The Long Summer Drives Worth Doing in January

January is when New Zealand's big drives stop looking ambitious and start looking obvious. The light holds until well into the evening, the passes are open, and a route that would be a slog in June becomes the best day of the trip. You can stop as often as you like and still arrive with daylight to spare.

These are the long ones, the drives people plan a holiday around. With a car from Evolve Rentals and unlimited mileage on every rental, the only thing to budget is time.

How long is the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound?

About 290 kilometres and around four and a half hours of driving each way, down State Highway 6 to Te Anau and then out along the Milford Road. It is one of the great roads of the world, and January is the month to do it: the avalanche season that can close it through winter is long gone, and the days are long enough to do it without rushing.

Fill up in Te Anau, because there is no fuel for the 120 kilometres after it. Then take your time. The Eglinton Valley opens up flat and golden, Mirror Lakes is a short walk from the road and does exactly what it says on a still morning, and Lake Gunn and the stretch known as the Avenue of the Disappearing Mountain are worth pulling over for. The Homer Tunnel is a single lane through the mountain, run on traffic lights, so expect a wait of 20 minutes or more in summer.

The car park at Milford fills by mid morning in peak season, which is the best argument for staying the night in Te Anau and driving in early. Check the NZ Transport Agency journey planner for the road before you leave, whatever the month.

How far is Cape Reinga from Auckland?

About 424 kilometres, and five to six hours of driving each way on sealed road, which makes it a trip of several days rather than one. The reward is the top of the country: the lighthouse at Cape Reinga, a short walk from the car park, looks out over the place where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet.

Break the drive in the Bay of Islands and give the Waitangi Treaty Grounds a morning, then push on through Kaitaia. Just before the Cape, the giant sand dunes at Te Paki are worth stopping for, and they are the best place to see Ninety Mile Beach. Our cars stay on the sealed road, so if you want to be on the sand itself, a guided tour is the way to do it.

If you are heading north on the west coast instead, our weekend road trips from Auckland cover the Kauri Coast and Waipoua Forest, home of Tane Mahuta.

What about Mount Cook and the glaciers?

They are just as good in January as in December, and our December road trips from Queenstown cover both in detail: Tekapo and the Hooker Valley Track at Aoraki Mount Cook, and the Haast Pass to Franz Josef with the Blue Pools on the way. Either one fits nicely around a Milford day if you have a week to play with.

Why do the long drives work so well in January?

Because summer gives you margin. Long days mean a late start or a long lunch does not cost you the view at the end. The alpine roads are in their best condition of the year, and if the weather turns, there is time to wait it out and go the next day.

The one thing January does not give you is empty roads. It is peak holiday season, so book your beds along the way before you set off, leave early to beat the tour coaches on the Milford Road, and keep an eye on fuel in the remote stretches. Our guide to driving in New Zealand covers the rest, from the rules to the distances.

Getting the car sorted

In Queenstown we bring the car to you, which nobody else in Queenstown does and which is the whole reason Evolve exists, or you can collect from us at 153b Glenda Drive in Frankton, near the airport and on the right side of town for the road south to Te Anau. In Auckland it is collection from the Grand Millennium at 71 Mayoral Drive, in the middle of the city, so the drive north starts straight away.

Every rental comes with unlimited mileage and free additional drivers, which is exactly what a four hour drive calls for. So book your car with Evolve Rentals, share the wheel, and give the big drives the time they deserve.

FAQs

How long does it take to drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound?
About four and a half hours each way for 290 kilometres, without stops. Staying overnight in Te Anau breaks it up nicely.

Is there fuel on the Milford Road?
No. Te Anau is the last fuel stop, about 120 kilometres before Milford Sound, so fill up there.

How long is the wait at the Homer Tunnel?
It is a single lane tunnel run on traffic lights, so in summer expect 20 to 30 minutes at busy times.

How far is Cape Reinga from Auckland?
About 424 kilometres, or five to six hours each way on sealed road. Most people take several days and stop in the Bay of Islands.

Can you drive on Ninety Mile Beach in a rental car?
Our cars stay on sealed roads. The Te Paki dunes are the best place to see the beach, and guided tours drive the sand itself.