Billy Connolly Drives New Zealand
- Overview
- Day 1 : Auckland to Paihia
- Day 2 : Paihia to Kaitaia
- Day 3 : Kaitaia to Auckland
- Day 4 : Auckland to Waitomo Caves
- Day 5 : Waitomo Caves to Taupo
- Day 6 : Taupo to Palmerston North
- Day 7 : Palmerston North to Wellington
- Day 8 : Wellington to Kaikoura
- Day 9 : Kaikoura to Christchurch
- Day 10 : Christchurch to Dunedin
- Day 11 : Dunedin to Invercargill
- Day 12 : Invercargill to Stewart Island
- Day 13 : Stewart Island to Te Anau
- Day 14 : Te Anau to Milford Sound
- Day 15 : Te Anau to Queenstown
- Day 16 : Queenstown to Franz Josef
- Day 17 : Franz Josef to Greymouth
- Day 18 : Greymouth to Christchurch
Featured Tourism Operators
Day 16 : Queenstown to Franz Josef
Travel time is approximate only, based on an average driving speed under normal road conditions.
Travel time | Km | (Miles) | |
---|---|---|---|
Queenstown - Wanaka | 1.25 hrs | 103 | 64 |
Wanaka - Haast | 1.75 hrs | 139 | 87 |
Haast - Fox Glacier | 1.75 hrs | 122 | 76 |
Fox Glacier - Franz Josef | 0.25 hr | 23 | 14 |
Totals for Day | 5 hrs | 387 | 242 |
Queenstown - Wanaka
103 km (64 miles)
Approximately 1.25 hours
Road Conditions: State Highway
The alpine resort of Queenstown is exciting, sophisticated and fantastically scenic. It's the place to source almost any kind of adventure, including bungy, jet boating, horse trekking, rafting and river surfing. It's also a destination for luxury experiences—gourmet food and wine, spa treatments and leisurely games of golf.
The shortest route to Wanaka is over the Crown Range Road. It's a challenging drive, but the views are amazing and you'll probably encounter friendly keas (mountain parrots).
More conservative drivers can take the route that runs beside the Shotover River, Lake Dunstan and the Clutha River. The vineyards of the Gibbston area and bungy jumpers at the Kawarau River Bridge are interesting distractions along the way.
The lakeside resort town of Wanaka can provide you with an appealing mix of fine living, family fun and adventure. It has a high concentration of cafes, restaurants and interesting shops. You'll also find some unique attractions, like the 3D maze and the ‘warbird’ air show, which is held every two years.
Wanaka - Haast
139 km (87 miles)
Approximately 1.75 hours
Road Conditions: State Highway
The lakeside town of Wanaka can provide you with an appealing mix of fine living, family fun and adventure. It has a high concentration of cafes, restaurants and interesting shops. You'll also find unique attractions, like the 3D maze and the ‘warbird’ air show, which is held every two years.
Lake Hawea is the first scenic highlight of your journey, followed closely by the northern end of Lake Wanaka. The famous ‘bra fence’ is impossible to miss—it started as a joke, but it's become a local legend.
At the wilderness town of Makarora you can fuel up and refresh before you take on the dramatic twists and turns of the Haast Pass. Enjoy waterfalls and river scenery as you arrive in rainforest country.
The settlement of Haast was once a construction camp for the Ministry of Works (the government department responsible for road and bridge building). It's a town with a touch of the wild west—helicopters fly deer hunters into the rugged ranges and local pubs make a feature of stuffed animal trophies.
Haast - Fox Glacier
122 km (76 miles)
Approximately 1.75 hours
Road Conditions: State Highway
The settlement of Haast was once a construction camp for the Ministry of Works (the government department responsible for road and bridge building). It's a town with a touch of the wild west—helicopters fly deer hunters into the rugged ranges and local pubs make a feature of stuffed animal trophies.
Just north of Haast is Lake Moeraki, a peaceful forest lake with good fishing—a 40 minute walk takes you to the penguin colony at Monro Beach. Next is pretty Lake Paringa, where you can enjoy a delicious meal of salmon at the salmon farm.
Just before Fox Glacier is the western end of the Copland track. In half a day you can walk to the hot springs at Welcome Flat.
The terminal face of Fox Glacier is just five kilometres from the township that serves it. The road to the walking track crosses ancient moraine from earlier advances and retreats. Fox Glacier was named after an early New Zealand Prime Minister, William Fox.
Fox Glacier - Franz Josef
23 km (14 miles)
Approximately 0.25 hour
Road Conditions: State Highway
The Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are unique relics of the last ice age. Mighty rivers of solid white, tumbling down ice-hewn rock valleys, they are classically beautiful in the glacial sense.
Nowhere else in the world have glaciers advanced so close to the sea at this latitude. While in the area, you can choose from a wide range of adventure activities.
The terminal face of Fox Glacier is just five kilometres from the township that serves it. The road to the walking track crosses ancient moraine from earlier advances and retreats. Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier was named after an early New Zealand Prime Minister, William Fox.
After a short drive north, you'll arrive at Franz Josef Glacier. First explored in 1865, the glacier has been moving forward at a rate of about one metre a day since 1985. Previously it was in retreat.
You can walk to the terminal of the glacier in about 10 minutes. Franz Josef township has a good range of accommodation and eating establishments.
- Overview
- Day 1 : Auckland to Paihia
- Day 2 : Paihia to Kaitaia
- Day 3 : Kaitaia to Auckland
- Day 4 : Auckland to Waitomo Caves
- Day 5 : Waitomo Caves to Taupo
- Day 6 : Taupo to Palmerston North
- Day 7 : Palmerston North to Wellington
- Day 8 : Wellington to Kaikoura
- Day 9 : Kaikoura to Christchurch
- Day 10 : Christchurch to Dunedin
- Day 11 : Dunedin to Invercargill
- Day 12 : Invercargill to Stewart Island
- Day 13 : Stewart Island to Te Anau
- Day 14 : Te Anau to Milford Sound
- Day 15 : Te Anau to Queenstown
- Day 16 : Queenstown to Franz Josef
- Day 17 : Franz Josef to Greymouth
- Day 18 : Greymouth to Christchurch
View more Specialised New Zealand driving routes.
Directory Information
Queenstown:
Accommodation,
Attractions and Activities,
Tours,
Transport,
Visitor Information
Wanaka:
Accommodation,
Attractions and Activities,
Tours,
Transport,
Visitor Information
Haast, West Coast:
Accommodation,
Attractions and Activities,
Tours
Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, West Coast:
Accommodation,
Attractions and Activities,
Tours,
Transport,
Visitor Information