An 8 day South Island itinerary for the perfect campervan road trip
Get off the beaten track on this Christchurch to Queenstown itinerary via the coastal route.
Purakaunui Bay, one of my favourite campgrounds in the South Island
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn commission if you book through those links (at no extra cost to you). I appreciate your support
Christchurch and Queenstown are the logical start and end points of any South Island road trip. Most people start and end their itineraries in these towns.
Usually, the Christchurch to Queenstown route means going via Tekapo and Mount Cook. But if you add a few more days, and head down the east coast of the South Island instead, you can experience part of the South Island that far fewer visitors see.
Instead of lakes and mountains, you’ll see windswept beaches and wildlife. Along the remote and little-visited Catlins Coast, you can see rare penguins, Hector’s dolphins, sea lions, and albatross.
There are also waterfalls, art galleries, and gorgeous campgrounds – all the things that make this an iconic New Zealand South Island trip
I’ll be honest with you — I’m calling this a campervan road trip, because it’s perfect for a motorhome. But I did this same route in just a car, camping in the back. You can very easily do the same if you’re on a budget, or just want to experience the freedom of camping right by a beach.
But a campervan is definitely the best option.
I’ll also warn you that I did this Catlins road trip in March, which is supposed to still be a warm month, despite officially being the start of autumn. It wasn’t warm.
I did have beautiful sunny days, but there was definitely a chill in the air. If you followed this road trip itinerary at the height of summer, I would still recommend packing your warm layers — the Catlins can get cold.
Itinerary overview
This is a whistlestop tour of the Catlins, which felt fine when I did this route (except for Te Anau where I had an extra couple of days to hike. And I stayed a total of three nights in Oamaru because I loved it so much).
You could add a day or two to make this a more relaxed, 10 day road trip itinerary. But equally, the Catlins is a fairly compact area, so the driving isn’t excessive.
If I had to pick one spot to add more time, it would be around Te Anau, to allow for a little more exploring in Fiordland.
Day 1: Christchurch to Oamaru
Day 2: Explore Oamaru
Day 3: Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula
Day 4: Nugget Point and Purakaunui Bay
Day 5: Curio Bay
Day 6: Te Anau
Day 7: Milford Sound
Day 8: Queenstown
Day 1: Christchurch to Oamaru
The first day of a road trip usually means a little admin. You might want to explore a little of Christchurch before hitting the road (a couple of hours strolling around the city centre should do it), and stock up on supplies, so you probably won’t have a huge amount of time left by the time you get down to Oamaru.
It’s around three hours of driving to reach Oamaru. There’s nowhere I would recommend stopping on the way – just beeline down there.
If you arrive in the early evening, you should have plenty of time to check out the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. At dusk, you can take a seat at the amphitheatre to see the little blue penguins tottering home from a day of fishing.
I stayed at Oamaru Backpackers and adored it. There’s a choice of private and dorm rooms, a very well-equipped kitchen, and an amazing living area overlooking the ocean (complete with a massage chair).
Day 2: Explore Oamaru, Steampunk capital of the world
Oamaru is one of the most surprising and interesting towns in New Zealand.
Whitestone City, the historic heart of Oamaru, features white limestone buildings from the 1860s. The precinct now houses shops and galleries, with many unique and quirky places to explore.
Check out Buggy Robot gallery for quirky creations, Inc. design store and Housekeepers design for great shopping, and Tees Street cafe and Cucina for lunch and dinner.
Then there’s Steampunk HQ, a fun exhibition of steampunky creations.
Oamaru is famous for being home to yellow eyed penguins as well as the little blue ones.
Head out to Bushy Beach and camp out in the cliff top hide for a chance to see yellow eyed penguins returning home from sea. You have to be very still and quiet for a chance to spot the shy penguins, but even if you don’t see any, you can see sea lions lounging on the sand below.
I loved Oamaru so much I ended up extending my stay here, lingering in town for three nights. Even if you only have time for one night here, it’s well worth the stop.
Day 2: Oamaru to Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula
It’s a 90 minute drive from Oamaru to Dunedin, the second-largest city in the South Island.
There is some interesting architecture in Dunedin, like the famous railway building. But, if you’re like me and prefer nature, Dunedin is more or less just another city.
That does mean it has a few delightful places to eat – stop by Tart Tins in the morning for a decadent pastry. Best way to start the day.
There are a couple of cool stops around town.
The St Clair hot salt water pool in Dunedin
I enjoyed visiting the St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool, which overlooks St Clair beach (I mostly went for the opportunity to have a hot shower, but it’s a pretty place nonetheless). There’s also a gorgeous cafe, Long Dog Cafe, at the entrance to the pool. It’s the ideal coffee and cake spot – you get a great view of surfers through the windows looking across the waves.
Tunnel Beach is another highlight, a 1 hour walk along Dunedin’s spectacular rocky coastline.
The main highlight near Dunedin is the Otago Peninsula. From central Dunedin, you can drive out along the narrow Highcliff Road. The road traces the ridge of the peninsula, offering sweeping views of the ocean. On the way back, you can follow Portobello Road along the edge of the water.
Freedom camping in the centre of Dunedin
There is a freedom camping spot right in the centre of Dunedin, by the railway. It’s just a carpark but you’ll be right in the middle of town. It’s industrial, but I enjoyed it anyway – there was something pleasingly communal about all the other campervans parked in a row, and people camped out on the tarmac with their little dining tables.
Day 3: Drive down to Purakanui Bay, stopping at the Nugget Point lighthouse on the way
Nugget Point is a 90 minute drive south of Dunedin. This is one of the most picturesque spots to stop on this South Island road trip.
The drive around Kaka Point towards the lighthouse is gorgeous – if you have the time, you could stop and go for some beach walks here, to spot sea lions.
A squat lighthouse perches on a steep headland overlooking the ‘Nuggets' – rocky islets dotting the water below.
The ‘Nuggets’ at Nugget Point
The walk out to Nugget Point is short but spectacular, with cliffs plunging straight down to the water below. Listen for the sounds of fur seals screeching as they jostle for space on the rocks below. In summer, you might even catch a glimpse of visiting elephant seals.
Stop by Roaring Bay, a beach close to Nugget Point, for a chance to spot the rare hoiho/yellow eyed penguins. Your best chances of spotting penguins is in the late afternoon and evening, when they are swimming ashore after a day of fishing. There’s a viewing hide above the bay, where you can watch from afar – the penguins are very shy, so any noise or movement can stress them out or scare them away.
After visiting Nugget Point, I stopped by Surat Bay for a walk.
A sea lion using seaweed as a pillow in Surat Bay
Purakaunui Bay, which is possibly the most stunning location in the Catlins. The bay features a sweeping beach alongside pale cliffs which stretch into the distance. The campground at the bay is right on the edge of the sand, so it’s a glorious spot to spend a night.
The morning I woke up in Purakaunui Bay was a fireshow
The bay is a stunning place to watch the sunrise
The road to the bay is narrow and gravel, so take your time driving there. I was lucky to not encounter anyone coming the other way, but another camper told me one of the larger motorhomes had to shimmy around a cattle truck.
There is some strong competition for the campsites along the waterfront, so if you arrive later in the day as I did, you might not get a completely flat spot. Or you just won’t be able to roll open your van door and see the ocean straight away.
Brewing my morning coffee
As well as the sweeping views, one of the things I loved about this place was the sea lions on the beach. This is one of the few places where you can see sea lions, which are rare on mainland New Zealand – fewer than 200 are found on the south east coast of the South Island. Unlike seals, sea lions sleep on sandy beaches instead of rocks, which means you can get a good look at them. Also unlike seals, sea lions aren’t afraid of people, so make sure you stand at least 50 metres away from them.
Day 5: Head to Curio Bay to spot dolphins and penguins
It takes a little less than 90 minutes to drive from Purakaunui Bay to Curio Bay.
Make sure you check out the Lost Gypsy gallery on the way – it’s well worth the $10 entry fee. The displays are interactive, so you can push buttons, pull levers, and delight in the quirky creativeness of the art. This is exactly the kind of place you hope to stumble upon on a camping road trip.
Another great stop is McLean Falls. There’s a gentle 40 minute walk to reach these falls, with the trail diving into a lush area of native bush.
In Curio Bay, there’s enough to keep you busy for a whole afternoon. Walk to the petrified forest at low tide to see a 180-million-year-old Jurassic fossil forest. If you’re very lucky, you might spot the hoiho/yellow eyed penguins who live in the bay.
There’s also a short walk around a small headland, where you can admire the waves crashing into the Curio cliffs below.
At dusk, Hector’s dolphins are supposed to make an appearance in Porpoise Bay. I wasn’t lucky enough to see any, but it’s as good a reason as any to go for an evening stroll on the beach.
Where to stay: Curio Bay Campground is ideally located close to walking tracks and the beach. I stayed a little further away, in a campsite that was less pretty but free – it did the job.
Day 6: Make your way to Te Anau
It’s a three hour drive from Curio Bay to Te Anau, a small town on the edge of a lake of the same name. Te Anau is the last town before Milford Sound, so it’s an ideal base for exploring deeper in Fiordland.
If you go via Invercargill, stop by The Batch Cafe for a Southland cheese roll – they’re famous for them.
In Te Anau, you can spend the afternoon exploring the lakefront or visiting the Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary where you can see the incredibly rare takahe, as well as other native birds.
Go via Manapouri to stop by the little lakeside town. Check out the Two Wee Book Shops where you can collect a copy of the owner's memoir, The Bookseller at the End of the World.
Day 7: Take a day trip to Milford Sound
Te Anau is roughly two hours from Milford Sound, but you should allow for much longer so you can stop off along the way. The short walks at the Mirror Lakes, Lake Gunn, and The Chasm are all easy trails that give you a taste of Fiordland’s wild beauty.
There are a couple of longer walks, too, the best of which (in my view) is Lake Marian – around 3 hours return.
Where to stay: Milford Sound takes a whole day to visit, so you can return to Te Anau for the night or camp at one of the 8 DOC campsites along the road into Milford Sound – just be prepared for sandflies.
I’m lucky enough to have a friend in Te Anau, so I had a room for the night there.
Day 8: Finish your road trip in Queenstown
The drive from Te Anau to Queenstown takes around two hours. The road becomes very scenic in the final 40 minutes approaching Queenstown. You’ll want to stop at the viewpoints on the edge of Lake Wakatipu to see the famous Devil’s Staircase, a twisty part of the road right next to the water.
Queenstown has a very well connected airport, and many campervans allow drop offs there, so it’s a good place to wrap up your South Island road trip.
Or, you could complete the loop back to Christchurch with a 3-4 day trip through the centre of the South Island.
Thanks for reading this far! I hope this helped you decide which geothermal park to visit in Rotorua.
AUTHOR BIO
I’m a freelance travel writer from New Zealand with bylines in National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and more.
I’ve travelled up and down beautiful Aotearoa and I love sharing my recommendations for the best places to visit in New Zealand.
This post was about:
READ MORE
