Top of the South

Savour the Journey

Five regions, one road trip, from the Pacific to the Tasman

Five uniquely different regions packed into one corner of Aotearoa, from dramatic coastlines and alpine passes to native forests, world-class wine and remarkable wildlife. Explore it over a long weekend, nine nights, or a full fortnight to savour it all.

4days3nights1,150km5national parks

Explore the route See the real map

Driving the Top of the South

The Top of the South is a loop, not a line. Leaving Christchurch it runs north through the Hurunui’s vineyards and hot springs to Kaikōura, where a deep-water canyon a few kilometres offshore brings whales in close all year. From there the coast road turns inland into world-class Marlborough wine country and on to the Marlborough Sounds

Over the hill is Nelson Tasman: golden beaches, the country’s most accessible Great Walk, open year-round with gentle walking, and the growers and makers who supply most of what you will eat on this trip. Then south down the West Coast, which is rainforest and glaciers on one side and the stunning Tasman Sea on the other, before the alpine passes bring you home.

Nine nights covers all five regions without hurrying. Fourteen gives Abel Tasman and Golden Bay their own days, adds a second day on the water at Kaikōura, and lets weather have its say in Glacier Country without costing you the glacier.

95 km · 1 hr 20 min
Day 1
Day 01 · Drive
Waipara → Hanmer Springs
Thermal water under alpine air
Up through the Hurunui hills to an alpine village built around hot water. Walk the Conical Hill loop for the view over the basin first, so the pools are the reward rather than the plan.
- Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & SpaTourist AttractionsBookDefinitely worth the money!! Great day for the winter and used it as the shower day!
- Conical Hill Loop TrackWalking & HikingVery nice and quick walk with beautiful views of the town. Took us 45 mins not an hour! Very easy and lovely!
Paid for each adult - it's really worth it. Lots of different pools. Nice day off camper life :-) Lockers not incl, you have to pay extra fee for each locker for a full day.
— CamperMate traveller
Where to camp tonight3
Hanmer Springs TOP 10 Holiday ParkPaid CampsitesBookWelcome to Hanmer Springs TOP 10 Holiday Park. Our landscaped Park is just 5 minutes - walk from the alpine resort village of Hanmer Spring…
Alpine Holiday Apartments & CampgroundPaid CampsitesBookA spacious complex that offers accommodation varying from unique new timber-lined retreat with fire, to cosy economical kitchen cabins. Sur…
Pines Holiday ParkPaid CampsitesBookPines Holiday Park is situated easy walking distance from the village centre and Thermal Reserve in Hanmer Springs. All sites are spaciou…
130 km · 1 hr 50 min
Day 2
Day 02 · Drive
Hanmer Springs → Kaikōura
Where the mountains meet the whales
The inland road drops you onto a coast with a kilometre-deep canyon just offshore — which is why sperm whales feed here year round. Walk the peninsula in the afternoon for seals, and eat crayfish out of a caravan on the way in.
- Whale Watch KaikouraWater ActivitiesBookGreat Maori company. Nice people and saw a lot of whales. Watch your stomach!
- Kaikoura Peninsula WalkwayWalking & HikingVery nice, easy walk. Remember sunscreen and sunglasses, maybe binoculars :) stay far enough from the friendly flesh devouring se…
it’s so pretty!!! easy walk you wouldn’t even realize you reached the end bc of how pretty the scenery is!!!
— CamperMate traveller
Where to camp tonight3
Alpine Pacific Holiday Park KaikouraPaid CampsitesBookAlpine Pacific Holiday Park in Kaikoura New Zealand offers an excellent range of accommodation styles, something to suit every style of tra…
Kaikoura TOP 10 Holiday ParkPaid CampsitesBookNestled in one of New Zealand’s most dramatic coastal towns, **Kaikoura TOP 10 Holiday Park** offers sheltered powered and non-powered site…
Kaikoura A1 Motels & Holiday ParkPaid CampsitesBookWelcome to A1 Kaikoura Motels & Holiday Park. We offer free WiFi. Guests enjoy access to spacious communal areas including BBQ facilities…
128 km · 1 hr 40 min
Day 3
Day 03 · Drive
Kaikōura → Marlborough
Sauvignon country
The coast road runs north past the seal colonies and then turns inland into the Wairau Valley. Marlborough produces nearly two-thirds of New Zealand’s wine and most of its Sauvignon Blanc, and the cellar doors are close enough together to make an afternoon of it.
- Cloudy Bay WineryFood & BeverageThe Cloudy Bay story is one of vision, adventure and captivating flavour. Read on to discover how a single sip of Sauvignon Blanc changed t…
- Wither Hills WineryFood & BeverageFor three decades Wither Hills has been home to a small team of committed winemakers who painstakingly labour over every wine from one vint…
Where to camp tonight3
Smiths Farm Holiday ParkPaid CampsitesBookSituated on a working beef farm, Smiths Farm is a modern holiday park, central to Sounds attractions & scenic Marlborough. 4km from Queen C…
Blenheim Spring Creek TOP 10 Holiday ParkPaid CampsitesBookRecently under new ownership, Spring Creek Campsite is the perfect base to Explore Marlborough's famous vineyards, relax before and after y…
Blenheim Bridges Holiday ParkPaid CampsitesBookLeon and Min and our team at Blenheim Bridges Holiday Park welcome you to Marlborough where you can indulge your passion for the world's be…

The road, for real

Every marker is a real place from the CamperMate map — the route and drive times are computed live.

There's more to the map than the stops

CamperMate maps every kind of place along this loop — campsites, swimming holes, walks, cultural sites, tours and more. Here are the top-rated in each.

317 on the route

Scenic Spots49

Hurunui Kaikoura Marlborough