NZ itinerary help
 

Travellng in October to NZ, this is our itinerary:


12/10 arrive last ferry Picton , sleep in Picton

13/10 Abel Tasmanian Park, sleep in Nelson

14/10 Lunch in Blenhein, drive to Kaikoura, sleep there

15/10 After Lunch drive and sleep in Tekapo

16/10 Mount Cook

17/10 Wanaka, sleep in Franz Joseph

18/10 Franz Joseph

19/10 after lunch Queenstown

20/10 Queenstown, evening drive Milford Sound

21/10 Milford Sound

22/10 Drive to Innercargil

23/10 Dunedin

24/10 Christchurch

We are renting a car ( from Auckland to Christchurch) and booking hotels/motels along the way.

Is this doable?

Any insights are very welcome!

A road trip in New Zealand is as much about the journey as it is about the individual destinations though, in my opinion, that would be a very exhausting itinerary. All those one night stays would involve a disproportionate amount of time spent checking in and out of accommodation in addition to the driving times.

We have done three long road trips around New Zealand but always in a camper van which removed the need to pack and unpack every day and makes one night stays more viable. We stayed in a mix or commercial and DOC campsites as well as authorised freedom camping spots and stopped for lunch wherever we liked to look of the scenery and to take advantage of the many hiking trails , short and long, along the way. There is a huge flexibility using a camper van as we could change our minds at the last minute. We loved all the places you list (some more than others).

Camper vans are generally only available for pick up and drop off in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown but could work for your trip as a one way rental. Not for everyone and not necessarily cheaper, but I think the additional flexibility would allow you yo cover more ground and see more of the country.

Thank you, in fact we did compare our options with a motorhome , because we are a huge fans of vans, but felt the price wasn't worthy.
My fear with this itinerary was the places we choose to visit werent good or it was impossible to complete this itinerary.
We are use to be independent travelers and drive long distances, since normally we wake early in the morning and start to drive to our destinations.

I suggest doing the Hooker Valley morning hike on 16/10 and add 2 nights in Mt Cook.

Do the drive to Milford in the daylight - it's spectacular. Probably the most amazing drive in the country. There are a lot of tourists who drive this route and many of them don't have very good road skills, so take care on that road. Emergency services are at the ends, not in the middle so it can take some time to sort accidents.

Yes, your itinerary is doable for a 12-day trip to the South Island of New Zealand. Here are a few additional things to keep in mind:

- Be sure to book your accommodation in advance, especially during peak season.
- Allow plenty of time for driving between destinations. The distances on the South Island can be deceiving.
- Factor in time for rest. You don't want to spend your entire trip in the car.
- Be prepared for the weather. The weather in New Zealand can change quickly, so be sure to pack for all conditions.