Discover New Zealand's most beautiful regions.

North or South Island: where to start

New Zealand has two main islands, and the first decision in your planning is whether you want to see both. The answer comes down almost entirely to how long you have: under three weeks, pick one island; from three weeks up, the combination becomes relaxed. Attempt both in a fortnight and you spend most of the time on the road and on the ferry.

The North Island is warmer, more densely populated and geologically active. Geysers, three volcanoes in Tongariro National Park, the heart of Māori culture and the best swimming beaches are all here. Legs between stops are shorter, and because nearly every long-haul flight lands in Auckland, a North Island trip saves you both the domestic flight and the ferry.

The South Island is larger by area but holds only a quarter of the population. This is where the images that bring most people to New Zealand are: fjords, glaciers, turquoise alpine lakes and roads where nothing comes the other way for an hour. The price is long legs and weather that can rain for days on the West Coast.

For route planning, one rule of thumb holds up: work with an average of 70 kilometres per hour, not 90. The roads wind, and planning by distance leaves you an hour or two short on every leg. Three to four hours of driving a day is comfortable; anything beyond that comes out of the reason you came.

The regions on this page are ordered the way they sensibly string together. Every region page gives the best time to travel, the drive from neighbouring regions, specific campsites with prices, and the questions we are asked about it most often.