Land Transport

Getting Around Without Losing Your Mind

Honestly, the most important land transport advice for the Queenstown Region is knowing what not to do. Don't drive your campervan into the centre of town. Queenstown traffic is genuinely rough - only Auckland and central Wellington are worse. If you need to park up for the day, Boundary Street Carpark is the one spot set up for campervans. Stay at a holiday park on the fringe and walk or take the ferry in instead.

Crown Range vs the Long Way Round

If you're moving between Queenstown and Wanaka Region, the Crown Range road looks like the obvious call on the map and honestly it's a cracking drive in good conditions. But check your rental agreement before you go - a lot of campervan and rental car policies won't cover you on that road, summer or winter. State Highway 6 through Cromwell is the safer bet and it's not a bad drive either. Bonus: fuel at Cromwell is usually 10-20c a litre cheaper than Queenstown, so it's worth filling up there.

For getting to and from the airport, a shuttle is the sensible move if you haven't picked up your vehicle yet - shared shuttles into town are a fraction of what a taxi will cost you. Once you're on the road, the campervan really comes into its own out toward Glenorchy - that drive alone is worth the trip, and having your own wheels means you can get there early and beat the tour buses.