South Island Family Road Trip: Queenstown to Picton

Picture this: crystal-clear lakes reflecting snow-capped mountains, stunning alpine landscapes, and your family creating memories that will last a lifetime. This is exactly what awaits you on New Zealand’s South Island family road trip from Queenstown to Picton.

We flew out of Australia on the 11th February 2020 and decided to kick off our adventure with this incredible journey. In the North Island, our kids spent time with their paternal family before we set off around the world.

We chose to fly into Queenstown, New Zealand because Rimaha hadn’t seen much of the South Island. Here is our travel itinerary with my recommendations so you can add nights wherever you like to make it work perfectly for your family. 

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Table of Contents

• Leg One: Queenstown to Totara Valley
• Leg Two: Totara Valley to Hanmer Springs
• Leg Three: Hanmer Springs to Picton
• Planning Your South Island Road Trip
• Frequently Asked Questions

South Island Family Road Trip Leg One

Queenstown to Totara Valley - 2-3 days

This first leg covers the most iconic South Island landscapes, from the adventure capital of Queenstown through the stunning Mackenzie Basin to the golden tussock country of Totara Valley.

Queenstown to Totara Valley

You can check out a map of our saved journey for this trip by clicking here.

Queenstown

We were in Queenstown only two nights, from the 11th to 13th February, 2020. I’d recommend at least four nights here if you can make this work. There is so much to see and do in the area. It is a truly beautiful place. We tried to do this section on a budget so we stayed at the Queenstown Holiday Park. It was actually pretty nice and in a good location. During our time here we simply enjoyed the town. It’s one of the cutest towns in the whole of New Zealand. Maybe my favourite because it’s one of those places you just fall in love with.

I’d recommend taking a trip up Skyline in the gondola to catch the most wonderful views, plus enjoy the luge rides, and also a trip on the TSS Earnslaw. You could also throw in a ride on the Shotover Jet for more adventurous people.

Don’t miss Glenorchy:

Glenorchy is a small town on the outskirts of Queenstown, the views driving here are incredible. This is one place you don’t want to miss on your road trip! It is a great spot to have a picnic lunch like we did!

Coronet Peak

We skipped this because our itinerary was too tight, but I’d highly recommend a trip up this mountain. I’ve been up there on a road trip I did a really long time ago. If I can get my mum to find the photos, I’ll pop one up (they were taken before digital photos were a thing). The drive here is only 25 minutes or so from Queenstown, so it could be a stopping point on the way to Arrowtown.

Arrowtown

You can easily spend a full day in Arrowtown and you don’t need to stay a night here. This could be a stop on the way to Wanaka! Your family could even pan for gold in the river. It’s a lot of fun. We did this on a day trip out of Queenstown, it’s not too far!

Our kids loved the Chinese Settlement in Arrowtown - February 2020

Wanaka

About an hour from Arrowtown is Wanaka. Another beautiful spot that we actually skipped. Again, we were running on a tight schedule, but you could make this (or Cromwell) a one night stopover. There is a cool puzzle house here and I would’ve liked to add this to our trip.

Peter’s Lookout - Lake Pukaki

You don’t want to miss this on your drive north. We stopped here for our picnic lunch. One of the best views we had on our trip. Plus we had time for a dip (in the summer time though - maybe not something you want to do most of the year because it is freezing).

Mount Cook Village

This is another spot we skipped, but had I done my research I probably would add this to our trip. It’s only an extra 40 minutes from the lookout and probably would have been a great stop for a night.

Lake Tekapo

Observatory

Don’t skip this. It isn’t a long trip and the view is spectacular. I’m sure it would be even more beautiful if you get to visit when there is no drought.

It’s only an hour and a half drive from Mount Cook Village. If you skip the village and come straight from Peter’s Lookout, then it would only be an hour drive.

Tekapo Church of the Good Shepherd

This place is a worthwhile stop. We loved visiting this part of the town after seeing it from above. This is only another 15 to 20 minutes from the Observatory. 

Overnight at Penrock Cottage Farmstay - Totara Valley

In our itinerary, we drove Queenstown-Peter’s lookout-Tekapo Observatory-Tekapo Church of the Good Shepard-Totara Valley in one day. It was a long day, but beautiful.

We stopped at this gorgeous two bedroom Farmstay in Totara Valley. It’s an extra hour from Tekapo, so maybe you might prefer to stay there. We wanted to do something a bit different and have a bit of space for the night.

We loved this homestay because it was filled with animals. The kids got to do the morning feeding. We wish we had stayed longer. If you choose to come out, stay at least two nights, your kids will love it, it’s made for families. 

South Island Family Road Trip Leg Two

Totara Valley to Hanmer Springs - 1-2 days

This leg takes you through the heart of Canterbury, from the rural beauty of Totara Valley to the thermal hot springs of Hanmer Springs, with optional stops in Christchurch and Kaikoura.

Totara Valley to Hanmer Springs

We drove from Totara Valley-Christchurch-Hamner Springs in one day. It wasn’t too bad of a drive (we skipped Akaroa). The hardest part of this trip was our car change as we received a Mitsubishi ASX and it took us an hour to fit everything in! 

You can check out the map of our saved journey for this trip by clicking here.

Christchurch

Our next stop was Christchurch for a car swap. It was just over two hours from where we stayed in Totara Valley.

We were driving relocation rental cars to stay in our budget and not chew through our savings. I’ll do a blog on this another day.

If you weren’t on a time budget, I’d suggest heading out to Akaroa for lunch and spend the night (or even two in Christchurch). Since we were on a speedy mission, we skipped this part. I’ve visited both Christchurch and Akaroa many years ago when my mum had lived in Christchurch.

Instead, we swapped our car at the and continued on to Hanmer Springs (just under two hours drive).

Kaikoura

If you stayed in Christchurch and wanted to visit Kaikoura its two and a half hours from Christchurch. This is one main road in New Zealand I haven’t travelled and I would love to!

From Kaikoura to Hanmer Springs it is another two hours, so you could either stay a night or two in Kaikoura, or just call in for a couple of hours. 

Hanmer Springs 

If you love hot springs, then you’ll love Hanmer Springs. It’s only two hours from Christchurch or Kaikoura and a lovely spot to spend a night (maybe two).

We stayed in a one bedroom cabin at the Forest Peak Motel. This was fine for us on a budget at that point in our trip. We liked the trampoline and play area for the kids. I might try something a bit more lux next time. 

The hot springs themselves are fantastic. I love finding the hottest ones, but we couldn’t take Elijah in the hottest. 

There are some water slides, but I wasn’t too keen on freezing my butt off to get on them. The big kids did though and they enjoyed the rides.

South Island Family Road Trip Leg Three

Hanmer Springs to Picton - 2-3 days

The final leg crosses the Lewis Pass through stunning alpine scenery to the beautiful beaches of Kaiteriteri and the historic town of Nelson, ending at the gateway to the North Island in Picton.

Hanmer Springs to Picton

We travelled Hanmer Springs-Kaiteriteri across the Lewis Pass. It was a long trip. You can click here to get the directions on Google maps.

Maruia Falls

Maruia Falls lookout is about two hours drive from Hanmer Springs. We made a quick stop here for a picnic lunch and we enjoyed the break as much as the view!

Don’t plan to swim here though. Although it appears relatively tranquil at the base of the falls, there is a very strong current. It is unsafe to swim.

Kaiteriteri

My cousin lives in Kaiteriteri, so we were very lucky to visit this place for two nights - it wasn’t long enough here. This place is just over two hours from Maruia Falls. I’d highly recommend staying a minimum of three nights here if you can. There is so much to do in this gorgeous part of the South Island. At the top of my list would be kayaking!

Nelson

Nelson is about an hour from Kaiteriteri. We chose to stay there the night before our ferry across the Cook Straight as we didn’t want to be rushing in the morning. Let’s just say Rimaha and I have already had a close call almost missing a ferry travelling in the Greek Islands. I’ll do a post on that another day!

We didn’t stop here for long, arriving in the evening and departing early. This is a place you could easily spend a few nights if you wanted to. There are lovely lakes and national parks nearby to explore!

We did love where we stayed at The Hotel Nelson. I think it is possibly the best value for money stay in New Zealand.

Picton

Picton was the final stop on our South Island family road trip. We travelled to Wellington on the Interislander ferry.

Tip

If you are dropping off a rental car or campervan, don’t turn off at the first rental car sign (near the information centre) before the terminal. Instead, carry on up to the departures area that is really close to the main ferry terminal.

Click here and use this map location for your GPS. All the car hire drop offs are in this location.

If you turn off at the information centre (as we did), you will have to walk (which might not be a problem if your kids can carry their bags).

We initially parked near the information centre and had too many bags, children and a carseat. It was impossible to get everyone, our bags and carseat to the terminal in a relaxed timeframe because the trolleys that needed coins were all located over at the main terminal.

After walking over to the terminal to collect a trolley with no coins on me, I was starting to panic (we’d almost missed a ferry one time in Greece - I didn’t want to repeat that adventure). Fortunately Rimaha stayed with the car. He reloaded it and drove it to the terminal drop off making it a lot easier to get our bags onto a trolley. We made it to the ferry check-in counter with just enough time.

In a couple of days I’ll create an itinerary from Wellington to Auckland. There is plenty to see in the North Island too!

Planning Your South Island Road Trip

Best Time to Visit

• Summer (Dec-Feb): Warmest weather, best for swimming and outdoor activities
• Autumn (Mar-May): Fewer crowds, pleasant temperatures, beautiful fall colors
• Winter (Jun-Aug): Cooler but still beautiful, some attractions may be closed
• Spring (Sep-Nov): Mild weather, blooming flowers, good for hiking

Budget Considerations

• Accommodation: $80-200 NZD per night for families
• Food: $50-100 NZD per day for family meals
• Activities: $30-150 NZD per person for tours/attractions
• Fuel: Approximately $200-300 NZD for the full route
• Ferry: $200-400 NZD for car and passengers (Interislander)

Our Actual Expenses (February 2020)

Accommodation

• Queenstown Holiday Park: $254 AUD ($170 USD) - 2 nights (11-13 Feb)
• Penrock Cottage Farmstay (Totara Valley): $154.92 AUD ($104 USD)
• Forest Peak Motel (Hanmer Springs): $182.79 AUD ($122 USD)
• The Hotel Nelson: $127.57 AUD ($85 USD)

11-13 February

Food & Dining:

• Meals: $143 AUD ($96 USD)
• Groceries: $50 AUD ($34 USD)
• Total Food & Dining: $193 AUD ($130 USD)

Transportation:

• Fuel: $95 AUD ($64 USD)

14 February

Activities:

• Hanmer Springs Thermal Park: $86 AUD ($58 USD)

Food & Dining:

• Groceries: $104 AUD ($70 USD)
• Additional groceries: $10.46 AUD ($7 USD)
• Total Food & Dining: $114.46 AUD ($77 USD)

15 February

Food & Dining:

• Meals: $30 AUD ($20 USD)

16 February

Food & Dining:

• Meals: $59 AUD ($40 USD)
  • $21 AUD ($14 USD)
  • $38 AUD ($25 USD)

17 February

Transportation:

• Fuel: $77 AUD ($52 USD)
  • $48 AUD ($32 USD)
  • $29 AUD ($19 USD)
• Car rental: $110 AUD ($74 USD)

Food & Dining:

• Meals: $57.50 AUD ($39 USD)
  • $17.50 AUD ($12 USD)
  • $40 AUD ($27 USD)

Other Expenses:

• Post suitcase domestic in NZ: $53 AUD ($36 USD)

18 February

Transportation:

• Car rental: $155 AUD ($104 USD)

Note: Exchange rates as of February 2020 - 1 AUD = 0.67 USD

Essential Packing List

• Warm layers (weather changes quickly in the mountains)
• Sun protection (high UV index in New Zealand)
• Comfortable walking shoes for hiking and exploring
• Camera for capturing stunning landscapes
• Snacks and water bottles for long drives
• Swimwear for hot springs and beaches
• Rain jacket (weather can be unpredictable)

Driving Tips

• Drive on the left side of the road
• Allow extra time for photo stops and scenic detours
• Check weather conditions before mountain passes
• Carry cash for some remote areas
• Download offline maps for areas with poor cell coverage

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many days should we allow for this road trip?

A: We recommend 7-10 days minimum to enjoy the route without rushing, though it can be done in 5-6 days if you’re short on time. Our itinerary was quite fast-paced, so consider adding extra nights in Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, and Kaiteriteri.

Q: Is this route suitable for young children?

A: Absolutely! The driving distances are manageable with regular stops, and there are plenty of family-friendly activities. Our kids were 3, 7, and 9 during this trip and loved it. Just plan for regular breaks and bring entertainment for the car.

Q: What’s the best time of year for this road trip?

A: Summer (December-February) offers the best weather and longest days, but autumn and spring are also excellent with fewer crowds and more affordable accommodation.

Q: Do we need a 4WD vehicle?

A: No, a regular car is fine for this route. All roads are sealed and well-maintained. However, if you plan to explore more remote areas, a 4WD might be useful.

Q: How much should we budget for this trip?

A: For a family of 4-5, budget approximately $200-400 NZD per day including accommodation, food, activities, and fuel. This can vary significantly depending on your accommodation choices and activity preferences.

Ready to Plan Your South Island Adventure?

This road trip offers families an incredible opportunity to experience New Zealand’s most spectacular landscapes. Whether you follow our exact route or adapt it to your family’s interests, you’re guaranteed unforgettable memories.

Need more inspiration? Check out our other New Zealand travel guides or family travel resources.

Have you done a South Island road trip? We’d love to hear about your favorite stops and any tips you’d add to our guide!