The perfect road trip route through New Zealand

For those looking to map out a road trip route along all the beauty that New Zealand has to offer, there are many choices. To help you get started, we’ve listed seven natural highlights. Tip: fly to Christchurch on the South Island, rent a car, and drive to Auckland, where you will return the car. This way, you can visit all seven highlights in the order below.
 
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On the South Island

1. Glenorchy

Just for the stunning route between Queenstown and Glenorchy, you’ll want to visit this place. For three-quarters of an hour, you’ll wind from highlight to highlight. Green forests in the gorges, the blue Wakatipu Lake, and tall, white mountain peaks. Do you think that after such a beautiful drive, the destination can only disappoint? Not at all! From Glenorchy, you can embark on an adventure in the Dart River Valley and Mount Aspiring National Park. Want to go ziplining, jet boating, kayaking, hiking, or horseback riding through landscapes where scenes from Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Narnia were filmed? You can do that in Glenorchy! Stroll along the five-kilometer boardwalk to the Glenorchy Lagoon. On this flat walking path, you can wander aimlessly while enjoying the reflections of the snow-capped peaks of the mountain ranges on the other side of the lagoon. Fun fact: this lake is depicted as the Dead Marshes in the Lord of the Rings films.

^{Photo's: Robin Visser}

3 Must-Do's in Glenorchy

• Zipline through the gorge above the Oxburn Stream river.
• Drive the 13-kilometer road between Glenorchy and Paradise, a place that lives up to its name.
• Hike the Routeburn Track, a trail through spectacular landscapes that most people complete in two to four days.

^{Photo: Robin Visser}

2. Milford Sound Road

The journey to Milford Sound is just as worthwhile as the destination itself. The 120-kilometer Milford Road between Te Anau and Milford Sound winds through New Zealand's largest national park: Fiordland National Park. The road to the fjord Milford Sound is considered one of the most beautiful drives in New Zealand. It’s likely one of the few road trip routes that may even be more stunning when it rains. The more water cascades down the hundreds-of-meters-high waterfalls along the road, the more spectacular the scenery. The rain adds a mysterious atmosphere to the rainforest along the way. If it’s not raining, don’t worry; you’ll still have clear views of crystal blue rivers, dense rainforests, and surrounding mountains from the lookout points along the road. Keep your windows rolled up and watch out for the clever kea bird, which loves to dismantle things.

^{Photo: Robin Visser}

3 Must-Do's in Milford Sound

• Walk along the Milford Sound Road on the Lake Marian Track through dense forests to a turquoise mountain lake.
• Visit the magically beautiful Chasm Falls waterfall just before you reach Milford Sound.
• Take a cruise through the 16-kilometer-long fjord of Milford Sound.

^{Photo's: Robin Visser}

3. Marlborough Sounds

A fjord like in Norway, but with a tropical twist and on the other side of the world. The Marlborough Sounds are deeply carved river valleys filled with water from the Pacific Ocean. This northern coast of the South Island is a perfect place to spot penguins, dolphins, and fur seals. You can also dive into the clear waters from the yellow sandy beaches. Prefer to explore the region actively? Then take a kayaking trip through the fjords. As you glide through the water in your kayak, you'll encounter the wildlife that lives in and around these waters. Dolphins leap through the waves, seals sunbathe on the shores, and many ferns grow on the hills. Pause your sea kayak for a moment to enjoy the tranquility and nature as you drift.

^{Photo: Robin Visser}

3 Must-Do's at Marlborough Sounds

• Hike the 70-kilometer-long Queen Charlotte Track along the shores of the fjord of the same name.
• Taste local wines at one of the many vineyards.
• Book a cruise and search for marine life just offshore.

^{Photo: Robin Visser}

4. Abel Tasman National Park

Golden sandy beaches, dense forests, waterfalls, and caves form the varied landscape of New Zealand's smallest national park. You experience Abel Tasman National Park most intensely from the 51-kilometer-long Abel Tasman Coast Track. During the day, you walk along the coast or through the forests, and at night, you stay in a cozy and reasonably comfortable hut. Swim in the natural rock pool, Cleopatra's Pool, walk across a 47-meter-long suspension bridge, and spot marine life from the parts of the trail that are accessible only at low tide. Although the route leads through very remote terrain in some sections, you never feel truly alone in the world. With an orchestra of songbirds in the forest and views of diving gannets and penguins along the coast, there is always other life to see or hear.

^{Photo: MDS89/iStock}

3 Must-Do's in Abel Tasman National Park

• Go for a canyoning trip along one of the cascading waterfalls in the area.
• Take a (multi-day) canoe trip to places like Tonga Island Marine Reserve.
• Experience the national park from the air during New Zealand's highest skydive.

^{Photo: jfoltyn/iStock}

On the North Island

5. Central Plateau & Tongariro

It’s time to cross over to the North Island. Around Lake Taupo lies the Central Plateau, which includes Tongariro National Park, where volcanoes take center stage. The lake is a water-filled crater that formed during the largest volcanic eruption ever. The 2,797-meter-high Ruapehu volcano is the highest point on the North Island and the largest active volcano in the entire country. Between this and other volcanoes, you will find many signs of volcanic activity, such as bubbling mud pools, geysers, and hot springs. Visit Whakarewarewa to learn more about volcanic activity and the Māori people who have lived here for over three hundred years. What could be more exciting than learning about a geyser while hot water shoots up from the ground right in front of you? We can warn you that the typical rotten egg smell of sulfur is also part of the experience.

^{Photo's: Robin Visser}

3 Must-Do's in Central Plateau & Tongariro

• Hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, known as New Zealand's most beautiful day hike.
• Spend the night at one of the most exclusive lodges in the world, the Huka Lodge, and visit the nearby Huka Falls.
• Go stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) at 616 meters above sea level on the stunning Lake Otamangakau.

^{Photo: Robin Visser}

6. Coromandel Peninsula

Only 85 kilometers long and a maximum of forty kilometers wide, with beaches that look straight out of a travel catalog and a dense rainforest inland. That’s the Coromandel Peninsula, located east of Auckland. This peninsula is the perfect place for slow travel from one attraction to another, where the winding country roads are attractions in themselves. Did it always seem impossible to you that you could create a hot water bath with just a shovel? At Hot Water Beach, you dig in the sand until you see water. Have you found a spot where the water is hot? Then keep digging until you can relax in your own hot water bath while looking out at the waves. Hot Water Beach is not the only special beach on the peninsula. From Hahei Beach, follow a coastal path to Cathedral Cove. Walk into the cave, turn around, and look out at the sea through a beautiful natural frame, featuring a photogenic, almost triangular rock.

^{Photo: David P. Hilss/iStock}

3 Must-Do's in Coromandel

• Enjoy the sun on your skin and the sound of the waves at the relatively quiet New Chums Beach.
• Hike the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail through the Pinnacles, a mountainous nature reserve.
• Rent a surfboard in the surf village of Whitianga and unleash yourself on the waves.

^{Photo: Janice Chen/iStock}

7. Bay of Islands

Islets and bays abound in the Bay of Islands. Located far north of Auckland, towards the northernmost tip of the country, this region is not to be missed. Urupukapuka Island stands out, not only for its paradisiacal coastline but also for its cultural and historical significance. Ancient Māori stories mention the island's habitation long before Europeans first set foot in the sand. In Rangihoua Bay at the southern tip of the Purerua Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Park was established to commemorate 1814, when the first settlers arrived in New Zealand. It won’t surprise you that the best way to explore these and other crystal-clear bays with pristine white beaches is from a boat.

^{Photo: ActionAdventure/iStock}

3 Must-Do's in the Bay of Islands

• Visit the historically significant site of Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840.
• Listen to the sounds of the spectacular Haruru Falls and Rainbow Falls, which are located not far from each other.
• Board an excursion boat and go in search of the many species of dolphins that inhabit the Bay of Islands.

^{Photo: ZambeziShark/iStock}

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