8 Day South Island Expedition Itinerary
9 - 16 October 2023
Join us as we explore the South Island of New Zealand over 8 incredible days full of fun, relaxation and adventure. We’ll explore the magnificent landscapes of the West Coast, Otago and Canterbury regions, where you'll be captivated by incredible mountains, ancient glaciers and lush rainforests. We have created this itinerary for families, which makes this expedition so unique and fun! You’ll be joining a 6 family campervan convoy, travelling around together in the comfort of your home on wheels - so buckle up as we hit the road together to create what we hope will be amazing memories that you'll hold onto for a life time!
Let the adventures begin! We'll pick up our campers in Christchurch and have a meet and greet before hitting the road to Tekapo. We'll make scenic stops along the way, so you can capture the incredibly beautiful scenery of the Canterbury Region.
In the afternoon, we'll have a soak in the local hot pools (between 28 - 38.5 deg C) and there's also an aqua play zone where kids can have a splash about in.
After all that relaxation (and splashes to the face), you’re free to explore Tekapo to find dinner for those hungry tummies, then we’ll meet at the campsite in the evening for dessert where our families can get to know each other a bit more. Kids, if the sky is clear, we'll be able to see gazillions of stars, as we are staying in an International Dark Sky Reserve after all and that means a late bedtime – yahoo!
Tonight we’ll be sleeping in a powered campsite in Tekapo.
In the afternoon, we'll have a soak in the local hot pools (between 28 - 38.5 deg C) and there's also an aqua play zone where kids can have a splash about in.
After all that relaxation (and splashes to the face), you’re free to explore Tekapo to find dinner for those hungry tummies, then we’ll meet at the campsite in the evening for dessert where our families can get to know each other a bit more. Kids, if the sky is clear, we'll be able to see gazillions of stars, as we are staying in an International Dark Sky Reserve after all and that means a late bedtime – yahoo!
Tonight we’ll be sleeping in a powered campsite in Tekapo.
The morning will start off slow, as we have free time in the stunning town of Tekapo (there’s a big flying fox near the lake!) where there are beautiful walks, mountains and lakes to explore.
We’ll leave Tekapo just before lunch and head to Mt Cook National Park, stopping on the way to get photos of New Zealand’s bluest lake – Lake Pukaki.
There are some incredibly beautiful walks in Mt Cook, with mountain and lake views, which is a great way to spend the afternoon. You might even spot some cheeky kea parrots.
We'll enjoy a delicious buffet dinner at the Hermitage Hotel, which offers stunning views across the national park. Its a dining experience that we know you will love!
Tonight we’re sleeping in a campsite in Mt Cook National Park.
We’ll leave Tekapo just before lunch and head to Mt Cook National Park, stopping on the way to get photos of New Zealand’s bluest lake – Lake Pukaki.
There are some incredibly beautiful walks in Mt Cook, with mountain and lake views, which is a great way to spend the afternoon. You might even spot some cheeky kea parrots.
We'll enjoy a delicious buffet dinner at the Hermitage Hotel, which offers stunning views across the national park. Its a dining experience that we know you will love!
Tonight we’re sleeping in a campsite in Mt Cook National Park.
Waking up in the Mt Cook National Park is a special thing! Today we’ll head to Omarama, where a captivating geological wonder awaits us. We will explore and photograph the unique clay cliffs (and no doubt play hide and seek!) before setting off to Queenstown - there are some beautiful scenic spots to stop off at for photos.
In the late afternoon, we’ll hop on board an historic steam ship for a relaxing and scenic ride across Lake Wakatipu with great views of the Remarkables. You can sit inside or step outside for even better views and you can even look down into the engine room to see the engineers hard at work!
We'll stay overnight in a powered campsite in Queenstown.
In the late afternoon, we’ll hop on board an historic steam ship for a relaxing and scenic ride across Lake Wakatipu with great views of the Remarkables. You can sit inside or step outside for even better views and you can even look down into the engine room to see the engineers hard at work!
We'll stay overnight in a powered campsite in Queenstown.
It would be rude to be in the Adventure Capital of New Zealand without going on an adventure, so we’ll take to the skies with the iconic gondola which offers 220-degrees of Queenstown and once we get to the top, we’ll ride the luge down the mountain. This is going to be A LOT of fun!
But the excitement doesn't end there – we’ll head to Wanaka where each family will compete in a giant maze race, testing your navigation skills and guaranteed to make you laugh. To top it off, immerse yourself in the mind-bending world of Puzzling World where your mind won’t know what to believe.
Tonight we’ll stay in a powered campsite in Wanaka.
But the excitement doesn't end there – we’ll head to Wanaka where each family will compete in a giant maze race, testing your navigation skills and guaranteed to make you laugh. To top it off, immerse yourself in the mind-bending world of Puzzling World where your mind won’t know what to believe.
Tonight we’ll stay in a powered campsite in Wanaka.
Mid-morning we’ll drive to Haast (stopping on the way at scenic spots for photos of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka) where we’ll take a scenic jetboat ride up the Haast River Valley, which is part of the Southwest World Heritage Area and is renowned for its breathtaking scenery. It encompasses diverse landscapes, including lush rainforests, towering mountains, glacier-fed rivers and pristine lakes.
As we head further up the rugged West Coast, we’ll stop in Fox Glacier where there are beautiful short walks to do for the family to enjoy.
We’ll spend the night in a powered campsite in Fox Glacier.
As we head further up the rugged West Coast, we’ll stop in Fox Glacier where there are beautiful short walks to do for the family to enjoy.
We’ll spend the night in a powered campsite in Fox Glacier.
If you’re up early, there’s a beautiful mirror lake just waiting for be photographed at sunrise in Fox Glacier, with the Southern Alps as the backdrop. We'll have a cruisy morning in Fox Glacier and in the afternoon, there we'll go on an epic off-roading tour on either a buggy or quad bike through massive puddles in the rainforest, conquer rugged terrains and head out into the open where you’ll have amazing mountain views - this is seriously fun!
Afterwards, there are plenty of beautiful, short walks to do in Franz Josef, including one where you can catch a glimpse of the Franz Josef Glacier, or you can head to the Wildlife Centre where you may spot a kiwi!
When it’s dark, we’ll go on a night expedition in search of the enchanting glowworms that illuminate the bush, hunting around under fallen trees to spot their glowing bums.
We’ll stay in a powered campsite in Franz Josef tonight.
Afterwards, there are plenty of beautiful, short walks to do in Franz Josef, including one where you can catch a glimpse of the Franz Josef Glacier, or you can head to the Wildlife Centre where you may spot a kiwi!
When it’s dark, we’ll go on a night expedition in search of the enchanting glowworms that illuminate the bush, hunting around under fallen trees to spot their glowing bums.
We’ll stay in a powered campsite in Franz Josef tonight.
Enjoy the morning surrounding yourself with the beauty of Franz Josef with one of the many short walks in the area (you may even spot a kea early in the morning).
Before lunch, we’ll hit the road north in search of gold (and Hokitika)! We'll try our luck at gold panning and who knows, we may even find real gold to keep!
We’ll make scenic stops, on the way to Hokitika and you'll have the afternoon free to explore the area where you can visit the famous Hokitika Gorge with blue water or find greenstone on the beach.
Tonight we'll spend the night in a powered campsite in Hokitika.
Before lunch, we’ll hit the road north in search of gold (and Hokitika)! We'll try our luck at gold panning and who knows, we may even find real gold to keep!
We’ll make scenic stops, on the way to Hokitika and you'll have the afternoon free to explore the area where you can visit the famous Hokitika Gorge with blue water or find greenstone on the beach.
Tonight we'll spend the night in a powered campsite in Hokitika.
As we wave goodbye to Hokitika we will be making our way back to Christchurch. Our first stop is Castle Hill, a place straight out of a fairy tale, where we'll explore huge limestone formations (which are photograph worthy) and there are plenty of places for kids to play hide and seek and lots of room to stretch our legs!
Next up is Christchurch, where we'll have a lot of fun at the International Antarctic Centre. It's filled with interactive activities, adorable rescued penguins, a Hägglund ride, a 4D movie theatre and there’s even a -18deg C windstorm room which is one cool experience (there's an igloo to hide in if you get cold).
As the day draws to a close, we'll have a farewell dinner, exchanging all of the memories and good times from our trip together.
After dinner we say farewell and this is where our amazing journey comes to an end with our final night spent in Christchurch.
Next up is Christchurch, where we'll have a lot of fun at the International Antarctic Centre. It's filled with interactive activities, adorable rescued penguins, a Hägglund ride, a 4D movie theatre and there’s even a -18deg C windstorm room which is one cool experience (there's an igloo to hide in if you get cold).
As the day draws to a close, we'll have a farewell dinner, exchanging all of the memories and good times from our trip together.
After dinner we say farewell and this is where our amazing journey comes to an end with our final night spent in Christchurch.
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