For all the adrenaline junkies out there, our 16 day thrill-seeker loop starting and finishing in Christchurch.
Ideal for a two to four week hire, this route is built for travellers who want to send it at every opportunity. From big hikes, mountain drives and epic alpine scenery to bungee jumps, heli rides and skydives, this trip is for those who want to end up muddy, sunburnt and snow covered, yet absolutely loving it.
Check out our Mad Deals page to see what epic adventure tourism deals we have to offer!
Day One: Christchurch to Lake Tekapo
Get used to your new wheels on the beautiful drive through Mackenzie County to Lake Tekapo, one of the best places in New Zealand to catch the Aurora Australis!
The Thrills
Swim or cold plunge in Lake Tekapo.
Take in Mackenzie County from the sky with numerous heli rides to choose from.
Where to Stay
Lakes Edge Holiday Park: Stay right on Tekapo's lakeside!
Mackenzie Waitaki RV Camping: A beautiful freedom camping site under the backdrop of the Southern Alps.
Day Two: Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook
Properly kickstart your trip on the jaw-dropping drive along Lake Pukaki down to Mount Cook.
The Thrills
The most scenic skydive in the country can be found at Mt. Cook, ranging from 10,000 to 16,500ft!
Hike the Hooker Valley Track, a South Island classic. Glaciers, alpine lakes and massive peaks await.
Go for a glacier helicopter landing, ice climbing (seasonal) or the Tasman Glacier boat tour.
Where to Stay
White Horse Hill Campground: One of the best alpine campsites in New Zealand.
Day Three: Mount Cook to Wanaka
Wanaka could easily be considered New Zealand's rural adventure capital. From cliff climbing and world-class mountain biking to snowboarding on perfect powder, there's no shortage of joy here.
The Thrills
Climb a cliff face or waterfall with Wild Wire, who have numerous climbs to suit different skill levels.
750km of mountain biking tracks to choose from, check out Trailforks for a detailed map.
Hit the slopes: choose between NZ's biggest ski resort or the South Island's longest groomed run.
Where to Stay
Camp Hill Road Carpark: A stone's throw from Hawea Whitewater Park and the Hawea Wave.
The Camp: A beautiful spot by Lake Hawea to relax after an intense few days.
Day Four: Another day in Wanaka
One day just isn't enough to take in all that Wanaka has to offer. Take a break from driving and take it easy!
The Thrills
Roys Peak: 16km of tough hiking with a payoff that is pure magic.
Wanaka is a fantastic food hub for fine dining or food trucks, you'll find it all.
Day Five: Wanaka to Queenstown
If you can think it, you can do it in Queenstown. The adventure capital of the world completely lives up to the hype. Plan to spend at least two nights here.
The Thrills
AJ Hackett's Kawarau Bridge Bungy drops you 43 metres above the river, or go to the Nevis Bungy for 8.5 seconds of freefall from 134 metres.
Blast through the Shotover Canyons on the Shotover Jet at 85kph in water barely 10cm deep.
Take the gondola up Bob's Peak and ride the Skyline Luge: banked corners, tunnels and non-stop grinning.
Where to Stay
Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park: Right in the heart of town, walking distance to the gondola and lakefront.
Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park: Alpine views, hot tub and a free courtesy shuttle. 7 minutes from town.
Leg Six: Another day in Queenstown
One day in Queenstown is nowhere near enough. Stay put, sleep in, eat well and fill any gaps in your adventure checklist. This is a town that rewards those who linger.
The Thrills
Do the Kawarau Bridge Bungy today if you did the Nevis yesterday, it’s the original 1988 jump. Doing both is a perfectly reasonable life choice.
Drive 20 minutes to the gold rush village of Arrowtown for the historic Chinese settlement, great coffee and autumn leaves.
End with a sunset drink on the waterfront and a burger from Fergburger, the most famous takeaway in New Zealand. The queue is worth it.
Where to Stay
Stay at whichever park you chose the night before. You have earned the rest.
Day Seven: Queenstown to Te Anau
Te Anau is your gateway to Fiordland, one of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet. The drive through Southland's farmland is a proper decompression after the Queenstown whirlwind.
The Thrills
The Te Anau Glowworm Caves: A short boat trip leads deep underground where thousands of bioluminescent creatures light up the cave ceiling like a clear night sky.
Hire a kayak or paddleboard on Lake Te Anau with Fiordland National Park rising directly off the water behind you.
Even a half-day section of the legendary Kepler Track delivers jaw-dropping alpine views.
Where to Stay
Te Anau Lakeview Kiwi Holiday Park: Lakeside, hot tub, great access to town. Fill up on fuel tonight. Milford Sound has no petrol stations.
Day Eight: Te Anau to Milford Sound (Day Trip)
Piopiotahi Milford Sound is one of those rare places that actually exceeds the hype. Rudyard Kipling called it the eighth wonder of the world. Leave your phone on airplane mode as there's no signal and give the Homer Tunnel drive your full attention.
The Thrills
Paddle beneath the waterfalls with Rosco's Milford Kayaks: from a 1.5 hour paddle to a full 12km circumnavigation, with transport from Te Anau available.
A cruise is still world class. Getting up close to Stirling Falls while the spray soaks you through is something you will not forget.
Where to Stay
Milford Sound Lodge: The only campervan park inside the sound. Waking up inside Fiordland is extraordinary. Otherwise, head back to Te Anau.
Day Nine: Te Anau to The Catlins
The Catlins is one of New Zealand's best kept secrets with windswept beaches, roaring waterfalls, ancient podocarp forest and wildlife that hasn't yet learned to be afraid of people.
The Thrills
Surf alongside Hector dolphins at Porpoise Bay, one of very few places in the world you can do this. See The Catlins website for details.
Walk the short trail to Purakaunui Falls, one of the most photographed waterfalls in New Zealand.
Sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins await at Nugget Point Lighthouse, find dramatic rock stacks jutting into the Southern Ocean.
Where to Stay
Purakaunui Bay DOC Campsite: Basic and beautiful, right on the Catlins coast near the falls and a surf beach.
Kaka Point Camping Ground : Native bush surrounds, short walk to surf beaches, great base for Nugget Point.
Day Ten: The Catlins to Dunedin
Dunedin is a proper city with a wild edge. Part student town, part wildlife sanctuary, part home of the world's steepest street. Give yourself a full day because it earns it.
The Thrills
Surf at St Clair Beach, one of NZ's best urban breaks, with great cafes on the esplanade behind.
Stagger up Baldwin Street, the world's steepest residential street, 350 metres of pure suffering.
Head to the Otago Peninsula for the world's only mainland royal albatross colony and little blue penguins at dusk.
Where to Stay
Dunedin Holiday Park: Close to the beach and city centre. A solid base for everything Dunedin has to offer.
Day Eleven: Dunedin to Oamaru
Oamaru is the quirkiest town in New Zealand. Victorian limestone buildings, steampunk art and two species of penguin make it a genuinely joyful stop. Do not write it off as just a lunch break.
The Thrills
Stop at the Moeraki Boulders on the drive up and see enormous perfectly spherical boulders scattered along a wild beach.
At dusk, watch the world's smallest penguins waddle ashore at the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. Book ahead as it sells out.
Spend an hour at Steampunk HQ: A wild art installation that perfectly suits this Victorian-era town.
Where to Stay
Oamaru TOP 10 Holiday Park: Close to the penguin colony for perfect evening timing.
Day Twelve: Oamaru to Hokitika to Franz Josef
Today is a big one. You are crossing to the wild West Coast and the contrast is immediate and extraordinary. Break in Hokitika before pushing south to Franz Josef for the night.
The Thrills
Don't miss the Hokitika Gorge: A short bush walk to a brilliantly vivid turquoise river gorge that looks almost too electric to be real.
Book a glacier heli-hike for the morning, fly over rainforest, land on the ice and explore crevasses and caves for 2.5 hours. Build in a buffer day if you can.
If the helicopter is grounded, soak it off at the Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools, thermal pools set into the rainforest.
Where to Stay
Rainforest Retreat: Campervan-friendly, surrounded by native bush, with its own bar, restaurant and spa.
Day Thirteen: Franz Josef to Punakaiki to Nelson
The Great Coast Road north from Franz Josef is one of New Zealand's great highway runs. Sea on your left, Alps on your right. Stop at Punakaiki then push to Nelson for the night.
The Thrills
Time your visit to high tide at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes for enormous columns of seawater shooting skyward. Check tide times before you leave.
Duck into the Punakaiki Cavern just off the main road for a free glow worm experience. Bring a torch.
End with a sunset walk to the Centre of New Zealand above Nelson for panoramic views across Tasman Bay to the mountains.
Where to Stay
Nelson City TOP 10 Holiday Park: Well-equipped and right in town, ready for the final push into Abel Tasman.
Day Fourteen: Nelson to Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman is the jewel of the top of the South Island. Golden beaches, water in every shade of blue and green, fur seals on the rocks and dolphins in the bay. The perfect final adventure.
The Thrills
Kayak the coast with Abel Tasman Kayaks, paddle through Tonga Island Marine Reserve with seals and seabirds for company.
For the truly adventurous, Abel Tasman Canyons offers cliff jumps, water-polished chutes and abseil drops. A proper South Island send-off.
Jump on a water taxi with Abel Tasman Aqua Taxi and get dropped at a remote beach for a few hours — flexible and endlessly enjoyable.
Where to Stay
Totaranui DOC Campground: On one of the most beautiful beaches in the park. Book well ahead.
Marahau Beach Camp: An excellent fallback at the park's southern entrance.
Day Fifteen: Abel Tasman to Kaikōura
The drive south from Nelson drops you into Kaikōura, wedged dramatically between the Kaikōura Ranges and the Pacific Ocean. One of the world's great wildlife destinations and a perfect final night stop.
The Thrills
A whale watching tour with Whale Watch Kaikōura is one of the great New Zealand wildlife experiences hang with sperm whales live in the deep offshore trench year round.
The Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway winds along coastal cliffs past fur seal colonies with the snow-capped Ranges looming above. One of the finest short coastal walks in the country.
For one last splash, the sheltered bay in town is great for a swim or snorkel, seals occasionally join you in the water.
Where to Stay
Kaikōura Top 10 Holiday Park: Right in town with beach access and mountain views. A fitting reward for two weeks on the road.
Day Sixteen: Kaikōura to Christchurch
The last leg. The drive south along State Highway 1 hugs the coastline past seal colonies and dramatic cliffs before opening onto the Canterbury Plains. Take it slowly. You've earned it.
The Thrills
Pull over at Ohau Point just out of Kaikōura for the fur seal nursery colony. In season, hundreds of pups loll about in the kelp and the waterfall pool right off the road.
If time allows before returning the camper,head to Christchurch's Botanic Gardens and the revitalised city centre for street art, container malls, beautifully rebuilt spaces.