Walking in New Zealand: Self-Launched 19-Day Auckland to Christchurch Trek

Land at Auckland Airport and take the SkyBus or the cheaper AirportLink/AT Metro 38 bus (~NZ$4-18) into the CBD. Check into a hostel near Fort Street or Queen Street. In the late afternoon walk the Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter, then (weather permitting) climb or take the lift up the Sky Tower for sunset views. Sort out an AT HOP card, a NZ SIM/eSIM and your InterCity bus tickets for the next few days.

🚌Auckland Airport → CBD: SkyBus ~NZ$18 or AT Metro bus ~NZ$4

🛏Hostel dorm, central Auckland (~£22-30/night)

• →SkyBus/AT Metro transfer to CBD
• →Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter walk
• →Sky Tower observation deck (~£17)
• →Set up AT HOP card and bus bookings

Morning InterCity bus from Auckland to Rotorua (~4 hours, ~£18-25 booked online in advance). Check into a Rotorua hostel, then walk the lakefront and Kuirau Park's free steaming craters. In the evening book a Maori cultural experience with hangi dinner directly — options include Te Puia, Mitai Maori Village or Tamaki Maori Village (~£60-90). If you have time in the afternoon, the Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu) circuit is a pleasant 1.5-hour loop (local bus or taxi to get there).

🚌InterCity bus ~4h, ~£18-25

🛏Hostel dorm or budget room, Rotorua (~£20-28/night)

• →InterCity bus Auckland → Rotorua
• →Kuirau Park free geothermal walk
• →Maori cultural show + hangi dinner (self-booked)
• →Blue Lake circuit walk (optional)

Book a morning shuttle or take the local bus to Waimangu Volcanic Valley (~20 min from Rotorua) and walk the self-guided geothermal trail past Inferno Crater and steaming cliffs (entry ~£22-25, allow 1-2 hours). Back to Rotorua, then catch the afternoon InterCity bus south toward National Park village / Ohakune (~3 hours, ~£17-22). Overnight in a National Park village hostel or lodge. Pick up groceries — food options up here are limited and pricey.

🚌Waimangu shuttle + InterCity bus ~3h, ~£10 + £20

🛏Hostel/lodge, National Park village (~£20-28/night)

• →Waimangu Volcanic Valley self-guided walk (~£24)
• →Shuttle to Waimangu
• →InterCity bus Rotorua → National Park
• →Stock up on groceries

This is the big day for hikers: pre-book a Tongariro Alpine Crossing shuttle from National Park village to Mangatepopo and back from Ketetahi (~£25-35 return; book early as slots sell out). The full crossing is 19.4km, 7-8 hours, and genuinely alpine — check the forecast and carry water, layers and food. If weather is marginal, do the shorter Taranaki Falls loop (6km, 2-2.5h) and the walk to Soda Springs (6km return) instead, both straight from the village. Note the crossing's 'walk of a lifetime' status is why it's worth scheduling a spare-weather day if your itinerary allows.

🚌Pre-booked crossing shuttle ~£30 return

🛏Hostel/lodge, National Park village (~£20-28/night)

• →Tongariro Alpine Crossing (19.4km, full day) — shuttle ~£30
• →Alternative: Taranaki Falls loop (6km)
• →Alternative: Soda Springs walk (6km)

Morning InterCity bus from National Park to Wellington (~4.5-5 hours, ~£20-28). Check into a hostel near Cuba Street. Free afternoon: ride the historic Wellington Cable Car (~£3) up to the Botanic Garden, walk down through the gardens, and catch the free cable car museum. Evening on Cuba Street for cheap eats — try a NZ meat pie or a food court dinner in the £8-12 range.

🚌InterCity bus ~5h, ~£24; local buses/walk

🛏Hostel dorm, central Wellington (~£25-32/night)

• →InterCity bus to Wellington
• →Wellington Cable Car + Botanic Garden
• →Cuba Street walk and budget eats

Spend the morning at Te Papa Tongarewa — New Zealand's national museum, free entry, and genuinely one of the best in the southern hemisphere. Allow 3 hours. Then take the Interislander or Bluebridge ferry from Wellington to Picton (~3.5 hours through the gorgeous Marlborough Sounds, ~£30-50 booked online). Book a Picton hostel for two nights and enquire at the hostel or local operators about tomorrow's Queen Charlotte Track and Motuara Island trips.

🚌Cook Strait ferry ~3.5h, ~£40

🛏Hostel or budget motel, Picton (~£22-32/night)

• →Te Papa Tongarewa museum (free)
• →Interislander/Bluebridge ferry through Marlborough Sounds
• →Picton waterfront walk

Book a water taxi from Picton to Resolution Bay and pick-up from Endeavour Inlet (~£35-50 combined; operators like Beachcomber Cruises or Cougar Line run these). Walk the Queen Charlotte Track section from Resolution Bay to Endeavour Inlet — 11km, ~3.5 hours with 300m of climbing, native bush and sound views the whole way. Bird lovers can add a Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary stop (an hour return from the jetty, lots of robins and saddlebacks) by arranging it with the water taxi. Back in Picton for the evening.

🚌Water taxi ~£40

🛏Hostel or budget motel, Picton (~£22-32/night)

• →Water taxi to Resolution Bay / from Endeavour Inlet (~£40)
• →Queen Charlotte Track: Resolution Bay → Endeavour Inlet (11km)
• →Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary walk (optional add-on)

Take the early InterCity or local bus up Queen Charlotte Drive and through Havelock to Marahau/Nelson (~2-2.5 hours). Base yourself in Nelson, then book a morning water taxi from Marahau or Kaiteriteri to Onetahuti (~£40-55 return) to walk the spectacular Abel Tasman coastal section back to Bark Bay — 5.5km, about 2 hours with 230m of up and down, plus a swim stop if you're brave. Water taxi back to Marahau in the afternoon and bus back to Nelson.

🚌Bus ~2.5h ~£18; water taxi ~£45

🛏Hostel, Nelson (~£22-30/night)

• →Bus Picton → Nelson (~£15-20)
• →Abel Tasman water taxi to Onetahuti (~£45)
• →Onetahuti → Bark Bay coastal walk (5.5km)
• →Afternoon in Nelson

This is a long travel day — take the InterCity bus west via Murchison and the Buller Gorge to Greymouth (~4.5-5 hours, ~£22-30), then the local shuttle or bus north to Punakaiki (~40 min). Walk the Pororari River Track (7km, up to 2h through limestone gorge and rainforest) and see the Pancake Rocks and blowholes at high tide. If the timing is tight, base in Greymouth and do Punakaiki as a half-day. Overnight in Greymouth or Punakaiki.

🚌InterCity bus ~5h ~£26; local shuttle ~£6

🛏Budget motel/hostel, Greymouth or Punakaiki (~£25-35/night)

• →InterCity bus Nelson → Greymouth
• →Punakaiki Pancake Rocks (free)
• →Pororari River Track (7km)
• →Cape Foulwind seal colony (20-min walk, if you push on)

Bus south from Greymouth to Hokitika (~40 min, ~£7) for a wander around the greenstone (pounamu) galleries and the driftwood beach sign, then continue to Franz Josef (~2.5 hours, ~£22). Walk the easy glacial valley track to the Franz Josef Glacier viewpoint (3km return, ~1 hour). Optional extras: a scenic helicopter or skydive over the glaciers (~£150-260 — book direct and shop around for weather-dependent discounts) or the Okarito Lagoon boardwalk (30 min) and Okarito Trig viewpoint walk (4km) if you have a car.

🚌Bus ~3h, ~£29

🛏Hostel or budget motel, Franz Josef (~£25-35/night)

• →Bus Greymouth → Hokitika → Franz Josef
• →Franz Josef Glacier valley walk (3km)
• →Okarito Lagoon boardwalk / Trig walk (optional)
• →Scenic glacier flight (optional, ~£200)

Early morning at Lake Matheson (5 min from Franz Josef village) for the classic mirror reflection walk — 2.5km, 1-1.5h, best before the wind picks up. Then InterCity bus south over Haast Pass to Wanaka (~4 hours, ~£22-28), breaking at the Monro Beach turn-off if you have your own car (5km, 2h through coastal rainforest to a penguin beach — check the tides). Arrive Wanaka in the evening; settle into a hostel by the lake.

🚌InterCity bus ~4h, ~£25

🛏Hostel, Wanaka (~£25-32/night)

• →Lake Matheson reflection walk (2.5km)
• →InterCity bus Franz Josef → Wanaka
• →Monro Beach rainforest walk (optional, needs own car)

A fully free day to do with what you like. The classic is Roy's Peak — 16km return, 5-6 hours, 1,258m of climbing and the most photographed view in New Zealand (start early, there's no shuttle; a taxi to the trailhead is ~£15). Gentler options: the Waterfall Creek/Ruby Island lakeside track, a swim at the lakefront, or a wander around the Wanaka town centre and a craft beer at a local taproom. Wash some laundry and regroup.

🚌Walk / optional taxi to trailhead ~£15

🛏Hostel, Wanaka (~£25-32/night)

• →Roy's Peak hike (16km, optional)
• →Ruby Island / lakeside walk
• →Lake swim and town wander

Bus or shuttle over the Crown Range Road to Queenstown (~1.5 hours, ~£12-18), stopping at Arrowtown for an hour to see the Chinese Settlement, a well-preserved reminder of the 1860s gold rush. In Queenstown, check into a hostel, walk the lakefront and Queenstown Gardens, and check weather and options for Ben Lomond. Book your Milford Sound cruise and the Kepler Track transport now — both are cheaper booked ahead.

🚌Bus ~1.5h, ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm, Queenstown (~£28-38/night)

• →Bus Wanaka → Queenstown via Arrowtown
• →Arrowtown Chinese Settlement visit
• →Queenstown lakefront and gardens walk
• →Optional Ben Lomond walk (next morning alternative)

Morning bus from Queenstown to Te Anau along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through the Kawarau Gorge (~2.5 hours, ~£18-25). Drop your bag at a Te Anau hostel and walk out to the Kepler Track — the Rainbow Reach section (9.5km, ~3 hours, all-weather track through mountain beech forest) is reachable via the Rainbow Reach car park, ~15 min drive from town; a taxi or shuttle is ~£15-20 each way, or hitch if you're comfortable. Evening in Te Anau, sorting out tomorrow's Milford cruise.

🚌Bus ~2.5h ~£22; taxi/shuttle to Rainbow Reach ~£18

🛏Hostel, Te Anau (~£22-30/night)

• →Bus Queenstown → Te Anau
• →Kepler Track: Rainbow Reach section (9.5km)
• →Te Anau lakeside evening

Book a Milford Sound coach-and-cruise package (self-booked via GetYourGuide/Klook or directly with the cruise operators — ~£70-95 including the 90-minute boat and the scenic drive down, which lets you relax rather than drive the gravel). Alternatively, cheaper still, pre-book a Milford Sound cruise only (~£45-60) and a shared minibus day tour from Te Anau. Look for Mitre Peak from the water, and add a short hike beforehand — Key Summit, Lake Marian, or the Chasm walk, all well-signposted along the Milford Road.

🚌Coach + cruise package ~£85

🛏Hostel, Te Anau (~£22-30/night)

• →Coach/transfer Te Anau → Milford Sound
• →90-minute Milford Sound boat cruise
• →Optional pre-cruise hikes: Key Summit, Lake Marian, The Chasm

InterCity bus from Te Anau to Twizel (~3.5-4 hours, ~£22-28) over Lindis Pass with views of the Southern Alps. Break the day up: if you have a car, the Clay Cliffs near Omarama (hour walk, walk-only entry fee ~£5) and a stop at a Cromwell vineyard cellar door are worth the detour. Arrive Twizel, settle into a hostel or motel, and pick up supplies for the Mount Cook day — Twizel has a small supermarket.

🚌InterCity bus ~4h, ~£25

🛏Hostel/motel, Twizel (~£22-32/night)

• →InterCity bus Te Anau → Twizel
• →Lindis Pass viewpoint stop
• →Clay Cliffs walk (optional, needs car)
• →Wine tasting near Cromwell (optional)

Get to Mount Cook National Park by either a shuttle/day tour from Twizel (~£35-50 return) or a rental car. Walk the Hooker Valley Track (10km return, 3-4 hours, boardwalks over swing bridges, terminates at Hooker Lake with Aoraki reflected in it — one of the best easy walks in the country). Add the shorter Tasman Glacier View and Tasman Lake tracks (~1.5 hours) and the Blue Lakes if energy allows. Overnight back in Twizel.

🚌Shared shuttle ~£40

🛏Hostel/motel, Twizel (~£22-32/night)

• →Shuttle/day tour Twizel → Mount Cook (~£40)
• →Hooker Valley Track (10km, 3-4h)
• →Tasman Glacier and Tasman Lake viewpoints
• →Optional Sealy Tarns steps

Bus north to Lake Tekapo (~1.5 hours, ~£13), visit the Church of the Good Shepherd on the lakefront and the nearby Tekapo Springs if you fancy a soak. Then continue on InterCity to Christchurch (~3 hours, ~£20-25). Check into a city hostel, then walk the Christchurch city centre — the Transitional Cathedral, the Gap Filler/street art, Riverside Market, and the Botanic Gardens (free). Final dinner out in the city.

🚌InterCity buses ~4.5h, ~£35

🛏Hostel, central Christchurch (~£22-30/night)

• →Bus Twizel → Lake Tekapo → Christchurch
• →Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo
• →Christchurch street art and Riverside Market walk
• →Christchurch Botanic Gardens (free)

Slow morning: coffee in the container mall or a last walk by the Avon River, then take the Airport bus (Metro line 29, ~NZ$10) or a taxi/rideshare (~£20-25) to Christchurch Airport for your onward flight. If you've got a late departure, the Air Force Museum is free and the Quake City exhibit (~£8) fills an hour or two. Safe travels — and by now you'll have your own list of NZ's best tracks.

🚌Christchurch Airport bus ~£5 or rideshare ~£22

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Avon River walk
• →Optional Quake City exhibit (~£8)
• →Bus or taxi to Christchurch Airport