Planning a road trip across New Zealand with the family is as exciting as it is overwhelming – so much to see and only so many days on the road! To make it easier, we divided our journey into four scenic legs that cover the whole country, starting in Auckland and looping north before heading south.
Leg 1: Auckland to Cape Reinga – Northland Scenic Loop
Family-tested stops with simple symbols and commentary.
| # | Stop | Symbol | Type | Notes / Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🟢 ➤ | Start | Pick up the rental car, stock up on road-trip snacks and fuel. |
| 2 | Orewa Beach | 🏖️ | Stop 1 – Scenic Beach | Nice 40-min drive north; sandy beach for a quick stroll. |
| 3 | Whangārei Falls | 💧 | Stop 2 – Short Walk | 26 m waterfall with a 5-min path from carpark - perfect for a leg stretch. |
| 4 | Russell TOP 10 Holiday Park | 🏕️ | Stay Overnight (Night 1) | Charming Russell village; good base to explore the Bay of Islands. |
| 5 | Giant Sand Dunes | 🏜️ | Adventure Activity | Hire a board at Te Paki Stream and slide down the dunes - a hit with kids. |
| 6 | Cape Reinga | 🌅 | View Point | Northern tip of NZ; lighthouse lookout where Tasman Sea meets the Pacific. |
| 7 | Ninety Mile Beach | 🚙 | Car-Drive on Beach | 4WD-only highway at low tide - check tide tables, rinse wheels afterwards. |
| 8 | Russell TOP 10 Holiday Park | 🏕️ | Stay Overnight (Night 2) | Return to Russell for the final night - relax, dinner by the waterfront. |
| 9 | Auckland | 🔴 ⬤ | End Point | Next morning, drive ~4½–5 hrs back to Auckland to finish the loop. |
Planning a New Zealand Road Trip with Kids?
Don’t miss our New Zealand Family Guide — practical routes, kid-friendly stops, packing tips, and original photos & videos from our trips.
- Sample itineraries for North & South Islands
- Where to stay + family facilities
- Driving times, maps & safety tips
Leg 2: Auckland to Wellington - Central North Island Scenic Drive
Leg 2 traces a big, beautiful S-curve from Auckland’s skyline to Wellington’s harbour - hugging Coromandel’s golden bays, dipping inland for Hamilton’s gardens and the glowworm caves of Waitomo, then rolling through geothermal Rotorua, lakeside Taupō, and the alpine drama of Tongariro before swinging west to New Plymouth and the perfect cone of Taranaki. We broke it into kid-friendly chunks: a beach stroll in Coromandel, picnic time at Hamilton Gardens, the Waitomo cave tour (easy, magical, dry-feet options available), an afternoon of luge/steam in Rotorua, sunset by Lake Taupō, and a short walk at Tongariro for those volcano views. Cutting across to New Plymouth gives a quieter coastal reset -boardwalk scooters, Len Lye Centre, and (weather permitting) a quick photo stop with Mt Taranaki - before the final push down the Kapiti Coast into Wellington for waterfront walks, the Cable Car, and Te Papa.
Leg 2: Auckland to Wellington – Central North Island Scenic Drive
Family-tested stops with simple symbols and commentary.
| # | Stop | Symbol | Type | Notes / Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🟢 ➤ | Start | Pick up the car; snacks & fuel. |
| 2 | Hot Water Beach (low tide) | ♨️ | Activity | Bring a shovel; best within ~2 hrs either side of low tide. |
| 3 | Coromandel TOP 10 Holiday Park | 🏕️ | Stay | Easy base for beaches and coastal walks. |
| 4 | Cathedral Cove | 🏞️ | Activity | Iconic cove; choose a short coastal viewpoint or boat trip. |
| 5 | Hamilton | 🏨 | Stay | Hamilton Gardens; riverside paths to stretch legs. |
| 6 | Waitomo Glowworm Caves | ✨ | Activity | Book ahead; gentle boat tour options available. |
| 7 | Rotorua | 🌋 | Stay / Activities | Geothermal parks, skyline luge, lakefront playgrounds. |
| 8 | Taupō | 💦 | Stay / Activities | Huka Falls, lakefront picnic, hot pools. |
| 9 | Tongariro National Park | ⛰️ | Stop over | Whakapapa Village short walks; alpine views. |
| 10 | New Plymouth | 🏨 | Stay | Coastal Walkway, Len Lye Centre, beach sunset if clear. |
| 11 | Taranaki viewpoints | 📷 | Stop over | Te Rewa Rewa Bridge or Lake Mangamahoe for mountain photos (weather permitting). |
| 12 | Ōtaki | ☕ | Stop over | Quick Kapiti Coast break before the final stretch. |
| 13 | Wellington | 🔴 ⬤ | End | Waterfront walk; Cable Car & Te Papa next morning. |
Leg 3: Wellington to Queenstown – Cook Strait Ferry & Southern Alps Drive
Leg 3 swaps city streets for seas and peaks: we sail across Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton, weave through the Marlborough Sounds, then hug the coast to whale-famous Kaikōura and reset in Christchurch before striking out for the wild West Coast. The road north to Punakaiki delivers surf, limestone cliffs and the blowholes of Pancake Rocks, then it’s glaciers and rainforest around Franz Josef (that’s the “San Francis” bit) before the scenery flips to turquoise rivers and beech forests over Haast Pass toward Wānaka. We finish with a short, spectacular drive to Queenstown via the Crown Range. Drives are broken into family-friendly chunks with plenty of “wow” stops - seal lookouts, short walks, and café breaks - so everyone arrives in Queenstown excited rather than exhausted.
Leg 3: Wellington to Queenstown – Ferry & Southern Alps Drive
Ferry to Picton, SH1 via Kaikōura, Christchurch, Arthur’s Pass to the West Coast, glaciers, Wānaka and Queenstown.
| # | Stop | Symbol | Type | Notes / Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington | ⛴️ ➤ | Start (via Ferry) | Board the Cook Strait ferry to Picton; book ahead and check sailing conditions. |
| 2 | Picton | 🚗 | Drive Starts | Stretch legs on the waterfront, then head south along SH1. |
| 3 | Kaikōura | 🐋 | Whale / Scenic | Whale watching (boats/planes) and seal lookouts along the coast. |
| 4 | Christchurch | 🏨 | Stay | Riverside walks, Botanic Gardens, heritage tram. |
| 5 | Arthur’s Pass National Park | ⛰️ | Stop Over | Alpine scenery; short walks like Devil’s Punchbowl Falls. |
| 6 | Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks) | 🌊 | Stay / Sights | Dolomite Point walkway; blowholes best near high tide. |
| 7 | Franz Josef | 🧊 | Glacier View | Glacier valley viewpoints; hot pools in town for recovery. |
| 8 | Wānaka | 🏞️ | Stay / Activities | Lakefront stroll, Puzzling World, short hikes; Haast Pass drive is stunning. |
| 9 | Queenstown | 🔴 ⬤ | Stay / Activities | Finish via Crown Range; skyline gondola, lakefront. |
Leg 4: Queenstown → Picton via Tekapo & Mt Cook
Leg 4 runs from Queenstown through the high-country of Lindis Pass to the turquoise of Lake Tekapo (Church of the Good Shepherd, hot pools, epic Dark Sky stargazing), then on to Aoraki/Mt Cook for glacier views and easy boardwalk sections of the Hooker Valley. After a city reset in Christchurch, head north across the Canterbury plains and alpine foothills to sunny Nelson, before the final coastal hop to Picton for the Marlborough Sounds. We’ve kept the drives in family-friendly chunks with natural photo stops - think Lake Pukaki lookouts, short walks, and cafés - so you arrive at each overnight calm, fed and ready for the next leg.
Leg 4: Queenstown → Picton via Tekapo & Mt Cook
High-country passes, turquoise lakes, Aoraki/Mt Cook walks, hot pools, sunny Nelson and the ferry to Wellington.
| # | Stop | Symbol | Type | Notes / Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queenstown | 🟢 ➤ | Start | Begin the alpine drive; stock up on snacks and fuel. |
| 2 | Lindis Pass | ⛰️ | Stop Over / Scenic | Pull-offs for tussock-land photos; check road/weather conditions. |
| 3 | Lake Tekapo | ⭐ | Stay / Stargazing | Church of the Good Shepherd, hot pools, Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve. |
| 4 | Aoraki / Mt Cook | 🗻 | Walks | Hooker Valley boardwalks; glacier views and swing bridges. |
| 5 | Christchurch | 🏨 | Stay | Botanic Gardens, riverside tram, easy food options for families. |
| 6 | Hanmer Springs | ♨️ | Hot Pools | Thermal pools and waterslides—perfect mid-drive reset. |
| 7 | Nelson | 🏖️ | Beaches | Sunny bays; waterfront stroll or quick detour toward Abel Tasman. |
| 8 | Picton | ⛴️ | Ferry | Board the Cook Strait ferry bound for Wellington. |
| 9 | Wellington | 🔴 ⬤ | End | Harbourside finish; Cable Car and Te Papa if you’re staying on. |
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