Backpacking in South Island!

I have been to New Zealand many times before. Its a beautiful country and my most favourite country so far, so visiting this part of the World is almost like an annual ritual. I have already been to New Zealand in bits and pieces for 4 to 5 times. But the last time around, I decided to do a backpacking trip in the South Island and it has been one of my epic travels ever. In this post, I will detail out the South Island Itinerary for 10 days.

PIN for later reference

About South Island

South Island is the biggest island of the two famous islands in New Zealand. It is undoubtedly a heaven on Earth and some even address it as a paradise on Earth. Known for its glaciers, national parks, and the southern lights, the South Island is one of the most beautiful places I have visited.

Officially known as Te Waipounamu, the South Island is the popular island in New Zealand and is perfect for adventurous travelers. The island has plenty of hiking trails with spectacular landscapes.

I had visited Queenstown in the South Island before for a few days but I had never had the opportunity to do a road trip and backpacking in South Island. So, during one of my trips, I decided to do a 10 days backpacking trip in South Island.

South Island Itinerary 10 days

Below is the itinerary that I followed on my backpacking trip.

Day #	Flight	Bus	Activity/ Tour	Stay
Day 0	Sydney to Christchurch (Jetstar flight)			YHA Christchurch
Day 1		Christchurch to Tekapo (Intercity Bus)	Hike to Mount John South Summit Walk Tekapo Star Gazing	Lakefront Backpackers Lodge
Day 2		Tekapo to Mount Cook via Twizel (The Cook Connection Bus)	Hike Mount Cook Village to Hooker River Bridge, Tasman Glacier River View and Blue Lake	Aoraki Mount Cook YHA
Day 3		Mount Cook to Tekapo via Twizel (The Cook Connection Bus) Tekapo to Wanaka via Tarras (Intercity Bus)	Wanaka Tree Star Gazing at Wanaka Tree	YHA Wanaka
Day 4		Wanaka to Queenstown (Intercity Bus)	Hike to Mount Iron Summit in Wanaka	Do not recommend – Nomads Queenstown Recommend – YHA Queenstown
Day 5		Queenstown to Dunedin (Intercity Bus)	Queenstown Gondola Queenstown Zipline	Central Backpackers Dunedin
Day 6		Dunedin to Gore (Intercity Bus)	Dunedin City and Coastal Tour
Day 6 (Cont.)		Gore to Invercargill (Intercity Bus)		Tuatara Lodge
Day 7	Invercargill to Stewart Island (Flight)		Stewart Island Bus Tour	South Sea Hotel – Stewart Island
Day 8			Water Taxi to Ulva Island Hike to Post Office Bay Wharf to West Side Beach
Day 8 (Cont.)	Stewart Island to Invercargill (Flight)			Tuatara Lodge
Day 9		Invercargill to Gore (Intercity Bus)	Invercargill City Tour
Day 9 (Cont.)		Gore to Christchurch (Intercity Bus)		JUCY Snooze Christchurch
Day 10			Christchurch City Tour
Day 10 (Cont.)	Christchurch to Sydney (Flight)

Day 0: Sydney to Christchurch

Note: I have not considered this day for the 10 days itinerary.

• I took an evening Jetstar flight from Sydney to Christchurch. New Zealand is 2 hours ahead of Sydney, so I reached Christchurch at midnight.
• I stayed at Christchurch YHA.

Hostel details

• Christchurch YHA.
• 36, Hereford Street, Christchurch.
• +64 3379 9536.

Important Information

• If you are traveling from Sydney, then the evening flight is the best flight to take as it actually saves a day in traveling. Also, you can finish your work and then take the flight in the evening which also saves a day of leave.
• The best way to travel from Christchurch airport to the hostel was via the shuttle bus (read details below). This is the cheapest way to get to the hostel.
• I always prefer staying at the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) hostels as they are extremely neat and safe.

Transportation between Christchurch International Airport and Hostel

I landed in Christchurch at around 1 AM. I was worried that my only options to get to my hostel (YHA Christchurch) would be taxis or Uber, which could cost me somewhere from NZD 40-80.

In fact, earlier that day I had called the hostel reception and had inquired the cheapest and safest way to get there. The answer that I had got was that it had to be either taxi or Uber as at the time of my flight landing, there would be no options available.

But the guy at the reception and I were both wrong. I walked out of the exit at the airport and saw an ‘i’ board, which generally means the Information centre. I walked up to the guy at the information centre and inquired the same that I had asked earlier to the hostel guy. The answer was quite different. He said there were shared shuttle services called Supershuttle, which is a door to door service and they would drop me right in front of my hostel. How cool is that! And this for only NZD 25. Even before getting into the shuttle I had become their fan.

The fondness for them grew when:

1. My shuttle driver was super friendly and she took care of me by making sure I got down right in front of my hostel. For some reason the hostel gate code did not work and I could not get into my hostel for 5 to 10 minutes. The shuttle driver patiently waited till I got in and then left, ensuring I was safe.
2. Everyone who knows me well knows I am a big fan of free wifi. Just like the icing on the cake, it turned out that the shuttle had free wifi service on-board.

How do you book?

• Supershuttle.co.nz
• 0800 748 885
• Shuttle stand outside Christchurch airport

Day 1: Christchurch to Tekapo

• I took an early morning Intercity NZ bus to Tekapo. The bus journey along the countryside was totally worth getting up that morning.
  • You can also head to Kaikoura from Christchurch. There are plenty of things to do in Kaikoura such as swimming with dolphins and whale watching scenic flight.
• I reached Tekapo in the afternoon. After boarding at the hostel, I straight away headed to do the Mount John South Summit hike. The Mount John South Summit hike is a short hike of 6 kilometres but it is definitely a steep walk. But the views from the summit are absolutely stunning and totally worth it.
• In the evening, I was picked up by the tour guide for Tekapo Star Gazing. The Tekapo star gazing with hot pools is very unique to Tekapo as it is the only star gazing tour with hot springs in New Zealand.
  • Having been on so many stargazing tours, I personally did not like the star gazing part as much. I felt the tour was more about the hot springs and enjoying the views of the stars than the star gazing itself. I felt this tour was more for people who love hot springs than who were more interested in only the stars. As per the locals, the stargazing at Mount John Observatory is a must-do, which unfortunately I could not do because of lack of time.

Mount John South Summit hiking details

Tekapo is a small town located in the inland South Island in New Zealand. One of the must dos when in Tekapo is hiking the South Summit of Mount John. The walk starts off at the hot springs and makes its way through the lush green forest, till the Summit and then to the Café at the observatory.

You can also take a tour to explore Mount John

Undoubtedly, the views along the way are spectacular. But the views at the Summit are breath taking. The path provides the view of the turquoise blue waters of Lake Tekapo and it is definitely something to die for. At the summit, Lake Tekapo and Lake McGregor are visible next to each other. It’s splendid!

Logistics

• Total distance: approximately 6 kilometres.
• Total time: 1.5 to 2 hours (return).
• Type of walk: Return.
• Grade: Moderate (it is quite steep in some sections).
• Cost: FREE.

Note: Ensure you wear good hiking boots as in winters there could be ice and it can be very slippery.

Hostel details

• LakeFront Backpackers Lodge.
• 2, Lakeside Drive, Lake Tekapo.
• +64 3680 6825.

Important Information

• Ensure to book the tours for Tekapo Star Gazing and Mount John Observatory well in advance as they do get sold out quickly.
• Mount John Observatory is open only over the weekends.

Day 2: Tekapo to Mount Cook

• Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. And I had decided to stay at Mount Cook for a night. Unfortunately, I was blessed by the rain god and it was pouring the entire time I was at Mount Cook.
• The rain did not stop the entire time I was in Mount Cook. Instead of letting the rain spoil my plans, I decided to do the Tasman Glacier View and Blue Lake hike, which was pretty awesome.
• For detailed information on things to do in Mount Cook, refer Things to do in Mount Cook.

Hike to Tasman Glacier view and Blue Lake walk details

There are plenty of walks in Mount Cook. The walks that provide spectacular views of the snow capped mountains. But on a rainy day, one has no choice but to opt for easy walks (Tasman Glacier View and Blue Lake Walk) so the day is not wasted. I just had one day in Mount Cook and I had to make the best of it. The weather was real bad and it was pouring continuously from the time I arrived.

I looked at the list of walks and shortlisted the two easy walks, one next to the other. The two walks were:

1. Tasman Glacier View.
2. Blue Lake.

The Tasman Glacier Walk was my favourite. The walk is about 1 hour return and has steps to get to the top. The view provides the icebergs melting on the lake. During winter, the lake is supposed to be frozen. But I was lucky enough to see the ice floating on the lake. It was breath taking.

The Blue Lake provides view of the lakes that are supposed to be blue. But the lakes were green in colour. There is a board explaining why the lake is green. According to the board, a lake is blue when it is freshly melted from a glacier and green when the water is from rainwater.

Logistics

• Total Distance: 3.5 kilometres.
• Time taken: 1 hour return.
• Cost: FREE.

I would recommend these walks if you are short of time and wants to make use of a rainy day.

Hostel details

• Aoraki Mount Cook YHA.
• 1, Bowen Drive, Mt Cook.
• +64 3435 1820.

Important Information

• It is very important to have a car for local transportation in Mount Cook. I did not have a car and I decided to hitchhike.
• It is best to carry some ready to eat food options as there are very few restaurants in Mount Cook.

Day 3: Mount Cook to Wanaka

South Island also has many small towns that are very beautiful and quaint. Wanaka is one of those small towns in South Island that is worth visiting and enjoying the spectacular landscapes.

• I reached Wanaka in the evening and the first thing I did after the check-in at the hostel was to head to the Wanaka tree. It was a delight to watch this lone tree.
• I also waited for the sunset and the Milky Way to show up. As the clouds ruined my view of the Milky Way, I did not have much of luck to capture the Milky Way.

Hostel details

• Wanaka YHA.
• 94, Brownston Street, Wanaka.
• +64 3443 1880.

Day 4: Wanaka & Wanaka to Queenstown

• In the morning, I hiked up to the summit of Mount Iron to get picturesque views of Wanaka. It was totally worth it!
• And in the evening I was at Queenstown, where I tried the burger at famous Fergburger. It is one of the most famous food options in Queenstown. There is always a very huge queue. The burger was definitely tasty but if you ask me was it worth the 30 minutes waiting line? I would say no.

Mount Iron loop Hiking details

If you want panoramic views of Lake Wanaka and Wanaka town, Mount Iron Summit is definitely the place to be. Mount Iron is about 573 metres high and is one of the prominent mountains visible from Wanaka town.

The car park is about 2 kilometres from the Town centre. And that is the starting point of the hike.

The walk during winter provides pretty picturesque views of Lake Wanaka with the snow capped mountains in the background. It’s a stunning view for sure! It is steep in certain sections but is definitely rewarding at the summit.

Logistics

• Distance: Approximately 5 kilometres loop walk.
• Total time: 1.5 hours return.
• Type of walk: loop.
• Grade: Medium as the walk does have steep sections.
• Cost: FREE.

Hostel details

• Nomads Queenstown. I will not stay at this hostel ever. This was extremely crowded and dirty.
• 5 – 11, Church Street, Queenstown.
• +64 3441 3922.
• Highly recommend YHA Queenstown.

Day 5: Queenstown & Queenstown to Dunedin

• I am in love with Queenstown. It is surely my most favourite places in New Zealand.
• In the morning, I did the 4 line zipling at Queenstown. I would definitely recommend this activity in Queenstown. Queenstown is known for its adventurous activities. One can do bunjee jumping, swing, or jet skiing. All these activities are amazing.
• And the entire day I traveled to Dunedin.

4 line zipling details

Queenstown is the place to be if you love adventures and if you are an adventure junkie. Ranging from Bungee jumping to Skydiving to Jetboating, Queenstown has it all. This is definitely my favourite place in New Zealand. The vibe and the air of this place is itself amazing.

Since I have bungee jumped in Queenstown and have skydived twice in other places in the past, this time I chose to do the zip line. It is a super fun way to spend few hours in Queenstown.

I booked the tour through Viator:

• Ziptrek Eco Adventures:
  • Cost: AUD 89.83 (USD 67.99) + NZD 44 or AUD 40.73 (USD 30.82).
  • Booked on Viator.

The Ziplining tour does not include the Gandola ride, which you need to get up to the mountain. The check in point for the Zipline is on the mountain near the Skyline. For Gandola ride booking:

• Queenstown Gandola:
  • Cost: NZD 39 or AUD 36.11 (USD 27.31).
  • Booked at the bottom of Gandola.

Note: You can hike up the mountain if you wish, it takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to hike up and it is pretty steep.

The zip line tour which I booked was a 4 line zip tour, and each line gets longer than the previous one. The last zip line is the longest and has the best view of Lake Wakatipu.

We were in a group of three and we were taken care of so well by our guides Nara and Declan. They ensured our harness were safe and most importantly we were comfortable every time we ziplined. It was definitely memorable. I would totally recommend them.

Hostel details

• Central Backpackers Dunedin.
• 243, Moray Place, Dunedin.
• +64 3477 9985.

Day 6: Dunedin & Dunedin to Invercargill

• In the first half of the day, I visited the famous landmarks of Dunedin. I really liked Dunedin.
• And I spent the rest of the day traveling to Invercargill.

Hostel details

• Tuatara Lodge.
• 32, Dee Street, P.O. Box 960, Invercargill.
• +64 3214 0954.

Day 7: Invercargill to Stewart Island

• Did you know New Zealand also has a third biggest island that is not as big as the North and the South Islands? The name of that third island is Stewart Island.
• I explored Stewart Island the entire day.

Hostel details

• South Sea Hotel – Stewart Island.
• Elgin Terrace, Half Moon Bay.
• +64 3219 1059.

Day 8: Ulva Island & Stewart Island to Invercargill

• I was dropped at Ulva Island in the morning. Would you believe if I said I was the only person on this island the entire time I was at Ulva island?
• I spent about 2 hours on Ulva, before heading back to Stewart Island to catch a flight to Invercargill.

Hostel details

• Tuatara Lodge.
• 30 – 32, Dee Street, P.O. Box 960, Invercargill.
• +64 3214 0954.

Day 9: Invercargill to Christchurch

• I spent the entire day traveling on the bus, from Invercargill to Christchurch.

Hostel details

• JUCY Snooze Christchurch.
• 5, Peter Leeming Road, Christchurch Airport, Christchurch.
• +64 3903 0070.

Jucy Snooze Christchurch

I stumbled upon Jucy Snooze pods while researching for hostels near Christchurch airport. And I must say it is definitely one of the coolest places I have ever stayed at. It is just 10 minutes walk from the international airport. The whole check in and out process is automated and it is a very simple process. The check in process only requires a pre-booking and scanning of a photo identity (passport).

I loved this place and I definitely recommend this place.

Booking details

• Jucy Snooze Pod.
• Address: 5, Peter Leeming Road, Christchurch Airport, Christchurch, New Zealand.
• Phone Number: +6439030070.
• A pod costs only about NZD 33 or AUD 30.4 (USD 23) in a 8 shared female dorm.

Day 10: Christchurch to Sydney

• I had an early morning flight from Christchurch to Sydney.

My Route map

Expenses

For a 10 days backpacking trip with lots of activities, the total expenses was AUD 1,951.81.

Flights

Between Sydney and Christchurch

• Frequent flights fly between Sydney and Christchurch.
• Jetstar is definitely the most economical airline.
  • Sydney to Christchurch return: Cost – AUD 409.34 (including 15Kgs of Check-in baggage) (USD 310).

Between Invercargill – Stewart Island

• Stewart Island Flights run flights between Invercargill and Stewart Island.
• Cost for return flights and two sight-seeing tours: AUD 282 (USD 214).

Local Transportation

• Christchurch airport transfer – Cost: NZD 25 or AUD 23.1 (USD 17.6).
• Stewart Island Car hire – Cost: NZD 120 or AUD 111.79 (USD 83.45).
• Invercargill airport shuttle – Cost: NZD 15 or AUD 13.9 (USD 11.4).

Intercity travel

• I traveled mostly by bus. Intercity NZ runs frequent buses between the cities and towns. But one can also hire a campervan to travel within the island, read Cheap New Zealand Campervan Hire for details on how to get the best and cheap campervans.

Route	Route (Cont..)	Provider	Cost in NZD	Cost in AUD	Cost in USD
Christchurch to Tekapo		Intercity	38.99	35.96	27.2
Tekapo to Twizel to Mount Cook		The Cook Connection	37.5	34.59	26.18
Mount Cook to Twizel to Tekapo		The Cook Connection	Included in above	Included in above	Included in above
Tekapo to Tarras	Tarras to Wanaka	Intercity	68.99	63.63	48.17
Wanaka YHA to Queenstown		Intercity	32.99	30.42	23.03
Queenstown to Dunedin		Intercity	4.99	4.6	3.48
Dunedin to Gore	Gore to Invercargill	Intercity	25.99	23.97	18.14
Invercargill to Gore	Gore to Christchurch	Intercity	39.99	36.88	27.91

Hostels

Below are the hostels I stayed in:

Name	Address	Accomodation type	Cost per night (NZD)	Cost per night (AUD)	Cost per night (USD)
Christchurch YHA	36, Hereford Street, Christchurch; +6433799536	6 Bed Share Female	40.5	37.3	28.2
LakeFront Backpackers Lodge	2, Lakeside drive, Lake Tekapo; +6436806825	6 Bed Share Mixed	37	34	26
Aoraki Mount Cook YHA	1, Bowen Drive, Mount Cook; +6434351820	8 Bed Share Female	34.2	31.5	23.9
Wanaka YHA	94, Brownston Street, Wanaka; +6434431880	4 Bed Share Female	36.9	34	25.8
Nomads Queenstown Recommended Option – YHA Queenstown	5 – 11, Church Street, Queenstown; +6434413922	6 Bed Share Female	41	37.8	28.62
Central Backpackers Dunedin	243, Moray Place, Dunedin; +6434779985	8 Bed Share Female	28	25.8	19.5
Tuatara Lodge	32, Dee Street, P.O. Box 960, Invercargill; +6432140954	4 Bed Share Mixed	32	29.5	22.3
South Sea Hotel – Stewart Island	Elgin Terrace, Half Moon Bay; +6432191059	Single Room	75	69.1	52.3
Tuatara Lodge	30 – 32, Dee Street, P.O. Box 960, Invercargill; +6432140954	4 Bed Share Mixed	32	29.5	22.3
JUCY Snooze Christchurch	5, Peter Leeming Road, Christchurch Airport, Christchurch, New Zealand; +6439030070	8 Bed Share Female	33	30.4	23

Activities

Tekapo Star Gazing

• Cost: AUD 85.10 (USD 64.41).
• Booked on Viator.

Queenstown Zipline tour

• Cost: AUD 89.83 (USD 67.99) + NZD 44 or AUD 40.73 (USD 30.82).
• Booked on Viator.

Queenstown Gondola

• Cost: NZD 39 or AUD 36.11 (USD 27.31).
• Booked at the bottom of Gondola.

Dunedin City and Coastal Tour

• Cost: AUD 80.38 (USD 60.84).
• Booked on Viator.

Larnach Castle entrance

• Cost: NZD 31 or AUD 28.91 (USD 21.62).
• Booked at the Castle gate.

Water Taxi to Ulva Island & Stewart Island Bus Tour

• Cost: Included with the flights.
• Booked along with the flights’ add-on.

Tip: Always Ensure you call the tour operators one day before to confirm your bookings. And also mention them the places you are staying in, sometimes they pick you up from your hostels.

Food

• I carried 10 packets of ready to eat of food; cost: AUD 18 (USD 13.64).
• Note: Do not forget to declare this at the airport.
• I also ate food at various restaurants, costing about NZD 150 or AUD 139.05 (USD 113.7).
• Stewart Island was the most expensive place for food.

SIM and Wi-Fi

• Optus Australia is my phone provider. Having a prepaid connection automatically qualifies me for International roaming. So I did not buy a separate SIM card.
• Generally, at hostels, the Wi-Fi is free. However, some hostels I stayed at, did charge me for Wi-Fi connection. The cost was around NZD 5 or AUD 4.63 (USD 3.79).

Is it safe for solo female travelers?

New Zealand is one of the safest countries I have ever traveled as a solo female travelers. The country is known for its tourism and is very safe. So I would definitely say yes! However, like any other country in the World, I would say be cautious especially at nights and trust your instinct.

Closing notes

As I mentioned earlier, this has been one of my most epic travels ever and I had such an awesome time backpacking in the South Island.

PIN for later reference