South Island - Driving from Franz Josef, to Tekapo, to Dunedin

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Lake Tekapo

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gabijeffery
gabijeffery

Hi guys,

I need a little bit of advice about our upcoming road trip in October. I'll go through our potential itinerary below. I mainly want to know if the itinerary between Franz and Dunedin will seem a bit rushed? We don't mind driving though. Is it worth taking Tekapo out altogether and going straight to Dunedin from Wanaka? I was just really looking forward to seeing the Lake at Tekapo

Day one - Pick up car hire in Christchurch, drive to Franz Josef
Day two - Free day for glaciers (heli hike)
Day three - Drive to Wanaka, one night here. We have been to Wanaka before so just after one night to rest. Could Haast be an option to stay for the evening? Not a lot there by the looks of it.
Day Four - Drive to Tekapo, one night here. I know there isn't a lot there, so mainly being here for the scenery and the hot springs
Day five - Drive to Dunedin and two days here
Day six - Free day Dunedin
Day seven - Drive to Te Anau
Day eight - Milford Sound
Days nine - twelve - Queenstown

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junglejurd
junglejurd

A few comments and suggestions:

  • it's a long drive from Christchurch to Franz Josef - go very early
  • we stayed in Haast one night - there isn't much there
  • however it can be good if you spend much of that day at Fox Glacier
  • I very much suggest Lake Pukaki over Lake Tekapo, and spend the night at Aoraki / Mt Cook
  • if heading to Dunedin, drive via Twizel, and call in on the Clay Cliffs at Omarama
  • then to Oamaru (limestone buildings) and down the coast
  • Dunedin to Te Anau is fairly long too

Dunedin is fine as part of a longer southeast coast drive - but not to my mind as a stand-alone destination. Given the overall shape of your itinerary, I'd probably not include Dunedin as an outlier, and re-allocate those days back.

For example, a night stop between CHC and Franz Josef, an extra day at Franz Josef in case of weather, and two nights at Aoraki / Mt Cook - the walks there are outstanding.

And then the drive from Twizel to Te Anau (which is still a long day at 360 km). NZ is not fast to drive around ... pretty hard to average the Google Maps 85 kph.

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