North South Highlights: Both Islands Self-Drive

Eight days across both islands, one direction. The rental car is collected at Auckland Airport and returned at Christchurch Airport — the itinerary moves north to south without retracing any ground, with a domestic flight bridging Rotorua and Queenstown mid-route. The North Island covers three days: Auckland on arrival, the drive to Rotorua the following day, and a full day in Rotorua across Wai-O-Tapu and the Redwoods Nightlights. Hobbiton at Matamata can be added on the drive from Auckland to Rotorua as an optional detour — it is 175 kilometres from Auckland, then 70 more to Rotorua. On the South Island, Queenstown gets a full included day: the Skyline Gondola to Bob's Peak and the TSS Earnslaw crossing to Walter Peak Farm — a 1912 coal-fired steamship that has been running the lake since the high-country farming era. The return to Christchurch on days six and seven covers Aoraki Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo through the Mackenzie Basin. The domestic flight from Rotorua to Queenstown on day four is not included and must be booked independently. Four activities are included across the itinerary: Wai-O-Tapu, the Redwoods Nightlights, the Skyline Gondola, and the Walter Peak Farm excursion on the Earnslaw. This is a tour for you if you want both islands in eight days at your own pace, with a natural route that ends in Christchurch ready for international departure.

• ◆Self-drive — 7-day rental car with zero or reduced excess liability, Auckland to Christchurch
• ◆Rotorua — Wai-O-Tapu geothermal park and Redwoods Nightlights walk
• ◆Queenstown — Skyline Gondola and TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Farm
• ◆Aoraki Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo — the Mackenzie Basin at your own pace
• ◆One-way route — Auckland to Christchurch via both islands

Day-by-Day