Auckland to Christchurch: 8 unforgettable stops

An Auckland to Christchurch road trip is your opportunity to see the very best of New Zealand’s North and South Island. You’ll be left in awe at some of the country’s most famous natural wonders like the Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua, Lake Taupo and Nelson Lakes National Park. But you’ll also get a chance to kick back and relax in the vibrant food and wine hubs like Wellington and Blenheim.

Last updated: October 2024

Use our 8-day Auckland to Christchurch road trip guide to plan your travels. It can be modified to suit the number of days you have available and includes all the best sightseeing and camping spots. Plus, we’ve thrown in a heap of extra information like drive times, distances, the best season to travel and much more!

To make your adventure even more special, consider hiring a unique campervan or motorhome from one of the owners on Camplify, New Zealand's leading van-sharing platform. With Camplify, you can easily book a van directly from local owners, ensuring a personalised and comfortable travel experience right from your neighbourhood. Here's how it works.

Best Auckland to Christchurch road trip: 8 places you can’t miss.

Total Distance: 1,487km | Recommended Days: from 8 - 14 days | Best Time to Visit: Between September and February (Spring and Summer) | Route on Google Maps

1. Auckland

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city and home to some of the country's best tourist attractions. Known as the City of Sails, its large harbour is a hub for all sorts of watersports.

Get out on the water and take a guided kayak tour to Rangitoto Island, home to the world's largest pohutukawa forest. Alternatively, take the ferry to Waiheke Island and drive around the island’s many vineyards, art galleries and pretty little beaches.

If you’d like to spend the day indoors, visit the famous Sky Tower, which stands at 328m tall and offers 80km views in every direction. Only a 30-minute walk away is the Auckland War Memorial Museum, one of the best places in NZ to learn about Maori culture and the history of the Pacific.

If you want a breathtaking campsite near Auckland, stay at the Piha Domain Motor Camp, an hour west of the CBD. This top-rated holiday park has beachfront access to the iconic black sands of Piha Beach. Powered sites start at about $44 per night.

2. Coromandel

Drive Time: 2hr 20min | Distance: 168km

Every Auckland to Christchurch road trip should start with a visit to the Coromandel Peninsula, one of New Zealand’s favourite beachside holiday destinations. Spend a day or two here relaxing in a self-made sand spa on Hot Water Beach or exploring the cosy caves of Cathedral Cove.

If you want to explore the forests around Coromandel, ride the historic Driving Creek Railway to the ‘Eyeful Tower’ viewing platform which looks out over the town of Coromandel. The nearby Rapaura Watergardens is a 64-acre private property where you can wander around well-maintained forest tracks and seasonal displays of native and exotic flowers.

Stay at the Long Bay Motor Camp, which offers a range of powered and non-powered sites. Prices range from $12 - $25 per night depending on whether you want to camp near the beachfront or the edge of the bush. The facilities are great and include everything you need.

3. Rotorua

Drive Time: 3hr | Distance: 208km

Rotorua is world-famous for its geological wonders like bubbling mud pools, spurting geysers, steaming hot springs and volcanic craters. The two best places to see these wonders are Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland and Waimangu Volcanic Valley, both of which have a range of easy walking tracks that can take anywhere from 45 - 90 minutes to complete.

In the afternoon, head to Tamaki Maori Village and experience traditional Maori culture before watching live performances that bring ancient stories to life. Alternatively, try Te Puia, a similar attraction where you can also see live Maori carving demonstrations and visit a Kiwi conservation centre.

Stay at Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park, the best value campground in town. Campsites start at about $25 per night and include access to the free hot thermal pools and swimming pool.

4. Taupo

Drive Time: 1hr | Distance: 80km

The blue waters of Lake Taupo are a massive drawcard for both sports and nature lovers. Take a scenic cruise around the Lake and see the impressive Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings which stand at 14m tall. Or take a 30-minute jet boat ride over the furious Huka Falls, where 220,000 litres of crystal-blue water tumble over the 11m cliff face every second.

After a day on the water, finish with a soak in the famous Otumuheke Stream hot pools at Spa Thermal Park. Bathe under a waterfall in natural rock spas whilst enjoying views over the mighty Waikato River. Entry to the park is free and it is open daily from 7.00 am - 8.00 pm.

If you want a novel camping experience, stay at Lake Taupo Holiday Resort, which boasts a thermal pool with a swim-up bar and cafe. There’s a range of camping options available with powered sites starting at about $73 per night.

5. Wellington

Drive Time: 4hr 45min | Distance: 373km

Wellington has long been regarded by Lonely Planet as the “coolest little capital in the world” thanks to its vibrant food and entertainment scene. Wander down the famous Hannah’s Laneway and you’ll find some of the city’s best takeaways and pubs like Leeds Street Bakery and Golding’s Free Dive Bar.

On a sunny day, ride the Wellington Cable Car to the suburb of Kelburn and visit Zealandia Ecosanctuary, a lush forest reserve that is home to over 40 native species and 32km of walking tracks. And don’t miss New Zealand’s national museum and art gallery, Te Papa Museum.

If you want to camp close to Wellington’s city centre, try the Camp Wellington Campervan Park. Campsites start at only $25 per night and visitors highly rate the park’s facilities and cleanliness.

6. Blenheim

Drive Time: 4hr 30min | Distance: 127km

Take the ferry from the North to the South Island and visit the sunny city of Blenheim. This is the capital of the Marlborough region, famous for producing some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc. You can easily spend a day or two here riding the Golden Mile wine trail around 30+ cellar doors, sampling different wines and gorging on local produce from the Marlborough Farmers Market.

Don’t miss the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, a state-of-the-art facility created by the same team behind the Lord of the Rings films. Admire a range of WW1 and WW2 aircraft and artefacts (including Peter Jackson’s private collection), which are brought to life through movie magic.

If you want to stay 5-minutes out of town, try the quiet and shady Spring Creek Holiday Park. They offer a range of creekside camping options starting at about $40 per night. Plus a large swimming pool and a pond where you can feed the pet eels!

7. Nelson

Drive Time: 1hr 45min | Distance: 123km

Nelson is a hub for some of New Zealand’s most talented artists and a gateway to some of the country's best National Parks. It’s also renowned for its food and wine scene, regarded by National Geographic as the Top Cider City in the world!

Take a one-hour drive south to the iconic Nelson Lakes National Park, home to some of the country’s most photographed sights including Lake Rotoiti Jetty and Blue Lake (the world’s clearest lake!). An hour west of Nelson is the equally famous Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand’s smallest national park. Here you can access some of the park’s iconic sights like Split Apple Rock, the Tonga Arches and Wainui Falls by walking track or kayak.

Stay in the heart of Nelson at the convenient Nelson City Top 10 Holiday Park. It’s located within walking distance of the shops and restaurants and has a range of unpowered and powered campsites starting at about $50 per night.

8. Christchurch

Drive Time: 5hr | Distance: 409km

Before you end your Auckland to Christchurch road trip, stop for a few hours at Hanmer Springs. This popular water park is packed with hot pools, rock spas, water jets, a lazy river and water slides that promise a fun time for the whole family. Alternatively, take a slightly longer detour via the dramatic Arthur’s Pass National Park - the heart of the Southern Alps and the mountainous backbone of the South Island.

Once you arrive in Christchurch, spend a few more days exploring New Zealand’s second-largest city. There’s a heap to do here, including highly-rated attractions like the Canterbury Museum, the International Antarctic Centre and Quake City. However, the best way to see the city’s charming streets is by taking the Christchurch City Tram Tour.

Stay at the Spencer Beach Holiday Park, conveniently located in a quiet location 500m from the beach and 20 minutes from the airport. The facilities and amenities are clean and modern with camping sites starting at about $18 per night.

Organise your Auckland to Christchurch road trip with Camplify

Now that you’ve got your Auckland to Christchurch road trip itinerary sorted, it’s time to start organising the finer details that’ll guarantee a great vacation!

Need to arrange motorhome hire in Auckland? Camplify is a platform that allows travellers to quickly search through privately-owned rentals. Simply enter your pickup location and budget and within seconds, you can find the perfect motorhome, caravan or campervan for your road trip!

Why Camplify?

We are proud to be New Zealand’s fastest-growing private caravan, campervan and motorhome sharing community. When you hire a van through our platform, it comes with lots of advantages:

• Comprehensive hire insurance

• Nationwide AA roadside assistance

• 24/7 customer support

• All members are verified

By hiring with Camplify, you are also helping local families who share their van on our platform and supporting many local companies across NZ in addition to ours. So we are very grateful to you.