NZ 63 Day Itinerary

Here is the full 63 day itinerary of the New Zealand towns and cities we visited over the course of 2 months and their distances. 

I'm still updating the info on each weblink of the places and accommodations we visited so do refresh this page whenever you visit :)

Read 
- NZ Road Trip Overview
- Our 20 New Zealand Accommodations
- How To Book a NZ Hotel

We started off at Christchurch, headed west and then southward before heading up via Twizel. Due to the Kaikoura Earthquake, we drove via the Picton Detour (Maruia and St Arnaud). On day 40, we crossed from South to North Island through the Interislander Ferry. We drove toward Rotorua, Whakatane before ending at Auckland.

Google Maps is all you need to navigate

The km traveled shows the distance between the town and the previous location. It does not indicate the actual distance we traveled. Why so? One example is Hokitika en route to Fox Glacier where the car engine flap was coming off and we had to head to Greymouth Apex Car Rentals to get it fixed. That was a major detour. The distances listed below are straightforward distances so you can map your own itineraries accordingly.

Day 1
Flight - SIN-CHC
Accommodation - Seats on Singapore Airlines!

Day 2
Town - Christchurch
Accommodation - Adorian Motel

Day 3-4
Town - Arthur's Pass
Travel distance - 150km
Accommodation - Arthur's Pass Alpine Motel

Arthur's Pass National Park

Day 5-7
Town - Punakaiki
Travel distance - 142km
Accommodation - Te Nikau Retreat

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks

Day 8-9
Town - Hokitika
Travel distance - 94km
Accommodation - Annabelle Motel

Hokitika Beach

Day 10-11
Town - Fox Glacier 
Travel distance - 157km
Accommodation - Mt Cook View Motel

Fox Glacier

Day 12-14
Town - Haast
Travel distance - 121km
Accommodation - Aspiring Court Motel

Bruce Bay

Day 15-18
Town - Lake Hawea
Travel distance - 125km
Day 15-17: Wanaka
(+17km from Lake Hawea)
Accommodation - Lake Hawea Holiday Park

Lake Hawea

Day 19-23
Town - Queenstown
Travel distance - 81km
Accommodation - Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park

Queenstown

Day 24-27
Town - Te Anau 
Travel distance - 171km
Day 26: Milford Sound (+118km from Te Anau)
Accommodation - Aden Motel

Homer Tunnel

Day 28-30
Town - Twizel
Travel distance - 357km 
Day 29: Tekapo (+57km from Twizel)
Day 30: Hermitage (+64km)
Accommodation - Mountain Chalets Motel

On the road to Mount Cook

Day 31
Town - Fairlie
Travel distance - 100km

Gem Alpaca Stud, Fairlie

Day 31-34
Town - Christchurch 
Travel distance - 186km
Accommodation - Colonial Inn Motel

Christchurch Cathedral

Day 35
Town - Hanmer Springs
Travel distance - 133km
Accommodation - Forest Peak Motel

Day 36
Town - St Arnaud 
Travel distance - 235km
Accommodation - Tophouse Historic Inn & Cottages

Vineyards of Marlborough

Day 37-39
Town - Picton
Travel distance - 128km
Accommodation - Bay Vista Waterfront Motel

Interislander and Bluebridge Ferries, Picton

Day 40-43
Town - Greytown 
Travel distance - 172km
Day 40,42: Wellington (+75km)
Day 43: Masterton (+24km)
Accommodation - The Farm, Greytown

The Beehive, Wellington

Day 44-50
Town - Taupo
Travel distance - 352km
Accommodation - The Lakeside Villas

Huka Falls, Taupo

Day 51-52
Town - Rotorua 
Travel distance - 81km
Accommodation - Kawerau Thermal Motel / ibis Rotorua

NYE Fireworks in Rotorua

Day 53
Town - Whakatane
Travel distance - 86km
Accommodation - Secret Lake Farmstay

Ohope Beach, Whakatane

Day 54
Town - Tauranga
Travel distance - 89km

View from Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

Day 55-62
Town - Auckland 
Travel distance - 194km 
Day 57: Coromandel (+169km from Auckland)
Day 60: Devonport (+23km)
Day 61: Takapuna (+19km)
Accommodation - Villa in Ellerslie

View of Auckland, Devonport

Day 63 
AKL-SIN
Accommodation - Seats on Air New Zealand!

Read
- NZ Road Trip Overview
- Our 20 New Zealand Accommodations
- How To Book a NZ Hotel