Let’s be honest. Choosing 15 must see places in South Island New Zealand is almost impossible. ALL of South Island New Zealand is a must see. In fact, ALL of New Zealand is a must see.
Unless you’re lucky enough to call this spectacular country home though, or you’ve got plenty of time to explore at your leisure, then shortlisting highlights for a trip is a practical necessity.
We recently visited New Zealand’s South Island for the second time. Just like our first visit, the sweeping landscapes stopped us in our tracks and stole our words.
This is a land that’s been forged over millennia by extremes of geology and climate, and the drama is played out everywhere you look, from glacier-gouged valleys and deep, dark-water fiords to hilly peninsulas designed by cataclysmic volcanic eruption.
Navigating environments as spectacular as these takes time: more time than you’d think, and not just because you’ll find yourself stopping every couple of minutes for a photo. Just one more reason why a list of must sees is a must have for the short trip visitor.
So where to start? It goes without saying there are at least 15,000 highlights across the South Island. There’s scenery here to last a lifetime.
In this post though, we’ve picked 15 of our personal New Zealand South Island highlights for a road trip from Christchurch to Southland and back via the Otago Coast. We take in Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook, Queenstown, Wanaka, the fiordlands, Oamaru, Banks Peninsula and a bunch of stunning places in between.
For us, these 15 places rate as must-sees because they capture the sheer magic of New Zealand’s south: the landscapes are fantastical and the views go on forever. It’s a sentiment we’ve tried to capture in panorama throughout this post.
Some of these highlights have to be earned, whether by hiking, kayaking, or driving a long way. The rewards are so worth it. New Zealand’s South Island is a land like no other.
Mount John, Lake Tekapo
If you’re on a loop trip from Christchurch through the stunning south, then Lake Tekapo is your luminescent blue gateway.
While many people pass straight through en route to Queenstown, there’s plenty to keep you busy here for a couple of days, from hiking or lazing in hot springs to backcountry snow sports when winter transforms the landscape.
For the ultimate highlight of these parts though, you need to turn your eyes skyward: this is part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, so if you score a cloud-free night, be ready for some razzle dazzle overhead.
It’s so good for stargarzing, in fact, there’s a research observatory on Mount John, overlooking the milky blue lake.
Head here for after-dark sky tours, or during the day for a hot drink at the Astro Café. You can also hike up here on the 3-hour Mount John Walkway. Or cheat and drive the windy road up, like we did.
However you get here, just get here: the views over Lake Tekapo and Lake Alexandrina are superb.
Kea Point Track, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Our first visit to New Zealand was pre-Google maps and while Mount Cook was on our itinerary, we made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on the other side of the southern range. #travelfail
Naturally, Mount Cook was top of the list for this visit and with off-line maps on the go, there was no chance we’d miss it again. A good thing too, the landscapes around Mount Cook absolutely live up to the hype: it is mind-blowingly beautiful here.
Hiking is the main game around these parts and there are a range of short, long, easy and tough walks to choose from. When you’re not enjoying a red wine by the fire in one of the village lodges, that is.
Our original plan was to hike the famous Hooker Valley Track, but heavy rains and landslides took out parts of the trail just before we arrived and it was closed.
Instead, we hiked the pretty Kea Point Track, an easy 2-hour walk from the village through the golden grasses of the valley and up to the moraine wall of the Mueller Glacier. The snowy peak of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, rises ever above the track.
Even if you don’t have time to explore the trails, the scenery around Mount Cook makes this one of our absolute must see places in south island New Zealand; even the drive in along Lake Pukaki and the Mount Cook Road is epic!
Tasman Glacier, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
If we’ve convinced you Mount Cook should be on your itinerary, then be sure to add Tasman Glacier Lake as well – it’s just around the corner along the Tasman Valley Road.
At 27km long, Tasman Glacier, or Haupapa, is the country’s longest. While it’s not the prettiest of glaciers thanks to a build-up of dirt on its surface, it’s still something else to witness the front end of this vast river of ice, and ponder its uncertain future.
Like all of the country’s glaciers, including the west coast glaciers Frans Josef and Fox, the Tasman is in rapid retreat. It may even disappear in our lifetime.
Huge chunks of ice floating on the milky chocolate lake are testament to the glacier’s quickening melt. Yet it’s still possible to feel tiny in the face of this extraordinary nature, especially when you see the miniature kayaks and boats rock up next to the mighty bergs.
The Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walks are great little short hikes around and up onto the moraine wall above the lake, a lovely spot to chill in the sun. It’s from here that we captured the pano above.
Clay Cliffs, Omarama
The surreal pinnacles of the Clay Cliffs are obvious across the plains as you travel State Highway 8, and this view may be enough to satisfy your inner geologist. But they’re way better up close.
It’s a long dusty drive along a dirt track to reach the cliffs, which are on private property with entry by honesty box donation (NZ$5).
Once parked up, you can wander the length of this natural phenomenon: a fantastical landscape of sharp pillars and ravines eroded from river silt deposits over the millennia.
Follow the trail along the cliffs and you’ll eventually find a narrow entryway to a cool secret canyon, which is where we snapped this shot.
Lindis Pass Viewpoint
Road tripping New Zealand is an experience in its own right, a place where the journey really is as epic as the destination. That’s why it’s important to factor extra time into your sightseeing. Trust us, you’ll want to stop every five minutes.
There are literally hundreds of road-side stops we could list as must sees on a New Zealand South Island road trip. Lindis Pass is just one of them, so is Eglinton Valley further on in our list.
These stops are representative of what makes driving here such a pleasure: one minute you’re in the car and making eyes through the window. The next, you’re stretching your legs on a track and feeling a million miles from anywhere.
The Lindis Pass is a tussocky alpine saddle at nearly 1000 metres, with views across rolling mountains in every direction. The golden hills are simply beautiful in the Autumn, which is when we travelled through, but they must look just as gorgeous when winter rolls in and layers the scene with snow.
Bob’s Peak, Queenstown
Queenstown is on just about every South Island itinerary, and with good reason: this is New Zealand’s alpine adventure capital and one seriously stunning city.
We’ve never made it to Queenstown in the winter (it’s on the bucket list), but by all accounts, this is a snow-and-ski experience to match the best of them.
On our visits, we’ve been content to scout out the local craft beer scene, sample the diverse eating options, and throw ourselves off a platform with a bungee cord.
On each visit though, we make sure to head up Bob’s Peak, the mountain that rises up behind the city.
The peak is the home of Skyline, and while it’s a total tourist magnet, a visit to Queenstown isn’t a fait accompli until you’ve taken in the panoramas over the city, the Remarkables and vast Lake Wakatipu from its lofty heights.
Of course, if the views aren’t enough, there’s bungee jumping, mountain biking, hiking, a gondola, and plenty of other distractions.
Like the luge, which we thought would be corny but which turned out to be so much fun we did it three times.
Lake Mackenzie, The Routeburn Track
Tramping is practically a national past-time for New Zealanders. The nature is second to none and so are the walks. The options are limitless, whether you’re content with a ten-minute nature loop off the road side, or you’re keen for a ten-day challenge in the back country.
Our recent trip to New Zealand was built around a three-day hike on the Routeburn Track, one of the country’s nine iconic Great Walks.
The Routeburn winds a trail through the mountains from Mount Aspiring National Park north of Queenstown, to Fiordland National Park in Southland, with campgrounds and hut stays en route. The mountains-and-valleys scenery is nothing short of mind-blowing.
You don’t need to set aside three days to experience the epic nature of the Routeburn though. Hit up the trail at either end for a half or full day hike into the gorgeous surrounds.
A one-day trek from The Divide, on the Te Anau-Milford Highway, will bring you to beautiful Lake Mackenzie, all that remains of an ancient glacier that gouged the valley at its head. Stay overnight in the huts or bring a tent for more time in this dramatic gorge.
Eglinton Valley, Te Anau-Milford Sound Highway
What list of must-see places in South Island New Zealand doesn’t have Milford Sound on it? Ours. But only because the weather made the call for us, and we didn’t actually get to see it for the rain and mist. Lucky we’d been there before.
The weather in Fiordlands is notoriously fickle. We were clouded out of a Milford experience in Autumn, and we heard from locals about how snow can close the mountain pass into the Sound for weeks at a time.
Having said all that, of course Milford should be on your itinerary, especially if it’s your first visit to NZ. The point we want to make is that if you don’t get to see the iconic peaks of this world famous fiord, it’s ok. Because the scenery just getting there is ridiculous!
The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is, in our road tripping opinion, one of the world’s best. The geological drama is off the charts. Sheer mountains surge out of the ground above wide, flat valleys. Lush forests edge rushing rivers. When it rains, the mountains turn into vast curtains of misty waterfall.
Didn’t get that insta-worthy Mitre Peak shot? Doesn’t matter. The views that keep you company there and back more than make up for it.
Doubtful Sound, Fiordland National Park
Milford Sound is a hot spot for visitors travelling the country’s southwest, and it can get pretty busy on and around the water. If you’re after a fiord experience a little more off the beaten track, then make for the pretty lakeside town of Manapouri, the launchpad for Doubtful Sound.
Captain Cook’s name for this stunning Sound was a reaction to his uncertainty about whether he could sail it safely. Take our word for it though, there’s nothing doubtful about the singular serenity of this vast waterway.
In fact, Doubtful’s nickname is the ‘Sound of Silence’, a sentiment that comes into its own when you’re drifting in a kayak with mountains soaring around you, and occasional birdsong the only break in the stillness.
Getting to Doubtful Sound is a journey in its own right, starting with a ferry ride across Manapouri Lake then a bus ride over the high Wilmot Pass. We stopped often en route to take in the waterfalls, panoramas, and a pair of juvenile kea clowning about on the road.
Kayaking Doubtful Sound is a superb way to explore this South Island highlight, but if you’re short on time (or arm power), cruises also ply the pristine waters.
Roy’s Peak, Wanaka
Pretty Wanaka is the low-key alternative to busy Queenstown, and while it too serves up a host of outdoor adventures, it can be a friend-dividing debate choosing one over the other. We say visit both and make your own mind up.
Like Queenstown, Wanaka’s lake-level scenery is postcard perfect. But to really appreciate the majesty of this mountain town, it’s worth getting above the clouds. And the best place to do that is Roy’s Peak.
Despite its popularity, the hike to Roy’s Peak is no walk in the park. It’s a fairly challenging 16km return hike that zig zags straight up the mountainside (you can see the wiggly path in the pic above). We found it tough. We stopped often. I hated the world for a while. We climbed through the clouds and eventually made it to the summit at 1,578m.
The views were EPIC. The sense of achievement was even better. Once we were able to breathe again, we agreed this was definitely one for our list of must see places in South Island New Zealand.
If hiking Roy’s doesn’t sound like your cup of tea though, there’s another awesome way to survey this beautiful place from on high. And there’s wine. Head to Rippon Winery in the late afternoon, sample the wares, then settle on the lawn and take in the magic winery views.
Central Otago Wine Region
More wineries, you say? Cheers to that! As wine lovers, vineyards always feature on our road trip itineraries and there are a number of options on the Christchurch – Southland – Otago Coast loop, especially around Central Otago.
When landslides closed off the west coast road on our recent trip to NZ, we made a snap decision to travel back to Christchurch via State Highway 83 – the Kurow-Duntroon Road. The road passes through a fascinating region of Maori rock art, fossils and quirky geology. And yes, wine.
The journey to (or from) the coast traverses Pinot Noir country, and the Autumn scene that greeted us out in the vineyards was stupendous: multi-coloured vines stretching away in rows towards the distant mountains. It’s a view that took us right back to the wine landscapes of Mendoza in Argentina, another mountains-and-wine destination we love.
Elephant Rocks, Central Otago
The must-see bar is set high by the time you leave the dramatic beauty of New Zealand’s southern alps.
As we watched the alpine region grow smaller in our rearview mirror, and the landscapes smoothed into rolling hills and flat plains dotted with sheep, we turned our attention from mountain drama to the offbeat and unusual.
We found just what we were looking for on the The Vanished Trail along the Kurow-Duntroon Road.
After stopping at the quirky little roadside Vanished World Centre for Fossils, and imagining times past at the Maerewhenua and Takiroa Maori rock art sites, we set off into the countryside in search of the intriguing-sounding Elephant Rocks.
This unusual landscape sits smack in the middle of a farm, appearing out of nowhere and with no warning apart from some exposed rocky scrapings on the way in.
The huge boulders at Elephant Rocks are the weathered remains of a limestone sea bed laid down some 25 million years ago. It’s busy in waves, but wait around a bit. It’s an oddly wonderful place, fantastical even. The scatterings of sheep poo are the only reminder you’re actually still in the real Middle Earth.
Moeraki Boulders, Koekohe Beach, Otago Coast
New Zealand is a smorgasbord for geology nerds like us, but even if rocks do nothing for you, the sight of the sea washing around the strangely spherical boulders at Koekohe Beach is one worth stopping for.
The scientific explanation for the large round Moeraki ‘stones’ talks some jargon about ‘septarian concretions’, but it’s easier to imagine the boulders as giant clay-and-calcite ‘pearls’ that have developed in the ground over millennia.
As the sea erodes the coastal mudstone that formed around them, the orbs spill out like marbles from the scarp behind the beach. Look out for the boulder still half embedded in the rock, it helps to paint the picture.
Today, the scene is like a David and Goliath version of beach bocce. It’s bizarre and remarkable, and almost impossible to snap a pic without crowds. Even so, it’s a strangely compelling place.
Wander back to the carpark via the pretty forest track above and behind the beach; it’s great for spotting birds in the undergrowth.
Bushy Beach Yellow-Eyed Penguin Colony, Oamaru
Bushy Beach is a hidden highlight of a New Zealand South Island road trip, and not just because it’s a striking spot of vivid colours and lounging fur seals.
This strip of beach is home to a colony of increasingly rare, and shy, yellow eyed penguins. Already endangered, their numbers are on the freefall and so the opportunity to see them in their natural habitat, doing their natural thing, is a privilege we hoped to experience.
A special lookout has been built high above Bushy Beach so visitors can watch for the penguins as they return to their hides in the late afternoon, without disturbing them. This is critical. If they’re spooked, they’ll turn right around and leave, and that means their chicks won’t be fed, a situation this declining species can’t afford.
The penguins start making their way into shore any time from around 3pm till sunset, and the beach is closed during these hours. Volunteer wardens are on hand to answer questions. Bring binoculars and settle in.
Bushy Beach is a low-key alternative to the nightly ‘penguin parade’ on show down the road in Oamaru. This highly popular tourist attraction offers visitors the chance to sit in specially designed stands and watch the local colony of little blue penguins return en masse each evening to their nesting boxes.
By all accounts it’s a well managed affair but it’s not our scene; we prefer the unobtrusive set up at Bushy, even though in our case, we missed seeing penguins by mere minutes on the day we visited. That’s nature.
Banks Peninsula, Canterbury
Just an hour and a half from Christchurch, stunning Banks Peninsula hides a cataclysmic past under its striking, rural exterior. Back in the mists of time, this volcanic landscape exploded, quite literally, in an eruption to rival Krakatoa.
Look at a map, and you can see the radiating wheels of the ancient shield volcanoes that once towered here. The volcanic past is less obvious as you drive the winding roads, but this is a wild and beautiful place that attracts wild and beautiful creatures, like penguins, albatross, seals and the world’s smallest dolphin, the endangered Hector’s.
Akaroa, the main town on the peninsula, is a lovely little place to while away an afternoon after exploring the surrounds by car. There are also hiking tracks and mountain biking trails to discover.
Or head out on a boat tour to see the layered volcanic coastline up close and, if you’re lucky, hang out with the endearing mini cetaceans that call the sea here home.
It wasn’t easy to choose, but that’s a wrap on our 15 Must See Places in South Island New Zealand. We’ll no doubt be back with more, but for now, we’d love to hear your fave South Island highlights. Let us know in the comments below!
I also explored these awesome places in my these tours and I have a joyful time with my buddies.
Hey Michel, we’re stoked that you enjoyed beautiful South Island NZ as much as us – happy travels!