brunch spot
Ramen Ramen - authentic Japanese food.
Taco Medic - street food style tacos. Grab takeaway and eat it by the lake.
Fergburger - A staple in Queenstown. The GF buns were actually great too. Call ahead with your order to avoid the big line.
We didn’t get to Rata, Botswana or Amisfield Winery this trip but wanted to!
I hope you find this post helpful and please don’t hesitate to reach out via Instagram (@maddytrueman) or email if you have any questions or need further reccos!
Maddy
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