Canterbury road trip ideas

There aren't many places in the world where you can be sunning yourself on the beach in the morning and wandering the alpine wilderness in the afternoon. But you can here. In fact Caroline Bay, Timaru, is a mere three-hour drive from Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.

As you drive from the South Pacific to the Southern Alps, the transitions in architecture, flora and geology are wonderful to see. Colonial villages with Victorian features and large elms and oaks give way to braided shingle rivers and perfectly smooth floodplains.

Pick up an AA Map to help you navigate the vast Canterbury region.

Hanmer Springs to Christchurch via Kaikoura

1. Leave Hanmer Springs to the south on SH 7A and turn left onto the local touring route to Rotherham
2. At Rotherham join SH 70 travelling north-east to Waiau. From here it's about a 70km trip through the gorge to emerge on the coast just south of Kaikoura, where you're bound to have a whale of a time
3. From Kaikoura you'll travel on SH 1 south past Claverley, and through Parnassus to Cheviot
4. Here you can take a worthwhile side trip to Gore Bay on the east coast
5. Back on SH 1 turn left inland again to Waipara and Amberley before emerging on the east coast through Leithfield and Waikuku Beaches
6. Continue through Woodend to Kaiapoi and Belfast and on to New Brighton Beach, before cruising into Christchurch

Time & distance guideline

Christchurch to Oamaru

1. Leave Christchurch south through Templeton to Rolleston and Burnham. Burnham is the southern base of the New Zealand Army
2. Continue through Dunsandel to the Rakaia River where you can have a go at white-water rafting or jet boating
3. Back on SH 1 heading south you'll arrive at Ashburton, a great place to stretch your legs while checking out the historic sites around town
4. Leave Ashburton south through Tinwald, Rangitata and Winchester, before rolling into Temuka. Temuka is famous in New Zealand for its tableware. Check out the factory shop
5. Not far south of Temuka you'll pass through Washdyke and emerge on the coast at Timaru
6. Follow the coast south of Timaru all the way to Glenavy and cross the mighty Waitaki River over the kilometere-long bridge
7. Further south you'll pass through Pukeuri before arriving in Oamaru by the sea

Time & distance guideline

Christchurch to Arthur's Pass

1. Leave Christchurch west on SH 73 through Yaldhurst and West Melton, Aylesbury, Kirwee to Darfield
2. Continue on SH 73 from Darfield through Racecourse Hill, Waddington and Springfield before heading for the Korowai/Torlesse Tussockland Park. This is a good place to stop and explore
3. As you head further east you'll drive through Castle Hill Village on the slopes of the Craigieburn Range. There are a number of parklands and places to ski here including Craigieburn, Broken River, Mt Cheeseman, Porter Heights and Mt Olympus ski fields
4. Further along, SH 73 joins the Waimakariri River briefly near Cass and turns along the river gorge between Craigieburn Forest Park and Arthur's Pass National Park
5. About 10 kilometres past Bealey Spur you will roll into the settlement of Arthur's Pass

Time & distance guideline

Timaru to Aoraki/Mt Cook

1. Leave the seaside township of Timaru north on SH 1 briefly, through Smithfield and Washdyke before veering left onto SH 8 heading west
2. Pass through the settlements of Levels and Waitawa to Pleasant Point. Here you'll find nice parklands for a picnic and a golf course
3. Leaving Pleasant Point the road follows the Tengawai River through Cave, Mawaro and Albury, before crossing the river to Cricklewood, Winscombe and into Fairlie. There's an excellent short walkway here, plus a camping ground and golf course
4. Continue west on SH 8 through Eversley, Kimbell and Burkes Pass settlements until you arrive at Lake Tekapo. As well as the magnificent Lake Tekapo, you'll find a holiday park, ice skating rink, an airfield and the famous Church of the Good Shepherd
5. SH 8, the Tekapo-Twizel Road crosses the plateau between Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki. There are some great lookouts as the road follows the shoreline of Pukaki
6. A short trip south to Twizel will bring you to the Waitaki Power Scheme information centre to learn about how most of New Zealand's electricity is generated
7. Next head onto SH 30 for one of the most spectacular drives north towards Mt Cook. The road hugs the shoreline of Pukaki all the way to the braids of the Murchison River, through Birch Hill to the Aoraki/Mt Cook village
8. There is an airfield where you can catch scenic flights over the national park and, weather permitting, even land on the Tasman Glacier

Time & distance guideline

Rangiora to Timaru

1. Leave Rangiora south on SH 72 through many small settlements including Cust and Oxford. Curve south across the Waimakariri River to Sheffield, Coalgate and Glentunnel. Cross the Rakaia Gorge to Mt Hutt. This is one of the most popular skiing and snowboarding mountains in New Zealand, and well worth a look
2. Continue south-west to Staveley, Mt Somers and Mayfield. Cross the mighty Rangitata River at Arundel to Coopers Creek, across the Orari Bridge and into Geraldine
3. Geraldine is full of surprises for visitors with walks, garden visits, artists and craftspeople, white-water rafting, golf, fishing, and movies at the historic cinema
4. Continue south on SH 72 to Winchester and Temuka. Temuka is home to the best-known pottery manufacturers in New Zealand by the same name. Check out the factory shop for a bargain
5. From Temuka it's a short drive through Arowhenua and Washdyke to Timaru

Time & distance guideline

More information

• Northland road trip ideas
• The Coromandel Peninsula road trip ideas
• Waikato & Waitomo road trip ideas
• Otago & Southland road trip ideas