NZ South Island road trip with kids

Kirianna Poole discovers that a South Island road trip around New Zealand makes for great family time.

There’s something magical about landing on home soil after living in a different country for so long. I get tingles every time I touch down, and the goosebumps continue as we walk through the airport terminal to the sound of New Zealand’s native bird, the tui, singing over the speakers.

Unapologetically beautiful and bursting with culture, it is a privilege to call the Land of the Long White Cloud my motherland. The easy three-hour hop, skip and jump from the Gold Coast to Christchurch makes for the perfect weekend getaway.

Stop 1: Christchurch

Christchurch is an easy place to explore with children. The inner city centre is walkable, and the rebuild from the earthquake in 2011 has led to interesting innovations and fantastic community spaces.

Kids will love classic attractions such as jumping on the Christchurch Tram, the gondola ride to the top of the Port Hills and punting on the Avon (a relaxing English-style boat journey through the city and botanic gardens). But don’t miss out on cool post-quake attractions such as the Margaret Mahy Playground (the largest playground in the Southern Hemisphere) and the Transitional Cathedral (made mostly of cardboard).

Getting around

When we wake up the next morning to clear skies, we are all bouncing with energy and raring to go. The best way to see New Zealand’s South Island is to hit the road, and hiring a van is a friendly, flexible option. You can go as far as you like, stop here or there, and simply enjoy the ride.

Stop 2: Lake Tekapo

It’s February, the sun is shining and the air is warm at a lovely 22 degrees Celsius. Our plan for the day is to cover the 230 kilometres to Lake Tekapo – if the moods of the children allow. Of course, no road trip in these parts is complete without a bag of Burger Rings and bottles of L&P – both classic Kiwi snacks, which take me down memory lane.

We weave along scenic roads taking in incredibly lush pastures, green native forests and rolling mountain ranges. Along the way, we stop at the historic town of Geraldine. We stroll along charming pathways leading into quirky gift shops, with Kapiti ice-creams in hand, and then pause in quaint Fairlie for a coffee.

It’s then just a short drive across the plains to the otherworldly Lake Tekapo. The water is so blue it looks as though a pail of pastel paint has been poured in. A product of the surrounding glaciers. The smiles can’t be wiped from our faces as, despite our rivalry, my Australian husband says, “This place is magic”. We picnic with a spread of Canterbury cheeses as the children run around stretching their legs.

Set on the picturesque shores, Lake Tekapo Motels & Holiday Park is our top pick of where to stay or park up, offering an array of accommodation options to suit all budgets, from powered and unpowered sites to family cabins and glamping tents perfect for viewing the night skies. Our favourite hangout? The Tekapo Springs are not to be missed. We easily spend a half-day lazing on lounges, jumping between the pools and racing down the slides.

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Stop 3: Mount Cook

Next up is the small jaunt to Mount Cook. We are soon mesmerised by the surrounding landscapes of sky-scraping peaks hooded with permanent snow. Awestruck, I can’t help but exclaim: “Have we landed on another planet?”

The village is small yet offers all the basics. We decide to indulge and book a room at the Hermitage Hotel. The hotel offers everything from family chalet accommodation to self-catering rooms boasting epic uninterrupted views of New Zealand’s highest mountain. On a budget? Head five minutes up the road to the White Horse Hill Campground and choose from one of the 60 sites.

There are innumerable tracks for hikers and each is rewarding in its own way. With a bub and a three-year-old in tow, we opt to keep it simple and take the Governors Bush Walk loop track. Our son, Riley, happily skips along the 45-minute walk. We spend the time spotting native birds and counting mountain peaks. By the time we make it back, we are all ready for dinner and a cosy night in, just relaxing.

Stop 4: Queenstown

The adventure capital of New Zealand is our next destination. The four-hour section of our South Island road trip weaves over the magnificent Southern Alps. It takes us a little longer as we can’t resist stopping in at multiple wineries and cheeseries on the way.

Queenstown promises endless thrills, from skiing, kayaking and quad biking to bungy jumping, hiking and zooming along the water in speedy jet boats. However, this time we are here to relax. So we head to the cedar-lined spas overlooking the river at Onsen Hot Pools for a soak.

While in town, you must take a stroll through the old gold mining town of Arrowtown, enjoy a picnic at Lake Hayes, breath in the fresh mountain air on a spectacular drive to Glenorchy, tickle the tastebuds at the aptly named Remarkable Sweet Shop, peruse the Saturday arts-and-crafts markets, ride the Southern Hemisphere’s steepest gondola and join the long line for a famous Fergburger.

Where to stay

If you like to be both close to the action and immersed in nature, Queenstown Top 10 Holiday Park is just a seven-minute drive from the town centre, yet is nestled in the gorgeous alpine scenery of Arthur’s Point; it features two-bedroom apartments, self-contained units and pretty sites for vans and tents.

As we cosy up together on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, munching on fish and chips and taking in the spectacular panorama before us of The Remarkables, this moment – and every part of our South Island road trip, in fact – feels like a dream. I promise my beautiful birthplace we will be back for another South Island sojourn soon.

This article originally appeared in Caravan & Camping with Kids magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here.

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