If the North Island is a place to dip your toes into what New Zealand has to offer, the South Island is where you can fully dive in.

In our trusty campervan from Mad Campers, we were able to take full advantage of the great open spaces of the South Island. We took the ferry from Wellington to Picton, crossing the Cook Strait in about 3 hours. We saw dolphins along the way, and got a glimpse of the turquoise waters and lush coastline that the South Island is known for. Here are the highlights that every visitor should have on their South Island itinerary.

Abel Tasman National Park

It may be New Zealand’s smallest park, but it is possibly the most beautiful. These beaches and forested hiking trails were a dream. We got dropped off at Barks Bay first, where we had the beach almost to ourselves.

But since Barks Bay is actually really shallow (I mean like, knee-deep; great for kids!), we couldn’t really swim, so we took the coastal path to Torrent Bay.

The hike took about 2 hours and had some steep sections, so I’d recommend hiking shoes. We loved Torrent Bay! Deeper water for swimming, but still calm and crystal clear.

While there are a few pit toilets and even private homes throughout the park, Abel Tasman NP feels almost untouched. Pristine beaches, well-kept trails, and accessibility by ferry and kayak all made this a stellar day.

Hokitika Gorge

This spot is a little out the way from the main highway as you drive down the coast, but the glacial blue waters are so worth the short hike to get there. We arrived just before sundown and had the place practically to ourselves. Not much else around there though, but you do get a sense of the landscape changing as you move southward from the tropical beaches to the high mountains. That bright blue water means a glacier is nearby!

Westland Tai Poutini National Park

Home to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, this national park was so different from Abel Tasman, where we had been just days before. We got our first experience with the infamous South Island weather, which can change in an instant. But I actually think the rain made it even more beautiful. You can take heli tours and ice cave expeditions here, but we kept it simple with just roadside stops for photos and an easy stroll through a rainforest.

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

We saved the best for last! I love mountains, and I’m so glad we were lucky enough to get a peek of Aoraki/Mt. Cook. Like a lot of mountains, it can stay hidden behind clouds for weeks. Fortunately, we witnessed a gorgeous sunrise and a clear afternoon to explore the trails nearby, like the famous Hooker Valley Track.

This park was the highlight of the trip. The Hooker Valley Track is an easy, mostly flat trail that lets you get pretty close to the mountains and crosses three suspension bridges. Also don’t miss the visitor center here to get a sense of the historical importance. Mount Cook was where Sir Edmund Hillary trained before he made the first successful summit of Mount Everest.

Hopefully you can get a sense of just how much the South Island has to offer. We definitely will be back, since we missed some major stops like Milford Sound, Queenstown, and Lake Tekapo. I loved the sense of space we had. If you are not the type to really enjoy city hopping, the South Island is a great place to explore on your own. I can’t say enough how easy it was to navigate the roads. We did a lot of driving because things are so spread out, but the scenery was gorgeous and we made the most of it with audiobooks and tunes. I don’t often have the desire to return to countries because there are just so many on my bucket list, but New Zealand is one I know I’ll be coming back to.