Both islands in three weeks, from Auckland to Christchurch, with the car on board the Cook Strait ferry: about 2,600 km, with 2 to 4 hours of driving per stage. The geysers of Rotorua, the Tongariro volcanoes, the West Coast and its glaciers, the Haast Pass, Milford Sound, Queenstown and the Mackenzie lakes, driving on the left on roads that are often narrow and winding.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Auckland | Start |
| Days 3 to 4 | Rotorua | 257 km · 3h45 |
| Days 5 to 6 | Tūrangi (Tongariro) | 129 km · 1h50 |
| Day 7 | Wellington | 322 km · 4h15 |
| Days 8 to 9 | Nelson | 211 km · 5h40 |
| Day 10 | Punakaiki | 265 km · 3h35 |
| Days 11 to 12 | Franz Josef | 217 km · 2h55 |
| Day 13 | Wānaka | 285 km · 3h45 |
| Days 14 to 15 | Te Anau | 227 km · 3h15 |
| Days 16 to 17 | Queenstown | 171 km · 2h15 |
| Days 18 to 19 | Lake Tekapo | 256 km · 3h20 |
| Day 20 | Christchurch | 226 km · 3h05 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
November to March, the southern summer: long days, clear passes, but December is the most expensive month for car hire. From June to August, snow calls for chains on mountain roads and the Milford Road closes when there is a risk of avalanches.
🚗 257 km · 3h45 of driving from Auckland
SH1 via the Waikato Expressway, then SH29 and SH27 towards Matamata and Hobbiton, and SH5 to Rotorua.
🚗 129 km · 1h50 of driving from Rotorua
SH5 via Wai-O-Tapu to Taupō, then SH1 along the eastern shore of Lake Taupō.
🚗 322 km · 4h15 of driving from Tūrangi
SH1 via the Desert Road (1,074 m), closed by snow in some winters, then the Kāpiti Coast and Transmission Gully.
🚗 211 km · 5h40 of driving from Wellington
Interislander or Bluebridge ferry (3 hours 30 minutes) to Picton, then the narrow, winding Queen Charlotte Drive and SH6 via Havelock.
🚗 265 km · 3h35 of driving from Nelson
SH6 via Murchison and the Buller Gorge, on a ledge above the river, then the coast road south of Westport.
🚗 217 km · 2h55 of driving from Punakaiki
SH6 via Greymouth, Hokitika and Harihari, between the Tasman Sea and rainforest; many one-lane bridges.
🚗 285 km · 3h45 of driving from Franz Josef
SH6 via Haast and the Haast Pass (562 m), then Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea. Roadworks and convoys at The Neck.
🚗 227 km · 3h15 of driving from Wānaka
Crown Range Road (1,076 m), the country's highest paved road, full of hairpins, then SH6 along Lake Wakatipu via Kingston.
🚗 171 km · 2h15 of driving from Te Anau
Back on SH94 and SH97 via Mossburn, then SH6 along Lake Wakatipu via Kingston.
🚗 256 km · 3h20 of driving from Queenstown
SH6 via the Kawarau Gorge and Cromwell, then SH8 over the Lindis Pass (971 m) and via Twizel.
🚗 226 km · 3h05 of driving from Lake Tekapo
SH8 via Fairlie, SH79 via Geraldine, then SH1 across the Canterbury Plains and the Rakaia Bridge.
In 14 days, keep to the South Island: start from Nelson, then Punakaiki, Franz Josef, Wānaka, Te Anau, Queenstown and Tekapo to Christchurch, in 13 nights. The North Island, from Auckland to Wellington with the ferry, needs 7 more days.
| Small car, Auckland airport, annual average | ≈ €19 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
|---|---|
| All categories, Auckland, December | ≈ €36 a day |
| All categories, Auckland, May | ≈ €16 a day |
| SUV, Auckland airport, average | ≈ €51 a day |
| One way Auckland-Christchurch | No fee with Apex; elsewhere, compare the total price |
| Vehicle | A city car or compact: the whole route is paved. A campervan only if it is certified self-contained. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Auckland airport, returned in Christchurch; also possible in Nelson or at the Picton terminal. |
| Ferry | Car on board with Avis, Budget, GO, Apex, Sixt; swap cars in Wellington and Picton with Hertz, Europcar, Thrifty, Dollar. |
| Insurance | Basic insurance included with an excess; deposit blocked on a credit card, excess waiver optional. |
| Excluded roads | Skippers Canyon, Macetown road, the road north of Glenorchy beyond Priory Road (Apex contract). |
| Age and card | 21 minimum with Apex, no young driver surcharge; full licence and a credit card in the driver's name. |
⚠️ A licence not written in English is not enough on its own: an International Driving Permit or approved English translation is compulsory, together with the original, otherwise no car.
Licence not written in English: International Driving Permit or approved translation, with the original. Valid for 18 months after arrival.
Right-hand drive. At roundabouts, give way to vehicles coming from the right.
110 on some signposted expressways, generally 50 in town, 30 or 40 near schools.
0.05% for drivers aged 20 and over, zero under 20. Strict checks, heavy penalties.
The sign shows who gives way; small red arrow on your side: you wait. If in doubt, let the other car through.
You must pull over as soon as it is safe; solid yellow line on your side: no overtaking.
Automatic suspension for more than 40 km/h over the limit, 50 over a roadworks limit.
Phone in hand banned at the wheel; pull over to call or text.
Snow and ice possible on the passes; no mobile signal on the Milford Road, closed when there is an avalanche risk.
After a long flight, rest for 24 to 48 hours; winding roads, journey times often underestimated.
Since 7 June 2026, a "green warrant" card is compulsory; NZ$400 fine outside permitted areas.
≈ €1.59 per litre of 95 unleaded (NZ$3.18 on 21 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 2,566 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €290 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
No petrol station or shop on the Milford Road or at Milford Sound: fill up in Te Anau.
| Wellington-Picton ferry (Interislander, Bluebridge) | 3 hours 30 minutes; car fare depends on the date, check-in 1 hour before departure |
|---|---|
| Toll roads (Northern Gateway, Tauranga) | Not on the route; NZ$2.10 to NZ$2.60 per trip (2025 rates) |
| Unpaid toll in a rental car | Passed on to the customer, NZ$10 admin fee with Apex |
| Tongariro Alpine Crossing | Parking limited to 4 hours at the trailheads: shuttle recommended, free track booking |
| Tourist levy (IVL) | NZ$100 per person, paid with the NZeTA application |
| Access charge for foreigners (planned) | NZ$20 to NZ$40 at Milford Sound and Tongariro, not before summer 2027 |
| SH6 between The Neck and Makarora (Haast road): closed on weekdays from 08:00 to 17:30 since 18 Sept. 2026 | Convoys at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00, until further notice |
|---|---|
| Milford Road (SH94) | Closed in winter and spring when there is an avalanche risk |
| Desert Road (SH1) | Gates closed for a few days in most winters (snow, ice) |
| Crown Range, Lindis Pass, Haast Pass | Snow possible from June to August: chains, check NZTA |
| Tongariro Alpine Crossing | May to October: alpine conditions, guide recommended |
Three weeks for both islands: our itinerary covers 20 nights and about 2,600 km, with 2 to 4 hours of driving per stage and a 3-hour 30-minute ferry between Wellington and Picton. The South Island alone needs about two weeks, from Nelson to Christchurch. With less time, you have to choose one island.
Car hire: about €19 a day on average for a small car in Auckland, €36 in December (Kayak, 2026), so €400 to €750 for 21 days. Estimated petrol: 180 litres at NZ$3.18, about NZ$570 (€290) at September 2026 prices. Add the ferry with the car and the tourist levy of NZ$100 per person. Accommodation not included.
Yes if your licence is not written in English (a French licence, for example): it must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit or an approved translation, and the original. It lets you drive for up to 18 months after each arrival. Rental companies also ask for a full licence and a credit card in the driver's name.
It depends on the rental company. Avis, Budget, GO Rentals, Apex, Sixt and others allow the car on board the Interislander or Bluebridge. Hertz, Europcar, Thrifty and Dollar have you return the car in Wellington and pick up another in Picton. Book the ferry at the same time as the car.
No. Freedom camping is restricted to permitted areas, and often to certified self-contained vehicles with a fixed toilet. Since 7 June 2026, only the green warrant card counts as certification. Fine: NZ$400 for a non-self-contained vehicle outside a permitted area, NZ$200 with no card displayed. DOC (the Department of Conservation) runs more than 300 campsites.
You get used to it quickly, but the roads are often narrow, winding and sometimes gravel, with one-lane bridges. Spend the first night in Auckland before driving, drive 1 to 2 hours at a stretch, and look right when entering a roundabout. On the Milford Road, allow at least 2 hours from Te Anau.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/new-zealand · by Tom, updated 1 October 2026
