Queenstown to Auckland Self Drive

Drive North from Queenstown to Auckland self drive holiday via Christchurch and Wellington. The South Island, New Zealand route to Christchurch takes you either across to the West Coast and the Glaciers, and back through Arthurs Pass; or alternatively along the Southern Alps to Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo.

For those with more time, you can drive from Queenstown to Te Anau, the gateway for Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound; before driving on to Dunedin and the wildlife attractions of Otago Peninsula. From Dunedin the road takes you either back through Wanaka to the West Coast, or alternatively past Oamaru and the Moeraki boulders to Mt Cook and Christchurch.

From the “Garden City” of Christchurch, a drive out to Banks Peninsula and the historic French town of Akaroa is a good day trip. Driving north from Christchurch the road takes you through Kaikoura and Blenheim, the main centre for the Marlborough Food & Wine region to Picton, before crossing on the Interislander ferry to Wellington. A great little detour takes you out past Nelson Lakes National Park to Nelson and Abel Tasman National Park.

Once in the North Island of New Zealand, the drive from Wellington takes you past Tongariro National Park and Lake Taupo to Rotorua, before arriving in Auckland. An excellent side trip takes you from Rotorua around the spectacular Coromandel Peninsula coast to Auckland. Or for those Food and Wine aficionados, an alternative route from Wellington takes you through the food and wine growing districts of Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay.  Here you can see the Art Deco architecture in Napier, built after the 1931 earthquake.

Those people with a few more nights, can also look at driving up to the beautiful Bay of Islands from Auckland. Take a cruise in the bay to the “Hole in the Rock”, visit Waitangi Treaty Grounds or historic Russell.

Amendments

Our Queenstown to Auckland self-drive itineraries are fully flexible, so they can be amended or combined with other itineraries. All one way itineraries can also be done in reverse. So if you have any changes or special requests, just put a note in the booking/enquiry form.

Airfares

International flights can be included from Australia for all Australian residents.