South Island Road Trip: Lakes, Lavender & Starlit skies✨
There’s something magical about the South Island of New Zealand. It is such a beautiful place with breathtaking scenery everywhere you look and a road trip is the perfect way to explore this region. Here’s a look back at one of our most recent South Island adventures - a 3 day journey road trip travelling from Christchurch to Queenstown.
Day 1: Christchurch to Lake Pukaki (via Geraldine and Lake Tekapo)
We began our journey by flying into Christchurch Airport. On this trip we did have quite limited time, so we picked up a rental car and hit the road straight away. Our first stop was a relaxed lunch at Barker’s Foodstore and Eatery in Geraldine — this a lovely little spot with delicious, locally made food and drinks (and a store full of chutney’s, Jams and sauce).
From Geraldine we continued our journey, making our way toward Lake Pukaki. Before getting to our accommodation for the night we stopped at the iconic Lake Tekapo for a look around. This really is a gorgeous place and the lake’s iconic turquoise water, and the Church of the Good Shepherd are postcard perfect:
If we had more time we would have loved to spend the night at Lake Tekapo so we could do the Soak in the Stars night tour (star gazing while lying in a hammock in the hot pools). Lake Tekapo is located in the middle of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve so on a clear night the views are magical.
After exploring Lake Tekapo, we had a short drive to Lake Pukaki. arriving at Lakestone Lodge in time for our afternoon check-in. This eco-lodge sits right on the edge of Lake Pukaki, with every room offering sweeping views across the water to Aoraki/Mount Cook – it really is a beautiful place and the perfect spot to spend our first night.
Once we had settled into our room, we decided to get out and explore a bit. We made the most of the lodge’s complimentary bikes and cycled a section of the Alps 2 Ocean trail, which winds along the lakeside. It really was a great way to explore the area.
(To read more about our Lakestone Lodge stay head here: https://www.deluxewanderlust.com/blog-2-1/lakestonelodge )
Day 2: Mount Cook National Park, Lavender Fields & Sleeping Under the Stars
The next morning, we started our day at Lakestone Lodge with a delicious and hearty breakfast overlooking the blue waters of Lake Pukaki. The staff at the lodge were so lovely and helpful and gave us some wonderful tips on exploring the area.
After checking out of the lodge we drove into Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. The drive to the National Park is breathtaking and the most beautiful road I’ve ever driven on. Around every corner the scenery seemed to get more stunning. Once in the park we enjoyed a short scenic walk to see the Tasman Glacier and then had lunch.
From there, we stopped at the New Zealand Alpine Lavender Farm, where the lavender was in full bloom (we travelled in January). This is of the largest certified organic lavender farms in the Southern Hemisphere. We wandered through the beautiful purple fields and then treated ourselves to lavender ice cream.
That night, we stayed at Skyscape, and it’s definitely one of the most memorable places I’ve ever stayed. Hidden in a secluded part of a 6000-acre farm near Twizel, the mostly-glass ‘Skybed’ pod made us feel at one with nature and once the sun went down gave us front-row seats to the stars – again it is located inside the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve so the night sky is breathtaking.
That night we ordered the dinner platter (so we could make the most of the experience without needing to leave) and had a soak in the incredible outdoor stainless steel bath. Later that night, I woke up at 3 AM and saw a shooting star streak across the sky — that is definitely a memory I will never forget.
(To read more about our Skyscape stay head here: https://www.deluxewanderlust.com/blog-2-1/skyscape )
Day 3: Wānaka, Cardrona & Queenstown
The next morning, we had our continental breakfast then set off on the journey towards Queenstown. We had never been to Wanaka before so took a detour here, stopping to go for a short walk and also check out the famous “That Wānaka Tree” which is a lone willow tree growing out of the lake.
Next we visited the Wānaka Lavender Farm which is made up of 20 acres of lavender fields, farm animals and a cute little café – I loved our time here and definitely recommend checking it out.
From the Lavender Farm, we continued our journeys towards Queenstown with a few more stops on the way. These included:
Bradrona – which is a quirky, pink, bra-adorned fence supporting breast cancer awareness. It’s a fun photo opportunity with a really great cause behind it.
Cardrona Hotel – One of New Zealand’s oldest and most iconic pubs. We stopped here for lunch and really loved the atmosphere so definitely recommend checking it out.
Crown Range Summit – at 1076m above sea level this is the highest sealed road in New Zealand and it’s worth stopping at the summit for the views.
From there, we continued the short distance to Queenstown, where we checked in to the breathtaking Azur Lodge. We spent the following days relaxing and exploring Queenstown (more to come on this in future blogs).
[To read more about our Azur Lodge stay head here: https://www.deluxewanderlust.com/blog-2-1/azurlodge )
Final Thoughts on our Road Trip
With stunning scenery filled with lakes and mountains, lavender fields, scenic cycle paths, luxury lodges, iconic stops like Bradrona and the Cardrona Pub, and starlit skies this road trip was certainly a memorable one. If you're planning your own journey through this part of New Zealand, this road trip is one I’d highly recommend doing. But if you do have the time I would certainly recommend spending longer in each destination - our trip was more of a South Island taster and there is still so much more to see and do!
Jennie @ Deluxe Wanderlust xx
