Road Trip from Queenstown to Christchurch: Exploring the South Island

The South Island of New Zealand offers such stunning nature and charming little towns, that the best way to get around really is to rent a car and take a road trip. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know to plan a road trip from Queenstown to Christchurch.

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Table of Contents

Road Trip Itinerary Between Queenstown and Christchurch

One of the nicest parts of renting a a car is the freedom and flexibility that comes with it. You can explore lots of smaller towns on your way from Queenstown to Christchurch rather than go from point to point. Here are some of the top stops to factor into your itinerary.

Learn everything you need to know about renting a car (or campervan) in New Zealand.

Starting Point for Your Road Trip: Queenstown

Sitting on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is best known as the adventure capital of the world. The city and surrounding area were carved out of the land by glaciers, rivers, and lakes making it the perfect location for outdoor opportunities and adrenaline rush activities.

Learn more about it on the official Queenstown website.

Next Stop: Cromwell

First Stop: Cromwell

Queenstown to Cromwell: 60 km / 45 min. driving

Cromwell was first established as a gold mining town back in the 1800s. This small town sits on a lake and features a giant fruit basket at the side of the road. It’s main attraction is “Old Cromwell Town”, the tiny historic area in the middle of town. It is a fun little stop, but it can be done in as little as 15 minutes or spend more time grabbing something to eat and enjoying the lakefront.

Next Stop: Omarama

Cromwell, New Zealand - the first stop on a road trip from Queenstown to Christchurch — Cromwell

Second Stop: Omarama

Cromwell to Omarama: 100 km / 1 hr 15 min. driving

Omarama is a small town. Blink and you may miss it. If you’d like to stop here, there are a few options of things to do:

Visit Hot Tub Omarama to soak in a private hot tub filled with pure mountain water
Watch a sheep shearing show at Wrinkly Rams
Take an introductory “glide” over the beautiful area with Glide Omarama.
Stop at Clay Cliffs, just north of town.

Next Stop: Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier

Mount Cook on the South Island of New Zealand — Mount Cook

Third Stop: Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier

Omarama to Mount Cook: 90 km / 1 hr driving

This is the biggest detour you’ll make, but it is worthwhile. Mount Cook is out of the way by about 45 minutes, but you’ll spend much of that time driving down the side of stunning Lake Pukaki. Honestly, I stopped so many times at scenic overlooks simply because of the gorgeous scenery. This alone made the detour worth it.

Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in the Oceania region and is surrounded by stunning scenery. There is also a tiny tourist town that sits at the base of the mountain that is filled with hotels and restaurants.

During your stop here, I recommend taking advantage of the multitude of tramping (hiking) opportunities around here, including the option to hike up to Tasman Glacier. The roundtrip hike to Tasman Glacier is only about 45 minutes and you’ll receive beautiful views across a lake to Tasman Glacier.

Next Stop: Lake Pukaki

Hiking up to Tasman Glacier is a must on the South Island of New Zealand when you road trip from Queenstown to Christchurch — Tasman Glacier

Fourth Stop: Lake Pukaki

Mount Cook to Lake Pukaki: 60 km / 40 min. driving

Located right next to Mount Cook, Lake Pukaki is the bluest lake I have ever seen. It is also so still that it perfectly reflects the background as though it were a mirror. This stop is at the visitor center, or Mount Cook Alpine Salmon shop. They sell the freshest salmon from a nearby salmon farm. Trust me, stop and try it. The sashimi was delicious!

This stop also offers an amazing view point of Lake Pukaki. Chances are good you’ll stop for more views along the way due to the unbelievable scenery.

Next Stop: Lake Tekapo

Lake Pukaki is one of the most beautiful lakes on the South Island of New Zealand — Lake Pukaki

In between Queenstown and Christchurch you'll find Lake Pukaki. — Lake Pukaki

Fifth & Overnight Stop: Lake Tekapo

Lake Pukaki to Lake Tekapo: 50 km / 30 min. driving

Finding the perfect overnight stop in between Queenstown and Christchurch is easy, it’s Lake Tekapo. Here you’ll find a small town that offers a few tourist points around one side of the lake along with some great hiking. Other spots of interest:

University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory at the top of the hill: Be warned, it was super windy up there when I was there!
Church of the Good Shepard: A small charming stone church on the lakefront which also features a famous statue of a dog

Star Gazing in Lake Tekapo

The key reason to stay overnight in Lake Tekapo is that it is located in Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. This means there are strict restrictions on light pollution which results in the sky being extra dark and the stars shining extra bright. This makes it one of the best places in the world to star gaze or take night sky photography.

Additionally, being in the Southern Hemisphere, you’ll see different constellations from Lake Tekapo than you’ll find in the Northern Hemisphere. I recommend heading down to the beach to star gaze. You’ll likely find a number of people sitting out enjoying the views. As an added tip, you may want to download a star gazing app to help you identify the constellations.

Where to Stay Overnight in Lake Tekapo

With it’s claim to fame being it’s dark sky, Lake Tekapo offers a lot of accommodation options. Here are three recommended accommodations to fit any price range.

Budget Accommodation: YHA Lake Tekapo
Mid-range Accommodation: Three Rivers Lodge
Luxury Accommodation: Alpine Suites on Tekapo Lusury B&B

Search all accommodations in the Lake Tekapo area.

Next Stop: Geraldine

Church of the Good Shepard at Lake Tekapo

Fun Antidote about Hitchhiking in New Zealand

Having always wanted to pick up a hitchhiker but knowing it’s extremely unsafe in the US, it was an unfulfilled bucket list item. However, since hitchhiking is pretty typical in New Zealand and relatively safe, I picked up a hitchhiker on my way out of Lake Tekapo.

As I was headed up to the Mount John Observatory, I passed this kid walking with a giant backpack down the hill, and he smiled and waved as I passed. Then later as I was leaving town, the same kid was standing at the edge of town looking for a ride. Turns out he was a senior at LSU (Louisiana State University). He had studied in New Zealand for a year and was traveling some before going home but had overspent so he was hitchhiking and camping anywhere he can. Really nice kid. I took him from Lake Tekapo to Geraldine.

Sixth Stop: Geraldine

Lake Tekapo to Geraldine: 90 km / 1 hr driving

Geraldine is a pretty country town with an artistic twist nestled in between Lake Tekapo and Christchurch. It is one of the only towns you’ll pass along the way, and can be a refreshing stop. You’ll find arts, crafts, and a few small cafes in town.

Next Stop: Christchurch

End Point of Your Road Trip Itinerary: Christchurch

Geraldine to Christchurch: 230 km / 2 hr 45 min. driving

Christchurch is the last point on this itinerary for a road trip from Queenstown to Christchurch, but there are many more cities to explore in New Zealand.

Once upon a time, not that long ago, Christchurch was a thriving city. However, in 2010 and 2011 Christchurch suffered some massive earthquakes which really damaged this once great city. Unfortunately, even to this day there are buildings with visible cracks held up with scaffolding and supports, crumbled buildings, and lots of empty lots where buildings have been torn down.

The most noticeable area for this is near the central Cathedral which crumbled. There is a before and after picture of the area around it, and it is hardly recognizable. As for the cathedral, they actually built a temporary “Cardboard Cathedral” nearby as a temporary solution. Additionally, there are things like storage crates set up as shops to create the RE:Start Mall and lots of artsy things added in to make the area a bit more cheery and functional.

Flying Out of Christchurch

Christchurch offers one of the largest airports on the South Island. This may make it the end of your road trip, or you can continue up to Picton.

As it so happens, I overlapped my time in Christchurch with 2 friends who were coming to New Zealand (and Fiji) for their honeymoon. It was good fortunate to be able to meet up for dinner in town. I really love being able to meet up with old friends in new places!

The Christchurch Cathedrawl in New Zealand — Christchurch Cathedral

Exploring the shipping container mall in Christchurch, New Zealand — Shipping Container Mall

Continue Planning Your Time in New Zealand

While this road trip from Queenstown to Christchurch will hit some key sights of New Zealand, there are a lot of other magnificent places to check out. Here are some useful posts to continue your planning.

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Road Trip from Queenstown to Christchurch: Exploring the South Island

Road Trip Itinerary Between Queenstown and Christchurch