When most people talk you through their highlights of a trip around New Zealand, they’re probably talking about the South Island: their adventures around the adventure capital that is Queenstown; their hikes up Roy’s Peak and Ben Lomond; their camping and kayaking adventures through Abel Tasman National Park. The North Island is well worth a visit too (here’s a one-week guide for getting the best out of it).
The mountainous isle is so vast, varied and criss-crossed with once-in-a-lifetime natural beauty that you need at least three weeks to do it if you want to do it properly. Where to start? Hire a car or a campervan and book the essentials in advance. Many of New Zealand’s top bucket-list activities sell out months prior (including campervans, which may cost you more than a car and accommodation). Even the least petrol-headed of travellers find themselves converted to road-tripping when they visit the South Island. Trust me: you’ll run out of synonyms for ‘wow’.
