7 February 2026
new zealandNew Zealand's South Island: The Self-Drive Guide
New Zealand's South Island demands more time than the map suggests. The fjords, glaciers, and mountain ranges are genuine — among Earth's most dramatic landscapes — but distances are deceptive. Winding roads through mountain passes rarely exceed 100km/h, many secondary routes are gravel, and the circuit from Christchurch through the Mackenzie Basin, Mount Cook, Wanaka, Queenstown, and Milford Sound requires a minimum of 14 days to be worth undertaking at all. Rush it in 10 days and you'll spend half the time driving.
Henrik Vinter
