If you’ve read a few of my blogs, you’ll have noticed that I’ve mentioned Arthur’s Pass a few times! It’s not without good reason as it’s truly one of the most beautiful places in the world. 

When planning your roadie, it’s worth taking the time to look at the various passes and scenic routes. If you’ve only got time for one, I’d choose Arthur’s Pass time and time again. Whether you’re heading to or from Christchurch or just wanting to drive through the Southern Alps and loop back on yourself, this pass has all the views and more. 

The road takes you through steeped valleys, up windy steep roads, across viaducts, through the Arthur’s Pass village and across the flat plains. In the pass during the summer, you can hike or complete a sky dive and during the winter months, there’s areas perfect for skiing or snowboarding. 

Throughout the journey through the pass, you’ll see a number of mountain peaks – the highest is Mount Murchison and some of them will likely have snow resting on the top even during the height of the summer months. 

Whilst exploring the National Park, there are many hikes and walks to do too. You can find more information in Arthur’s Pass village where there is a visitors centre or on their website. Arthur’s Pass is also another hotspot for Kea’s so if you haven’t got to Milford Sound yet, or you haven’t seen a Kea, then keep your eyes peeled here. There’s a good chance you’ll see one, as there’s often sightings in the village. 

New Zealand is home to some fantastic wildlife and the Kea is one of my faves. They are Alpine Parrots and they have the most comical and inquisitive nature. With no natural predators, these bird’s can’t help themselves when it comes to seeing what you’ve got for lunch or enjoying a tasty lick of led paint! (Yes, they quite often like licking led paint!) These cheeky birds are likely to approach you if you’re lucky to meet one. If you do get to see one whether it’s in the distance or up close, make sure you report it. I’ve popped the link to the website here, as they are a protected species and carefully monitored. 

If you’ve got a day or less, you can incorporate this drive to get you from the West Coast to Christchurch or back. If you’ve got a little longer, there are so many campsites located in the most picturesque areas. 

We stayed for a night in Arthur’s Pass at the Lake Pearson Campsite (Moana Rua) which is managed by the  Department of Conservation Site and cost’s $10 per adult. We chose this one as it was well reviewed on CamperMate and it worked with our route. It was a really nice site, a big area for visitors and it was a mixed site, meaning that non-self contained campers could stay too. You can pitch up right next to Lake Pearson ready for a morning swim or further back in the shelter of the trees. There are no facilities other than drop toilets, but they were really well maintained and the ranger made regular appearances to clean them. 

Throughout the pass there are many scenic lookout’s and pull over area’s. Because of this, it’s best to take the roads at a nice pace so you can explore as many of these as you can. We stopped so many times, even if we just jumped out to take a quick picture before zooming on again to the next one. Make sure you stop off at the famous Arthur’s Pass National Park sign. It is a perfect picture spot and a great place to pause for a leg stretch or lunch break. 

If you’re not hiring a campervan or don’t fancy driving the pass, there is an option to get the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to the West Coast. I haven’t had the chance to do this, but it is on our list for our return to New Zealand – the views just look insane! 

Arthur’s Pass is the one of the reasons I recommend exploring New Zealand in a campervan. From sleeping in one of the most beautiful National Parks, to the experience of driving yourself around and being able to stop off whenever you want to soak it all in, this whole area really just cannot be beaten.

lots of love,

Han x