The Spectacle Nelson: 14-Day South Island Campervan Loop From Christchurch - Britz

Thirteen nights and 1,200 kilometres in a loop from Christchurch in a campervan, up to Nelson and Golden Bay and back over the Lewis Pass.

Kaikoura comes first, where the seals lie on the rocks at Point Kean and sperm whales feed close inshore, then Blenheim in the Marlborough vineyards, which produce most of New Zealand’s wine.

Nelson follows, then Abel Tasman National Park, where granite headlands and golden beaches are walked or kayaked in sections, and Golden Bay over the Takaka Hill, with Te Waikoropupu Springs nearby holding some of the clearest fresh water ever measured, at a visibility of more than sixty metres. St Arnaud and Murchison carry the route back inland, then Hanmer Springs for the pools before 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. Fourteen days for 1,200 kilometres is a slow pace by design, which suits a trip built around an event at Nelson with the rest of the region to fill in around it. The Takaka Hill is a slow climb in a camper. Abel Tasman water taxis and Golden Bay campsites both want booking over summer. Fourteen nights also means two-night stops become possible at Kaikoura, Abel Tasman and Golden Bay, which is where the extra time is best spent rather than on adding further destinations to the list. Golden Bay is the corner of the island most itineraries leave out, and it is the reason this one runs to a fortnight.