Kiwi Guide

Plan your South Island road trip

Kiwi Guide is an iPhone app for exploring New Zealand's South Island by road. Pick a suggested trip or build your own, day by day.

Download Kiwi Guide on the App Store

For iPhone. Free at launch.

An empty road through tussock hills towards Aoraki Mount Cook, with cloud on the mountains.
A trip in Kiwi Guide, day by day, from Haast to Wānaka through to the Catlins, with each day's places and driving time.

Everything for the drive, in one app

Find places, plan the days, and know what you're in for before you get there.

Places, town by town

Walks, lookouts, swims, adventures, and places to eat and stay. Browse a town or find them on the map.

The Explore screen for Wānaka, led by That Wānaka Tree, with filters for walks, scenic spots and more.

A page for every place

Photos, what to expect, directions and reviews from other travellers.

The Key Summit Track page, with a photo, directions, reviews and Add to Trip.

Suggested trips

From a day in Christchurch to three weeks around the island, starting from Christchurch, Queenstown or Picton.

A new trip from Christchurch, with South Island in 7, 10, 14 and 21 Days to choose from.

A day-by-day trip planner

Add places to your trip and see each day's stops and how long you'll be driving.

A trip's days, from Haast to Wānaka through to the Catlins, each with its places and driving time.

A travel guide with local knowledge

Driving, weather, sandflies, booking ahead and staying safe, plus a guide to every region.

The guide's South Island topics, from driving to emergencies and outdoor safety.

A photo share card

Put your own photo on a card with the place's name and the date, ready to post or send.

Stops you'll find in the app

A few favourites, from the Kaikōura coast to the Mackenzie.

A look inside

From the map to your trip, day by day.

Kiwi Guide: places, trips and guides for a New Zealand trip.
  • Kiwi Guide: places, trips and guides for a New Zealand trip.
  • Everything your trip needs, mapped: the map around Wānaka with places marked by type.
  • Places worth the drive: places in Wānaka, led by That Wānaka Tree, with filters for walks, scenic spots and more.
  • Know before you go: the Key Summit Track page with a photo, directions, reviews and Add to Trip.
  • Ready-made trips, or build your own: a new trip from Christchurch with South Island in 7, 10, 14 and 21 Days to choose from.
  • Your trip, day by day: days from Haast to Wānaka through to the Catlins, each with its places and driving time.
  • Road, weather and local tips: the guide's South Island topics, from driving to outdoor safety.

Suggested trips

Pick from 26 ready-made trips, including South Island in 7, 10, 14 and 21 Days from Christchurch, Queenstown or Picton. Copy one into your own trip, then make it yours.

Lake Pukaki, bright blue, with Aoraki Mount Cook and the Southern Alps beyond.
  • Picton to Christchurch via Kaikōura 3 days
  • Christchurch to Queenstown via Tekapo and Mount Cook 4 days
  • Southern Scenic Route: Queenstown to Dunedin 6 days
  • The Southern Loop 10 days
  • Queenstown to Picton via the West Coast 10 days

What a day looks like

Day 2 of Christchurch to Queenstown via Tekapo and Mount Cook. Every stop is timed around opening hours and the drive between.

  1. Church of the Good Shepherd
  2. Mt John Summit and Astro Café
  3. Peters Lookout
  4. Kea Point Track
  5. Tasman Glacier View and Blue Lakes

A travel guide with local knowledge

The things that catch visitors out, in plain words: one-lane bridges, sandflies, why a drive takes longer than the map says, and what to book before you arrive.

From the guide: Driving the South Island

Distances on a New Zealand map tell you very little about how long a drive will take. Most highways are one lane each way and wind through hills and river gorges, and NZTA itself warns visitors that trips take longer than they look. The 120km from Te Anau to Milford Sound takes about two hours without a single stop, and you will want to stop.

One of 58 sections, island-wide and region by region.

Before you go

  • Driving the South Island
  • Weather & Seasons
  • Sun, Sandflies & Water
  • Booking Ahead
  • Getting There & Around
  • Ngāi Tahu & Local Custom
  • Money & Connectivity
  • Emergencies & Outdoor Safety

Region by region

Why to come, getting around, when to come, local hazards and rules, and what to book ahead.

  • Canterbury & Christchurch
  • Kaikōura
  • Marlborough
  • Nelson & Tasman
  • West Coast
  • Aoraki & Mackenzie
  • Queenstown & Wānaka
  • Fiordland
  • Dunedin & Otago Coast
  • Southland & the Catlins

Packed the campervan? Bring Kiwi Guide.

For iPhone. Free at launch.

Download Kiwi Guide on the App Store