Travelling The South Island of New Zealand In A Motorhome
Chris and I set off to discover more of our country and how lucky are we to call such a beautiful part of the world our home.
If you had told me at the start of last year I’d be travelling around the South Island of New Zealand in a motorhome, I probably would have slanted my head and raised an eyebrow at you as it wouldn’t have really been “my thing”.
But then I met my boyfriend, Chris, who is so different to me. He challenges me in all the best ways and helps me to let go of my anxieties so I can be more open to new experiences. In doing so I’ve found myself in this whole new beautiful world.
Chris is a boy from the South - he grew up in Dunedin but aside from school trips, he hadn’t seen much of the West Coast. I’ve only just recently travelled to the South Island of NZ for the first time last year visiting Queenstown.
Discovering more of the South Island was something were were both interest in doing so when our one year anniversary arose, we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
We hired a motorhome from Wilderness NZ, an NZ owned and operated company based out of Christchurch for our adventure. We travelled just around 2,000km in just over a week across the bottom half of the South Island.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions and our country being in lockdown during our anniversary, Chris and I have only just done the trip - a few months later than expected. See what where our adventures took us below!
We flew into Christchurch and were picked up from the airport from Wilderness NZ who offers free transfers. We had a briefing, signed a few forms and were given a detailed tour of the motorhome and how to use it. Once we had the motorhome to ourselves, we stocked up a few groceries and supplies.
We were intending on travelling to Lake Tekapo for night one however we had come in later than expected and given the commute was around 3 hours and Chris was still getting use to the motorhome, we didn’t think it was wise to drive for that long on the road in the dark for our first night.
Akaroa
After a little hunting for a freedom camping area that was suitable, we settled on a location relatively close, Akaroa - a beautiful town South West of Christchurch along the coast. There’s an area to freedom camping here in the carpark by the boating ramp equipped for 16 self contained vehicles. It’s usually a pretty popular spot being the only freedom camping area but there were only 4-5 others there when we arrived. The sections here were nice and big allowing lots of space.
While we arrived in the dark, we woke to an absolutely splendid rise. Candy floss skies and the sun glistening on the shore. I was in awe! Little did I know this was to set a tone of what was to come.
We moved our camper over the little bridge only 500 meters away to the designated for day parking to truly take in the view while making breakfast. Chris went for a run around the lake before we tucked into it. Scrambled eggs, bacon and mushrooms for day one. Absolutely delish!
LAKE Tekapo, LAKE Pukaki & MOUNT COOK VILLAGE
Lake Tekapo
We headed toward Lake Tekapo. It’s a stunning drive that we took leisurely. Note that freedom camping is prohibited in Tekapo township so your only option around this area is the Lake Tekapo Holiday Park. I would highly recommend booking a site here in advance. The powered sites 19-30 have the best views of the lake and are concrete so I wish we had booked one of these spots. Not only do you get clear shot of the lake and Southern Alps but it’s also the closest to the facilities with picnic tables at each one.
We were given site 43 which was a grass powered site, and while still beautiful it did catch a bit more wind, was further away from the facilities and the view was somewhat covered with the trees.
We thought about soaking up the view Lake Tekapo Hot Pools while watching the sunset however despite it being a clear evening, the pools had little light as the sun had already disappeared behind the mountains and it wasn’t even 4pm yet. It looked grim and unwelcoming. For $65 collectively, we thought we’d skip it and wait until we got to Queenstown for a hot pool experience.
Heading back to our camper, we made a dinner of steak and mushrooms crumbled with blue cheese and a side of rocket as well as a little grazing platter to enjoy while we snuggled up in bed and watched a movie. We had been given a token for wifi and as we were plugged into power so it was ideal time to use our devices.
In the morning, we woke up to a firey sunrise from beyond the mountains. Chris went for his morning run while I took a shower at the facilities before straightening my hair. I knew we wouldn’t have power for a few days so made the most of it!
We went into the Tekapo township to the popular cafe The Greedy Cow to and picked up an espresso coffee and a pie for breakfast. It was a bit of a wait, but well worth it.
Mount Cook Village
We made our way to Mount Cook Village on a day trip to check out what was on offer in the area. Chris had a desire to find a walk in the area and I wanted scout out a freedom camping spot to stay the night. I’d found it helpful (where possible) to take a look at our freedom camping spot in the day light to it was easy to locate and find an ideal spot we’d want to park up in which ensured there would be no issues if we were to come back to the site in the dark.
The drive to Mount Cook Village boarders Lake Pukaki so we were enchanted with a glorious panoramic view as we got closer and closer to the highest peak in the Southern Hemisphere. This particular day was pretty gloomy. The clouds were low and heavy and there was a grey overcast that filled the sky.
We parked up at Mount Cook Village and tucked into lunch. I had pre-made Chris a soft roll with ham, cheese, rocket and mayo and I had enjoyed a caprese salad with balsamic and avocado. To save money on buying lunch out or on-the-go, I made sure to prepare lunch and snacks at the start of the day!
I enjoyed a glass of wine while doing a few work emails while Chris looked into the types of walks we could potentially do if the weather cleared up the next day.
We discovered White Horse Hill campsite in the area which is a DOC conservation campsite. The cost to stay in this area is $15pp per night. The facilities here during the winter are very basic - only one toilet was open and fresh water - but would be a beautiful place to stay if you want to spend the day/night out here to stargaze or do one of the walks early.
We had a feeling this site was going to be a little too cold overnight so we trekked back inland a little further away from the mountains. We made our way to the base of Lake Pukaki to Lake Pukaki Reserve, which we had driven past earlier, to stay the night.
Lake Pukaki
Easily my favourite spot on the entire trip was Lake Pukaki Reserve. It’s quiet, peaceful and the view is spectacular.
The location itself is pretty large with multiple areas all at different levels meaning we had a lot of privacy and space. This was the perfect spot to do the Hooker Valley Track the next day as Mount Cook Village was only an hour away.
We found this spot on the CamperMate App, which I found to be the most helpful app out there. We had been advised to download the Campable App by where we hired our motorhome from but really struggled with this one. I found the CamperMate App after a bit of research and it is actually run by the council so it was more reliable, had more resources, was easier to navigate and also had a fair amount of user activity also so I could see any updates or feedback in the comments by people who had actually been at that location recently.
We arrived at twilight. The sun leaked light from behind the mountains and we were treated with panoramic views of the South Alps and Lake Pukaki. We rugged up, pulled out our table + camping chairs, made a little platter and sipped on wine while watching the soft, diffused light in the sky fade to black. With little air pollution along the West Coast, the stars glistened so clearly! Chris loves astronomy and has an app that helped us detect what we were looking at.
I made bolognese with little bowtie pasta and shaved parmesan for dinner. It was hearty, warm and simple to make. Despite there being others around, the night was still and I had one of the best sleeps here.
The following morning we were blessed with an absolute dream of a day. When we opened up the camper window shades, the sun poured in. The view was breathtaking. So much so I filmed a little tour of our motorhome in this spot which you can check out here.
As per our normal routine, Chris went for his morning run while I made breakfast and coffee. Chris had bacon and eggs while I made up a medley of cheese, salmon and avocado (yum!) before driving back to Mount Cook Village to the Hooker Valley Track Walk.
Hooker Valley Track
The Hooker Valley Track is a day hike with awe-inspiring landscapes of the Southern Alps as you wind up the Hooker Valley past alpine streams and glaciers in the shadow. of Mount Cook.
It’s great for all fitness levels with only a few small inclines and the option to turn back at any time as you return on the same track.
The Hooker Valley Track features three swing bridges along and two lakes and is 10km return and is estimated to take around 3 hours. We paused frequently for photo opportunities on our walk towards Hooker Lake, lingered at Hooker Lake for lunch before returning briskly and it took us just over 2 hours.
The first of three swing bridges along the way gives you striking views over the Mueller Lake. We were advised to listen for the rumbling of avalanches from the distant Mount Sefton which you may be able to spot before they crash into the Mueller Glacier below.
After crossing the Hooker River, the track goes between old moraine ridges and humps. From the second swing bridge, the vegetation changes to more open tussock and a wider valley floor. A third swing bridge leads to the East Hooker and the source of the Hooker River.
The track ends with an phenomenal view over the iceberg-speckled Hooker Lake and up to majestic Mount Cook and the Southern Alps. You can enjoy the scene from above or you can make your way down toward the lake to see witness the icebergs up close.
We packed lunch - a home-made chicken salad with croutons, parmesan and sunflower seeds. There was a large picnic table and gazed over Hooker Lake and in direct view of Mount Cook as we savoured our meal.
While the walk is only around 3 hours, it’s still important to recognise it is an alpine environment so you need to prepare for various conditions. We went on a warm winter day when there was little snow however safeguarded ourselves with both warm and waterproof layers, gloves and beanies as well as snacks and water too.
Cromwell
After our walk, we were enroute from Mount Cook Village hoping to make it Queenstown but Chris was feeling exhausted from a long day. We found a freedom camping area just 5 minutes away from Cromwell along Lake Dunstan and went into Cromwell for dinner.
The next morning, we woke up to yet another amazing sunrise!
There was a bit of road noise throughout the night as I think this road leads to Wanaka. We were parked to the left of the entrance and if I were to revisit, I’d park on the right hand side further away from the main road.
As we drove toward Queenstown, we grabbed ourselves a coffee and I tried my first ever Cheese Roll - or as Chris likes to call it, Southern Sushi! It’s super popular in the South Island available at all cafes down there. It’s made up of white bread with a unique mixture of cheese, onion soup mix (a classic kiwi thing) and a splash of milk before being rolled and is served toasted.
Queenstown
We stayed in Queenstown for two days. On this part of the trip, we wanted to be more amongst the Queenstown vibe and take in what the bustling tourist city had to offer - especially now that the tourists were sparse with COVID-19. This was a slight contrast to the still and picturesque environments we had relished in on our journey so far.
Similarly to Lake Tekapo, with it being a popular destination, freedom camping is prohibited in most of the area so you’ll need to stay at a camping site or holiday park.
Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park
We stayed at Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park which is right in the city. It’s the perfect spot to be parked up with such an easy stroll to town so I’d highly recommend it.
The facilities at this location are excellent. There is a spacious and modern kitchen with a large dining area, various showers and toilets, a laundry room, a TV room, playground and outdoor picnic area - oh, and free wifi!
As its located at the base of the Skyline Queenstown, we also got to see paragliders coming down from the top of the Skyline Gondala - so cool!
Amisfield Bistro & Cellar Door
We ventured out to Amisfield Bistro & Cellar Door situated in Lake Hayes for a wine tasting. We loved the Pinot Noir 2017 and bought a bottle to enjoy from the Cellar Door. Nestled in lounge chairs by the fireplace, we were warm and cosy as we enjoyed our wine while snacking on their house-made sourdough with marmite butter and black truffle butter.
Ferg’s Bar
Just a short stroll from our campsite was the main hub of Queenstown. Ferg’s Bar is a new edition to Ferg’s already impressive lineup of Ferg Burger, Ferg Baker and Mrs Ferg. We had popped into Ferg’s Bar with the intention of having a drink before moving on and having dinner elsewhere but found ourselves loving the bar, staff and ambience!
Their Espresso Martinis were delicious and Chris was very impressed with the beer selection too. He’s always complaining about the serving sizes of beer at bars in Auckland but was happy to be back in the South where (and I quote him on this one), “in the South, when you ask for a pint you get a pint!” He also had his Speights served in a silver beer mug and was grinning from ear to ear.
The price point was great! His beer was around $11 whereas my Espresso Martinis were $19. We also nibbled on a few of their plates to share including their Glazed Pork Belly and Ferg Fried Chicken. Delectable!
We ordered Ferg Burger at the end of the night and because they’re a sister company right next door, the waitress let us know when our order was ready. How’s that for convenience?!
The Boatshed Cafe
We were travelling out of the city and on the lookout for a spot for breakfast. After a quick Google search and a skim of some reviews, The Boatshed Cafe seemed like a good way to go.
On arrival, the cafe looked empty and we were unsure if it was open as the entrance is down a steep cobblestone hill inside a historic building but inside is a bustling cafe with views of Lake Wakatipu!
The cafe was full to the brim with people both inside and outside but we managed to nab a table. We ordered our coffees and food which came out promptly. Chis went for scrambled eggs on toast with a side of bacon and sausage and I chose poached eggs on toast - a favourite of mine that were cooked to perfection. Look at that egg ooze!
Onsen Hot Pools
We finished our stay in Queenstown with a visit to Onsen Hot Pools, the most Instagramable place in Queenstown! These pools take a unique kiwi twist on a Japanese tradition with classic indoor cedar tubs overlooking Shotover River.
While Onsen can be a full day spa experience including massage and treatments, we booked an Original Onsen Experience which gave us 60 minutes in the 38.5 degrees pool with views of the mountains.
The price is based off per person and whether you choose to go during the day or evening and as a couple cost us $126 for the experience.
As part of the experience, we were offered a complimentary drink and snacks to enjoy during our rejuvenating soak. Chris chose a beer and some ice-cream and I went with a wine a bar of chocolate.
Dunedin
I was filled with excitement about visiting Chris’ hometown - Dunedin! While it may not seem like the most thrilling place to visit, knowing it has such a special place in Chris’ life had me wanting to see more.
We arrived in Dunedin in the mid-afternoon and rushed into our desired freedom camping spot as places were limited. This one was in the heart of the city, right next to the iconic Dunedin Train Station. The location was ideal for us but beware, this is the most noisy location we experienced. to the point it’s almost terrifying. I’m not being dramatic when I say that as a train passes, it sounds like the train is going through the motorhome - that’s how loud it is! Trains come throughout the night too (hello midnight train) so unless you specifically want to be in the city, I would highly recommend you don’t stay in this location.
After parking up, we went on a mission to Hyde Street where Chris lived for his first years in uni. If you’re from NZ, you’ll have heard of the infamous Hyde Street parties which have been tradition for uni students for the the past 25 years. He took me for a little tour down there, sharing stories of his flatting days.
We were joined by a few of Chris’ friends for dinner at Eureka, a restaurant/bar at the top of Hyde Street. A little later in the evening, we found ourselves in the Octagon enjoying a few drinks out. Our camper was two blocks from the Octagon so an easy wander home.
Our time in Dunedin was short, we were only there overnight. Before taking off, we scooped up Chris’ brother from his uni flat, briefly soaked in the sunshine and crisp morning air at St Claire beach as we warmed up with coffee before visiting Chris’ parents at their estate in Outram which stretches over 15 acres of land. I had a tour of his family home including his family pond he speaks fondly of. I got to meet his dog, Pip, as well as Fanta and Sprite, his two cats. We had brunch all together, catching up before we farewelled the family.
I feel like I didn’t get enough time in Dunedin and there were so many more sights to see so I will definitely be planning another trip back soon!
Timaru
We left Dunedin making our way back up to Christchurch for the last leg of the trip, parking up for the night half way in Timaru. We settled in the Patiti Point Reserve to freedom camp.
This spot was so gorgeous relaxing for our final night of our trip and reminded me of home. The area is coastal with the carpark high above on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The only sounds we could hear were the waves softly crashing.
We had stopped and picked up a few groceries for dinner earlier in the day so I made Chris some Massaman Lamb Shanks with mashed potato and broccolini. It only took around 15 minutes to prepare and was so flavoursome. Who said camping food had to be difficult or boring?!
The sunrise at Patiti Point Reserve was flawless. As we were on the east coast, the sun rose from beyond the horizon with nothing obstructing the view. The ball of sun filled the sky with shades of orange and pink as we lounged admiring it in all it’s glory.
We spent the last day of our journey travelling from Timaru back to Christchurch and ensuring the motorhome had been adequately prepared for its return before heading home.
I came home feeling so relaxed at peace. Our trip around the lower half of the South Island of New Zealand was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. It was whimsical, dreamy and had me wanderlusting to discover more of our beautiful country. I highly encourage you add this to your bucket list - and in a motorhome!