New Zealand Campervan Driving Times and Distances
Quick summary: New Zealand’s distances look short on a map, but in a campervan or motorhome, winding roads, hills and one-lane bridges mean journeys take longer than you might expect. The tables below give approximate distances and driving times for the most popular motorhome drives, without stops. As a rule of thumb, add at least 30–50% for photo stops, walks and breaks, and plan on 150–250 km on a typical driving day.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Cape Reinga to Bluff | Around 2,000 km by road |
| Auckland to Wellington | Around 640 km, 8 hours |
| Wellington to Picton (ferry) | Around 3.5 hours |
| Christchurch to Queenstown | Around 480 km, 6 hours via Tekapo |
| Typical motorhome average speed | 60–70 km per hour overall |
| Comfortable daily distance | 150–250 km |
How are these driving times calculated?
The times below are approximate driving times for a motorhome in normal conditions, without stops. Motorhomes travel a little more slowly than cars on hills and winding roads, so we have allowed for that. Real journeys take longer once you add stops, roadworks, weather and the many places you will want to pull over.
South Island driving times and distances
| From | To | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch | Lake Tekapo | Around 225 km | Around 3 hr |
| Christchurch | Aoraki/Mount Cook Village | Around 330 km | Around 4 hr 15 min |
| Christchurch | Queenstown (via Tekapo) | Around 480 km | Around 6 hr |
| Christchurch | Kaikōura | Around 180 km | Around 2 hr 30 min |
| Christchurch | Hanmer Springs | Around 135 km | Around 1 hr 45 min |
| Christchurch | Akaroa | Around 85 km | Around 1 hr 20 min |
| Christchurch | Greymouth (Arthur’s Pass) | Around 240 km | Around 3 hr 15 min |
| Christchurch | Dunedin | Around 360 km | Around 4 hr 30 min |
| Lake Tekapo | Aoraki/Mount Cook Village | Around 105 km | Around 1 hr 20 min |
| Twizel | Wānaka (Lindis Pass) | Around 145 km | Around 1 hr 50 min |
| Twizel | Queenstown (Lindis Pass) | Around 210 km | Around 2 hr 40 min |
| Queenstown | Wānaka (Crown Range) | Around 70 km | Around 1 hr |
| Queenstown | Wānaka (via Cromwell) | Around 115 km | Around 1 hr 30 min |
| Queenstown | Glenorchy | Around 46 km | Around 45 min |
| Queenstown | Te Anau | Around 170 km | Around 2 hr 15 min |
| Te Anau | Milford Sound | Around 120 km | Around 2 hr |
| Queenstown | Milford Sound | Around 290 km | Around 4 hr |
| Queenstown | Dunedin | Around 280 km | Around 3 hr 30 min |
| Wānaka | Haast (Haast Pass) | Around 140 km | Around 2 hr |
| Haast | Fox Glacier | Around 120 km | Around 1 hr 50 min |
| Fox Glacier | Franz Josef | Around 25 km | Around 30 min |
| Franz Josef | Hokitika | Around 135 km | Around 1 hr 50 min |
| Hokitika | Greymouth | Around 40 km | Around 35 min |
| Greymouth | Punakaiki | Around 45 km | Around 40 min |
| Punakaiki | Westport | Around 57 km | Around 50 min |
| Westport | Nelson | Around 225 km | Around 3 hr |
| Nelson | Picton | Around 110 km | Around 1 hr 45 min |
| Nelson | Kaiteriteri | Around 60 km | Around 1 hr |
| Picton | Kaikōura | Around 155 km | Around 2 hr |
| Te Anau | Invercargill | Around 155 km | Around 2 hr |
| Invercargill | Dunedin (Catlins) | Around 245 km | Around 3 hr 45 min |
| Dunedin | Oamaru | Around 115 km | Around 1 hr 30 min |
North Island driving times and distances
| From | To | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Paihia (Bay of Islands) | Around 230 km | Around 3 hr 15 min |
| Paihia | Cape Reinga | Around 210 km | Around 3 hr |
| Auckland | Coromandel Town | Around 170 km | Around 2 hr 45 min |
| Auckland | Hobbiton (Matamata) | Around 160 km | Around 2 hr 15 min |
| Auckland | Waitomo | Around 200 km | Around 2 hr 45 min |
| Auckland | Rotorua | Around 230 km | Around 3 hr |
| Auckland | Wellington | Around 640 km | Around 8 hr |
| Tauranga | Rotorua | Around 60 km | Around 1 hr |
| Rotorua | Taupō | Around 80 km | Around 1 hr |
| Taupō | Tongariro National Park | Around 100 km | Around 1 hr 20 min |
| Taupō | Napier | Around 140 km | Around 1 hr 50 min |
| Taupō | Wellington | Around 375 km | Around 4 hr 45 min |
| Napier | Wellington | Around 320 km | Around 4 hr |
| New Plymouth | Whanganui | Around 160 km | Around 2 hr |
| Whanganui | Wellington | Around 195 km | Around 2 hr 30 min |
Do these driving times apply to a large RV?
They are based on a typical rental campervan or motorhome in normal conditions. The largest vehicles will be a little slower on long climbs such as Arthur’s Pass and the Lindis Pass, so add a few minutes on mountain routes if you are driving one of the biggest models.
How should you use these figures to plan?
- Keep most days under 250 km. It leaves time for stops and arriving at camp in daylight.
- Build in rest days every three or four days, with little or no driving.
- Avoid long drives on arrival day, after a long-haul flight.
- Allow extra time for passes and gorges, including Arthur’s Pass, the Haast Pass, the Lindis Pass and the Milford Road.
- Check road conditions in bad weather and in winter.
For complete day-by-day plans, see our itineraries, and for each section of road, our route guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Auckland to Wellington is around 640 km and takes around 8 hours of driving in a motorhome without stops. Most travellers take several days to include Rotorua, Taupō and Tongariro along the way.
Christchurch to Queenstown via Lake Tekapo and the Lindis Pass is around 480 km and takes around 6 hours of driving without stops.
Milford Sound is around 290 km from Queenstown via Te Anau, around 4 hours of driving without stops.
The road distance from Cape Reinga to Bluff is around 2,000 km, plus the Cook Strait ferry. Driving it end to end takes at least four or five long days, but most travellers take three to four weeks to enjoy the journey.
Plan on 150–250 km on a typical driving day, with a rest day every three or four days. Winding roads and frequent stops mean days fill up quickly.
Most highways are two-lane roads that wind through hills, gorges and along coastlines, with one-lane bridges and mountain passes, so average speeds are lower than on motorways.