Road tripping on the South Island of New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

Driving from Queenstown to Te Anau on the South Island of New Zealand is dangerous. Dangerous because the scenery is so spectacular, you’ll have trouble keeping your eyes on the road. And with epic photo opportunities literally around every bend, you’ll also be in danger of not making it to your destination on time. It was my first time visiting New Zealand and I was in awe of the diversity of the landscape. Tropical palms that look like they belong in Byron Bay pop up in front of snow capped mountains, and lambs scatter the lush green countryside.

The drive takes around two hours, which is pretty perfect for a mini road trip, but if want to be able to stop at scenic lookouts, ridiculously good looking farm gates, take a photo with an alpaca or sample delicious local honey, you’re going to need to allow extra time.

We were in New Zealand road tripping between Queenstown and Te Anau for a destination wedding. Here are some of our favourite photos from the road. To see what else we got up to, check out our adventures at Milford Sound and our incredible accommodation at Loch Vista.

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New ZealandTHIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand

THIS ISLAND LIFE | Queenstown and Te Anau, New Zealand