A Road Trip is What You Need to Get Around this Heavenly Country: 10 Best Places to Visit in New Zealand South Island (2020)

Tips for Travel

Stay back for the night at the park. To wake up to the sun rising across Tasman Bay would leave you awestruck; this will feel like the yellow bundle of fire changing to a tinge of orange, and then almost tangerine. Even though the day trips to Abel Tasman are splendid, but a night stay will leave even the toughest ones teary.

Plan out your voyage. You can opt for either one of the premium package trips or design one that’s an amalgamation of your favourite spots. A travel period of even a day ought to be enough for trekking and kayaking through Abel Tasman. One of the best features of this park is its accessibility to all disparate spots; this variety is what will add spice to your travel!

Discover your own spot; even during the peak tourism season, it won’t be hard for you to find a sequestered place in Abel Tasman. If it’s not the peak of the tourism season, you might find the whole park to yourself for exploration and amusement.

Tips for Travel

Gaze over the birds in Ulva Island. Ulva Island is not the kind of destination spot that you would want to miss out on if you’re a wildlife lover. Ulva Island is a glamorous island with a tropical forest that wasn’t explored for millions of years. Because of this, it portrays a perfect picture of what New Zealand used to look like before the humans invaded. This also makes Ulva Island home to a wide array of bird species such as pigeons, kiwi, tui, bellbirds, among many others; the forest rings with the sound of nature!

Go for a hike in Rakiura National Park. This park makes up most of the Steward Island; therefore, the best way to explore your way through it would be to opt for one of the numerous hiking trails. One of the tracks that you can go for is the Rakiura Track that comprises striking huts and tracks. For a route with rugged yet thrilling topography, opt for the Northern Circuit. This is one of the best adventures for a dynamic person.

Fish for the blue cod. Talk to a native of New Zealand, and you’ll find out that the blue cod is the best thing New Zealand has to offer! Walking through the serene breezy island while having fresh blue cod and crispy chips is an experience you wouldn’t want to miss out on. To make the best out of this experience, you can fish for the cod yourself. There are a plethora of fishing charters all over the island. Furthermore, you can never be sure about the vista of wildlife you can discover here.

Tips for Travel

Even though you’d be astounded by the beauty of darkness in these caves, the coastal forest walk along with them should be on your bucket list on this trip. It is utterly lush with gigantic Podocarp trees all over the place. However, be prepared for the abundant rain that you may encounter.

Tips for Travel

Lake Tekapo is not only famous for its turquoise colour but also for the opportunity of stargazing that it entails. If you’ve ever felt like a tiny spec within a gigantic universe with endless stars, you’d not want to miss out on this. In Lake Tekapo, you’ll be awestruck by the immense sense of association with our universe. It is because the lake is so thinly populated that the sky is clear of any pollution you’d encounter otherwise in a city. It makes the clear star-filled sky even more amazing.

Tips for Travel

If you daydream about sitting on top of a lighthouse with sun emitting radiant glow through the windows while you lay back with fresh lemonade and sandwiches, the Waipapa Point is a definite yes. It also houses various sea lions that you wouldn’t find otherwise. The Waipapa point always provides an abundant experience.

Tips for Travel

Within the town of Franz Josef, you will find plentiful spots to eat or stay. There is also a spot to rest at the Glacier Hot Pools. If you are a travelling fanatic, you can plan a travel to the wildlife center. Franz Josef Glacier offers you a chance to lose yourself within the exotic lakes, falls, and tropical rainforests.

And, if you're under budget-constraints for one of the guided treks at Franz Josef Glacier or helicopter trips, you can always opt from the numerous free trekking trails available around the iceberg. You can always go for a tropical forest hike on the Forest Trail or merely hike to the face of the glacier.

Cooking your food in Franz Josef is one of the best ways to both save up on the money and experience a unique feeling. There are confined restaurants in the region, and because Franz Josef is crowded during the tourism season, you should be prepared for the high prices you'll encounter. You'll be better off cooking your own meals here.

Tips for Travel

Christchurch is famous as “Garden City” for a valid reason! This is why the Christchurch Botanic Gardens made it through to our travel tips list. It is not only easily accessible through the city but also free. Wade through the rose gardens in these gorgeous botanic gardens with your loved ones!

If you’re on a travel, we’d suggest you learn about the history of the region; it not only enlightens you but also enables you to soak the culture. For this, we recommend the Canterbury Museum; it is the perfect place to learn everything about the South Island’s largest city.

Tips for Travel

If you’re visiting Wanaka in February, participate in the Tuki Festival! It platforms some of the most exceptional musical talents in New Zealand in an exotic setting at Glendhu Bay.

If you’re at Wanaka, you might as well visit the famous Wanaka tree. The Wanaka Willow is a single tree amid the shore of Lake Wanaka. Talk about feeling isolated!

You can live the cowboy life at Wanaka. A horseback riding trip at the Gold Discovery Trail will reveal a lot about the rustic life in New Zealand South Island.

Tips for Travel

It’s another great place to have a blue cod. Regardless of your budget, you can make space for fish with crisps while sightseeing the gigantic boulders.

A great place to stay back if you're travelling through Moeraki is the Moeraki Village, Holiday Park. They have motels that are easily accessible to the boulders.

Tips for Travel

For those who love the adrenaline rush, there are a plethora of activities to take up here, such as bungy jumping, canyon swinging, jet boating, sky diving, to name a few.

With Queenstown's bus and coach services, you can conveniently travel to and around the whole southern lakes region.

If you want to try your hand out at poker, or blackjack, there are numerous casinos available here. So suit up and do experience the liveliness the casinos offer here.