South Island, 5 days, self-drive
The West Coast is the South Island’s wet, wild side — rainforest running straight down to black-sand beaches, glaciers close enough to Tasman Sea air to be genuinely accessible, and a fraction of the tour-bus traffic that clogs Milford Sound and Queenstown.
Days 1–2: Franz Josef and Fox Glacier
Both glaciers have retreated up their valleys in recent decades, so a guided heli-hike onto the ice itself gives a far better experience than the valley-floor viewpoint alone — book ahead, since weather cancellations are common on this coast.
Days 3–4: Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks
The layered limestone formations at Punakaiki, carved by 30 million years of pressure and erosion, put on their best show at high tide when blowholes send spray through the rock — check tide times before arriving rather than hoping for the best.
Day 5: Hokitika
Hokitika’s driftwood-strewn beach and pounamu (greenstone) carving workshops make an easy final stop — the Hokitika Gorge’s improbably turquoise water, a short drive inland, is worth the detour before heading back over Arthur’s Pass.
See also our Milford Sound guide for the South Island’s more famous fjord.