Could I get some comments on the driving times that Google is telling me it will take to go from point to point? I'm driving a 17 foot manual transmission Toyota type Van.

Christchurch to Mt. Cook. 3 hrs. 40 minutes
Mt. Cook to Wanaka. 2 hours
Wanaka to Franz Joseph 3 hrs 15 minutes
Wanaka to Te Anau 2 hrs. 45 minutes
Te Anau to Milford 1 hr 45 minutes
Milford to Queenstown 3 hours
Queenstown to Lake Tekapo 2 hours 50 minutes
Lake Tekapo to Christchurch 2 hours 40 minutes

I realize that one does not drive quickly (nor want to drive quickly) through these areas but I need to get some guidance on how realistic these times are.
Thank you for any information!

I use this calculator for estimating drive times in NZ - I then add several hours, because we like to stop en route and hike, take photos, have lunch, poke around, etc.

For us, a three hour drive can easily become an all day affair.

http://www.newzealand.com/us/travel-...es-calculator/

The only glaring error I see in your times above is Milford to Queenstown, which takes FOUR hours w/o stops.

The others are relatively accurate, although a bit on the optimistic side IMO.

Christchurch to Mt. Cook. - I'd allow 4.5 to 5 hours
Mt. Cook to Wanaka. - I'd allow 2.5 hours
Wanaka to Franz Joseph - I'd allow 6 hours because there are so many short walks along the way to waterfalls. At best, 4.5 hours
Wanaka to Te Anau - I'd allow 3.5 hours
Te Anau to Milford - I'd allow 2 to 2.5 hours, more if stopping for views/walks
Milford to Queenstown - 4.5 to 5 hours
Queenstown to Lake Tekapo - 3.5 hours
Lake Tekapo to Christchurch - 3 to 3.5 hours

travelon98, if you are talking straight driving time, then Google Maps was extremely accurate for us on our SI trip to similar destinations. I would say easily within 10% for up to 4 hour segments, but we drove at speed limit where weather permitted. If you are talking about with stops, then the sky is the limit, as melnq8 and deSchenke have indicated.

Thanks All.
I've noted all of the comments and estimated times. To be clear, we will not be driving in the times I had indicated but wanted to see if my info was correct as I have heard a lot about the roads in NZ taking longer to navigate than one expects. I would never/will not just use my guessing from a map! We are avid hikers and nature lovers so we will be spending most of the day going to destinations.....

Understood. The times you outlined are strictly drive times, and do not account for stops. I think we're all on the same page.

When we plan our trips to NZ, we allow a full day for getting from point A to point B, regardless of drive times. We explore en route and don't plan to see our destination on our arrival day.

I estimate 50 Kilometers per hour for back roads..you cannot go the speed limit between single lane bridges and slow vehicles in front.