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Your guide to New Zealand
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New Zealand trip plans

Road trips, camping bases and time on the trail.

Essentials

18 trip plans in our collection

  • A walker seen from behind carrying a grey and orange backpack, with hills in the background.
    Illustrative

    A backpack carried outdoors; location unverified. This is not a retailer or current-stock photograph. Not a verified photograph of the place or itinerary in this guide.

    Photo: Cody Black / Unsplash License / Details

    Taranaki

    Taranaki: Five Days from New Plymouth to Stratford and Hawera

    Duration
    5 days
    Style
    Road trip
    Start / finish
    New Plymouth / Hawera
    Planning notes

    Move down Taranaki's eastern side with a Stratford forest day and a Hawera gardens finish, rather than returning to New Plymouth every night.

    Checked 2026-10-01. Suggested itinerary; bookings and current access need confirmation.

  • Reeds, grass and rocks on the shore of Lake Mahinapua at Shanghai Bay, with forest across the lake.
    Illustrative

    Lake Mahinapua viewed from Shanghai Bay on 17 October 2024. Nearby lakeside scenery only; the campsite and its pitches are not shown. Not a verified photograph of the place or itinerary in this guide.

    Photo: Pseudopanax / Public domain / Details

    West Coast

    Westport to Hokitika: Six Days Along the Northern West Coast

    Duration
    6 days
    Style
    Road trip
    Start / finish
    Westport / Hokitika
    Planning notes

    Slow the Westport-Punakaiki-Hokitika corridor into a six-day trip with separate coast and gorge days, stopping before glacier-country transfers.

    Checked 2026-10-01. Suggested itinerary; bookings and current access need confirmation.

  • A walker seen from behind carrying a grey and orange backpack, with hills in the background.
    Illustrative

    A backpack carried outdoors; location unverified. This is not a retailer or current-stock photograph. Not a verified photograph of the place or itinerary in this guide.

    Photo: Cody Black / Unsplash License / Details

    Northland

    Whangarei to Kerikeri: Six Days in Eastern Northland

    Duration
    6 days
    Style
    Road trip
    Start / finish
    Whangarei / Kerikeri
    Planning notes

    Move north through Whangarei and Paihia to Kerikeri, leaving space for Puketi and a land-based Bay of Islands day without a Cape Reinga dash.

    Checked 2026-10-01. Suggested itinerary; bookings and current access need confirmation.

  • A yellow tent pitched among trees, with another tent partly visible beside it.
    Illustrative

    Pitched tents in Yosemite Valley, United States, not a New Zealand campsite or a pitching demonstration. Not a verified photograph of the place or itinerary in this guide.

    Photo: Andrew Scofield / Unsplash License / Details

    Otago / Southland

    Otago and the Catlins: Seven-Day Coastal Loop from Dunedin

    Duration
    7 days
    Style
    Road trip
    Start / finish
    Dunedin / Dunedin
    Planning notes

    Travel through Kaka Point and the southern Catlins to Invercargill, then return through Gore with overnight stops separating coast and inland driving.

    Checked 2026-10-01. Suggested itinerary; bookings and current access need confirmation.

  • A walker seen from behind carrying a grey and orange backpack, with hills in the background.
    Illustrative

    A backpack carried outdoors; location unverified. This is not a retailer or current-stock photograph. Not a verified photograph of the place or itinerary in this guide.

    Photo: Cody Black / Unsplash License / Details

    Marlborough / Nelson / Tasman

    Picton to Golden Bay: A Seven-Day Top of the South Road Trip

    Duration
    7 days
    Style
    Road trip
    Start / finish
    Picton / Motueka
    Planning notes

    Work west from Picton through Nelson and Motueka, then allow two Golden Bay days before returning to Motueka without a same-day ferry deadline.

    Checked 2026-10-01. Suggested itinerary; bookings and current access need confirmation.

  • A sealed road near Glentanner leading toward snow-covered mountains beneath a clear sky.
    Illustrative

    A road near Glentanner, New Zealand, facing snow-covered mountains. The photograph does not establish current road conditions or typical seasonal weather. Not a verified photograph of the place or itinerary in this guide.

    Photo: JinHui CHEN / Unsplash License / Details

    Canterbury / Otago / Southland / Fiordland

    Christchurch to Te Anau: Nine Days Through Mackenzie and Wanaka

    Duration
    9 days
    Style
    Road trip
    Start / finish
    Christchurch / Te Anau
    Planning notes

    A one-way South Island journey with paired lake-country nights, a separate Aoraki visit and a Te Anau finish that does not force Milford Sound into the final day.

    Checked 2026-10-01. Suggested itinerary; bookings and current access need confirmation.

Plan an island road trip

Start with a realistic route, then choose campsites and walks for each overnight base.

Leave room to change course

These are editorial route suggestions, not booked holidays. Allow extra time for weather, roadworks, rest and the needs of your group. Each overnight stop needs a confirmed booking or verified permission.

Driving in New Zealand

Walking distances and grades belong to the individual route. Check its current notices before adding it to a driving day.

Find walking tracksConditions & alerts