Travelling the South Island with Dogs
There is nothing better than getting away for a week or two of solid adventures with your dog. I’ve explored a lot of the North Island with dogs too, but there’s something about crossing that Cook Strait that really puts you in the holiday mode. Coming from the Waikato, it’s a whole new level of freedom! Here are a few of my fav spots from our most recent trip at the end of March/start of April 2022.
Christchurch
If I ever move to the South Island, there’s a good chance it’ll be to Christchurch. It’s just the best spot for dogs! We loved the Bottle Lake Forest, McLean’s Island, and Halswell Quarry Park this time round. All super handy to the city with plenty of opportunity for the dogs to have a good run. Godley head is another great walk (on lead) that we’ve done previously, and if you are a dog park kind of person, you can’t go past the Groynes - multiple fenced areas, a great fenced river area for the dogs to have a splash and fun obstacles for them to explore. Don’t forget to call into Further Faster while you’re in town for a great range of adventure dog & human gear.
Mavora Lakes
Mavora is magic! It’s pretty remote down a long gravel road which I’m pretty sure is the reason my vans wheel alignment was so buggered when we got home, but that’s what makes it so special - only the truly dedicated are heading out there. We did a 10km hike around the south lake, with the majority through some stunning forest. Just be prepared for a bit of a road walk back if you make it a circuit. We camped overnight on the DOC campsite. Just remember the bug spray for the sandflies, and be ready to unplug!
Needle at Mavora Lakes - stunning!
Queenstown
We stayed at the 12 Mile Delta DOC site one night, and in April we had the place to ourselves. There’s a good walk from the west of the camp to a lookout overlooking Bob’s Cove (pictured).
The next night we stayed at the Top 10 for the best damn showers of the trip (after a few nights at DOC sites a good hot shower is always welcome!) and explored the waterfront from the gardens.
We also took a day trip out to Glenorchy, and enjoyed the Glenorchy Lagoon walk. Some great food places out there too!
Arrowtown & Cromwell
Arrowtown was a real highlight, exploring the gorge walks where we encountered a ton of other dogs. So pretty with the Autumn leaves coming through! Then we were lucky to stay with our friends Tim & Lu at Cromwell Canines in their Guesthouse! If you’re heading for Cromwell and after some dog friendly accommodation, you can contact them through their Instagram page - Our NZ Pack Life (and check out their pics while you’re there - if that doesn’t make you want to pack up and head south with your dog I don’t know what will). Highlights included the Bannockburn Sluicings, local forest walks and a stunning spot by the river for a swim.
Wanaka
We had a flying stop in Wanaka, staying at the Top 10 - we looked for Top 10s anywhere we didn’t stay at DOC sites as they are often dog friendly to some extent! In Wanaka my friend Kate rented a kayak and explored the lake with her pup Sonic, while I explored the lake trail with Needle - passing right by That Wanaka Tree. We also made it up Mt Iron to check out some awesome views (quite the workout).
Lake Tekapo
Of course no South Island trip with dogs would be complete without a couple of scenic pics with dogs at Lake Tekapo. There’s also a well fenced dog park in Tekapo, with trails through the trees to explore.
Nelson
I wasn’t expecting to love Nelson as much as I did! We went out to Rough Island two days in a row for some great off lead decompression time and still didn’t see it all, made it to the centre of NZ monument, ran on the Tahunanui Beach and also visited the Marsden Valley Dog Park which is well set up. We can also highly recommend The Goods Espresso Bar - best coffee (very much needed by the end of the trip) and dog friendly.
Top Tips
Travelling with dogs in NZ is so much easier when you’re camping vs trying to stay in motels etc. On my first trip I had a ute with a roof top tent which was a great set up, this time round we took my van with a bed set up. We were especially glad to be able to just climb in and have a sleep when our ferries were delayed both ways and we ended up sleeping in the car park for a few hours.
Outside of peak times (which I’d recommend if you’ve got dogs!), we were able to just rock up most of the times and find a campsite easily enough. We use the Rankers camping app to filter by places that allow dogs, otherwise the DOC website allows you to find dog friendly campsites in each area or good old google tends to work. Top 10 campsites tended to be pretty reliable for allowing dogs on campsites, though some had specific sites they’d put people with dogs on.
If you can, leave your dog in a crate in your vehicle while travelling on the ferries. They’re generally going to be much more comfortable there than in the kennels on the vehicle deck! Do some crate training before the trip, give them a good run and toilet before you head for the ferry, and leave them with a Kong to settle with. I like to book night sailings with a cabin, so we can have a shower then jump in bed for a few hours sleep on the ship.
The Hiking with Dogs facebook group is a great spot to find dog friendly hikes and share info. We also use the DOC website, as well as searching dog access areas on council pages. I’ve got a lot of bigger hikes on my list for the next trip!
Break up your trip. Van life moving place to place each night is amazing, but hats off to people who manage it for weeks on end. Stopping in Cromwell partway through the trip for a proper bed was a lifesaver for us!
And please, keep your dogs under control & clean up after them. We want to be able to enjoy this country with our dogs in the years to come, and that’s only going to happen if we do our part to look after the places we are allowed to take them.
