Queenstown Travel Forum

Hi,
We are travelling to Queenstown in last week of September - just wondering what weather we can expect and also if anyone can advise on best route to take between Christchurch and Queenstown - hiring car in Christchurch.

The weather is anyone's guess, but September can be quite settled - cold, but hope for clear skies.

There are a couple of nice routes you could take:

Maybe head out via Ashburton to Fairlie and visit Lake Tekapo, over the Lindis Pass and on to Queenstown.
OR follow the coast alsmost as far as Dunedin (about 4/5 hours) and head out over Central Otago via Ranfurly and the rail trail settlements. The coast road can be stright and a little dull till you reach Timaru, but after that follows some beautiful coast including Moeraki with it's famous boulders.

Really, however you get to Queenstown the scenery will be superb.

My favourite route from Chch to Queenstown is not along SH1 but via Scenic Drive SH72 via Rakaia Gorge to Geraldine (lovely little town!) and then inland past Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki (detour to Mt. Cook). After Twizel (next town to Mt. Cook) you can visit Lake Ohau (a bit off the beaten path), then carry on via Omarama (Clay Cliffs, gliding) to Lindis Pass - one of NZ's most spectacular pass roads. Next you drive along Lake Dunstan, coffee stop at Tarras, the home of Shrek the Sheep, Cromwell (fruit and wine), from there turn towards Arrowtown and Queenstown, through the Kawarau Gorge, past the Bungee Jump.

Weatherwise, as Alison already said, everything is possible but driving should not be too difficult in September. There will still be snow in/on the mountains but the roads should be clear.

You can check road conditions on the AA website:

http://www.aaroadwatch.co.nz/

Thanks so much - sounds beautiful - we've been told the drive should take about 6 hours, is that right?

I'd say you might be looking at nearer 8 hours. It's not a drive you would want to rush, 6 would be pushing it I think.

Yes, Alison is right. You can do it in 6 hours only if your car has wings ;-) The distance is nearly 500km. I highly recommend to take it slowly and make the trip in 2 or 3 days, so you can enjoy some of the spectacular scenery along the way.

Hi, I'm planning a trip to Christchurch and planned to drive from Christchurch to Queenstown and then back to Christchurch. Any recommended place to stop by for the night? Are there hotels/motels on the route or only campgrounds are available? Roughly how many nights do I need to spend for the whole trip in order to see as much as possible? Thanks alot.

Plenty of accommodation along the way, from luxury hotels to motels, B&B's and yes, also campgrounds. Best places to stay are Lake Tekapo (township), Twizel (or directly in Mt. Cook Village) and Wanaka. Depends on how much time you have for the trip. I have posted plenty of accommodation tips on my Mt. Cook, Lake Tekapo, Wanaka and Canterbury pages. Please check there.

You can also find accommodation on Jason's etc. Big list of directories on my NZ page.

I've got 7 nights, arriving and departing via Christchurch. Do you think it is advisable to go around the whole island or is it better to choose few "must-go" and spend more time on those? What's the average temperature like first week of December? Will it be really cold still? Thanks for your answers.

Hi there, under "normal" circumstances the weather should be fine and warm at the start of december - but what is normal referring to weather in these days? ;-) So everything is possible - from a splendid start of summer to far too low temperatures and rain. We have had it all in the past years. But let's be optimistic and hope for a nice december as it should be.

With 7 nights you will not get around the whole island, so you have to make your choice and decide what is important for you. I would take the inland route from Christchurch to Queenstown, as indicated, spend time at Lake Tekapo, Mt. Cook National Park, Wanaka and the Queenstown area, and there should be time for visiting Milford Sound from there.

Of course, it would also be possible to make a completely different trip, for example making a loop and getting back to Christchurch via the West Coast. But I had the impression you wanted to just drive from Chch to Queenstown and then get out from there via airplane.

To really travel around the South Island and see most must-dos you would need 3 to 4 weeks.