Winter Holiday Road Trips New Zealand - Warm Escapes on Wheels

Keep heading north through increasingly remote country until you hit Ninety Mile Beach - a flat, windswept stretch of coastline that's exactly as wild and impressive as the name suggests - before reaching Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet in spectacular fashion. Stand there on a clear winter's day and you'll understand why people make the trip. 

Road trip highlights: 

Best for: Couples, solo travellers, and anyone whose ideal winter involves coastline, mild temps and absolutely no ski boots. 

Pick up from: Auckland

For more information of travelling NZ's North Island, check out our top 12 picks for the best campgrounds across the North Island >

South Island Wild West - Christchurch to Franz Josef 

If dramatic scenery is what you're after, the West Coast of the South Island delivers it in spades. Mountains, rainforest, wild beaches and a glacier - all within a single road trip that starts with one of New Zealand's great alpine crossings. 

Begin in Christchurch, the South Island's largest city, before heading west through Arthur's Pass National Park. The crossing of the Southern Alps via Arthur's Pass is stunning in any season, but winter turns it into something genuinely cinematic - snow-dusted peaks, frozen waterfalls, and the kind of light that makes every photo look edited. Kea (the world's only alpine parrot) are frequently spotted around the pass and aren't remotely shy about it. 

On the other side of the mountains, the landscape shifts completely into the rugged, rainforest-draped West Coast. Stop in Hokitika for its wild driftwood beaches, artisan greenstone studios, and the kind of end-of-the-world atmosphere the town does brilliantly in winter. 

Continue south to Franz Josef, where the Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere / Franz Josef Glacier descends from the Southern Alps into temperate rainforest - one of the rarest geological phenomena on the planet. Access to the glacier itself is by helicopter only these days, and a heli-hike with Franz Josef Glacier Guides is a genuinely bucket-list experience. The free valley walk to glacier viewpoints is also open year-round and very much worth doing. 

Road trip highlights: 

Best for: Adventurous travellers, couples and anyone who wants jaw-dropping scenery with a side of genuine wilderness. 

Pick up from: Christchurch 

Heads up on glacier access: Ground-level walks onto the Franz Josef Glacier are no longer available - the glacier has retreated significantly and heli-hike is now the only way onto the ice. Book in advance as weather cancellations are common and demand for clear-day slots is high. The valley walk remains free, accessible and well worth doing. 

For more information of travelling NZ's South Island, check out our top 12 picks for the best campgrounds across the South Island >

Alpine Winter Adventure - Queenstown to Aoraki / Mount Cook 

Not every winter road trip is about finding warmth. Some of them are about leaning all the way into the cold, finding the biggest mountain you can and making the most of a season that New Zealand absolutely owns. 

Start in Queenstown - New Zealand's adventure capital and the beating heart of the ski season. Set against Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkables mountain range as a backdrop, it's a genuinely electric place to be in winter. Coronet Peak and The Remarkables ski areas are both within 30 minutes of town, and the après scene is exactly what you'd want after a day on the slopes. 

From Queenstown, the drive north via Lindis Pass is one of those routes that sneaks up on you. Golden tussock plains meet snow-capped ridges, views open up around every bend, and you'll pull over approximately seven more times than you planned to. 

Push through to Twizel and then on to the showstopper: Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. New Zealand's highest peak (3,724 metres) towers above glacier-fed lakes of impossible electric blue. Lake Pukaki on the approach is one of those views that simply doesn't compute until you're standing in front of it. 

After dark, the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve does what it promises. Pack a beanie and give your eyes time to adjust - you won't regret it. 

Road trip highlights: 

Best for: Ski crews, couples who want big alpine scenery, and families with kids who've never seen snow. This route has it all. 

Pick up from: Queenstown 

Snow chains heads up: Alpine roads around Queenstown and the Mount Cook region require snow chains to be carried from June to October, and they must be fitted when conditions demand. Chains can be hired from the JUCY Queenstown Branch. Check road conditions with the NZTA Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before heading into the mountains. 

If you're looking for inspiration for travelling from Queenstown, check out our guide to spending a week in a campervan in Queenstown >

Kaikōura Coastal Drive - Christchurch to Kaikōura 

Few road trips in New Zealand pack in quite as much drama per kilometre as the coastal drive north from Christchurch. You've got mountains on one side, ocean on the other, and one of the world's best marine wildlife destinations sitting right in the middle. 

Start in Christchurch and head north along the rugged eastern coastline. The road hugs clifftops and winds through small coastal settlements, with the snow-capped peaks of the Seaward Kaikōura Range rising sharply behind the shore - one of New Zealand's most distinctive and genuinely surprising landscapes. 

Kaikōura is the destination, and it earns every bit of the reputation. Sperm whales are present year-round in the Kaikōura Canyon - a deep-water trench just offshore that creates the kind of nutrient-rich environment that keeps whales here permanently, not just seasonally. Whale watching tours operate year-round, and winter is reliably excellent. Dusky dolphins are also frequently encountered in their hundreds, fur seals haul out on the rocky shoreline, and if you're lucky, Hector's dolphins turn up too. 

After all that, fresh crayfish from a roadside stall is practically mandatory. 

Road trip highlights: 

Best for: Wildlife lovers, seafood enthusiasts, couples and families. This is one of those road trips that works for absolutely everyone. 

Pick up from: Christchurch 

New Zealand winter packing depends a lot on where you're heading, but a few things apply regardless of route. 

For the South Island alpine routes (Queenstown, Christchurch to Franz Josef or Kaikōura): 

For the northern coastal route (Auckland to Cape Reinga): 

JUCY campervans come with bedding and linen as standard. An extra blanket is a worthwhile addition for South Island alpine nights - and packing one costs nothing.