A New Zealand South Island street journey must be on the bucket listing of each journey or panorama images fanatic. From stunning seashores, wild shoreline, and epic glacial fjords to the snow-capped Southern Alps, it may be exhausting to plan a visit that takes all of it in. That’s why I’ve accomplished the exhausting be just right for you!
New Zealand South Island Map – Street Journey Itinerary
New Zealand South Island Street Journey: 11 Epic Pictures Spots
Most guests to New Zealand’s South Island fly into Christchurch or Queenstown, nonetheless, if you’re together with the North Island in your journey, then it’s possible you’ll take the ferry into Picton. This New Zealand itinerary runs from the Northern tip and is usually round in an anticlockwise route, so you can begin and finish at your comfort. And don’t neglect there are infinite choices for facet journeys off my marked route!
1. Wharariki Seashore
On the very high of the South Island, you will see that this secluded and huge seashore, tenting is obtainable inside strolling distance or you possibly can choose to remain in a lodge a brief drive away. One of the best time for images here’s a sundown to seize the rock formations and the massive sand dunes. Wharariki Seashore can be house to New Zealand Fur Seals that can can help you get shut sufficient for some epic wildlife pictures.
2. Nelson Lakes – Lake Rotoiti
Even for those who solely cease briefly on the Lake Rotoiti carpark you may be rewarded with a tremendous view. The traditional shot at getting right here is of the jetty looking throughout the lake with the steep mountain sides towering on both facet of your body. Be warned, the climate can depart the entire place coated in fog for days at a time!
3. Punakaiki Pancake Rocks
These unusual rock formations present an fascinating topic for a seashore panorama shot. As they’re on the west coast, it would be best to cling round for sundown to get the very best gentle.
4. Lake Matheson
A brief stroll round this small lake leads you to top-of-the-line views of New Zealand’s highest peak, Mt Prepare dinner. The lake is thought for offering an ideal reflection of the mountains, so long as the water continues to be. Early morning normally offers the very best situations right here.
5. That Wanaka Tree
New Zealand’s most well-known and most photographed tree earned its personal hashtag for cause. A lone willow tree protruding of lake Wanaka proper within the township itself makes for a tremendous {photograph}. Strive a lengthy publicity right here to make the water look silky clean.
6. Roy’s Peak
This traditional New Zealand view requires a little bit of a hike, however it’s nicely well worth the effort. Place your topic on the level, and they’ll look tiny on this epic panorama. It may well get crowded right here with everybody wanting the identical shot, however the hike supplies loads of comparable viewpoints.
7. Milford Sound
Most likely essentially the most recognizable New Zealand view comes from Milford Sound. Deep darkish water and large steep mountains rising from the deep make it straightforward to get superb panorama pictures right here. A ship or kayak journey is an effective way to get a distinctive perspective, and it’s possible you’ll even be fortunate sufficient to identify dolphins.
8. Moeraki Boulders
One other peculiar rock formation, this time on the east coast. The peerlessly spherical ‘boulders’ are greatest photographed at sundown with lengthy publicity to assist them stand out from the seashore.
9. Mt Prepare dinner village
The drive as much as Mt. Prepare dinner village can have you stopping each 2 minutes with a brand new view to {photograph}. On a transparent day, top-of-the-line pictures is alongside the coast of Lake Pukaki, with a protracted lens to make the mountain bigger in your body.
10. Arthurs Move
This needs to be one among New Zealand’s most scenic drives. Greatest photographed in Winter or Autumn when the peaks are snow-covered, there are numerous alternatives for pictures of epic highways and bridges amongst the wilderness.
11. Kaikoura
Kaikoura is the capital of whale watching in New Zealand and likewise has resident seals that you would be able to get near. Take a ship journey and take a look at for a shot of a whale or dolphins with the mountain peaks within the background.
When must you go?
The South Island can present superb pictures in all seasons, however for my part, winter/autumn is the very best time to go to when the mountains are coated in snow. Fringe seasons will probably be barely cheaper by way of lodging, and the roads are filled with camper vans and tour buses in the summertime.
How a lot time do you want?
For journey images, you have to to be versatile with occasions because the climate is notoriously unpredictable right here. Enable your self further days to attend out the wet days once you need that good view. I’d counsel a minimal of two weeks to get round the entire island comfortably and to present you time for unplanned facet journeys.
Facet journeys are a should right here…
Driving the primary highways, you’ll nearly continuously come throughout indicators promising waterfalls and viewpoints, and it is best to completely comply with a few of them. One of the best street journeys embody getting a bit misplaced and following gravel roads simply to see what’s on the finish. Simply be warned; New Zealand is riddled with gravel roads that appear to go on without end!
How a lot will it value?
Hiring a camper van is the very best and most typical method of getting round. This lets you cease wherever you need, and community of campsites in nearly each city supplies bathrooms and kitchen services for a small cost. Prime 10 Vacation Parks has many campsites all through the Island. In case you have the funds, you possibly can simply drive between bigger cities every day for higher accommodations, however these can get costly in vacationer scorching spots akin to Wanaka.
For the funds aware, make the most of the international locations ‘freedom tenting websites. This can be a community of parking areas which can be out there freed from cost for ‘self-contained’ autos solely (that means it’s a must to have a rest room onboard). Some freedom campers have given the follow a foul title by littering the areas, and this has rubbed locals the incorrect method, so ensure that to take all of your garbage away with you!
Tenting
It’s a massive no-no to camp in an undesignated spot in New Zealand because of littering and the massive numbers of vacationers that go to annually.
If you happen to pitch a tent illegally, you possibly can count on to get up to a ticket slapped in your tent or worse, be woken in the midst of the night time and advised to maneuver on. As an alternative, make use of DOC campsites which normally have a rest room on-site; you should purchase a move that’s legitimate in any respect South Island campsites, excluding the busy huts in vacationer scorching spots at www.doc.govt.nz
New Zealand South Island Street Journey | Conclusion
One of the best recommendation I can provide you is to be versatile. The climate will thwart your plans, and it’s possible you’ll discover a facet journey that you simply wish to spend a day exploring. That is all a part of the enjoyable! You by no means know what it’s possible you’ll discover in New Zealand’s South Island.