The South Island is a wonderland of amazing landscapes, rivers, mountains, beaches, bush, and the countries second largest city, Christchurch.
Many ask, what is the best route to take to see the South Island? This depends on where you start and the length of time you have available. You will not get a decent look at most of what’s to see, under three weeks. You can choose to start on the East Coast, head south or north, then go the length of the West Coast. With all the mountain passes offering very different scenery you can choose which one by checking out these websites for more details. Haast Pass , Arthurs Pass, (This takes you to Porters Pass too), Lewis Pass. Always check road conditions before travelling and keep an eye on weather forecasts as many parts of the South Island are prone to very bad weather all year round!
Christchurch, remembered recently for the large 2008 earthquake and known as the garden city it is home to over 300,000 people. Located on the East Coast and the middle of the island, it is the gateway to all the favourite South Island places.
The South Island is sparsely populated compared to the North Island and once you are away from the main cities, traffic issues disappear. The roads are generally very good but there are extreme weather variances between summer and winter.
In February 2017, we toured the South Island on our motorbikes for just over 3 weeks. We didn’t get to everywhere in this period, which shows how large the island is. To explore all the fabulous places will take much longer, so don’t rush it if you can.
Top of the South (Nelson & Tasman)