New Zealand West Coast Adventure

This is a coastal road trip down the west side of the South Island, tracing the strip of land between the mountains and the Tasman Sea. You'll travel from Christchurch to Queenstown through country most visitors skip, with glaciers, limestone formations and surf-battered coastline along the way.

Alongside the natural scenery there's a strong thread of local history, from old gold and coal settlements to the coaster communities still shaped by that mining past. The pace mixes walking and sightseeing with lighter moments — a gin tasting, a soak in a hot spring, time on the water.

Seven days is enough to get past the usual highlights reel and into the lesser-visited stretches of the South Island, guided throughout.

What you'll do

• Walk among the limestone formations at Pancake Rocks
• See the West Coast's glaciers up close
• Kayak on the region's rivers or lakes
• Soak in a natural hot spring
• Taste craft gin from a local distillery
• Learn about the area's gold and coal mining heritage in its heritage settlements