NEW ZEALAND SOUTH ISLAND ROAD TRIP

Our whole South Island loop on your phone, pinned stop by stop in the order we drove it.

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Planning a South Island road trip? It’s a lot to work out. Where do you start? How far should you drive each day? Where do you stop for a decent coffee, which lookouts are worth pulling over for, and which stops actually have toilets? That was us before we left.

So, we drove it and kept a record. 34 days, the whole loop from Queenstown and back, with every cafe, lookout, tour and stay we rated pinned in Google Maps, plus our own notes on each one. Use it to plan your days before you go, then open it on your phone to see what’s coming up on the road ahead.

What’s included in your map

• Over 130 places in Google Maps, split leg by leg in driving order.

• Cafes, lookouts, tours, shops and fuel, and where we stayed, each with its own icon.

• Our notes on every pin: what we ate, where to park, what to look out for.

• A few places we drove past and wished we’d stopped.

• Bonus Queenstown to Glenorchy day trip.

• A printable leg-by-leg guide with every stop listed, for planning before you go.

• Simple instructions to get the map onto your phone.

How it works

1. Buy the map and you’ll get an email straight away with your link and the PDF guide.

2. Tap the link and it opens in Google Maps.

3. Tap any pin to read our notes, or hit Directions and Google takes you there.

   No need to set up an account. It works in the Google Maps app or the web browser on your phone.

   Want to see the trip first? Here’s every leg, with photos and where we stopped.

We took the Crown Range road, about 1 hour 40 minutes with stops. It's a short leg, but one of the prettiest of the whole trip.

• Lake Hayes: not far out of Queenstown. On a still day the reflections are perfect. There is big carpark right on the lake.

• Crown Range lookouts: two up the top looking back over Queenstown Airport and the mountain ranges. In the photo above you can see the runway of the airport in the distance.

• Cardrona: a little pub that's great for a quick lunch, plus a general store. Parking can get busy.

• Cardrona to Wānaka: The windy mountain roads straightened out into farming land full of sheep, green paddocks and snowcapped mountains the whole way into Wanaka.

Leg 2: Wānaka to Franz Josef

The big one. We left Wānaka at 7:15am and rolled into Franz Josef around 3pm, with a 15 minute wait for road works on the Haast Pass. Start early and give yourself the whole day.

• Blue Pools and Fantail Falls: short walks, both worth stretching the legs for. You can do a 45 minute walk to the Blue Pools and if you have time you definitely should. It has two suspension bridges and stunning views. Fantail falls is only 100m from the carpark.

• Thunder Creek Falls: a pull-in for about half a dozen cars on the left heading north, then an easy 100m paved track to the viewing platform. It is a very impressive waterfall. Definitely worth the stop.

• Haast: we got here about 11:15am. Spiker Cafe, about 300m off the highway, does good coffee, smoothies, paninis and pies.

• Knights Point Lookout and Bruce Bay: Bruce Bay is definitely worth stopping at. Both stops are right on the side of the road and easy to access with adequate parking.

• Lake Matheson: famous for its mountain reflections, just before you reach Franz Josef. There are numerous walks here, but all are very scenic. Lots of moss covered trees line the tracks.

Leg 3: Franz Josef to Hokitika

An easy drive up the coast, with plenty to fill the day.

• Whataroa: the first little town out of Franz Josef. We didn't stop, but it's there if you need it.

• Ross: an old gold mining town with public toilets and a couple of nice parks right on the main street.

• West Coast Treetop Walk and Zipline: about 1km off the highway just before Hokitika. Great cafe, really clean toilets and lovely views. An absolute must. There is an entrance fee - but so worth it. I just loved walking around the tree tops, listening to the birds the whole way.

• Hokitika: drive in over the big bridge across the inlet. Don't miss the driftwood Hokitika sign on the beach, the clock tower and the old Regent Theatre right in the main street.

• Hokitika Gorge: the turquoise water is spectacular and one of my favourite walks in the South Island. The track is well maintained, there are toilets in the carpark, but you do have to pay for parking.

Leg 4: Hokitika to Punakaiki

About 1.5 hours of driving, so there's time to wander.

• Coal Creek Falls: worth it if you've got 1 to 1.5 hours for a slow walk. A great way to start the drive.

• Greymouth: the big town stop for fuel, food and heaps of shops.

• Strongman Mine Memorial lookout: just north of Greymouth, with a lovely view down the coast. A small easy to access car park.

• Punakaiki: the Pancake Rocks and Blowhole loop walk, then pancakes at the Pancake Rocks Cafe across the road. You park in the public carpark. Once again you will need to pay for parking - you just add your rego number and tap your card. Its easy and cheap.

Leg 5: Punakaiki to Mapua

A long leg that swings inland, but full of good stops.

• Tauranga Bay seal colony: about 14km off the main road. A 15 minute walk to the seals, and we counted around 50 playing and lazing on the rocks. If you have time, it’s definitely worth the drive in.

• Buller Gorge Swing Bridge: walk across the river, do a short forest walk, or zip line back. Plenty of parking, a coffee van and toilets, but there is a small entrance fee.

• Murchison: about halfway, and a nice little town to stretch the legs. The River Cafe is great for coffee and food.

• Hop country: closer to Mapua you drive through paddock after paddock of hops in one of the biggest hop growing regions around.

Leg 6: Mapua to Blenheim

We went via Richmond, Nelson, Rai Valley, Pelorus Bridge and Havelock.

• Rai Valley: the Brick Oven cafe is a great stop, with fuel next door and public toilets across the road.

• Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve: car parks on both sides of the road, a cafe, very clean toilets and walks from 500m to a couple of kilometres, with great views of the river and gorge. Apparently, some scenes from The Hobbit were filmed here.

• Havelock: grab a coffee at Sneaky Beach Cafe, then wander down to the marina. This is green lip mussel country, so try them while you're here.

• Into Blenheim: vineyard after vineyard on the way into town, after all this is the world-famous Marlborough Wine Region.

Leg 7: Blenheim to Picton

We went the long way, back through Havelock and along Queen Charlotte Drive. It was very windy, but a beautiful drive.

• Cullen Point lookout: just after turning onto Queen Charlotte Drive. A 10 to 15 minute walk that's signed as easy but is quite steep towards the top, and slippery when wet. Amazing views back over Havelock and the Sounds.

• Aussie Bay: a cheeky little bay with a small car park (no toilets).

• Momorangi Bay: a beachside campground with really clean toilets and a flat little walk along the water.

• Shakespeare Bay Lookout: you can stop here just before you reach Picton (or walk back up, like we did, from town). Great views of the marina and wharf area.

• Picton: the short hike to Bob's Bay is steep at the end, but you get views over the Sounds and the Inter-islander ferries sailing past.

Leg 8: Picton to Kaikoura

Once you hit the coast, this drive is gorgeous.

• Fat Tony's: a coffee cafe about 20 minutes out of Picton.

• Seddon: Cozy Corner coffee shop is a good option too.

• The Store Kekerengu: right on the water, with a huge open area, beautiful gardens and an open fire on cool days.

• Lake Elterwater: toilets, a small car park and a boardwalk out over the lake with the ducks.

• Nins Bin: the famous blue and white crayfish caravan with seagulls lined up on the awning. Crays were nearly $180 each when we were there, but they do have fish and chips as well. It's a great spot on a sunny day.

Leg 9: Kaikoura to Christchurch

The weather was terrible on our drive, so we kept stops to a minimum.

• Cheviot: is about an hour south of Kaikoura. Cafe 8 is the perfect stopping point. It is very popular for good coffee, cheese scones and breakfasts. There is plenty of parking. If you need fuel or food supplies, there is a self-serve fuel station and a Four Square supermarket right on the main road as well.

• Northlands Shopping Centre, Papanui: on the way into Christchurch, with a big supermarket for stocking up, plus lots of speciality shops if you need anything specific - like us - a new suitcase as Lyle’s had lost a couple of wheels.

Leg 10: Christchurch to Lake Tekapo

A food lover's drive across the plains.

• Rakaia: we drove straight past the giant salmon statue, but it's a fun quick photo stop.

• Ashburton Domain: a park right on the main road with beautiful trees and pathways. Ashburton also has big service stations, Woolworths and Kmart without turning off.

• Highway 1 Restaurant Cafe: just south of Ashburton. Big car park, good cafe, toilets, and alpacas to say hello to. There are often buses and coaches stopped here.

• Barker's Foodstore & Eatery, Geraldine: lots of local produce. Try the muffin with ginger caramel inside - or anything really, it’s all delicious.

• Fairlie Bakehouse: expect a queue, and make sure to try the salmon and bacon pie. Your last stop before Lake Tekapo.

Leg 11: Lake Tekapo to Cromwell

Turquoise lakes, then the tussock-covered Lindis Pass.

• Lake Pukaki lookout: is about 35 minutes from Lake Tekapo. Unfortunately, the fog was so thick we couldn’t see anything.

• High Country Salmon: We had salmon bruschetta and pâté at the cafe, it was divine. You can feed the salmon or even catch your own if you like.

• Twizel: fuel and shops if you need them, although you do need to exit the main road.

• Lindis Pass Summit Lookout: easy car park, then a 200m uphill walk to the lookout platform. Lovely views from here and so different to other parts of the drive. There are no toilets.

• Cromwell: You weave around Lake Dunstan for kilometres before you reach Cromwell. Absolutely stunning. When you reach Cromwell you can wander the heritage precinct and down to Lake Dunstan. There are some bars for cocktails, so good at sunset.

Leg 12: Cromwell to Queenstown

The shortest leg, and a spectacular way to finish.

• Highlands Motorsport Park: just out of Cromwell, with a little museum, mini golf, go karts and fast laps.

• Roaring Meg lookout: an easy car park and a viewing area right on the gorge. Truly spectacular.

• Ayrburn Winery: A great spot to stop if you have a few hours to fill in. This winery is absolutely stunning. There are several choices for food and wine tastings, and even just wandering around the gardens is wonderful.

• Queenstown Airport: where we dropped the hire car to finish the loop.

Bonus Day Trip: Queenstown to Glenorchy

The drive around the edge of Lake Wakatipu is a must do if you're in Queenstown. We started with sunshine, but ended up in the rain, which made it feel magical and a bit mystical.

• Bob's Cove: walks past a little dam to the jetties, or the steeper circuit up to Picnic Point for big views.

• Glenorchy: walk down to the boat shed and out along the jetty for photos. Not as busy on a wet day, which was good for us.

• Mr Glen's Taphouse and Tapas: local craft beer and pies. Fair warning, the buffalo pie is cheese, not meat (we learnt that the funny way).

• Bennett's Bluff: on the way back. A big car park, free toilets and a short walk up to a lookout over Lake Wakatipu.

• Kamana Lakehouse: a glass of wine looking over the Remarkables, and bathhouses you can hire for a soak.

Get the New Zealand South Island Road Trip Map

We spent 34 days driving this loop, and every stop in this post is pinned on our map, plus plenty more that didn’t fit. That’s over 130 places. We’ve included the lookouts worth pulling over for, the scenic stops, the cafes and pubs we’d go back to, where we stayed, and the handy stuff like fuel, supermarkets and which stops have toilets. Each pin has our own notes, so you’ll know where to park at Thunder Creek Falls, which pie to order at Fairlie, and when the Apple Shed’s happy hour starts. It’s all grouped leg by leg on Google Maps, so you can open it on your phone and see what’s coming up on the road ahead. We’ve also marked the spots we drove past and wished we’d stopped. You’ll get a printable leg-by-leg planner too, for sorting out your days before you go.

LAUNCH Price $17 AUD

(usually $24)

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Frequently asked questions

How do I use it?
Open the link on your phone and it opens in Google Maps. Zoom in and tap any pin to see our notes. Want the full list of places for each leg? Open the link in your web browser instead.

Do I need a Google account?
No, the map works without signing in. If you do sign in, you can save it so it’s always there under You, then Maps.

Will it work offline?
You’ll need signal to see the pins. We lost reception a few times on the trip, mostly through the mountain passes and parts of the West Coast, but it always came back within a bit. Handy tip: check the next leg’s stops while you’ve got signal, before you head off.

Does it tell me if a place is open?
Tap Directions and start the trip. Google Maps will tell you how long until you arrive and flag it if the place will be closed when you get there.

What if you update the map?
Any changes we make show up on your map automatically. You don’t need to do a thing.

Can I use it on my laptop too?
Yes, the link works on any phone, tablet or computer.