Plan your New Zealand road trip: Recommended sightseeing stops on our main driving routes
New Zealand has countless beautiful stops as you travel from one place to the next, but where should you stop?
This is a question often asked in our Facebook Group, so we called upon our amazing members to share their favourite eateries, sightseeing stops and activities when travelling across the country.
These routes are listed in approximate order, from north to south.
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North Island sightseeing stops
- Whangarei to Cape Reinga
- Auckland to Paiha (Bay of Islands)
- Auckland to Raglan
- Auckland to Coromandel (and with kids)
- Auckland to Tauranga
- Auckland to Rotorua
- Auckland to Taupō
- Auckland to Waitomo to New Plymouth
- Auckland to Wellington – including overnight stops
- Waitomo to Taupō
- Whitianga (Coromandel) to Rotorua
- Rotorua to Taupō
- Whakatāne to Gisborne (around East Cape)
- Levin to Tauranga
- Taupo to Napier
- Napier to Wellington
- Taupō to Wellington (including Palmerston North to Wellington)
- Wellington to New Plymouth
South Island sightseeing stops
- Picton/Blenheim to Abel Tasman
- Nelson to Christchurch (inland or coastal?)
- Picton/Blenheim to Kaikōura
- Kaikōura to Christchurch
- Hanmer Springs to Christchurch
- Christchurch to Akaroa
- Christchurch to Lake Tekapo
- Christchurch to Queenstown:
- Lake Tekapo to Arthur’s Pass
- Abel Tasman to Hokitika
- Passes
- Arthur’s Pass vs Lewis Pass
- Crossing Arthur’s Pass by car (East Coast by Christchurch to West Coast by Greymouth/Hokitika)
- Crossing Lewis Pass
- Hokitika to Franz Josef
- Franz Josef to Wānaka
- Hokitika to Lake Tekapo
- Lake Tekapo to Queenstown (+ driving video)
- Lake Tekapo to Dunedin
- Wānaka to Queenstown (Crown Range vs Kawarau Gorge) (+ driving video)
- Queenstown to Te Anau
- Queenstown/Wānaka to Lake Tekapo (+ driving videos)
- Te Anau to Milford Sound
- Dunedin to Queenstown
- Dunedin to Invercargill (including The Catlins)
- Dunedin to Te Anau
- Dunedin to Christchurch
- Oamaru to Queenstown.
Keen to see another route added? Add your request to this post.
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