# Road trips in New Zealand > 36 road trips and 299 hand-picked places in New Zealand, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping. Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/new-zealand/ 36 road trips and 299 hand-picked places in New Zealand, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping. ## Road trips through New Zealand - [From the Bay of Islands to Cape Reinga and back](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-bay-of-islands-to-cape-reinga/): A three-day run up SH10 and SH1 from Paihia to the northern tip of the country, with a stop at the beach at Ahipara. - [The Kauri Coast and Hokianga from Kaikohe to Matakohe](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-kauri-coast-hokianga/): A three-day drive down SH12 through the great kauri forests, the Hokianga Harbour, the Kai Iwi Lakes and a kauri museum. - [Three days in the Bay of Islands: Waitangi to Kerikeri](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-bay-of-islands-loop/): A relaxed loop around the Bay of Islands taking in Kawakawa, Paihia, Russell, boat trips and the Kerikeri River. - [Auckland and the wild Waitākere west coast beaches](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-auckland-west-coast/): A two-day circuit from the city centre over the Waitākere Ranges to black-sand beaches and a gannet colony. - [Auckland to Whangārei by the north-east coast](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-auckland-north-coast/): A coastal drive up SH1 with hot pools, a marine reserve, wine country and beaches on the way to Whangārei. - [The Coromandel Peninsula loop from Thames to Waihī](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-coromandel-peninsula-loop/): A four-day loop on SH25 around the peninsula, from Thames and the north tip to Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach and the Karangahake Gorge. - [Waikato circuit: Hobbiton, Waitomo caves, Kawhia and Raglan](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-waikato-waitomo-hobbiton/): A three-day circuit in the Waikato with a famous film set, glowworm caves, a hot-water beach and a surf town. - [Two days along the Bay of Plenty from Waihī to Te Kaha](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-bay-of-plenty-coast/): A coastal drive on SH2 and SH35 past Mauao, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki to the Pōhutukawa Coast. - [The East Cape road from Ōpōtiki to Gisborne](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzn-east-cape-road/): A four-day drive around the East Cape on SH35, past churches, a lighthouse, a long wharf and the first sunrise of the day. - [Rotorua, Taupō and Tongariro: a volcanic plateau road trip](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-rotorua-taupo-tongariro/): A three-day drive from the geothermal fields of Rotorua past Lake Taupō to the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park. - [Tongariro National Park, Whakapapa and Ōhakune in two days](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-tongariro-ruapehu/): A short loop around the western side of Mt Ruapehu with the Alpine Crossing, the Chateau and the Ōhakune Mountain Road. - [Waitomo caves and the SH3 coast road to New Plymouth](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-waitomo-to-new-plymouth/): A three-day drive from the Waitomo caves through the Awakino Gorge and along the Taranaki coast. - [Around Mt Taranaki on the Surf Highway and mountain roads](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-taranaki-circuit/): A circuit of the Taranaki cone from New Plymouth along the coast and back through Hāwera and Stratford. - [The Forgotten World Highway from Stratford to Taumarunui](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-forgotten-world-highway/): A 150 km drive over three hill saddles through a thinly settled stretch of Taranaki and the King Country. - [The Whanganui River Road from Whanganui to Ōhakune](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-whanganui-river-road/): A narrow river road of about 79 km to Pipiriki, then on to the mountain at Ōhakune. - [Hawke's Bay: Napier, Hastings, wine and Cape Kidnappers](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-hawkes-bay-napier-hastings/): A three-day loop through Art Deco Napier, the wine country and the gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers. - [Wellington to Wairarapa wine country and Cape Palliser](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-wairarapa-cape-palliser/): A three-day drive over the Rimutaka Hill to Martinborough and on to the southern tip of the North Island. - [Taihape to Wellington through Manawatū and the Kāpiti Coast](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzm-taihape-to-wellington/): A three-day drive down SH1 with a detour to Palmerston North, then the Kāpiti coast and Wellington. - [From Picton Through the Marlborough Sounds to Nelson](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-sounds-picton-nelson/): A two-day drive from the Cook Strait ferry along Queen Charlotte Drive and SH6 to Nelson, with sound views, mussels and river forest. - [Along SH1 from Picton through Marlborough Wine Country to Kaikōura](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-marlborough-kaikoura-coast/): A two-day drive on SH1 past vineyards, salt ponds and rebuilt coast road to the seal colonies of Kaikōura. - [From Nelson to Abel Tasman, Takaka and the Top of the South](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-abel-tasman-golden-bay/): A four-day trip on SH60 from Nelson over Takaka Hill to Golden Bay and the sand spit at the northern tip. - [From Nelson to Westport via Nelson Lakes and the Buller Gorge](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-nelson-lakes-buller-westport/): A three-day route on SH6 from Nelson through beech forest and the Buller Gorge to Westport and the Karamea coast. - [Punakaiki to Hokitika: Pancake Rocks, Lake Brunner and Gorge](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-punakaiki-hokitika/): A three-day drive down the coast from Punakaiki to Greymouth and Hokitika, with Lake Brunner and Hokitika Gorge as inland detours. - [Christchurch to Greymouth over Lewis Pass with Hanmer Springs](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-lewis-pass-hanmer/): A two-day route on SH7 from Canterbury's wine country over Lewis Pass to the West Coast, with a soak in Hanmer Springs. - [Greymouth to Christchurch over Arthur's Pass](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-arthurs-pass-christchurch/): A two-day alpine drive on SH73 from the West Coast over Arthur's Pass and Castle Hill to Christchurch. - [Christchurch and Banks Peninsula to Akaroa](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-banks-peninsula-akaroa/): A relaxed two-day circuit from Christchurch to Lyttelton Harbour and across Banks Peninsula to the French-flavoured harbour at Akaroa. - [From Franz Josef and Fox Glacier to Haast and Jackson Bay](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzw-franz-josef-haast/): A three-day drive on SH6 from the glacier valleys to the southern West Coast, over Haast Pass to Otago. - [Mackenzie Country lakes and Aoraki / Mount Cook](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-mackenzie-mount-cook/): From Omarama’s clay cliffs along turquoise lakes to the foot of New Zealand’s highest mountain and the starry skies of Lake Tekapo. - [Oamaru to Dunedin along the North Otago coast](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-waitaki-moeraki-coast/): Victorian limestone streets, blue penguins and Moeraki’s round boulders on the 120-kilometre run down SH1. - [Dunedin city and the wildlife of Otago Peninsula](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-dunedin-otago-peninsula/): A heritage railway station, a Gothic castle and a peninsula of albatrosses, sea lions and penguins. - [The Catlins coast from Balclutha to Invercargill](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-catlins-southern-scenic/): Forest waterfalls, fossil beaches, penguin coves and the southernmost tip of the South Island on the Southern Scenic Route. - [Queenstown, Glenorchy and Arrowtown on Lake Wakatipu](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-queenstown-glenorchy-arrowtown/): A lake-edge loop from adventure capital Queenstown to the head of Lake Wakatipu, the gold-rush streets of Arrowtown and the Kawarau Gorge. - [Crown Range and Lake Wānaka to Cromwell](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-wanaka-crown-range/): Over New Zealand’s highest main road to Wānaka’s lakeshore, Puzzling World and the orchards of Cromwell. - [Along the Otago Central Rail Trail by road](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-otago-central-rail-trail/): Gold-rush towns, a dam, Art Deco Ranfurly and Naseby’s forest, following the old railway route from Clyde towards the Pacific coast. - [Te Anau to Milford Sound via Homer Tunnel](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-milford-road/): Fiordland’s lake town, Lake Manapōuri and the 120-kilometre Milford Road through glacier-cut valleys to the fiord. - [Bluff to Stewart Island / Rakiura and Ulva Island](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/nzz-stewart-island-rakiura/): SH1’s southern end at Stirling Point, a ferry across Foveaux Strait and a bird sanctuary in Paterson Inlet. ## Places worth the detour in New Zealand - [Cape Reinga Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-cape-reinga/): The north-western tip of the country, where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet beneath a small lighthouse. In Māori tradition, spirits of the dead leave from here. A paved path leads from the car park in about ten minutes; expect strong wind. - [Tāne Mahuta, Waipoua Forest](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-tane-mahuta/): The largest known living kauri, standing a few steps from SH12 in Waipoua Forest. A short boardwalk leads to the trunk. Clean your boots at the stations to help stop kauri dieback, and stay on the path so roots are not damaged. - [Waitangi Treaty Grounds](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-waitangi-treaty-grounds/): The place where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in 1840, with the Treaty House, a carved meeting house and a large war canoe. Guided tours and cultural performances run daily. Allow half a day and check the entry fee. - [Rangitoto Island](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-rangitoto-island/): A young volcanic island of black lava fields and pōhutukawa forest, reached by a 25-minute ferry from the city. The summit walk takes about an hour each way. Take water and sun protection, since there is little shade on the lava. - [Piha Beach and Lion Rock](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-piha-lion-rock/): A black-sand surf beach with the Lion Rock outcrop at the middle, on the Tasman coast west of Auckland. A short track leads up for the view. Rips are strong, so swim only between the flags, and the road is winding. - [Cathedral Cove](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-cathedral-cove/): A huge rock arch between two white-sand coves, reached by a 45-minute track from the Hahei car park or the Grange Road car park. Check DOC for the current status of the walk and the track, and use the summer shuttle. - [Hot Water Beach](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-hot-water-beach/): Hot water rises through the sand at the base of the cliff, and visitors dig their own pools. Go about two hours either side of low tide and rent a spade locally. Do not swim here, as rips are strong. - [Waitomo Glowworm Caves](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-waitomo-glowworm-caves/): Limestone caves where a boat glides under thousands of glowworm lights, one of several cave tours in the village. Tours are guided only and photography is not allowed inside. Book ahead in summer, and arrive early for the quieter sessions. - [Hobbiton Movie Set](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-hobbiton/): The village built for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, on a working sheep farm, with hobbit holes, a mill and the Green Dragon inn. Visits are by guided tour only. Reserve in advance and allow about two and a half hours. - [East Cape Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzn-east-cape-lighthouse/): The most easterly lighthouse on the mainland, reached by 21 km of East Cape Road, partly gravel, and a climb of about 700 steps. Arrive before dawn to see the sunrise. Take water and warm clothes. - [Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-wai-o-tapu/): A large geothermal area south of Rotorua with colourful sulphur terraces, the bright green Devil's Bath and a bubbling mud pool. A one to two hour loop on boardwalks covers the main features. Go in the morning when the steam is thicker and the light is softer. - [Huka Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-huka-falls/): The Waikato River squeezes through a narrow rock channel and drops into a pool in a surge of turquoise water. Footbridges and viewing platforms lie a few minutes from the car park, and a river walk starts from the same point. Arrive early to avoid tour coaches. - [Tongariro Alpine Crossing](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-tongariro-alpine-crossing/): A 19.4 km one-way day walk across a volcanic landscape between Mangatepopo and Ketetahi, past Red Crater and the Emerald Lakes. Expect seven to eight hours. Weather changes fast, so check the DOC forecast and book a shuttle, since parking at the start is restricted. - [Waitomo Glowworm Caves](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-waitomo-glowworm-caves/): Guided tours take visitors by boat through a limestone cave lit by thousands of glowworms. The tour lasts about 45 minutes in the Glowworm Cave itself. Book ahead for busy summer days, and check which of the three caves (Glowworm, Ruakuri, Aranui) matches your time and fitness. - [North Egmont and Mt Taranaki](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-north-egmont/): The road ends at a visitor centre at about 940 m on Mt Taranaki, with short walks and longer climbs towards the summit. The cone is often hidden in cloud. Check the forecast before you set out, and expect a narrow, winding road with limited parking. - [Whangamōmona Hotel](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-whangamomona-hotel/): A historic 1911 hotel on the Forgotten World Highway, in a village that declared itself a republic in 1989 as a protest at a boundary change. Stop for a meal or a drink and a stamp for your passport. Opening hours vary, so call ahead. - [Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-cape-kidnappers/): The world's largest mainland gannet colony, with thousands of birds nesting on a headland. The usual approaches are a tractor-trailer tour, a guided farm-vehicle trip, or a long beach walk from Clifton that depends on the tide. Check the tide times and the nesting season before booking. - [Napier Art Deco Quarter](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-napier-art-deco/): The city was rebuilt in the 1930s after the 1931 earthquake, and its centre is a dense group of Art Deco and Spanish Mission buildings. Walk the streets or join a guided tour. The Art Deco Festival takes place each February and fills the town. - [Te Mata Peak](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-te-mata-peak/): A limestone ridge above Havelock North with views across the Heretaunga Plains, Hawke Bay and on clear days to Mt Ruapehu. A sealed, narrow, steep road leads to the summit car park; walking tracks start at the same place. Avoid the road in strong wind or fog. - [Cape Palliser Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-cape-palliser-lighthouse/): A red-and-white striped lighthouse at the southern tip of the North Island, reached by about 250 steps up a cliff. Fur seals often rest on the rocks near the car park. Keep a safe distance from the seals and stay away from the water's edge. - [Kāpiti Island Nature Reserve](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-kapiti-island/): A predator-free island reserve off Paraparaumu Beach, home to kiwi, kākā and takahē. A permit from DOC and a licensed boat operator are needed, and daily numbers are limited. Book weeks ahead and check the sailing conditions before you travel. - [Te Papa Tongarewa](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzm-te-papa/): New Zealand's national museum on the Wellington waterfront, with exhibitions on Māori culture, natural history and earthquakes, plus a large colossal squid. Entry is free for most galleries. Allow half a day, and use the nearby parking building. - [Point Kean Seal Colony and Peninsula Walkway](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-point-kean/): New Zealand fur seals haul out on the rocks at the end of the Kaikōura Peninsula, and the clifftop walkway loops back through farmland. Keep at least 10 metres from the seals, never block their route to the sea, and check tides before taking the shore section. - [Marahau and Abel Tasman Coast Track Start](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-marahau/): The southern trailhead of the Abel Tasman Coast Track, which runs past golden beaches and clear coves through native forest. Day walks to Coquille Bay and Apple Tree Bay are manageable; huts and campsites on the Great Walk require booking through DOC. - [Te Waikoropupū Springs](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-pupu-springs/): Large freshwater springs of exceptional clarity, a few kilometres from Takaka, with a boardwalk through beech forest and viewing platforms. The springs are sacred to Māori; swimming and touching the water are prohibited. Allow about an hour for the loop. - [Wharariki Beach](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-wharariki/): A wild west-coast beach with arch rocks, caves, high dunes and a fur seal colony, reached by a 20-minute walk across farmland. The gravel road from Puponga takes about 15 minutes; avoid walking in at high tide or in rough weather. - [Pancake Rocks and Blowholes](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-pancake-rocks/): Layered limestone stacks on the coast of Paparoa National Park, with a 20-minute boardwalk loop past blowholes that spout at high tide. Check tide times before the visit, since the show is best at high tide with a swell. The car park is free. - [Hokitika Gorge](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-hokitika-gorge/): A short bush walk leads to a swing bridge over a gorge where glacial silt turns the Hokitika River a milky turquoise. The colour is strongest in clear weather and fades after heavy rain, so check the forecast. Allow about an hour and a half from Hokitika. - [Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-franz-josef-glacier-walk/): A flat walk of about an hour return up a glacial valley to a viewpoint of the glacier face. Track conditions and the viewpoint position change with rockfall and floods, so check the DOC notice at the car park and stay behind barriers. - [Lake Matheson](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-lake-matheson/): A forest-ringed lake where Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman are reflected on still mornings, reached by a 90-minute loop. Walk at dawn or dusk for calm water; the car park fills by mid-morning and a cafe sits at the start. - [Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-hanmer-pools/): A complex of hot pools of varying temperatures set in a forest park, with rock pools, sulphur pools and a water slide. Book in summer or at weekends, since entry can be limited; the car park is near the village centre. - [Akaroa Waterfront and French Quarter](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzw-akaroa-french-quarter/): A harbour village with French street names, wooden colonial cottages and a long foreshore, founded by French and English settlers in 1840. Walk the main street, visit the museum and take a harbour cruise. Parking is limited at weekends; use the car parks outside the centre. - [Church of the Good Shepherd](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-church-of-the-good-shepherd/): A small stone chapel from the 1930s on the shore of Lake Tekapo, with a window behind the altar framing the lake and mountains. Visit early or late to avoid tour buses, and note that photography inside is not permitted. - [Hooker Valley Track](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-hooker-valley-track/): A mostly flat 10-kilometre return walk with three swing bridges, ending at a glacier lake with icebergs and a view of Aoraki/Mount Cook. Allow about three hours; the wind can be strong, so bring a windproof layer and start early for a parking space. - [Oamaru Victorian Precinct](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-oamaru-victorian-precinct/): A harbourside street of white limestone warehouses and banks from the 1870s and 1880s, now with galleries, a bookshop, a brewery and workshops. Walk it at an easy pace and look inside the old buildings. There is free parking nearby, and weekend markets run in the precinct. - [Moeraki Boulders](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-moeraki-boulders/): Large, round grey boulders scattered along Koekohe Beach, formed in the seabed mudstone millions of years ago. Walk down from the car park to the beach and visit near low tide for the best view. Do not climb or scratch the boulders. - [Dunedin Railway Station](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-dunedin-railway-station/): A Flemish Renaissance building of dark basalt and white limestone, opened in 1906, with a mosaic floor and stained glass in the main hall. Entry is free during the day. A farmers’ market runs beside the station on Saturday mornings. - [Nugget Point Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-nugget-point/): A lighthouse of 1870 on a narrow ridge above a line of rocky islets known as the Nuggets, reached on an easy 900-metre walk from the car park. Fur seals rest below the track. The final road is narrow and winding; go in the early morning for the best light. - [Curio Bay Petrified Forest](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-curio-bay-petrified-forest/): A rock platform containing the stumps and logs of a forest about 170 million years old, best seen at low tide. Yellow-eyed penguins and, in the next bay, Hector’s dolphins can often be seen. Keep to the viewing area and do not walk on the fossil logs. - [Skyline Gondola, Bob’s Peak](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nzz-skyline-queenstown/): A gondola climbs from central Queenstown to a lookout on Bob’s Peak with views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, plus a luge, café and restaurant. Tickets are paid, and sunset is the best time. Parking in town is limited; use the lots near the base. ## FAQs **What are the best road trips in New Zealand?** Popular routes include From the Bay of Islands to Cape Reinga and back, The Kauri Coast and Hokianga from Kaikohe to Matakohe, Three days in the Bay of Islands: Waitangi to Kerikeri and Auckland and the wild Waitākere west coast beaches. CampingSpirit has 36 trip guides that pass through New Zealand, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map. **Which places in New Zealand are worth a detour?** Our editors recommend Cape Reinga Lighthouse, Tāne Mahuta, Waipoua Forest, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Rangitoto Island, Piha Beach and Lion Rock and Cathedral Cove.