One of the best ways to take in the beauty and character of New Zealand is by heading on a road trip. Travelling by car means you can take your time, stopping off where you like and taking in the scenery. If you travel with a GPS it’s even easier as you can make a detour if you see something that takes your fancy and then get back on track and continue your journey.
There is an endless list of scenic drives around the country worth exploring. Here’s a few of our top choices.
Molesworth Station
Driving through New Zealand’s largest farm, Molesworth Station, provides a unique high country adventure. Access is available by two roads, Acheron Road which is open to the public for a limited season from 28 December to Easter, and the Hanmer-St. Arnaud route, which is only accessible for four-wheel drive vehicles. The journey from Blenheim to Hanmer through the Molesworth Station takes around 6 hours, traversing 207 kilometres and the 59 kilometre Acheron Road section takes around 2 hours. You will be amazed by the sheer scale of New Zealand’s largest working farm.
Greymouth to Westport
Considered by Lonely Planet to be one of the 10 most scenic coastal drives in the world, the stretch of State Highway 6 linking Greymouth and Westport hugs the rugged contours of the coastline and offers spectacular views of the Tasman Sea and coastal forest. The trip takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes. Punakaiki, with its famous Pancake Rocks, is around the halfway point between the two towns and well worth a stop to check out these magnificent natural blowholes.
Christchurch to Greymouth via Arthur’s Pass
Another route to the West Coast that is impressively New Zealand is the journey over the Arthur’s Pass through the heart of the Southern Alps. This trip offers glorious alpine views of Arthur’s Pass National Park, with cascading waterfalls, towering mountains and steep gorges, lush rainforest and braided rivers all contributing to the natural beauty of the scenery. Spanning 440 metres and providing a link between the East and the West Coasts is the spectacular Otira Viaduct, an impressive feat of modern engineering.
Franz Josef Glacier to Wanaka
The spectacular and world famous Franz Josef Glacier is high on the list of priorities for any discerning traveller to New Zealand. You may like to stay awhile and make Franz Josef your base for exploring the beautiful West Coast region. Glenfern Villas is the ideal choice for accommodation in West Coast. Head 30 minutes down the road to check out Fox Glacier, another wondrous sight. Journeying through Lake Matheson, Jackson Bay and Lake Hawea, there are plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the beauty of the area, and stretch your legs by embarking on one of the many bush walks along the way. Finishing up in beautiful Wanaka, one of New Zealand’s most popular destinations year round, you’ll experience breath-taking views of the surrounding mountains in the background and the shores of tranquil Lake Wanaka.
Kaikoura Coast
The Kaikoura Coast, located midway between Christchurch and Picton along the beautifully rugged East Coast of the South Island, has a combination of mountains and coastline, making for unique coastal alpine scenery. You can get up close and personal with seals in their natural habitat - they tend to laze around the rocks along the coast.
Queen Charlotte Drive
40 kilometres of winding road links Havelock and Picton at the top of the South Island, providing you the most breathtaking views of the Marlborough Sounds you can have on land. Fringed by native forest, the road takes you on a journey through sleepy bays along the coast. One of the most spectacular lookouts is at Cullen Point -look for the understated sign entitled “Look Out”.
Forgotten World Highway
New Zealand’s oldest touring route, Taranaki’s coastal Forgotten World Highway, takes travellers on a journey through our country’s pioneering history. The highway links Stratford to Taumarunui along one of the country’s most secluded roads. Worth visiting for both historical value and the sheer beauty of the scenery, the one-day journey is a reminder of the tough pioneering spirit of early New Zealanders who battled the wild hilly country of Taranaki. Beginning in Stratford, named after Shakespeare’s birthplace, you will journey on through Whangamomona, a settlement that was vibrant in the early 1900s before going into decline after the great flood of 1924. Whangamomona is also notable for the fact that in 1988 its residents declared it to be a republic. Other reminders of the area’s pioneering past are an abandoned coal mining village and mining tunnels. Head to Nukunuku Museum for a more indepth look into local history. Scenic highlights of the trip are the four mountain saddles - from the top of Strathmore Saddle you can see three volcanoes of Tongariro National Park and the tip of Mount Taranaki, and from the top of Tahora Saddle you’ll spot Maori pa sites. Don’t miss one of the highest waterfalls in the South Island, the 85 metre high Mount Damper Falls.
Northland’s Twin Coast Discovery Highway
The Twin Coast Discovery Highway stretches from Auckland north to Cape Reinga and is the gateway to Northland with its unspoilt beaches, golden sand and turquoise waters. The subtropical climate and laidback lifestyle of the region will instantly make you feel relaxed. There is great surfing to be had at beaches such as Mangawhai and Te Arai. For a great swimming spot look out for the sign for Whale Bay – the beach is only accessible by clambering down a windy track from the carpark above. The beautiful Bay of Islands is considered one of the most beautiful areas in New Zealand. Russell, the main settlement in the Bay of Islands, is accessed by car ferry from Opua. Russell is rich in history and natural beauty, and is full of quaint colonial buildings. At Cape Reinga, the northern-most point of the country, you can see the Tasman Sea and Pacific Oceans merging, an impressive sight.
Coromandel Coast
The road known as the Pohutukawa Coast or Pacific Coast Highway links Auckland with Napier via towns and settlements on the Coromandel Peninsula. Characterised by scenery of lush rainforests, white sandy beaches and pohutukawa-lined coves, this trip is another of New Zealand’s scenic jewels. Make sure you make time to stop at some of the picturesque spots along the way, including Whangamata, Paeroa, Waihi and Whitianga.
