Motorhome hire on the South Island

This classic crossing leaves the Canterbury plains for Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki, with their milky blue waters and Mount Cook as a backdrop. It then passes through Twizel and Wanaka and takes the Cardrona road before dropping down to Queenstown.

The legs are short, but the scenery is worth stopping for. The trip can be done one-way between the two pick-up cities, depending on the rental company and dates; otherwise, plan to return the same way or along the east coast.

From Queenstown, the road runs along Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau, the base for Fiordland, then takes the Milford Sound road. It crosses the Eglinton Valley and the Homer Tunnel before reaching the fjord, which you visit by boat.

It is a long, exposed dead-end road: snowfall and avalanche risk cause closures, especially in winter, and chains may be required. Check the road conditions before leaving Te Anau and do not leave it to the last minute.

From Queenstown, the road climbs towards Wanaka and crosses Haast Pass, then follows a wild coast of rainforest and ocean-battered beaches. Fox and Franz Josef glaciers can be visited on foot, or on a guided excursion depending on trail conditions, before Hokitika, then the crossing of the Southern Alps via Arthur's Pass to Christchurch. This one-way trip depends on the rental companies' offers.

Petrol stations are rare between Haast and Fox Glacier: fill up at every opportunity. Sandflies, small biting insects, are numerous near the sea: bring repellent.

Leaving Christchurch westwards, the road climbs to Arthur's Pass, one of the highest passes on the island, then reaches Greymouth and the west coast. On the way back, some travellers take Lewis Pass, further north, via Hanmer Springs to complete the loop.

These mountain roads are narrow and exposed: in winter, snow and ice call for caution and sometimes chains. Keas, very inquisitive parrots, attack rubber seals and luggage: leave nothing outside.

This route heads up the east coast: Kaikoura, with its whales and seals, then the Marlborough vineyards around Blenheim, and finally Picton, at the head of an inlet in the Marlborough Sounds. It suits those who want to continue to the North Island.

The Picton to Wellington ferry is booked separately, with the rental company's approval, as not all of them allow it. Many travellers return the vehicle on one side and pick up another on the other.