New Zealand South Island Road Trip: Mount Cook to the Catlins

I had a limited amount of time in New Zealand and it was hard trying to fit in as much as possible while also spending real time with my sister. I think I did quite well — Milford Sound, Mount Cook, Queenstown, the Nevis Bungy, Dunedin and the Catlins all made it in. The glaciers did not. That is a reason to go back.

This is how I did my South Island adventure — first solo by bus to Queenstown, then joined by my sister for a spontaneous road trip south through some of the most extraordinary scenery I have ever seen.

Leg 1 — Christchurch to Queenstown, The Bus South

I booked my bus ticket the day before I left Christchurch along with my hostel — it was the weekend before ski season opened and Queenstown was beginning to fill up. The bus left at 10am and the scenery just got better and better by the minute.

Lake Tekapo

The bus stopped at Lake Tekapo for a driver changeover and I jumped out and ran around snapping pictures. Lake Tekapo is one of the most beautiful places I have been anywhere — an extraordinary milky turquoise colour from glacial flour suspended in the water, sitting against the Southern Alps. The Church of the Good Shepherd on the lakeshore is one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand.

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

The bus continued through Wanaka — arriving just as the sun went down, disappointing timing — and on into Queenstown as evening settled over the mountains.

Milford Sound — The Big Day Trip

One of the big decisions of the Queenstown leg was whether to do Milford Sound. The price gave me pause. The distance — five hours each way — gave me further pause. Then I asked myself: would I regret not going if I never came back to New Zealand? Yes. So I went.

I booked a coach and cruise combination — the coach handles the driving and stops at key viewpoints through Fiordland National Park: Mirror Lakes, the Avenue of the Disappearing Mountain, the Homer Tunnel.

Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

And then we reached Milford Sound. There are no words adequate for it. Coming from a small island in the Caribbean, the scale of the fiord walls rising vertically from the water on both sides, the waterfalls dropping hundreds of metres directly into the sea — a picture is worth a thousand words but even pictures do not really capture it.

Milford Sound boat cruise, New Zealand

Queenstown — The Adventure Capital

Queenstown is a quaint ski town surrounded by mountains on every side — the Remarkables to the south, the Coronet Peak range to the north. Every view from every street corner earns its reputation.

For the full breakdown of what to do in town, read 20 Things to Do in Queenstown.

The Most Terrifying Thing I Have Ever Done — Nevis Bungy

I am scared of heights. My original plan was the more manageable Kawarau Bridge jump. My sister convinced me to do the Nevis instead — 134 metres, the highest bungy in New Zealand.

Probably one of the scariest and most exhilarating things I have ever done. The full account is in the Nevis Bungy post. We followed it immediately with the Nevis Swing — the world's largest swing — which everyone said was worse than the bungy. It was.

Nevis Bungy jump, Queenstown

Road Trip Day 1 — Queenstown to Mount Cook to Dunedin

We woke early and got moving. Wanaka appeared just after sunrise — finally seeing this quaint lakeside town in proper daylight after the disappointing sunset arrival on the bus — and it was every bit as beautiful as its reputation.

From Wanaka it was a two hour drive to Mount Cook through mountain passes and fog. We reached Lake Pukaki and the fog broke, revealing Mount Cook — Aoraki, the Cloud Piercer — reflected in the impossibly blue glacial lake.

Mount Cook from Lake Pukaki, New Zealand

New Zealand's highest mountain, standing at 3,724 metres, visible in its entirety on a clear day — it earns every superlative thrown at it.

From Mount Cook we drove four and a half hours to Dunedin. Ambitious, yes. We made it by 6pm, found a park, checked in and found some of the best Chinese food I had in New Zealand.

Road Trip Day 2 — The Deep South, The Catlins

The forecast said rain the following day and this was our only window, so we left Dunedin early. The weather could not have been better.

Nugget Point

A dramatic headland with a lighthouse and extraordinary rock formations below. Sea lions, fur seals and sea birds. A 20-minute walk to the lighthouse.

Nugget Point, Catlins

Purakaunui Falls

A wide, tiered waterfall, one of the most photographed in New Zealand. We had it entirely to ourselves.

Purakaunui Falls, Catlins

McLean Falls

Cathedral Caves were closed the day we visited, so instead we followed a road through the back of a sheep farm and found McLean Falls — a 30-minute walk through the forest with a waterfall considerably more impressive than expected.

Curio Bay

A petrified forest dating back 180 million years — silica preserved ancient trees, visible as fossilised stumps at low tide. No penguins the day we visited (yellow-eyed penguins are sometimes seen here in the evening) but the petrified forest alone was worth the stop.

Curio Bay petrified forest, Catlins

The Unexpected Highlight — Dunedin

The rainy day gave us a chance to explore Dunedin properly and it turned out to be one of the better surprises of the trip. Beautiful old Gothic and Victorian buildings, the extraordinary Dunedin Railway Station, and a university town energy that gives it a liveliness smaller South Island towns lack.

Dunedin Railway Station, New Zealand

The Otago Peninsula — a dramatic finger of land with albatross colonies, yellow-eyed penguins and sea lions — deserves a full day that we did not have. Firmly on the list for next time.

The next morning we left at 6am for the drive back to Christchurch. A genuinely memorable week exploring the deep south.

The Route at a Glance

• Christchurch → Queenstown — bus via Lake Tekapo and Wanaka, ~8 hours
• Queenstown — Milford Sound day trip, Nevis Bungy and Swing, gardens, nightlife
• Queenstown → Mount Cook → Dunedin — self-drive via Wanaka and Lake Pukaki, full day
• Dunedin → Catlins → Dunedin — full day loop, Nugget Point, waterfalls, Curio Bay
• Dunedin → Christchurch — return drive, ~5 hours

All New Zealand Posts

• The Ultimate New Zealand Travel Guide — 4 Weeks Around Aotearoa
• 20 Things to Do in Queenstown
• Nevis Bungy Jump New Zealand
• 20 Things to Do in Auckland
• Stepping Into Middle Earth — Hobbiton Movie Set
• Rotorua — Geothermal Wonders and Māori Culture
• Wellington — New Zealand's Coolest Little Capital
• Christchurch — A City Rebuilding