New Zealand 16 Days Self Drive Holiday 2019

This sounded more like an Amazing Race than a self-drive holiday; that was a comparable comment given by the Apex staff in Auckland when we returned the Rav4.

I would say that it was more like an exploratory trip! Partly, maybe I had used to travel in the past 10 years in our notorious Borneo Highways, driving alone most of the time, covering 2000km in a week!

South Island Loop - Christchurch/ Dunedin/ Invercargill/ Mt Cook

North Island Loop - Christchurch/ Wellington/ Rotorua/ Auckland

Here, we were with a comfortable Rav4 travelling in first class motorways most of the time; however, many roads were narrow, hilly and windy, with plenty of sharp corners, as NZ's geographical features were some of the most diverse in the world!

Rav4, comfortably for 3 pax with luggage, for a 3000km journey!

It was quite an experience; like driving North with the Pacific Ocean on your right from Kaikoura, waterfalls falling all over left & right out of the windows at Milford Sound, extreme wind trembling your 4x4 at sharp corners along Lake Wakatipu, and cruising tight along the Desert Road; not to mention those dairy milking cows, Merino (sheep), vineyards that you came across as you drove along.

Fiordland

Merino - Southern Scenic Route

Brighton, Dunedin

Te Anau/ Queenstown

Lake Wakatipu, with strong headwing

SH80 along Lake Pukaki to Mt Cook Village

Lupins near Tekapo, Highway 8

The usual North South self-drive route normally started in Auckland, through the Cook Strait and ended in Christchurch, and then would take a domestic flight back to Auckland before departing home for international tourists.

We took a backwards loop, about 3000km in 12 days, from Christchurch to Auckland instead, partly Apex provided competitive rate for returning car back to Auckland from Christchurch at the time of our booking.

Also, we felt having staying in North Island few days ahead with own transport on hand was flexible and less risky than catching a domestic flight from South Island to North for a subsequent international flight.

Wellington

Many of our (country) local guided tour omitted Wellington as it was a bit off-course to the typical 12 days itinerary. Situated at the distant southern & northern tip of North Island & South Island respectively, taking a detour coach or flight to either Wellington or Picton would compromise the logistics & costing of this conventional 12 days guided tour, which normally included a two-way domestic flight between Auckland/ Christchurch.

As with self-drive tour, you had the luxury to explore more places or remote destinations, such as this ‘off-course’ Wellington.

The trip pathed the following beautiful journey - the Picton/ Wellington Cook Strait Crossing, Kaikoura/ Picton Highway 01 drive, and the Desert Road cruise in North Island Volcanic Plateau.

Cook Strait Crossing

Cook Strait ferry crossing, from South Island to North Island, was one of our most desired moment of our 16 days journey. The interisland crossing was one of the most beautiful ferry journeys & experience we had.

We confirmed both the rented Rav4 & Interislander ferry directly with Apex, the deal had given us a hassle free experience, and beautiful moments in Picton & on board the Interislander.

One advantage of driving the same car crossing the Cook Strait was that our luggage, and various jumbled items went with us in the car, direct from Picton Yacht Club Hotel to The Cambridge Hotel, Wellington without the need of sorting in/out!

Apex car/ ferry package

Interislander leaving Picton

queued up to board Interislander, Picton Ferry Terminal

Interislander docked at Picton Ferry Terminal

Ocean View eatery, Interislander

Approaching Wellington...

SH1 Kaikoura/ Picton Coastal Highway

We were not aware of the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake; we did not put up a night in Kaikoura because we did not plan to take the offshore whale watch.

We were relieved we took this 160km stretch a day earlier, as we were heading north after the crayfish meal in Kaikoura, our ferry scheduled at 215pm the following day.

The SH1 Kaikoura/ Picton coastal section was quite a challenging driving as we were cruising in the afternoon shower with the South Pacific on the right and rocky cliffs clinging on the left.

This SH1 was reopened from 2018 after the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake, however, there were still usual ongoing roadworks, various Stop & Go signs, speed restrictions, and few single lane bridges.

We took 3 hours to reach Picton, partly of the scenic South Pacific landscape and the Marlborough farmlands & vineyards.

Lavendyl - Kaikoura Lavender Farm

136km to Picton north - SH1, South Pacific on the right!

Seddon, Marlborough

SH1 Wellington/ Rotorua – the longest journey!

We left Wellington early at 715am without breakfast to undertake the longest journey of the 16 Days NZ tour, 450km in a single day from Wellington to Rotoura!

The SH1 started from Wellington along the west coast of North Island before it bisected the Rangipo's Desert or the North Island Volcanic Plateau at 300m to 1000m altitude.

We stopped at Foxton for breakfast before headed north passing Waiouru and met up with the unexpected 63km Desert Road! We missed out this part of the SH1 on our research!

Interestingly, we did not have a single photo of the stunning journey! Maybe we were so immersed with the landscape, and the thrill of cruising at this altitude. As we came round, we had started to descend from the plateau, an unforgettable experience as in the Black Gate of Mordor from the Lord of the Rings!

We arrived Sudima Lake Rotorua Hotel around 6pm!

Pukerua Bay, 35km north Wellington

Breakfast at Foxton

Desert Road, North Island - Source: Google

Last Lap - Rotorua/ Auckland

Our last lap of the journey was about 220km via Hamilton from Sudima Lake Rotorua Hotel to Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre, Mt Wellington.

Since we had 2 more nights in Auckland, we took up a 2WD Rav4 from Ezi as the ‘bonus’ Apex Rav4 expired in the evening we completed the 3000km loop in Waipuna Hotel!