1ChristchurchCanterbury
Fly in, pick up the van, and head north.
2BlenheimMarlborough
The base for the Marlborough wine country.
Where to stay Vintners Retreat · Misty Cove3Rock FerryMarlborough
Cellar door tour and tasting. The cellar door has since closed.
Rock Ferry →4Wither HillsMarlborough
Lunch and tasting.
Wither Hills →5PictonMarlborough Sounds
Brunch on the waterfront, then the ferry into Queen Charlotte Sound.
Picton →6Furneaux LodgeEndeavour Inlet
Reachable only by boat. Sea kayaking, the Queen Charlotte Track, paddle boarding, fishing and mountain biking.
Furneaux Lodge →7Allan ScottMarlborough
Bistro lunch among the vines.
Allan Scott →8Cloudy BayMarlborough
Tasting and cheese platters.
Cloudy Bay →9Wairau River WinesMarlborough
Garden lunch.
Wairau River Wines →10Nautilus EstateMarlborough
Afternoon tasting.
Nautilus Estate →11Saint ClairMarlborough
Vineyard kitchen lunch.
Saint Clair →12GreymouthWest Coast
The crossing point to the West Coast, and the Monteith’s brewery.
Greymouth →Where to stay Goldfield Suites13Hokitika GorgeWest Coast
A two-kilometre walk to turquoise water and a swing bridge.
Hokitika Gorge →14West Coast Treetop Walknear Hokitika
A twenty-metre-high steel walkway through the rimu canopy.
West Coast Treetop Walk →15Franz JosefWest Coast
The glacier village, in rainforest under the Southern Alps.
Where to stay Rainforest RetreatAlso Monsoon Bar · Douglas Walk · Peters Pool16Franz Josef GlacierKā Roimata o Hine Hukatere
Guided ice climbing on the glacier, and a valley walk to the terminal face.
Franz Josef Glacier →Also Franz Josef Glacier Guides17Te Koha AotearoaFranz Josef
Carve and grind your own pounamu jade.
Te Koha Aotearoa →18West Coast Wildlife CentreFranz Josef
New Zealand’s rarest kiwi, and the breeding programme bringing it back.
West Coast Wildlife Centre →19Lake MathesonWest Coast
The mirror lake, with Aoraki and Tasman reflected on a still morning.
Lake Matheson →Also Lake Matheson Café20WanakaOtago
Lakefront town under the Southern Alps.
Where to stay Wānaka Homestead · Altamont LodgeAlso Southern Lakes Fishing · WanaFusion · Paloma21Ruby IslandLake Wanaka
A short boat ride from the lakefront, then a hike around the island.
Ruby Island →22Diamond Lakenear Wanaka
An hour-long loop above the lake, with a longer climb to the lookout.
Diamond Lake →Also Lake Wānaka Lookout Track23Treble ConeMount Aspiring Road
Tandem paragliding off the ridge.
Treble Cone →24RipponLake Wanaka
Tasting on the terraces above the lake.
Rippon →25Akarua Wines & KitchenQueenstown
Brunch in the vineyards between Arrowtown and the airport.
Akarua Wines & Kitchen →26Te AnauFiordland
The gateway town to Fiordland.
Where to stay Tasman Holiday Parks27Milford SoundFiordland
A cruise the length of the fiord, and the underwater observatory.
Milford Sound →Also Mirror Lakes28Te Anau Glowworm CavesFiordland
A boat across the lake, then a punt through the limestone caves.
Te Anau Glowworm Caves →29CromwellCentral Otago
The halfway stop on the long drive to the Mackenzie.
Cromwell →30Lake TekapoMackenzie Country
Hot pools, and a dark sky reserve overhead.
Lake Tekapo →Where to stay Lakes Edge Kiwi Baches31Aoraki / Mount CookMackenzie Country
The Glacier Explorer boat among the icebergs, and the Hooker Valley Track.
Aoraki / Mount Cook →Also The Hermitage · Hooker Valley Track · Kea Point Track32Christchurch Botanic GardensCanterbury
Riverside gardens beside the university.
Christchurch Botanic Gardens →33Lyttelton HarbourChristchurch
The gondola over the Port Hills to the harbour.
Lyttelton Harbour →