New Zealand Itinerary (South Island)
- Day 1 (Wednesday, April 19): Christchurch
- Flight lands at 8:25am – picked up by Budgy Campers
- Get Campervan from Budgy Campers
- Grab coffee at C1 Espresso
- Get groceries at PAK’nSAVE
- Buy a 2 Degrees SIM Card
- Drive to Lake Tekapo: 3hr // Mount Cook: 3hr45min // Lake Pukaki 3hr 40min
- Campsite: Lyttelton Boat Ramp (Christchurch)
- Day 2 (Thursday, April 20): Mount Cook
- Drive to Mount Cook: 3hr 45 min
- Lake Tekapo
- Lake Pukaki
- http://youngadventuress.com/2015/11/mt-cook-new-zealand-views.html
- Hike Hooker Valley Track (2-4 hours)
- Campsite: Lake Pukaki
- Katiki (North End)
- Day 3 (Friday, April 21): Dunedin
- Warrington Reserve (north of Dunedin) – 3hr from Mount Cook
- Ocean View Recreational Reserve Brighton (south of Dunedin)
- Brighton Domain (south of Dunedin) – 3hr30min
- Day 4 (Saturday, April 22): Southern Scenic Route
- Nugget Point Lighthouse
- Dunedin to Nugget Point Lighthouse: 1 hr 30 min
- Sunrise? 7:15am
- The Catlins (30 min)
- Purakaunui Falls Walk: 30min walk (there & back w/ pictures)
- McLean Falls: 1hr walk (there & back w/ pictures)
- Invercargill (1 hr 40 min)
- Bluff – southern tip
- Fish & chips
- Pak’nSAVE
- Bluff – southern tip
- Campsite
- Colac Bay (1hr from Bluff to Colac Bay)
- Look for penguins
- Monkey Island (1hr20min to Monkey Island)
- South Arm Campsite (Lake Manapouri) – 2hr15min
- Colac Bay (1hr from Bluff to Colac Bay)
- Nugget Point Lighthouse
- Day 5 (Sunday, April 23): Te Anau
- Driving from Invercargill to Te Anau: 2 hours
- Pick up hut passes at the DOC office in Te Anau
- Pick up Key Lock Box:
- The key box can be picked up from Caltex petrol station on the main street through Te Anau.
- The 4 number code for the key box is inside the box. Make sure you remember it.
- The key can be put inside the box and hooked up under the back bumper of your car or a door handle.
- We will leave it in the same place that you leave it for us
- Sandfly Cafe – this is our favourite too!
- Hikes:
- Lake Marian
- Campsite:
- South Arm Campsite (Lake Manapouri)
- Cascade Creek Campground ($13 per person)
- Knobs Flat ($20 per person)
- Hot Shower
- Day 6 (Monday, April 24): Milford Sound
- Te Anau to Milford Sound: 1hr 45min
- From Lake Manapouri: 2hr
- From Cascade Creek: 1hr
- Kayak Milford Sound
- Depart at 8am-1pm ($150 NZD – $100 USD per person)
- Hikes: Lake Maria
- 2.4 km – 3 hr return to lake
- Campsite:
- Cascade Creek Campground ($13 per person)
- Knobs Flat ($20 per person)
- Hot Shower
- Te Anau to Milford Sound: 1hr 45min
- Day 7 (Tuesday, April 25): Routeburn Track
- The Divide to Key Summit (3.4 km)
- Key Summit to Lake Mackenzie
- Lake Mackenzie Hut
- Car Transport: Easy Hike or Track Hopper
- http://www.easyhike.co.nz/routeburn-track/routeburn-track-car-relocation/
- Leave car in Routeburn Track Car Park
- In the high season, they are all equipped with amazing bathrooms (with toilet paper), bunk beds, sleeping mats, sinks, water you can drink, and gas stoves you can cook on (no need to bring fuel).
- Routeburn Falls to Routeburn Shelter
- Drive from Shelter to Glenorchy: 30min
- Stop in Glenorchy
- I think there is a campground here where you can pay a few dollars and use their showers to warm up and de-dirt after the tramp (https://www.theheadwaters.co.nz/campground/)
- Drop off key lock box
- Drive to Paradise for LOTR filming locations (Lothlorien, Amon Hen, Orthanc and Isengard are all in this region)
- Campsite:
- Day 8 (Wednesday, April 26): Routeburn Track
- Lake Mackenzie to Routeburn Falls
- Routeburn Falls Hut
- Day 9 (Thursday, April 27): Routeburn Track
- Meiklejohns Bay
- Twenty Five Mile Stream
- Day 10 (Friday, April 28): Queenstown
- Drive from campsite to Queenstown: 45min
- Grab a coffee at Patagonia
- In Wanaka and Queenstown (its in both) there is a cafe called Patagonia, they specialise in chocolate and it’s amazing!
- “Kai Whakapai” is also a local favourite restaurant/ cafe.
- In Wanaka and Queenstown (its in both) there is a cafe called Patagonia, they specialise in chocolate and it’s amazing!
- Lunch at Fergburger
- Places to eat: Fergburger; Erik’s Fish & Chips
- ( You can ring in your order so you don’t have to wait in line at Ferg!)
- Pick up some pinot noir and picnic at Queenstown Hill
- (Our favourite local wineries are ‘Amisfield’ or ‘Mt Difficulty’ )
- Hike Queenstown Hill
- Views from Lake Wakatipu with Remarkables in the background
- Stop at Arrowtown for fall colors
- Campsite:
- Rotary Club of Queenstown South Car Park (Queenstown)
- Lake Hayes (Arrowtown)
- Day 11 (Saturday, April 29): Wanaka
- Queenstown to Wanaka: 1 hr
- Watch people bungee jump at Kawarau Bridge
- Hike Roy’s Peak (6.8 miles) – 5 hours
- Wanaka Tree
- Coffee at Federal Diner
- “Federal Diner” is also a really cool / urban place to get coffee in Wanaka. http://jjvsound.com it’s kind of hard to find, but there is a little pedestrian lane off Helwick Street that leads you to the diner and a wee bakery.
- Campsite:
- Diamond Lake, Wanaka
- The Outlet Track
- (There is also a walk in Wanaka called “the Outlet Track” in Albert Town. You can camp at the end of it. I would probably do this instead of Diamond lake. It has amazing autumn colours and not many tourists do it.)
- Wanaka to Blue Pools: 1 hr
- From Diamond Lake to Rob Roy Glacier Track: 1hr
- Hike Rob Roy Glacier Track? (3hr hike – 10km) – morning?
- Out of the way
- Hike Blue Pools Walk (1 hr -1.5km) – afternoon
- Drive from Blue Pools to Waita River (1hr)
- Campsite:
- Day 12 (Sunday, April 30): Blue Pools of Haast Pass
- Ask about freedom beach camping
- Waita River Mouth Camping Ground – Haast
- Gillespies Beach ($8)
- Bruce Bay
- Jackson Bay
- Day 13 (Monday, May 1): Lake Matheson
- Bruce Bay to Lake Matheson (1hr)
- Lake Matheson Walk
- 2.5 km track – 1hr
- Fox Glacier
- Franz Josef Glacier
- Glow Worm Dell by Hokitika
- Enter a small sea of glowing lights on an evening walk in Hokitika’s Glow Worm Dell. This outdoor gathering of glow worms can be found here year-round. The entrance to the sign-posted walk is located across the street from the Shining Star Beachfront Accommodation and is only a walk of a minute or two from the road. Enjoy a moment of silence under the brilliant glowing canopy, this site is off the tourist trail, so it’s likely you won’t encounter large crowds. Just remember not to shine your lights on the insects. Can only see at night
- Campsite: Whataroa River (DOC)
- Freedom Camping anywhere on any public lands
Westland: If a vehicle is a “Certified Self Contained Vehicle” fitted in accordance with NZS 5465:2001 with a minimum three day capacity toilet and grey-water storage facility, freedom camping may occur on Council controlled public land, except on any Council land or road where there are signs restricting freedom camping, and for no more than five nights in any calendar month but limited to three consecutive nights at any single location.
- Freedom Camping anywhere on any public lands
- Day 14 (Tuesday, May 2): Hokitika Gorge
- Whataroa River to Hokitika Gorge: 2hr
- Hike Hokitika Gorge
- 1km
- Get fish & chips at Dulcie’s Takeaways for lunch/diner
- Dulcie’s Takeaways (Hokitika)
- Or Cobden Takeaways (Greymouth)
- Devil’s Punchbowl in Arthur’s Pass (1hr)
- Cave Stream Scenic Reserve
- Campsite:
- Ocean Beach (Greymouth)
- From Hokitika: 30min
- Punakaiki Marine Reserve Site
- From Hokitika: 1hr45min
- Maruia Falls Carpark (Inland)
- From Hokitika: 2hr15min
- Ocean Beach (Greymouth)
- Day 15 (Wednesday, May 3): Wharariki Beach
- Greymouth to Wharariki Beach: 5hr40min
- Punakaiki to Wharariki: 5hr40min
- Maruia Falls to Wharariki: 4hr20min
- Wharariki Beach
- Hike Wharariki Beach Walk to Cape Farewell / Farewell Spit
- Low tide is important
- Wharariki to Abel Tasman 1hr45min
- Abel Tasman Coast Track
- Wharariki Beach to Abel Tasman: 1.5hr
- Bark Bay to Anchorage or Vice Versa
- $144NZD for a water taxi for two people both ways
- Hike Goat Bay to Waiharakeke
- Time: 1 hr 40 min return
- Distance: 6.8 km
- Campsite:
- Puponga (right by Wharariki)
- Waitapu River Bridge
- Greymouth to Wharariki Beach: 5hr40min
- Day 16 (Thursday, May 4): Driving from Wharariki Beach to Christchurch
- Wharariki Beach to Christchurch: 7 hr
- Campsite:
- Grey River Campsite
- Lyttelton Boat Ramp
- Day 17 (Friday, May 5): Christchurch
- Grab coffee at Addington Coffee Co-op
- Drop off Campervan
- Leave for airport at 1pm
- Flight at 4pm
- Depart Christchurch at 2:30pm/4pm
- Arrive in Auckland at 5:20pm
- Depart Auckland at 7:30pm
- Arrive in LA at 12:35pm
Life to the Fuller 