My partner and I are planning a 10-day South Island road trip in late January / early February. We plan to rent a campervan and stay at DOC campsites and freedom camping spots.

We’d love feedback on pacing, feasibility, campsite choices, and hike selection before we lock in vehicle and campsite bookings.

Trip Overview

Dates: Jan 24 – Feb 3 (10 full days on the ground)
Route: Christchurch > Lake Tekapo > Mount Cook > Wānaka > Te Anau / Milford Sound > Queenstown

Itinerary

Day 1 (Jan 24): Christchurch to Lake Tekapo
- Arrive: CHC @ 10:35 AM
- Drive: 3 hours.
- Activities: Explore CHC briefly (Riverside Market / Botanic Gardens), drive to Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve.
Day 2 (Jan 25): Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook
- Drive: 1 hour.
- Hike: Hooker Valley Track
- Overnight: White Horse Hill Campground
Day 3 (Jan 26): Mount Cook National Park
- Drive: None.
- Hike: Sealy Tarns or push up to Mueller Hut
- Overnight: White Horse Hill Campground (DOC) (Night 2).
Day 4 (Jan 27): Mount Cook to Wānaka
- Drive: 2.5 hours via Lindis Pass.
- Activities/Hike: Lunch by Lake Wānaka, Hike Mount Iron or Rocky Mountain Track
- Overnight: Red Bridge Campground (Hawea Flat area).
Day 5 (Jan 28): Wānaka Day Trips
- Drive: ~1 hour each way into the park/surrounds.
- Hike Options: Roys Peak at sunrise or Blue Pools Track / Rob Roy Glacier Track. Quick stop at That Wanaka Tree.
- Overnight: Red Bridge Campground OR Albert Town Campground.
Day 6 (Jan 29): Wānaka to Te Anau
- Drive: 3 hours south.
- Hike: Kepler Track segment - Te Anau Control Gates to Dock Bay
- Overnight: Henry Creek Campsite
Day 7 (Jan 30): Te Anau to Milford Sound & Cascade Creek
- Drive: 2 hours each way along Milford Road.
- Activities: Late-morning Milford Sound cruise.
- Hike Options: Key Summit Track or Gertrude Saddle
- Overnight: Cascade Creek Campsite
Day 8 (Jan 31): Fiordland to Queenstown
- Hike: Lake Marian Track
- Drive: 2 hours
- Overnight: 12 Mile Delta DOC Campsite (
Day 9 (Feb 1): Queenstown / Glenorchy Day Trip
- Drive: 45 mins each way.
- Hike: Routeburn Track day hike (Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats or Falls)
- Overnight: 12 Mile Delta or Sylvan Campsite
Day 10 (Feb 2): Queenstown
- Drive: None (park van in town).
- Activities: Skyline Gondola, Queenstown Hill hike (3 hours), Fergburger.
- Overnight: Local hotel (Driftaway / The Canyons / The Rees).
Day 11 (Feb 3): Departure
- Drop van at Queenstown depot and fly out to Sydney.

Questions we have:

Campervan Options: Prices for 2-4p vans are ranging from $4,000 to $6,100 NZD for 10 days. Are operators like Mighty or Apollo fine, or is it worth paying the premium for Maui/Britz for reliability?
Hike Selection Overload: On Day 5 in Wānaka and Day 7/8 in Fiordland, I have multiple hikes listed (Roys Peak vs. Rob Roy Glacier; Key Summit vs. Lake Marian vs. Gertrude Saddle). If you had to pick the absolute "must-dos" for a fit pair of hikers, which would you prioritize?
Campsite Logistics: Are any of these freedom/DOC sites prone to filling up ridiculously early in late January (specifically Red Bridge, Lake Poaka, or 12 Mile Delta)?
Pacing Check: Is Day 7/8 around Milford Sound too crammed with a cruise + Lake Marian/Gertrude Saddle in a 24-hour window?

Thanks in advance for any insights or warnings!

ETA: Not sure if this helps or hurts my case to the people saying my wife was tailgating but this is the entire 1-minute clip from the dash cam footage leading up to hitting the debris. The distance is pretty consistent with what other cars/semi trucks are doing and my wife is using adaptive cruise control which controls the distance of the car in front of us. https://imgur.com/a/o9ZxJU2

I've been going back and forth with Progressive on whether this falls under collision or comprehensive coverage. I argue comprehensive (which carries a lower deductible) because it was unavoidable. The car in front of us drove over a piece of repaired road which causes a piece of concrete (or rebar?) to become dislodged. The timestamps show there is a gap of 1-second of the car in front of us dislodging the object and it becoming loose and by then we are only about 10 feet away traveling 80 mph.

Progressive is arguing we hit a "stationary" object in the road and my wife "should have made more of an effort" or been paying attention to avoid hitting it. Stay safe out there.

u/shooter612

Best time to sign up?

[Itinerary Feedback] 10 Days South Island (Christchurch to Queenstown) in a Campervan – Jan/Feb 2027

Itinerary

Questions we have:

Progressive has determined my wife is "at fault" because she "didn't take the necessary steps to avoid the object in the road."