Laurie Winter's photo roadie - Britz

Seven nights from Christchurch to Queenstown in a campervan, routed for photography rather than efficiency, which means early starts and the long way round.

Queenstown and Te Anau come first, then the Homer Tunnel, a single-bore tunnel cut through the Darran Mountains in the middle of the last century that drops steeply into the Cleddau valley, with Marion Falls on the way and Milford Sound at the end, where the cliffs rise more than a kilometre out of the water.

Fox Glacier follows on the West Coast, with Lake Matheson nearby, which on a still morning reflects both Aoraki and Mount Tasman and is the single most photographed view in the country. Thunder Creek Falls and Wanaka come next, then the Lindis Pass, tussock country that turns gold in low light, and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and Twizel before Queenstown.

Britz supply the camper and the day-by-day plan, and the hire is priced live per vehicle rather than per person; campsites, fuel, ferries, park fees and activities are all extra, with a nil-excess insurance pack available at booking. Autumn is the season this route is built for, when the poplars and willows across Central Otago turn and the light stays low all day. Eight days leaves room to wait for weather, which is the difference between a photograph and a drive. Milford cruises need booking, and the Homer Tunnel can close for avalanche risk in winter. Lake Matheson is best at first light in still air, which means camping nearby the night before rather than driving over in the morning.