Why You Should Drive the South Island: Hidden Gems in New Zealand

Though it scared my father half to death to drive on the opposite of the road on New Zealand’s narrow, windy, one way motorways – I think he would agree with me that it was worth the moments of stress & terror we had.

Wait, don’t let me turn you off to the idea of a kiwi road trip just yet!

Sitting as a passenger on the left as we drive through the South Island in January 2019.

If you’re not from a country that drives on the left side of the road, yes – it can be scary beyond belief, but it’s just a matter of knowing what roads not to take.

Biggest piece of advice: avoid Crown Range Road. 

Heading out of Queenstown and going towards Wanaka, my phone told me to turn left onto a mountainous road… with a peak elevation of over 1121 meters (that’s over 3,600 feet)!

Don’t turn left.

Ignore your phone. If you go straight, you avoid the petrifying-drive-up-high all together, and cruise through a gorge the whole way to Wanaka. 

The rest of the drive is fine, just be alert for experienced-kiwi-truckers tailgating you… but they’ll pass you when they want to, anyways. 

Anyways, let’s get to the route:

My dad and I started our New Zealand adventure in Queenstown, and had planned in my phone for months all of the unknown, in-the-middle-of-nowhere-and-off-of-the-motorway places I was determined to see.

1.    Lake Wanaka

2.    Twizel

3.    Lake Pukaki

4.    Lake Tekapo

We were on our way to stay with friends in Christchurch… meaning, we saw a great deal of the South Island. 

In all of my travels, New Zealand is without a doubt one of the most mind-blowing countries I’ve seen in terms of raw beauty. 

Wanaka wasn’t a disappointment…

Lake Wanaka in January 2019.

… but it was just the beginning. On a clear day, you can see Mount Cook all the way across the lake. 

 As we drove… the scenery we were incessantly surrounded by somehow became even more inconceivable.

While driving, you’ll see these tan mountains that look like suede from afar – and they’ll be covered in little flowers…

…or sheep. New Zealand has lots of sheep. 

You’ll realize part of New Zealand’s thing is it’s cloudiness. Trust me when I say it somehow adds to the surreal, mystical vibe of the countryside. 

 We made a pit stop in Twizel. It’s a small town very close to Lake Pukaki.

 As my dad and I were driving towards the isolated lake, we both turned to our left and let out audible gasps.

We couldn’t believe what we were looking at.

Driving past Lake Pukaki; January 2019.

In the words of my dad, 

“No, this is… this is like being on Mars.” 

The stunning Lake Pukaki in New Zealand must be added to your kiwi-to-do-list.

I couldn’t stop looking… even as we kept driving, the striking lake kept going.

Back on road 1 (they only have one main highway road in NZ!) driving away from Lake Pukaki; January 2019.

 Lake Tekapo isn’t as startling as Pukaki, but man… is it sparkling.

Lake Tekapo; January 2019.

There’s no doubt that the best way to see New Zealand’s rugged, jaw-dropping beauty is to drive through it. If you’re questioning taking a kiwi road trip, and you’ve had some experience driving on the left side of the road, I really encourage you to do so.

I couldn’t have imagined seeing so much of this gorgeous any other way.

If you’re looking for other things to do in New Zealand, click here.