Itinerary for New Zealand

30 January - 27 February 2026

New Zealand - Manchester, Dubai, Sydney, Christchurch, Greymouth, Franz Joseph, Arrowtown, Queenstown, Te-Anua, Milford Sound, Twizel, Kaikoura, Blenheim, Picton, Wellington, Ohakune, Napier, Rotorua, Paihai, Auckland, Manchester.

At the end of January, my partner Kay and I are travelling to New Zealand for a 2,500-mile road trip over four weeks.

Our journey begins at Manchester, where we fly to Dubai with Emirates, then on to Sydney for refuelling. After a day and a half of flying, we finally arrive in Christchurch, which is 13 hours ahead of the UK.

After spending a couple of nights in Christchurch to acclimatise, we head to Greymouth on the TranzAlpine train through Arthur’s Pass. Once in Greymouth, we collect our car and drive to Franz Josef for a two-night stay. We then continue on to Fox Glacier and Haast, before heading via Roys Peak to Arrowtown and then Queenstown for a three-night stay.

From there, we travel to Te Anau, then Milford Sound, Twizel, Kaikōura, Blenheim and Picton, before taking the ferry to the North Island for a two-night stay in Wellington.

We then follow the scenic route north to Ohakune, Napier, Rotorua and Paihia, before arriving in Auckland four weeks after we set off. After a couple of nights exploring the city, we will head home.

We’ve pre-booked several excursions, including a 45-minute helicopter flight over the Great Glacier, a boat trip through Milford Sound, whale watching in Kaikōura, and bike hire with wine tasting in Marlborough. In Rotorua, we’ve booked the Te Rā + Haka Combo. We’ve reserved a few restaurants that require advance booking, but many of the others are more casual eateries, so we’ll take our chances as we go.