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Driving to Wānaka, as part of your South Island holiday, is a great way to see some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand.

Wānaka sits in the centre of the lower South Island and the road trip passes iconic places like Aoraki Mt Cook, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers and Queenstown.

Even if you’re an experienced driver, it’s worth checking out the resources below to find out more about what it’s like to drive on New Zealand roads.

Tips for driving in New Zealand

  • Complete the AA online assessment

    Complete AA’s road code assessment. Print the ‘certificate of completion’, signed by you. You can present this to your car rental provider to show you have taken steps to prepare yourself for driving in New Zealand.

  • Read the basic information about New Zealand road rules and etiquette

    This can be found on DriveSafe.org.nz. It also provides links to more details about everything that drivers unfamiliar with our roads need to know.

  • Download the Driving and New Zealand Self-Drive Holidays fact sheets

    The Driving guide and New Zealand Self-Drive Holidays guide are provided by Tourism New Zealand. These are a great resource to save to your phone and keep with you.

Car Rental
Driving to Wānaka

Driving on the South Island roads of New Zealand is a great way to experience the region, with relatively quiet roads and some of the most amazing scenery right outside the window.

Major car and campervan hire companies are all located at Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown airports. There are also a number of rental car companies based in Wānaka.

Driving To Wānaka
Explore Region

The Wānaka region is home to six distinct areas; Wānaka and Albert Town, Lake Hāwea, Makarora, Matukituki Valley, Cardrona, Wānaka Airport & Luggate. Wander outside of Wānaka town to discover something new.

Discover the Regions
Flights to Wānaka

Wānaka is a 60 minute drive from Queenstown Airport over the Crown Range Road or via the Kawarau Gorge – both stunning drives. There are two other airports in close proximity: Dunedin and Christchurch.

Wānaka also has its own airport for scenic and charter flights and you can fly daily with Sounds Air direct to Christchurch from here.

Flights to Wānaka
Driving to Wānaka

Driving on the South Island roads of New Zealand is a great way to experience the region, with relatively quiet roads and some of the most amazing scenery right outside the window.

Major car and campervan hire companies are all located at Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown airports. There are also a number of rental car companies based in Wānaka.

Driving To Wānaka
Explore Region

The Wānaka region is home to six distinct areas; Wānaka and Albert Town, Lake Hāwea, Makarora, Matukituki Valley, Cardrona, Wānaka Airport & Luggate. Wander outside of Wānaka town to discover something new.

Discover the Regions
Flights to Wānaka

Wānaka is a 60 minute drive from Queenstown Airport over the Crown Range Road or via the Kawarau Gorge – both stunning drives. There are two other airports in close proximity: Dunedin and Christchurch.

Wānaka also has its own airport for scenic and charter flights and you can fly daily with Sounds Air direct to Christchurch from here.

Flights to Wānaka
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Flights To Wānaka
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Buses To Wānaka

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