How to visit the South Island, New Zealand

Have you ever gone into a travel agent, hunted out family and friends or googled “must see places” before a trip? We all have, right? Their ideas are great, but a part of you is left thinking that you really didn’t get the most out of your trip. You saw the usual places, but what about those “off the beaten track”, hidden gems? How do you find those when planning your overseas adventure?

Answer? Ask a local.

So here I am, a Kiwi living in Scotland, to give you my favourite places and two top tips for when you’re travelling to New Zealand.

Fly into one of the main centres, hire a vehicle and drive. There are so many places to go and explore, you will really want to make the most of it in your own time. Growing up, we never flew anywhere on holiday, we’d always pack up the car and hit the road. To a bay, to a glacier, to natural thermal pools – driving is really the best way to see New Zealand.

It’s entirely possible to stay in those main centres and do day trips. The following places are located between Christchurch and Dunedin, so you could day trip from either place. Now, I’ve only listed a few here as I could literally write a book on the things to see, but that’s not what we’re here for! So here are some highlights:

Oamaru is a fairly big city, only an hour or two out of Dunedin. It has an amazing Steam Punk Museum and a big part of the area is very much in the ‘steampunk’ style, including a massive playground. The Sunday market held in this area is amazing, with a lot of fresh produce and homemade wares – if you love local honey, jams, chutneys, bread and other baked goods, you’ll love this market.

Banks Peninsula is a 45 minute or so drive out of Christchurch. There are a couple of different ways to get there, either out through Lyttleton Port which is hugely changed after the earthquakes or out through Lincoln, south of Christchurch. If you go out this way you’ll drive through a lot of countrysides and can enjoy a bit of rural life along the way!

Banks Peninsula has many, many bays that you can visit, some of them are completely untouched. Akaroa is definitely worth a visit, where you’ll get the South Island’s BEST fish and chips. My best advice for Akaroa is to pick up your fish and chips and then keep driving through the township, past the lighthouse, towards the Marae. It is so incredibly peaceful out there, watching the boats go by.

Moeraki is a bit of a touristy location, but only in the sense that bus tours stop here on their way between Christchurch and Dunedin, you won’t find a huge amount of people stopping off here on their own accord – I’ve never seen the car park more than half full, including those tourist buses! These boulders sit across the beach and are perfectly round.

Whilst you’re here, learn the history! According to Māori legend, the boulders are the remains of calabashes (gourds), kumara (sweet potato) and eel baskets that washed ashore after legendary canoe, the Araiteuru, was wrecked at nearby Shag Point (yes, this is an actual place with it’s own very, very rich history!). When the canoe crashed, however, its survivors were transformed into the area’s surrounding hills, while the baskets and gourds became these grey, round boulders.* Science says quite differently, but it’s definitely a special place.

And now we come to my favourite area on planet earth, The Catlins. The Catlins are south of Dunedin, heading towards the bottom of the South Island.

Here you can drive out to Nugget Point – those rock formations in the sea are literally called nuggets! If you visit during Summer you’ll also catch seals and their cubs playing in the shallows and rock pools. Their joyful cries are really something to experience.

If you keep driving south, you’ll also find the Cathedral Caves. To get to these caves you have to walk through private land – they just ask for a donation to cover the upkeep of the car park area and walkway. After a fairly step walk through native bush, you’ll step out onto a stunning beach. You can only get to the caves during low tide, so the beach feels like it goes on for miles.

You turn to your left and take a meander across the sand towards some cliffs, jumping over and splashing through springs running across the sand as you go. The caves form a horseshoe shape, you’re able to walk through one entrance and loop around to the other. You’ll definitely want to make sure you bring shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and sandy or a change of shoes for the bush walk and beach.

This is only a roundup of a few of some of my favourite places, and to be my first tip to drive, is the BIGGEST thing that you will not regret. You’ll drive by so many beautiful places on your adventures, places that you would not get the chance the see if you had gone on a bus tour for example.

Has anyone else been to New Zealand? Where were your favourite places to road trip?

About the author: This post was written by Christy, Christy Rose, Rosebud, S’bud, C – over the years her nicknames have gotten shorter, and her world has gotten bigger. Christy and her Hubby are former Disney Crew, meeting under the stars at sea. They’ve since travelled all over the world, even literally running away with the circus before returning to his homeland of Scotland to settle down. You can check out their story and adventures at www.christyrosebud.blog.