South Island with Britz Bikes - Britz

Nine nights in a loop from Christchurch in a campervan with bikes aboard, over both alpine passes and round the southern lakes.

Hanmer Springs comes first with its thermal pools, then Castle Hill, a field of limestone tors used for climbing and bouldering, and Arthur’s Pass, with the Otira Viaduct dropping steeply away to the west.

The Hokitika Gorge follows, where the river runs milky blue between rock walls with a swing bridge across it, then Franz Josef, and Wanaka, which is where the bikes earn their keep: the Sticky Forest trails above the town are a volunteer-built network on pine forest land and among the best in the country. Queenstown and Milford Sound come next, then Lake Pukaki, Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo on the way back to Christchurch.

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. Ten days covers both coasts and the lakes, which is a brisk schedule, and the bikes add a day’s worth of stops that would otherwise be driving. Not every camper can carry bikes, so a rack needs confirming at booking. Milford is a four-hour drive each way from Te Anau, and the cruises need arranging in advance. Castle Hill and the Hokitika Gorge are the two stops people do not expect and tend to rate highest. Hanmer Springs at the start is also well placed, since it is close enough to Christchurch to reach on the first afternoon without a long drive.