Breakdown Of The Total Cost For The New Zealand South Island Road Trip
Return Flights (We flew from Sydney to Christchurch for £350 and returned Christchurch to Melbourne for £480): £830
Car Hire: £325
Accommodation: £870
Petrol: £250
Sightseeing Tickets: £225
Food: £400
Total Cost: £2900 (£2070 Without Flights)
Trip Dates: 22nd February 2023 to 10th March 2023
Please Note: We have not included travel insurance in the total cost (as we have a worldwide policy because we will be travelling to other countries). Quotes for travel insurance our individual, you can find many companies offering reasonable rates online.
A few general tips about our New Zealand South Island trip costs:
Flights: These were booked with Air New Zealand who provided a comfortable Flight both ways. We flew from Sydney, Australia as we had been visiting before our trip to New Zealand, we flew back to Melbourne in Australia as the was our next destination to explore!
This is the route we took with accommodation in Springfield, Greymouth, Fox Glacier, Queenstown, Te Anau, Lake Hawea and Christchurch.


DAY 1 - Christchurch Airport to Springfield
Tip: Make sure you have access to a pen on the plane as you need to fill out an arrival card and be prepared for a 1 to 2 hour queue to get through security on arrival!
1 night stay at Smylies Accommodation priced at £51 for the night (we had a studio apartment)
Review: Comfortable Bed, Nice and Clean, Kitchenette, Free Parking, Free Wifi
DAY 2 - Springfield to Greymouth
Review: Comfortable Bed, Nice and Clean, Communal shower facilities OK, Free Parking, Free Good Wifi, Communal kitchen was very well stocked with cooking equipment and utensils. Lots of seating areas and the lounge had TV. Highly recommended for the price.
DAY 3 - Greymouth to Fox Glacier
Review: Comfortable Bed, Nice and Clean, Very nice modern bathroom with walk in shower, Kitchenette perfect for cooking a chilli, Free Parking, Free Good Wifi. Good location for Fox Glacier and the Mirror Lake. Highly recommended.


DAY 4 - Full Day in Fox Glacier


DAY 4 - Fox Glacier to Queenstown


DAY 6 - Full Day in Queenstown
We spent the morning exploring Queenstown, walking through the park and round by the lake watching the pretty cool Hydro Attack Shark Boat Rides and Jet Boat Rides, stopped for coffee and watched the Skydivers giving tourists the ride of their lives.


DAY 7 - Full Day in Queenstown




DAY 8 - Queenstown to Te Anau
We left our Queenstown at 9.30am for the two and a half hour drive to our next destination of Te Anau. On the way out of town we headed to Miles Better Pies for a mid morning treat (Mint and Lamb for me and Steak and Cheese for Julie).
DAY 9 - Full Day in Te Anau
DAY 10 - Full Day in Milford Sound
Our Milford Sound Cruise was booked for 3.30pm. We paid 109 NZD per person for the 2 hour trip (4th March 2023). We felt the later boats would be less busy due to the many day coach tours leaving Queenstown would be booked on earlier cruises. This was confirmed by the reception desk on arrival at Milford Sound as they also said that Milford is much quieter around 3pm as the bus tours depart on their way back to Queenstown and Te Anau.
We had beautiful weather for the trip and brilliant views of the surrounding mountains. Apparently the best time to see Milford Sound is in the rain and there are lots more waterfalls on show and its quite spectacular and a unique experience.


DAY 11 - Full Day in Te Anau
DAY 12 - Te Anau to Lake Hawea
On the way out of Queenstown we visited the town of Arrowtown. A quaint little place with a look of an old gold mining town. We headed back up in to the mountains passing Cardrona and its historic hotel and restaurant. Look out for the Bra Fence too! Driving further we passed Wanaka and arrived at our accommodation in Lake Hawea around 6pm.
DAY 13 - Full Day in Lake Hawea
An early start this morning to climb Mount Isthmus (1385m). Its the rival to the popular Roy’s Peak climb at Wanaka mentioned in most blogs. The Mount Isthmus climb is a tough one but with stunning views of both La Hawea and Wanaka from the top.


DAY 14 - Full Day in Lake Wanaka


DAY 15 - Lake Hawea to Christchurch
Review: Comfortable Bed, Cleanliness Good, Free Parking, Free Wifi, Kitchen, Good Price. Good Location.


DAY 16 - Full Day in Christchurch


Trip Summary
Total Miles Driven: 1405
Total Cost of Trip: £2070 ($4060 NZD)
Trip Highlights: Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier, Queenstown, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea, Christchurch
Trip Dates: 22nd February to 10th March 2023
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