LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Kiwi Extremeties
1-2 MONTHS/AUCKLAND TO CHRISTCHURCH
(2 weeks minimum travel time)
It's hard to find less-travelled paths in NZ nowadays, but this varied route from the country's northernmost fingernail to its detached southern toe takes in plenty of minimally touristed landscapes. You could spend just a fortnight reaching these far reaches, but why would you in lieu of a longer stay?
Journey to the ends of NZ earth and experience locales far removed from man-made bustle on this all-points-of-the-compass tour.
Head north from Auckland to diminutive Tutukaka to arrange a visit to the fish-rich waters and rocky underwater labyrinths of the Poor Knights Islands . Beyond the Bay of Islands is rugged Aupouri Peninsula, at the tip of which is Cape Reinga, wrapped in eerie solitude and Maori legend.
Venture back south past Auckland and through Rotorua and the lush greenery of Te Urewera National Park to the narrow roads and wilderness-choked ranges of East Cape.
Hop across Cook Strait to pretty Picton, then lose yourself in the myriad waterways of Marlborough Sounds.
Detour to the west, past the artful environs of Nelson, to the enormous, species-dense Kahurangi National Park. Travel southwest, where a memorable road north of Westport accesses the fabulous caverns of Oparara Basin. South-bound, divert to the superb inland extremity of Arthur's Pass National Park. Stop at Milford Sound, but don't miss a voyage to the ocean mouth of utterly isolated Doubtful Sound, accessible from Manapouri. Ferry yourself to paradisal Stewart Island, then sojourn in the peacefully overgrown Catlins before journeying north to Christchurch.
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