New Zealand: I Tried Both Islands in Two Weeks
I drove 3,100 kilometres in fourteen days across both islands and remember most of it through a windscreen. Here is what I would cut.
Departures Diary Editorial
August 15, 2026 · 3 min read
Key takeaways
- Auckland → Rotorua → Taupō → Wellington → ferry → Nelson → Franz Josef → Wanaka → Queenstown → Te Anau → Milford → Christchurch.
- The geothermal areas deserve two and the Māori cultural experiences deserve unhurried time rather than an evening slot squeezed between drives.
- Wellington → Picton (ferry): 3h30 — Most of a day.
- Two rental cars (island swap): NZ$1,450.
I had fourteen days and wanted to see New Zealand. I saw a great deal of New Zealand's road network. The country is genuinely one of the most beautiful places I have been, and I experienced a lot of it at 90 km/h.
What I actually did
Auckland → Rotorua → Taupō → Wellington → ferry → Nelson → Franz Josef → Wanaka → Queenstown → Te Anau → Milford → Christchurch. Fourteen days, about 3,100 km, and a ferry.
That is roughly 220 km a day, which sounds modest until you drive New Zealand roads. They are two lanes, they wind, and they are scenic enough that you stop constantly. Add 30 percent to every estimate.
| Leg | Map says | Actually took |
|---|---|---|
| Christchurch → Franz Josef | 5h | 6h30 |
| Queenstown → Milford | 4h | 5h with stops |
| Wellington → Picton (ferry) | 3h30 | Most of a day |
The ferry ate a day
The Cook Strait crossing is three and a half hours of sailing, and with check-in, loading, unloading and the drive either side it took the whole day. It is a lovely crossing through the Marlborough Sounds. It is also a day.
Note that most rental companies do not let you take the car across — you drop it at Wellington and collect another in Picton, which adds admin at both ends.
What got rushed
Rotorua — one night. The geothermal areas deserve two and the Māori cultural experiences deserve unhurried time rather than an evening slot squeezed between drives.
Franz Josef — one night, and the glacier walk was weather-cancelled. With one night there is no second chance; with two there is.
Milford Sound — a day trip from Queenstown, which meant four hours of driving each way for a two-hour cruise. Staying in Te Anau, two hours closer, would have made it civilised. I did it the hard way.
Wanaka — one night, and it was my favourite place on the trip. Smaller than Queenstown, on a lake, with Roys Peak above it. I would give it three.
What was worth the time
The Hooker Valley track at Aoraki/Mount Cook — three hours, flat, three swing bridges, and it ends at a glacial lake with the mountain reflected in it. The best short walk I have done anywhere.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing — a full day, nineteen kilometres across a volcanic plateau. Weather-dependent and worth building a spare day around.
The drive from Wanaka to Queenstown over the Crown Range, which is the one bit of driving I would repeat purely for itself.
What it cost
| Item | 14 days, two people |
|---|---|
| Two rental cars (island swap) | NZ$1,450 |
| Fuel | NZ$620 |
| Ferry, two foot passengers | NZ$180 |
| Accommodation | NZ$2,100 |
| Food | NZ$1,150 |
| Activities | NZ$780 |
We stayed in a mix of hostels and holiday park cabins. DOC campsites, at NZ$8–25, would have cut the accommodation line substantially and are in better locations — I would do that next time.
The version I would do instead
South Island only. Christchurch → Aoraki (2 nights) → Wanaka (3) → Queenstown (3) → Te Anau and Milford (2) → the west coast glaciers (2) → Arthur's Pass (1) → Christchurch.
Same fourteen days, half the driving, three nights in Wanaka instead of one, and Milford from two hours away instead of four.
The North Island would then be its own trip, which it deserves — Rotorua, Tongariro, the Coromandel and Northland are not a supplement to the South Island, they are a different country.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do both New Zealand islands in two weeks?
Physically yes, meaningfully no. Covering both means roughly 3,000 kilometres of driving on winding two-lane roads plus a three-and-a-half-hour ferry, which leaves most days with four or more hours behind the wheel. Two weeks does one island unhurried; three to four weeks does both.
How long is the ferry between New Zealand's islands?
The Wellington to Picton crossing takes about three and a half hours, and with check-in, loading and unloading it consumes most of a day. Sailings are occasionally cancelled in rough weather in Cook Strait, and taking a rental car across usually requires swapping vehicles rather than transporting one.
Are New Zealand driving times accurate on maps?
Add roughly 30 percent. Roads are two-lane, winding and frequently scenic enough that you will stop repeatedly, and the posted estimates assume neither. Christchurch to Queenstown shows as under five hours and realistically takes six or more with stops.
Which New Zealand island should I choose for two weeks?
The South Island for mountains, glaciers and fjords, which is the landscape most visitors have in mind. The North Island for geothermal areas, Māori culture, better beaches and warmer weather, at lower cost and with fewer crowds. Either fills a fortnight comfortably on its own.
Departures Diary Editorial
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